RIO DE JANEIRO (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers) - The World Cup Qualifiers have come at the perfect time for Brazilian basketball according to their coach, Aco Petrovic.

The confederation has capitalized by taking games to a different part of the country with huge crowds turning out to watch, and Petrovic has been able to give emerging talents valuable minutes as the South American giants get ready for next year's 32-team tournament in China.

"FOR US IT (GAMES IN GOIANIA) WAS A HUGE SUCCESS BECAUSE AFTER THE GAME, YOU SAW THE PLAYERS CELEBRATING WITH THE FANS AND MADE TIME FOR PHOTOS AND AUTOGRAPHS. IT MEANS WE'RE CONNECTING WITH THE FANS. PetrovicPetrovic

With four wins in as many First Round games, the Brazilians look almost certain to book their place in the event.

The February window, which saw Petrovic's team win big over Colombia and Chile in Goiania, was unforgettable.

"We sold out the first game with 10,500 people and everybody came two hours before the game," Petrovic said. "It was a big celebration. People were singing and dancing and preparing for the game.

"It's very important that the people who came to the game participated in a great atmosphere – that's what we had in the two games in Goiania.

"I'm expecting that we'll have that kind of connection with people in other cities – other than Rio and Sao Paulo - who will host games."

One of the aims of the World Cup Qualifiers was indeed to take games to fans all over the country.

"WITH THE WINDOWS, WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT ON THE COURT A LOT OF YOUNG KIDS WHO, UP UNTIL NOW, HAVEN'T HAD THE CHANCE TO PLAY FOR THE BRAZILIAN NATIONAL TEAM AND WITHOUT HAVING TO RISK LOSING THE GAMES BECAUSE THESE YOUNG KIDS HAVE QUALITY." PetrovicPetrovic

"For us it (games in Goiania) was a huge success because after the game, you saw the players celebrating with the fans and made time for photos and autographs. It means we're connecting with the fans. It's very important to win the games but also important to make the connection between the players and the fans.

"I saw on the faces of the players that they are so excited and they can't wait for the next round to play because they felt important and also that they had connected with the people."

Another priority was for the Qualifiers to allow new talents to be unveiled.

"With the windows, we've had an opportunity to put on the court a lot of young kids who, up until now, haven't had the chance to play for the Brazilian national team and without having to risk losing the games because these young kids have quality," Petrovic said.

"We have a kid named Yago (Dos Santos) of Paulistano. He's 18 and a half and is in the starting five as we don’t have Raulzinho Neto of Utah and Marcelinho Huertas of Vitoria… Nobody had expected he can play on that high level."

"We also have Lucas Dias (Silva) at the position 4-5 and he is 21-22 years old, nobody gave him an opportunity to play for the national team. Both of them came in and played well so this competition has helped us to make a sort of renovation of the national team because the one that played in 2016 at the Olympics was one of the oldest at the Games. So it was necessary to renew the team and this competition helps us a lot."

Petrovic has been able to have the steadying influence of veterans Anderson Varejao, Alex Garcia and Leandro Barbosa.

"I maintained two to three experienced players but rest of them are a lot of players in the age range 24-28, but then we have three to four kids aged 18 to 22 and they grabbed this opportunity," he said.

"So this competition is huge because it helps us throughout these games to make a new start for the national team in Brazil."

"WHEN THEY PLAY WITH VAREJAO AND BARBOSA, FOR SURE WHEN THEY SEE THEM PRACTICE, THEY ARE GOING TO BE BETTER PLAYERS, OR THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE A CLEAR IDEA IN THEIR HEAD TO KNOW WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO BECOME GOOD QUALITY NATIONAL TEAM PLAYERS." PetrovicPetrovic

Petrovic also stressed the importance of the young players being able to rub shoulders with veterans that will one day be viewed as legends.

"Every single window I'm going to continue to exchange and bring young kids," Petrovic said.

"When they play with Varejao and Barbosa, for sure when they see them practice, they are going to be better players, or they’re going to have a clear idea in their head to know what they need to do to become good quality national team players."

Petrovic says he is thankful that Varejao and Barbosa, two players with long and successful NBA and national team careers, have been as influential as they have.

"I explained to them what I need from each person and from the team and it was amazing how they reacted to my desires," he said. "It helps me a lot that Varejao and Barbosa returned to Brazil and they bring a lot of interest to Brazilian basketball."

Younger players are learning from veteran Anderson Varejao

Petrovic demonstrated in his days as coach of Croatia and before then, Bosnia and Herzegovina, that he knows tactics. He knows what Brazil, who always have a flamboyant offense, must do better to be successful at the highest level.

"In four games we are conceding 60 points per game," he said. "In the last two games in Goiania, we conceded 48 and 54 points, so this team is starting to play a bit of a different way. I don’t want to disturb the offense but I want to take care of the defense because if you want to play well on international level, you need that.

"We are going to be very tough defensively. As I came from Europe, I watch how the best teams there play on defense… if you want to be close to the teams at the top you need to be defensively almost perfect."

FIBA