BARCELONA (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Croatia are preparing to introduce another terrific young talent to big-time basketball.

Following the incorporation of forward Dario Saric, a key man in last year's team that finished fourth at the EuroBasket in Slovenia, Croatia coach Jasmin Repesa appears set to add Barcelona's Mario Hezonja to the squad.

The 19-year-old is already a player known by Croatian fans because he represented the country at the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship and at the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship.

At the latter, he averaged almost 21 points and seven rebounds per game.

At star-studded Barcelona, he's had to fight for minutes on the court but without a doubt, Hezonja has improved.

He's also raised eyebrows.

Hezonja spoke to FIBA.com.

FIBA: Mario, what about the possibility of seeing you in the Croatia squad at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain?
Hezonja: I spoke to coach and with certain people in our federation and I'm ready. It's going to be a great experience to play with those guys.

FIBA: Playing at Barcelona every day in practice or in games has given you the confidence to step up to Croatia's senior team?
Hezonja: Of course. Two years with the top-rated team in Europe, of course it was a very difficult experience for me. But every day you learn new things. You mature. You learn everything, with Juan Carlos Navarro, (Croatia national team center Ante) Tomic, everybody. The top players are in the team so every day something new happens and you learn every day.

FIBA: How have you improved as a player at Barcelona?
Hezonja: I've improved everything. First of all on defense, then on offense, pick-and-roll, moving without the ball, everything. Every single detail in basketball I have improved.

FIBA: Is the type of competition at Barcelona what you expected when you arrived? Did you know that you would have to battle for every single minute of playing time?
Hezonja: Of course. Every single second (laughs), it's crazy. With every single position, we are covered with a top player in Europe. It's difficult, but as well, fighting with them against other teams, you got to get better. I'm maturing with them at every single practice. You get better. It is how it is. You keep going.

FIBA: Juan Carlos Navarro is one of the all-time greats of Spanish basketball and at Barcelona. What is he like as a teammate?
Hezonja: To be the best as he is, you've got to be a great person and he is. So first of all, he's an amazing guy, off the court a great, great person. On the court, we are witnesses. He is a living legend, one of the top three players in European history in basketball. We could talk about him as a player for two days. He's a great guy.

FIBA: You come from a country of legends as well. Did you look up to the greats like Toni Kukoc and Dino Radja and think that one day you would follow in their footsteps?
Hezonja: Of course. I was born a little too late to see them play, but I've seen all of the tapes of Kukoc, Radja and every other legend. Now it's all on us to get Croatian basketball back to where it belongs. We've got the World Cup, then the European Championships again. We've got to bring basketball back to our people, they deserve it.

FIBA: How did you view the team's run last summer? What it a step forward?
Hezonja: I think it was a first step. We struggled for 10 years in a row through injuries, some players didn't come, we had our problems. But now, at the last EuroBasket, we had the first step forward to achieve the big things in the future.

FIBA: With you and Dario Saric, Croatia has a couple of outstanding young players to build around.
Hezonja: We've always had some talents, but we have to work hard, prepare ourselves mentally and physically and do our best on the court for our national team.

FIBA: Group B looks tough with Argentina, Greece, Puerto Rico, Senegal and the Philippines as your opponents. How do you see it?
Hezonja: Difficult. Probably no one knows anything about Puerto Rico, Senegal, against these teams but I've seen some tapes and it's a really, really difficult (group). With Greece and Argentina and well, it's going to be crazy.

FIBA: But that's the beauty of it, right?
Hezonja: Yeah, I'll enjoy it for sure.

FIBA