VALENCIA (FIBA EuroBasket 2017) - Viacheslav Kravtsov put his considerable talent and athleticism at the disposal of Ukraine this summer and led the national team to a fourth straight qualification for the EuroBasket.

How good was Slava, the man that former coach Mike Fratello felt never got all of the credit he deserved? He led the team now coached by Ievgen Murzin in scoring at 11 points per game and was second in rebounding at 5.3 per game.

It was in another category where the 2.13m Kravtsov excelled more than any other player of all the countries taking part in qualifying. He averaged 1.7 blocks. Kravtsov was the number one rim-protector in the entire competition.

"I'm a center with a more defensive approach. I can bring toughness in the paint, which can help the team with my toughness on defense and with my ability to finish in attack with power." - Kravtsov

He had a couple of blocks and some dunks, too, in Ukraine's narrow 70-63 win at Kosovo in their second game of the campaign.

So when teams prepare to face Ukraine next summer, they would do well to remember that fact. A man whose biggest mission is to reject anything and everything plays for Ukraine's national team.

Without him at EuroBasket 2015, Ukraine ranked last in scoring while the average of 75.6 points they allowed was the 14th most in the 24-team competition. His defensive qualities are exactly what Valencia Basket sought and why they signed the former Phoenix Suns and Detroit Pistons big man this week for the remainder of the season. 

"I'm a center with a more defensive approach," Kravtsov said after signing for Valencia Basket in Spain several days ago. "I can bring toughness in the paint, which can help the team with my toughness on defence and my ability to finish in attack with power."

Showing that might was something that he did often at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Bilbao, where Ukraine played in Group C. Kravtsov had some powerful jams.

Valencia was a good home for Sergei Lishchuk, one of Kravtsov's compatriots, from 2009-2015. Ukraine will hope their star big man has a good campaign as they look ahead to EuroBasket.

Kravtsov, who spent part of last season with Zaragoza in the Spanish Liga Endesa, is certainly excited by the opportunity.

"This is a great club with a great history and I am delighted to come to a city and a club like this," he said. "It was an easy decision."

FIBA