Next up for Canada’s men’s basketball team: Venezuela, Brazil, Chile

OTTAWA – Canada’s men’s basketball team will face Brazil, Chile, and Venezuela next on its road to the FIBA World Cup.

The 23rd-ranked Canadians finished first in their group in the opening round of qualifying, clinching top spot with a 99-69 victory over the U.S. Virgin Islands on Monday in Ottawa.

The top three teams in each of the four groups were then split into two groups of six, with the results from the first round carrying over.

Canada, Venezuela and Brazil finished the first round with identical 5-1 records, while Chile is 1-5,

The Canadians, who will have NBA players available for September games, will host Brazil on Sept. 13, then play in Chile three days later.

They’ll play in Venezuela on Nov. 30, and then in Brazil on Dec. 3.

Canada will host Chile on Feb. 21 and Venezuela on Feb. 24 to finish the second round.

The Canadian venues haven’t yet been announced.

The top three teams in each group will qualify for the 32-team World Cup in September of 2019 in China. The Canadians are looking to make their first appearance since 2010. The World Cup also is the main qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.