The FIBA AmeriCup 2021 draw placed the national teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean in quite familiar groups. This week they'll start their road toward the desired qualification to the continental tournament.

Except for Panama, who’ll play in Group B, the rest of the teams in the region will be in groups C and D, with four teams each, and the best three in each section will get their ticket to next year’s FIBA AmeriCup.

The thing about the composition of both groups is that they're almost identical to the ones in the continental qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019. Cuba and Bahamas exchanged sections, while the rest of the teams will face again known rivals.

Canada, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and the US Virgin Islands will be in Group C. At the World Cup qualifiers, Canada led the first round with a 5-1 record, their only loss being against the Dominican Republic. Fate would bring these national teams together when they face each other in the home and away format this week. The first match will take place on Friday, February 21, when the Dominicans visit the Canadians in Oshawa, Ontario.

“Ontario is pleased to be hosting the FIBA AmeriCup Qualifier in Oshawa and to witness the growth of a deep pool of talent on the national level play right in our backyard,” said Jason Jansson, Executive Director of Ontario Basketball, in Canada Basketball's official website. “This will be a great opportunity to engage our youth basketball players from club teams in the area and across the province to see basketball played at the highest level and for them to aspire to represent Canada.”

The Dominican Republic, who’ll have Melvyn López back as their head coach, will be the hosts on February 24, in Santo Domingo.

Canada and the Dominican Republic, who both won as locals, seem to be the favorite teams to take two of the three tickets to the FIBA AmeriCup 2021. This would leave Cuba and the Virgin Islands in the fight for the third place and the last spot of the continental tournament.

In the case of the Cubans, basketball in the Greatest of the Antilles continues its rebuilding process. Still, there are high expectations for the new generation that seeks to bring Cuba back to the first places in continental basketball.

“We're working with a group of young talents toward the next Olympic cycle, all of whom are younger than 23. We work with a lot of dedication, and we’ll see in the future a national team that's better prepared in technical terms,” stated Dalia Henry, national commissioner, to Cuban newspaper Granma.

Cuba will be led by international players Javier Justiz and Jasiel Rivero, who have experience in the Argentine and Spanish (ACB) leagues. The Cuban national team, eliminated from the first round of the World Cup Qualifiers, is trying to come back to the FIBA AmeriCup for the first time since 2015. This century, Cuba has only been to two continental editions after being a constant participant during the first two decades.

Meanwhile, the Virgin Islands will start their road to defend the surprising fourth place they won in the FIBA AmeriCup 2017 – the best performance of their history. The Virgin Islanders moved forward in the world qualifiers thanks to their two wins against the Bahamas, and that's the same result they intend to reach when they play twice against the Cubans this week.

This February 21, the Virgin Islands and Cuba will play in Havana, and on Monday 24, they’ll play in St. Thomas.

Now, Group D presents three of the leading teams in the region: the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and a Bahamian team that strives to surprise everyone.

The Puerto Ricans and the Americans will face each other two times this week in what are expected to be great encounters. The United States defeated the Caribbean team in both their battles in the World Cup qualifiers in what were two very intense games. Now, the teams will face each other in the iconic Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, home of the Boricuas, something that didn't happen in 2017 because the island was full-on recovering from Hurricane Maria, which caused the game to move to Orlando.

The Americans will have Mike Fratello coaching their team in the two games against Puerto Rico. Fratello is no stranger to FIBA basketball – from 2011 to 2014, he led the Ukrainian national team, taking it to its first FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2014, in Spain.

"I was very surprised and very happy (to be invited to coach the United States). It's an honor. I coached that team in the Ukraine, but this is your own country now. To be able to do that and work with USA Basketball is great,” said Fratello in USA Basketball's site.

With players from the NBA G League, the United States had a 10-2 record in the world qualifiers, tied with Canada as one of the best in the continent. The United States is the current FIBA AmeriCup champion and is the only national team that has won the tournament back-to-back twice (1992-1993 and 1997-1999).

As for Puerto Rico, the men are coming in inspired after getting to the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China, their first appearance in that stage since Indianapolis 2002. The players led by Eddie Casiano must pay their dues to their demanding fan base. Puerto Rico is a three-times AmeriCup champion but hasn't won the title since 1995, and in the last two editions (2015 and 2017) didn't get to the semifinals. The team has been among the four best in the continental tournament 14 times, something that has only been achieved by Argentina.

Puerto Rico and the USA will play on February 20 in San Juan, and on February 23 in Washington, DC.

Mexico and the Bahamas complete Group D and, according to the experts, one of them would be the third team qualified to the FIBA AmeriCup 2021.

Perhaps surprisingly, Mexico, the continental champion of 2013, was left out of the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China after attending Spain 2014 and being just two wins away from the 2016 Olympic Games.

After being fourth as hosts in 2015, the Mexicans stepped back on the podium in 2017 with a bronze medal. The Mexican team will debut a new coach, Sergio Molina, from Spain, who's been more than a decade in Mexico’s collegiate basketball.

Mexico will start its road to the AmeriCup with some absences (Jorge Gutiérrez, Gustavo Ayón, and Juan Toscano). Still, Molina assures that the team is ready for its challenges against the Bahamas.

“I know how Mexico and its new generation of players feel. They are totally committed to our basketball and federation. I want to place Mexico where it deserves to be," said Molina to Diario Libre.

The Bahamas, meanwhile, aims to knock out one of the great teams in the group to get its first ticket to an AmeriCup since 1995.

The Bahamian national team only won a game (1-5) in the World Cup Qualifiers. Nonetheless, that win was at an away game in the Dominican Republic, which shows that it's a team to consider and that the Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Mexicans can't take them lightly.

“I think we will go out there and be competitive. I think we have the right mix of savvy veterans and a mix of young athletic players for us to go out there and be competitive,” said D’Shon Taylor to The Tribune.

The Bahamas will visit Mexico in Guadalajara on February 20 and will face again on Sunday 23, in Nassau.

Marcos Mejías Ortiz
FIBA