YOUTH team star Filip Petrusev, Boban Marjanovic, and Nemanja Bjelica will lead the 12-man strong Serbian squad in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade.
Coach Igor Kokoskov has made the cuts ahead of the July 29 to July 4 tilt with the winner earning a spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
There are high hopes for the 6-foor-7 Petrusev, 21, especially after his performance in the team's buildup in the 2021 Acropolis International Basketball Tournament, where he posted 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in the tourney.
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He will form a strong frontline for the Serbians alongside the 7-foot-4 Marjanovic of the Dallas Mavericks and the 6-foot-10 Bjelica of the Miami Heat as the Serbians have an average height of 6-foot-7.
Only four players from the 2019 Fiba World Cup team have been included in the Belgrade OQT roster, with Marjanovic and Bjelica being joined by Stefan Jovic and Euroleague MVP Vasilije Micic.
Rounding out the roster are veteran playmaker Milos Teodosic (Virtus Bologna - Italy), together with Dragan Milosavljevic (Mega Basket); Dejan Davidovac and Ognjen Dobric (KK Crvena Zvezda); Nikola Kalinic (Valencia - Spain); Aleksa Avramovic (CB Estudiantes - Spain); and Danilo Andjusic (JL Bourg-en-Bresse - France).
Among the cuts include World Cup veteran Nikola Milutinov, youth prospect Dalibor Ilic, as well as Branko Lazic and Vanja Marinkovic.
Serbia plays Dominican Republic on June 30 before taking on Gilas Pilipinas on July 1, both Manila time.
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