Turkey and USA set for rematch of 2010 world basketball championships final

BARCELONA - Agence France-Presse

FIBA's Sport Director Lubomir Kotleba shows a result paper bearing the name of the US between former Costa Rican player Jose 'Piculin' Ortiz (L) and former Croatian player Dino Radja (R) during the FIBA Basketball World Cup official draw for the 2014 world cup in the Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona on Feb 3. AFP

Basketball world champions the United States were drawn in a group also containing the team they beat in the 2010 final, Turkey, when the draw was made in Barcelona, Spain, on Feb. 3.

The Americans were drawn in Group C along with the Turks as well as New Zealand, Ukraine, Dominican Republic and Finland for the tournament which is being hosted by Spain and runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 14.

The potential opponents for the Americans in the last 16 - the top four in each group progress to the knockout rounds - if they top it will come from Group D which notably includes Slovenia, Australia and beaten European championship finalists Lithuania. France, who beat Lithuania in the European final last year, are in Group A along with amongst others Spain, Serbia and Brazil.

The tournament will take place in six cities: Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, Bilbao, Gran Canaria and Granada.

The groups are as follows: 

Group A (at Granada): Spain, Serbia, France, Brazil, Egypt, Iran

Group B (at Sevilla): Philippines, Senegal, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Greece, Croatia

Group C (at Bilbao): Dominican Republic, Turkey, United States, Finland, New Zealand, Ukraine

Group C (at Gran Canaria): Slovenia, Lithuania, Angola, South Korea, Mexico, Australia ll/jta/pi AFP