After making a late charge to qualify for the FIBA World Cup, Japan was dealt a difficult group in Saturday's draw, with the Akatsuki Five set to face the United States, Turkey and the Czech Republic later this year.The draw, held in the Chinese city of Shenzen, one of the host cities for the Aug 31-Sept. 15 tournament, leaves Japan with a mammoth task to advance past the first round.The United States, with its squad filled with the world's best players, will be all but unbeatable, but Turkey and the Czech Republic will also put strong teams on the court, both teams having either current NB…READ FULL ARTICLE
