The Japan Basketball Association named an 18-player preliminary roster for the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers Window 5, news.yahoo.co.jp reported.
The selection comes as the national team prepares for a pair of away fixtures in late November. Japan currently sits atop Group F with six wins and two losses, accumulating 14 points.
Asia’s World Cup final qualifiers divide 12 teams into two groups of six, designated as Group E and Group F. The top three teams in each group, alongside the fourth-place team with the best record, secure qualification for the global tournament.
Japan travels to face Lebanon on November 27, followed by an away match against Qatar on November 30. The team has four matches remaining.
Rui Hachimura of the Los Angeles Clippers and Yuki Kawamura of the San Diego Clippers are absent from the roster after leading the team during Window 4 in August.
Makoto Hiejima returns to the national team setup at 36 years old. The Utsunomiya Brex player brings experience back to a backcourt missing its NBA and G League talent.
Headliners on the preliminary list include Yuta Watanabe of the Chiba Jets, Josh Hawkinson of the Tokyo Sunrockers, and Yudai Nishida. Five players who secured a silver medal at the Asian Games in September also earned selection: Alex Kirk, Avi Schafer, Shinji Takashima, Kotetsu Kurokawa, and Atsuya Ogawa.
The full 18-player training camp roster features guards, forwards, and centers from various domestic clubs. Three additional university and club players will join exclusively for the domestic training camp sessions.
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