CLUJ (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - One of the main objectives of FIBA's New Competition System is to introduce new talents to the game. Romania did just that in November's World Cup Qualifiers.

A country crying out for fresh blood after losing all five games in their FIBA EuroBasket 2017 campaign, Romania coach Zare Markovski called on his young guns and they delivered.

In their second game, at home in Cluj against the Netherlands, Georges Darwiche and Bogdan Nicolescu, members of the Romania side that won the U20 European Championship Division B in the summer, got substantial minutes and had strong performances in the country's 75-68 win.

Darwiche won the U20 European Championship Divison B crown in 2017

After featuring in the first qualifier at Italy on November 24, a 75-70 win by the Azzurri, but not making a tremendous impact, the two were far more effective against the Dutch.

The 19-year-old point guard Darwiche played 19 minutes and had 6 points, 2 rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block while 20-year-old Nicolescu scored 9 points and collected 4 rebounds in just over 16 minutes.

Markovski says the players have not only given themselves a shot of confidence with their efforts but also inspired others.

"Imagine with how much enthusiasm they will continue to work tomorrow in practices, playing the games, maybe waiting for the next national team game," Markovski said.

"You have to confirm it every day. It doesn't matter if you are 30 years old and the other is 19. You have to confirm it every day that you are better than the other one.

"But if in the case the 19-year-old shows that he can stay on the court, it's a big win for the Romanian national team and for the example that the younger guys have to follow."

Playing time in national league games is not always afforded to the young players but Markovski makes his playing time decisions after evaluating his charges in training.

"I know how much they play in the national league," he said. "I read the statistics. (But) I don't have to think about that.

"If I continued to think about it, and if they had to play the same minutes that they played in the national championship, we could do nothing more, nothing better.

"So we have to try to make quickness, freshness in the movement and maybe show to the other young players that are not in the national team now but the younger national teams, maybe, that if they work and perform as Darwiche, for example, they will play, too."

FIBA