Star guard Yuki Togashi of the Chiba Jets and twin brothers Kosuke and Joji Takeuchi of the Tochigi Brex and Alvark Tokyo, respectively, headline the 15-man national team roster for an upcoming international exhibition series against Iran, the Japan Basketball Association announced on Tuesday.
Led by interim head coach Luka Pavicevic, the Akatsuki Five will play against the Middle East nation, which is the second-best Asian team in the latest FIBA rankings at 25th behind China (14).
The JBA parted ways with sideline supervisor Kenji Hasegawa at the end of November and appointed technical adviser Luka Pavicevic as interim bench boss until it hires a new head coach, which is expected to happen by the summer.