Kahudi, Labeyrie and Lacombe headline France roster for upcoming European Qualifiers

PARIS (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - Charles Kahudi, Louis Labeyrie and Paul Lacombe are leading players that coach Vincent Collet has named in the France squad for the upcoming European Qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.

France will take on the Czechs - who have already clinched a spot in next year's 32-team tournament in China - in Pardubice on November 30 and then square off against Bulgaria in Limoges on December 3. The French, with 7 wins and just 1 defeat in the European Qualifiers, need just one more victory to clinch a World Cup place.

Kahudi, 32, has played for France since FIBA EuroBasket 2011 and was in the sides that captured the EuroBasket 2013 crown in Slovenia, and finished third at the World Cup in Spain four years ago.

In France's most recent win in the European Qualifiers, an 83-67 home triumph over Group K rivals Finland in Montpellier, Kahudi hit 6 of 10 shots from the floor and connected on 2 of 3 from behind the arc en route to 14 points.

Labeyrie, who represented France at EuroBasket 2017, has played in two of the European Qualifiers and averaged 12.5 points and 6.0 rebounds.

Lacombe, perhaps best known now for his defense, has appeared in all eight Qualifiers for France and contributed 9.9 points and 2.3 steals in 22.1 minutes.

Lacombe has evolved into one of France's grittiest players in the European Qualifiers

Collet has also invited a couple of youngsters to practice with the team in Sekou Doumbouya and Theo Maledon. 

The 2.05m Doumbouya was in the France team that captured the U18 European Championship title two years ago in Turkey, where he averaged 17.8 points and 7.0 rebounds to earn a spot in the tournament's All-Star Five. 

Maledon played for France this past summer and reached the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup Final in Argentina, where he put up 11.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

FIBA