PUR - Toro taking his time over Puerto Rico squad selection

 WIN a trip to the FIBA World Championship Finals weekend

GUAYNABO (FIBA World Championship) - Puerto Rico coach Julio Toro is biding his time before finalising his squad for the FIBA World Championship.

Toro is currently working with one group of championship hopefuls as another squad contests the Centro-American and Caribbean Games in Colombia.

He told Primera Hora newspaper: "The idea is to give us some more time to think about it."
"We don't want to build up a squad only with names. We want to give us the chance to look for players who can fill all positions very well."

"You have to consider that the 11th or the 12th player will be very important in this team. We have time to work yet and there are a lot of things to do. Variety is important.''

Players competing in Colombia are keeping their  fingers crossed they will make the final squad, most notably centre Angel "Buster'' Figueroa - whose hopes have been boosted by
the withdrawal through injury of Shariff Fajardo - and guards Jose Juan Barea and Filiberto Rivera.

The decision may be taken when the national team returns from Las Vegas following their warm-up game against World Championship opponents the United States, but could be delayed even further until after the friendlies against Panama on August 9 and 10.

The FIBA World Championship tips off on August 19, and the Puerto Ricans open against one of the pre-tournament favourites, Team USA.

Team general manager Salvador Vilella said: "It doesn't mean that the ones who go to Vegas will automatically go to Japan. It can all change once we return to play Panama.''

Puerto Rico will line up in Group D of the Championship, alongside the US, China, Italy, Senegal and Slovenia.

By PA Sport, Exclusively for  FIBA