SAN JUAN (Puerto Rico) – The upcoming FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is likely Paul Stoll’s last chance to fulfill his Olympic dream with Mexico.
Since making his national team debut in 2010, the 38-year-old has won gold at FIBA AmeriCup 2013 and the 2014 Centrobasket and also played at the FIBA Basketball World Cups in 2014 and 2023.
The event, taking place at Coliseum José Miguel Agrelot from July 2-7, is Mexico’s last shot to qualify to the Paris 2024 Games.
The Roster
Head coach Omar Quintero recently announced a 20-man squad featuring a lot of members of this Mexican golden generation.
Stoll will be joined by veterans Fabian Jaimes, Francisco “Pako” Cruz, Israel Gutierrez and Gabriel Giron Jr., among other frequent national team stalwarts.
And while the team will rely heavily on their old guard, younger contributors like Moisés Andriazzi, Joshua Ibarra and Irwin Ávalos will be on hand to bridge the gap to the next generation led by Gael Bonilla and 17-year-old phenoms Karim López and Adrien Porras.
The Question
Can Mexico put an end to their 48-year Olympic drought?
To do so, the team will have to get past at least one of Côte d’Ivoire and Lithuania to reach the semifinals, where 2 of Italy, Puerto Rico and Bahrain will await them.
Disappointing showings at the last World Cup (25th place) and 2022 AmeriCup (6th) tell the story of a country not arriving at the peak of their powers. However, this squad has pulled plenty of upsets over the last decade and there’s no bigger motivator than an Olympic berth.
The Hope
Familiarity and cohesion are Mexico’s biggest strengths. Stoll, Cruz and Giron have fought countless battles together throughout the years while wearing Mexico’s jersey.
Additionally, Giron, Stoll, Gutierrez and Jaimes were teammates during the 2023-24 season of Basketball Champions League Americas with Halcones de Xalapa, leading the Mexican squad to a historic 3rd-place finish.
Their strategy will consist of their perimeter players catching fire from long distance while Gutierrez, Bonilla and Ibarra battle on the boards and defend the paint.
The Fear
The lack of a bona fide scorer like retired center Gustavo Ayon unfortunately lowers Mexico’s ceiling – forcing them to play near-perfect basketball on both ends of the floor every night out.
Bahrain is the only other country in the tournament not expected to bring NBA players, so Mexico will have to rely on chemistry, continuity and guile to reach their goal.
The last 10 FIBA Events
FIBA