PARIS (France) - France coach Vincent Collet has decided to have a glittering array of talent, experience but also youth on the 12-man roster that will take aim at Olympic glory home soil.
Rudy Gobert, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year in the NBA of Minnesota, and San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama will lead the way for Les Bleus as France go into arguably the most competitive Olympic tournament of all time.
Collet has kept faith with several players that endured last year's disappointing showing at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Gobert, Evan Fournier, Nic Batum, Nando de Colo, Guerschon Yabusele and Isaia Cordinier.
Looking to improve France on defense, Collet has brought guards Andrew Albicy and Frank Ntilikina back to the team, and also include rising star Bilal Coulibaly, the 19-year-old who plays small forward and shooting guard for the Washington Wizards.
Mathias Lessort, one of the best players in Europe this past season with Panathinaikos, returns to the lineup and young guard Matthew Strazel is also included.
Collet wants France to have the best defense in the Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris 2024, but he has also stressed the team for the team to move the ball on offense and to avoid becoming stagnant.
France will play in Group B with FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 winners Germany, Japan and Brazil who just won the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga.
After finishing third at the 2019 World Cup in China, and reaching the Olympic Gold Medal Game in Tokyo and the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 Final in Berlin, France came up well short of expectations at last year's World Cup. They finished 18th in the 32-team event.
FIBA