BEIJING (China) - The odds have never been greater for China to make a big splash in the group stage that will be held in the capital city of Beijing even as Venezuela, Poland, and Cote d'Ivoire all hope to advance to the next stage of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019.

The hosts are aiming for nothing short of glory as they bring a tall and talented squad to Group A, though Venezuela and Poland - both ranked higher than China in the FIBA World Ranking Presented by NIKE - also enjoy fair chances of making it to the second round. African side Cote d'Ivoire, in the meantime, are the group's underdogs, though it would be folly to immediately count them out.

Team to beat: China

The Chinese are returning to the World Cup after missing the 2014 edition in Spain, and they are hoping to match or surpass their best-ever finish, having made it all the way to the Quarter-Finals of the 1994 World Cup in Canada. The home team spared no expense in their preparations for the tournament, playing at the NBA Summer League before a series of tune-ups, with their last one against Dominican Republic set for this weekend.

Bannering them will be their modern version of the "Walking Great Wall" - Yi Jianlian, Zhou Qi and Wang Zhelin. Yi will be their main pillar around the basket, while Zhou should potentially be one of the field's best rim protectors. Wang, for his part, has shown vast improvement in his level of play and should make a significant impact. Perhaps the true barometer for China, however, will be spitfire point guard Guo Ailun, who has turned a lot of heads in their preparation games and is expected to continue performing well when Group A action tips off on August 31.

FIBA World Ranking, presented by NIKE

WORLD RANK	COUNTRY	ZONE RANK	IOC	CURRENT POINTS
20.	Venezuela	7.	VEN	410.1
25.	Poland	16.	POL	365.2
30.	China	3.	CHN	317.9
64.	Cote d'Ivoire	8.	CIV	140.2

Key matchup: Poland v Venezuela

When the Poles meet Venezuela on the very first day of the World Cup, that may well decide so much of the collective fates of the Group A teams. With hosts China gaining more traction as each day passes, the onus will be on the group's two highest ranked teams - Poland and Venezuela - to defy expectations. Despite being ranked 20th in the world, the FIBA Americas squad haven't made a lot of good noise in their build-up to the World Cup. This matchup on August 31 between 25th-ranked Poland and the Venezuelan quintet may be the crucial determining factor in terms of who moves on to the Second Round and who falls by the wayside, especially if China keep playing at a high level and continue gaining momentum.

Venezuela have not had much luck in their last tune-up games, losing to Russia, Senegal and Italy in succession, and they will likely have even more problems dealing with Polish size and energy. The Poles have been one of the pleasant surprises from Europe, and much will be expected from the likes of Mateusz Ponitka, AJ Slaughter and team captain Adam Waczynski as coach Mike Taylor aims for a historic finish for his squad. As for Venezuela, much of the responsibility lays on the shoulders of Nestor Colmenares and Gregory Vargas, who combined to average 22.0 points, 11.9 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game in the Americas Qualifiers. Their prospective matchup with the Ponitka-Slaugher pairing is surely going to be one to watch.

Click here for the full schedule of Group A.

Star: Yi Jianlian

Yi has been China's top big man ever since Yao Ming hung up his kit, and the 31-year-old former NBA Draft lottery pick is projected to be among the top performers in Group A. The 7ft (2.13m) forward-center will play in his third World Cup after debuting in 2006 and helping China to a Top 16 finish in 2010, where he was among the best overall performers after averaging 20.2 points and leading the entire World Cup in rebounding with 10.2 boards per contest. Needless to say, Yi's experience will be vital as he tries to guide China's relatively young core to greater heights on their home soil.

Top prospect: Zhou Qi

The recipe for a standout performance is clear and present for one of China's most tantalizing young slotmen, Zhou Qi, and the 23-year-old would do well to seize this opportunity to make the world take notice. The former Houston Rocket has been holding his own in China's tune-up matches, and his stock is expected to rise if he maintains top form at the World Cup. He is literally one of the biggest reasons the hosts haven't lost in their most recent preparation games, and his combination of size, length and, yes, shooting make him such a dangerous player in the international game. If Zhou plays up to par, the group stage may very well be his coming out party.

Familiar faces: Yi Jianlian, Guo Ailun, Souleyman Diabate, Charles Abouo, Guy Edi, Mohamed Kone

The aforementioned Yi will be the most seasoned World Cup competitor here as he will play in his third World Cup, while Guo, who debuted in 2010 at the tender age of 16 years old, will be in his second World Cup campaign. Interestingly enough, Cote d'Ivoire  have the most returnees to the World Cup, with Souleyman Diabate, Charles Abouo, Guy Edi and Mohamed Kone all playing in Turkey nine years ago. That experience may be crucial for Les Éléphants as they hope to blindside the other Group A teams and advance past the group stage.

FIBA