By InsideHoops.com

Click here for World Championships front page.

Click here for profiles of teams in Pools C and D.

Pool A: Yugoslavia, Spain, Canada, Angol

YUGOSLAVIA

Yugoslavia went 6-0 to win the most recent European Championships. Their top star is Sacramento Kings forward Peja Stojakovic. Kings center Vlade Divac and Seattle Sonics big-man Predrag Drobnjak are on the team as well. Forwards Dejan Bodiroga and Milan Gurovic can both score. Point guard Marko Jaric. Guard Milos Vujanic was drafted by the New York Knicks in the second round of the 2002 NBA draft, and swingman Mladen Secularac was taken late second round by Dallas. These guys can score and defend, and are the favorites in this pool.

SPAIN

Spain finished third to win the bronze medal in the most recent European Championships. They're led by Memphis Grizzlies star Pau Gasol, who scores like crazy on the inside and also pounds the boards. Guard Juan-Carlos Navarro hits outside. Felipe Reyes can get hot offensively, and Lucio Angulo can run. Spain can pour in points pretty quickly, and aren't as strong defensively.

CANADA

In their most recent tournament, Canada finished third for a bronze medal in the Championship of the Americas Basketball Tournament. Dallas Mavericks point guard Steve Nash can do everything a point guard can possibly be asked to do. He may miss the tournament, however. New Orleans big forward Jamaal Magloire has some inside game. Two Philadelphia 76ers centers are on this squad: Todd MacCulloch and Sam Dalembert. Guard Prospoer Karangwa can pour in shots from the outside. Andrew Kwiatkowski and Sherman Hamilton can add scoring as well... News: Nash, Magloire and MacCulloch will all not be playing.

ANGOLA

Angola is this year's African Basketball Championship winners, and have won the continent's championship 6 out of the last 7 years. Point guard Miguel Lutonda is the team's best player. He can shoot from anywhere on the court. Center Jean Conceicao, at age 37, scores and rebounds. Angelo Victoriano and Edmar Victoriano, who are brothers, are the key scorers behind Lutonda.

POOL B: Brazil, Turkey, Puerto Rico, Lebanon

BRAZIL

Brazil has qualified for the world championships for decades in a row. Guard Marcelo Machado leads these guys. Nene Hilario, now of the Denver Nuggets, will miss the tournament due to injury. Demetrius Ferraciu dishes the assists. Sandro Varejao adds scoring.

TURKEY

Turkey finished second in the most recent European Championships. This is their first trip to the World Championship. Sacramento Kings forward Hidayet Turkoglu is a top player. Ibrahim Kutluay leads the team in scoring, and he also steals the ball quite often. Mirsad Turkcan, drafted by the Houston Rockets in 1998, adds scoring. Huseyin Besok scores down low, and grabs tons of rebounds.

PUERTO RICO

Former NBA player Jose Ortiz, who is now 38 years old, should be a familiar name to NBA fans, as he was once in the league. He's certainly a known name in international competition. Despite his old age, Ortiz still leads this team, providing great shooting and tough rebounding. Jerome Mincy, at age 37, has been around international competition for a long time as well. Center Daniel Santiago is a current member of the Phoenix Suns. Guard Carlos Arroyo contributes. And the starting guards of the 1996 University of Massachusetts final four team, Edgar Padilla and Carmelo Travieso, are active.

LEBANON

Center Rony Seikaly, who all NBA fans should remember, is from Lebanon but may not play. Guard Fadi El Katib is this team's leader. He can pour in buckets and should try to take over, so keep an eye on him. Center Joe Vogel will pound the boards hard. A key player who may not be available to play is Elie Mouchantaf.