By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Hellenic Basketball Federation has unveiled head coach Vassilis Spanoulis’ 17-man roster for the upcoming FIBA window, signaling the next chapter in Greece’s quest to secure a spot in the FIBA World Cup 2027.
Striving to rebound from a balanced 3-3 record in the previous stage, the senior national team enters Group I for this final qualification phase trailing the advancement slots by just a single game. To prepare for this stretch, training camp commences this Friday. Preparations include two warm-up friendlies in Athens, a clash against Poland on August 22, followed by a matchup with Cyprus on August 24. These exhibition games will serve as a vital tune-up before the squad flies out for a competitive fixture against Ukraine in Riga on August 28.
Navigating the meetings opposite Ukraine and then Spain in Athens will require tactical adjustments, particularly given some notable absences from the lineup. Chief among them is NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who will miss the window due to scheduling conflicts surrounding his NBA career, as initially reported by Eurohoops on Monday. EOK confirmed that his omission is entirely situational, explicitly dismissing any financial friction and highlighting their consistent history of securing mandatory insurance clearances for the Greek Freak. Similarly, NCAA prospects Alexandros Samodurov, Neoklis Avdalas, and Vangelis Zougris were denied release by their respective schools due to strict academic residency policies.
Οι κλήσεις των παικτών για την προετοιμασία της Εθνικής Ανδρών εν όψει του “παράθυρου” με Ουκρανία και Ισπανία.
👉 https://t.co/r7ycSnC4cM#PantaDipla #HellasBasketball 🏀🇬🇷#CosmoteTelekom #StepItUp #AegeanAcropolisTournament pic.twitter.com/LgbhMou3KB
— HellenicBF (@HellenicBF) August 11, 2026
Despite these missing pieces, the finalized roster confirmed on Tuesday boasts a formidable blend of veteran leadership and emerging domestic talent. Longtime international stalwarts Kostas Papanikolaou and Nick Calathes are set to spearhead the campaign. They are flanked by an elite core of EuroLeague talent, including Olympiacos teammates Giannoulis Larentzakis, Tyler Dorsey, and Omiros Netzipoglou, alongside Panathinaikos Aktor standouts Konstantinos Mitoglou, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, Dimitris Moraitis, and Nikos Rogkavopoulos.
Further depth is provided by Aris representatives Vassilis Toliopoulos, Kostas Antetokounmpo, and Vassilis Charalampopoulos, while Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Dimitris Flionis bring added reinforcement to the squad. Rounding out the invitation list are promising prospects Antonis Karagiannidis, Nasos Bazinas, and Nikos Persidis, who will look to make their mark under Spanoulis’s guidance.
The coaching staff itself undergoes a minor recalibration for this window, welcoming Giorgos Limniatis to the bench as Diamantis Panagiotopoulos steps away.
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