BANGKOK (Thailand) - Group F of the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers stretches from the West (Jordan, Palestine) to the South (Sri Lanka) to the North (Kazakhstan). It will be tightly contested among the experienced teams of the group, but newer teams like Sri Lanka will do their best to put up their best fight.

There will also be a historic game played right here in the very first window when Palestine hosts Sri Lanka on the second gameday. It will be the first FIBA competition game played in Palestine.

Team to beat: Jordan

Jordan are high in spirits after playing in the second World Cup ever over this past summer.  They have an exciting young core of players coming up, led by Amin Abu Hawwas and Fredy Ibrahim, mixed in with a seasoned vet like Ahmad Alhamarsheh.

(Amin Abu Hawwas, FIBA Basketball World Cup  2019 Asian Qualifiers)

Hamarsheh has expressed his excitement to play at the Qualifiers, ready to use this phase as a barometer to see where Jordan stands among Asian teams. Considering everything from their recent run at the World Cup and their selected group of talented players, Jordan should be among one of the top teams in Asia - as well as the team to beat here in Group F.

FIBA World Ranking, presented by NIKE

WORLD RANK	COUNTRY	ZONE RANK	IOC	CURRENT POINTS
37.	Jordan	7.	JOR	290.2
75.	Kazakhstan	14.	KAZ	119.7
90.	Palestine	17.	PLE	103.8
116.	Sri Lanka	25.	SRI	75.9

Key Matchup: Kazakhstan v Jordan

The first-seeded and second-seeded teams of the group, according to FIBA World Ranking, will get a crack at each other in this first window, and it should be a good one. This will be a battle of beasts as the Falcons (Jordan) face the Steppen Wolves (Kazakhstan) on 24 February.

Jordan have faced Kazakhstan 5 times in the Asia Cup play, the most recent bout being back in 2015. Though Jordan have won all 5 games, Kazakhstan themselves have done their part to improve to make things interesting.

Both teams are featuring superstar scorers in Dar Tucker and Anthony Clemmons (see below), but the supporting cast should bring just as much firepower to the hardwood to make this one a must-watch game.

(Dar Tucker, FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers)

Click here for the full schedule of the Asia Cup Qualifiers.

Star: Anthony Clemmons

Fans were only given a short glimpse of Anthony Clemmons as a member of the Steppen Wolves, and it was a promising one. Clemmons played in only the last two games of the World Cup Qualifiers, but he made sure to shine by averaging 29.0 points, 6.0 assists and 4.0 steals against the Philippines and Australia.

(Anthony Clemmons, FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers)

The 1.88M (6’2”) guard returns for Kazakhstan for this first window of the Qualifiers as they hope to get off on the right foot and return to the Asia Cup once again.

Clemmons will be going up against Jordan’s Dar Tucker, a fellow native of Michigan, who was just as stellar at the World Cup in China. The spotlight will be shining brightly on this clash, but expect a little something extra from Clemmons as Kazakhstan might rely a little more on him than Jordan does with Tucker.

Players to Watch: Freddy Ibrahim / Omar Krayem

A young player on the rise and an experienced veteran getting his first crack with the national team are the players to watch here in this group. Both guards will be making things interesting for their teams in their first two Qualifier games.

Ibrahim has become the talk of the town for Jordan basketball, ever since making his debut at the World Cup with 7.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Not too bad for a 23-year-old playing at the global stage for the first time.

(Freddy Ibrahim,  FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019)

On the other hand, 33-year-old Krayem has had plenty of opportunities to play at a high-level all over the world from Europe to Central America to Asia. Now is the opportunity for him to finally suit up for the Palestine national team, too.

(Omar Krayem, FIBA Asia Champions Cup WABA Qualifiers)

The two won’t be matching up just yet in this first window, but fans will get a taste of how good they can be when Jordan hosts Sri Lanka, and Palestine visits Kazakhstan on 21 February.

Familiar Face: Sani Sakakini

Sakakini has played in only one Asia Cup (so far) with Palestine. However, he’s considered as a familiar face here for the impact he had for his team and the gaudy numbers he put up.

The 2.04M (6’8”) forward led all players in points and rebounds at Asia Cup 2015, going off for 22.4 points and 12.6 rebounds per contest. Moreover, he was the catalyst in helping Palestine secure an upset win in their very first game against eventual finalists, the Philippines.

(Sani Sakakini, FIBA Asia Cup 2015)

Palestine have a shot at qualifying their way back to the Asia Cup again, and what they need is a good start right off the bat in this first window. Sani Sakakni will be the one that can carry them in the right direction.

FIBA