BUENOS AIRES (Argentina) - Brazil qualified for the FIBA AmeriCup 2022 tournament after dominating Group B in the second window of the Qualifiers. Uruguay, which had just been beaten by Brazil on a couple of occasions, recovered and is tied for second place with Panama, while Paraguay took off from Buenos Aires with no wins.

Here's five things we've learned from Group B in this second Qualifiers window:

1. Brazil took the opportunity to give prominence to young players
The South American giant remained undefeated (4-0), achieving victories against Panama and Paraguay thanks to an atypical roster in which 11 of its 12 players are active in local Brazilian basketball. Coach Aleksandar Petrovic's experiment also aimed to give opportunities to young players and he arrived in Buenos Aires with a team averaging 24 years of age, with five players under 22 years. Two of the young players, Caio Pacheco and Gui Carvalho, were key pieces to secure a ticket to the AmeriCup 2022. Brazil remained calm as they took considerable advantages which allowed Petrovic to make extensive rotations and take note for future matches.

2. Uruguay recovered at Magnano's debut
Uruguay, with the help of Rubén Magnano, leveled their record with two important victories. The highlight was their fierce defense causing losses and slowed opposing offenses. Luciano Parodi put on a show on both sides of the field, 18 points and 12 assists against Paraguay and 14 points against Panama. In defense he added eight steals in the two games. Without a doubt, Uruguay had well-established base even with players absent in this window.

3. Turnovers sank Panama
The Panamanians once again showed that they have a fearsome offense. Trevor Gaskins, Akil Mitchell and Tony Bishop Jr. were the leaders of the team's explosive attack, which this time could not count on coach David Rosario (work commitments) or center Javier Carter (injury). The coach's continuity is uncertain, but if they manage to add Carter by February, they have the ability to secure qualification. However, they have pending task: to improve the handling of the ball. They had 42 turnovers in their losses to Brazil and Paraguay, a lethal statistic and one that they must repair to qualify.

4. Paraguay winless in this window, but betting on the future
Paraguay traveled to Buenos Aires with a balanced squad where four promising young players (Jorge Martínez, Rodney Mercado, Vincenzo Orchipinti and Juan Poisson) managed to make a space between veterans and already established roles such as Bruno Zanotti, Alejando Peralta and Edgar Riveros. The coach Juan Pablo Feliú trusts in the generational change and they proved him right despite the two defeats. Feliú declared he was happy with what he had seen and hopes to be more consistent in the next window.

5. Three for two places
With Brazil classified, there are only two tickets left to distribute in Group B. Panama and Uruguay, both with 2-2 records, start with an advantage over Paraguay. They didn't grab wins in four games, but despite that, Paraguay maintain mathematical chances of access if they can manage a victory in the two remaining matches against Brazil and Uruguay.

FIBA