By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Serbia’s coach, Svetislav Pesic, revealed on Monday Serbia’s preliminary roster for the upcoming World Cup.
As expected, Nikola Jokic, Vasilje Micic, Vladimir Lucic and Nikola Kalinic are not on the list, while four players from the NBA, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nikola Jovic, Aleksej Pokusevski, and Filip Petrusev are included.
After missing last year’s Eurobasket, Bogdan Bogdanovic is the new captain of the team, a responsibility that he gladly accepted: ” It is a great honor to be the captain of Serbia. I hope I will do a good job”.
However, with Jokic and Micic missing, the two players who were the keys of Serbia in Eurobasket 2022, coach Pesic will have to present a new version of his team.
Speaking about Jokic, Pesic explained: “I had several conversations with him, they were the best conversations I had with a player who couldn’t accept the call. He is neither physically nor mentally ready, he is worn out and not ready to take responsibility”.
Serbia will first compete in Group B against South Sudan, China, and Puerto Rico.
The current roster list consists of the following 20 players: Aleksa Avramović (Partizan, Serbia), Dušan Beslac (Vojvodina, Serbia), Bogdan Bogdanović (Atlanta, NBA), Ognjen Dobrić (Virtus, Italy), Dejan Davidovac (Red Star), Ognjen Jaramaz (Partizan, Serbia), Nikola Jović (Miami, NBA), Stefan Jovic (Casademont Zaragoza, Spain), Vanja Marinković (Baskonia, Spain), Nikola Milutinov (Olympiacos, Greece), Nemanja Nedovic (Red Star, Serbia), Filip Petrusev (Sixers, NBA), Aleksej Pokusevski (Oklahoma, NBA), Aleksa Radanov (Peristeri, Greece), Dusan Ristic (Lenovo Tenerife, Spain), Alen Smailagić (Partizan, Serbia), Borisa Simanic (Casademont Zaragosa, Spain), Nikola Topic (Red Star, Serbia), Uros Trifunović (Partizan, Serbia), Marko Guduric (Fenerbahçe, Turkey).