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There still few months until the squad will be chosen but we can start talking about it now. Hopefully it won't happen as it happened in Eurobasket 2005 when 8 main players didn't play for ridicilous reasons but young team performed very well. The main problem is point guards. We have two great point guards - Sarunas Jasikevicius and Rimantas Kaukenas. Jasikevicius' excuse not to play is that he is tired after the season while Kaukenas has some personal problems with coach Antanas Sireika. I hope that this time we'll get them both to play and would great. Lithuania has a strong frontline but one of the best centers in NBA - Zydrunas Ilgauskas has only played few games for our NT while he played in LKL. When he moved to NBA he had serious foot injury and he has never player for national team since. Ilgauskas didn't have any injuries for a few years and he still doesn't play which makes many people very angry and even calling him not Lithuanian. The good thing is that we have few players to choose from.
The best team would be (my opinion):
C Zydrunas Ilgauskas
PF Darjus Lavrinovic
SF Ramunas Siskauskas
SG Arvydas Macijauskas
PG Sarunas Jasikevicius
Robertas Javtokas
Ksistof Lavrinovic
Darius Songaila
Paulius Jankunas or Linas Kleiza
Simas Jasaitis
Saulius Stombergas or Renaldas Seibutis
Rimantas Kaukenas
The most likely squad:
C Robertas Javtokas
PF Darjus Lavrinovic
SF Ramunas Siskauskas
SG Arvydas Macijauskas
PG Vidas Ginevicius
Ksystof Lavrinovic
Darius Songaila
Paulius Jankunas
Simas Jasaitis
Renaldas Seibutis
Mindaugas Lukauskis
Tomas Delininkaitis
Your views please.
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Supports: Boston Celtics, Rytas
i was wondering if Ilgauskas was Lithuanian i thought so but he hasn't played. they would stand a better chance with him playing so i really hope he does
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Lithuanian NT preparation schedule
June 8th - 18th .: Training camp in Lithuania
June 19th - 23rd .: International friendly competition in Italy
(Participants: Italy, Lithuania, Venezuela, Czech Republic) 3 games.
June 25th - July 6th .: Physical preparation camp in Lithuanai
July 7th - 18th .: Training camp in Lithuania
July 19th - 24th .: International friendly competition in France
(Participants: France, Lithuania, China)
July 25th - 29th .: Training camp in Lithuania
July 30th - August 1st .: International friendly competition in Vilnius (Lithuania)
(Participants: Lithuania, Russia, Israel, Senegal)
August 2nd - 3rd .: Training camp in Lithuania
August 4th - 7th .: International friendly competition in Spain
(Participants: Spain, Lithuania, Russia, Argentina)
August 9th .: Training camp in Lithuania
August 10th - 14th .: International friendly competition in South Korea
12th Lithuania - South Korea
13th Lithuania - USA
August 14th - 17th .: Training camp in Seoul (South Korea)
August 17th .: Arrival to Hamamatsu (Japan)
August 18th .: Training
August 19th - September 4th .: FIBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2006 IN JAPAN
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You have many good players and you are one of favourites to the tittle even without Jasikevicius.
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Lithuanian NT coaches have announced candidates for FIBA WC 2006. There will be two camps. New young players and few with NT experience are called to the first camp which will start on June 8th in Palanga. On June 18th this team, will go to Italy to play a friendly competition with Italy, Czech Republic and Venezuela.
Players caleld to the first camp
Guards: Vidas Ginevicius, Simonas Serapinas, Mantas Kalnietis (all from Zalgiris)
Renaldas Seibutis (Olympiakos Pireaos, Greece)
Darius Pakamanis (Siauliai)
Vytenis Jasikevicius (Zalgiris - A.Sabonis school)
Martynas Pocius (Duke university, USA)
Forwards: Arturas Jomantas (Siauliai)
Stepas Babrauskas (Basket Groot, Belgium)
Aurimas Kieza (Hofstra university, USA)
Vladimiras Severovas (Oakland university, USA)
Jonas Maciulis (Zalgiris)
Valdas Vosylius (Old Dominion university, USA)
Centers: Darius Silinskis (Zalgiris)
Povilas Cukinas (Lietuvos rytas)
Marijonas Petravicius (Ventspils, Latvia)
Antanas Kavaliauskas (Texas A&M university, USA).
On June 28th second and main part of preparation will start. Some players from the first camp will join other players and continue training. While others will form a team from players who play in LKL.
Players called to second camp
Guards: Sarunas Jasikevicius (Indiana Pacers, USA)
Arvydas Macijauskas (NO/OC Hornets, USA)
Rimantas Kaukenas (?Montepaschi? Siena, Italy)
Giedrius Gustas (Barons Riga, Latvia)
Mindaugas Lukauskis, Tomas Delininkaitis (both Lietuvos rytas)
Forwards: Simas Jasaitis (Lietuvos rytas)
Linas Kleiza (Denver Nuggets, USA)
Ramunas Siskauskas (Benneton Treviso, Italy)
Mindaugas Zukauskas (Montepaschi Siena, Italy)
Darius Songaila (Chicago Bulls, USA)
Centers: Darjusas Lavrinovicius, Paulius Jankunas (Zalgiris), Ksystofas Lavrinovicius (Unics Kazan, Russia)
Robertas Javtokas (Lietuvos rytas).
First friendly competition where Lithuania will play with their strongest squad is on July 19th.