FIBA Basketball World Cup medal contender Australia does not expect an easy time against co-host and Group E opponent Japan despite the gulf between the teams in the world rankings, forward Nick Kay said Sunday.

The 31-year-old frontcourt workhorse, who won Olympic bronze with the Boomers two years ago in Tokyo, knows the Akatsuki Japan roster better than most after spending the past two seasons with B-League franchise Shimane Susanoo Magic.

With the exception of Phoenix Suns swingman Yuta Watanabe and University of Nebraska-Lincoln guard Keisei Tominaga, the East Asian co-host will field a roster of players drawn from the B-League at the World Cup, which tips off Friday in Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia.