From 22 to 17 - Australia narrow the list of Olympic hopefuls

SYDNEY (Australia) - Australia have narrowed their list of players hoping to make the roster for the Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris 2024 from 22 to 17 players.

Coach Brian Goorjian continues to have numerous veterans like Pat Mills, Joe Ingles, Matthew Dellavedova, Nick Kay and Chris Goulding - players in the Boomers' Olympic bronze-medal winning squad in Tokyo three years ago.

Australia 17-man squad for Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris

Xavier Cooks	Dyson Daniels	Matthew Dellavedova	Dante Exum
Josh Giddey	Chris Goulding	Joe Ingles	Nick Kay
Jock Landale	Will Magnay	Patty Mills	Duop Reath
Matisse Thybulle	Dejan Vasilijevic	Jack White

Josh Giddey, the Wanda Rising Star Award winner at last year's FIBA Basketball World Cup, remains is in the 17 and poised to make his Olympic bow.

Giddey is playing in the NBA post-season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are squaring off against the Dallas Mavericks, a team that has Australians Dante Exum and Josh Green.

"The level of talent that the country is producing is at a new level," Australia coach Brian Goorjian said.

"We've got guys competing against the best in leagues around the world and the NBL continues to advance as a world class level for Australian talent."

Jock Landale, who suffered an injury before the start of the World Cup and missed the event, is in the squad, along with Duop Reath, Jack White, Xavier Cooks, Dyson Daniels, Matisse Thybulle, Will Magnay, Jack McVeigh and DJ Vasiljevic. 

Sam Froling, Johnny Furphy, Keanu Pinder, Rocco Zikarsky and Will McDowell-White were in the 22-man squad named in April but are not on the list of 17.

Goorjian, who coached Australia to their first medal at the Olympics in Tokyo, a bronze won by beating Slovenia, anticipates a very competitive field, which already has FIBA Basketball World Cup winners Germany, runners-up Serbia and third-placed Canada.

Goorjian hugs Mills after Australia's bronze medal triumph at the Tokyo Olympics

The USA, who finished fourth at the World Cup, will be taking aim at a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal. Hosts France, who fell in a thrilling Olympic Final to the Americans three years ago in Tokyo, will be formidable, along with Japan and debutants South Sudan.

The other teams in the field will be the winners of the four FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments to be staged July 2 to 7. They will be held in Greece, Latvia, Puerto Rico and Spain.

Australia are in Group A with Canada, and the winners of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in Piraeus and Valencia.

"The standard of the tournament is going to be at an all-time high and we're excited with the group that we've put together," Goorjian said.

FIBA