ISTANBUL (Turkey) - Croatia have not forgotten the hurt of missing out on the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019, and Roko Prkacin was proud to make his senior national team debut in the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 Qualifiers and do his part in bringing the proud Balkan nation back to prevalence on the world map.

The 18-year-old Prkacin earned his maiden Croatian cap in a 79-62 victory over Turkey, a game in which he collected 6 points, 1 rebound and 1 block in 15 minutes of action. And he admitted to being nervous, but also in a positive way.

"I was very excited and I just wanted to step on to the court and play the game," he said. "At first when I stepped on to the court, I thought: This is weird to me, something new. But I also play for the senior team for my club in my country, so I got used to it somehow. When I took the first shot and made those first three points, I said to myself: Okay, everything is good and I just went on with the flow."

Prkacin said he was pleased with his showing - which came one day after his 18th birthday.

"After the game, I was very proud of myself and my team. I am the kind of guy who always wants more. Everybody said to me that it was good, and it was great for me as a first game. But I just want more," he said.

The victory gave Croatia a 3-0 record in Group D and very good chances of qualifying for the FIBA EuroBasket 2022.

"I think it is a great start for Croatia's national team to get back on track. We had many good results in the past few years. So this is our shot to bring Croatia back on the map," said Prkacin.

Croatia can book their ticket to the 2022 spectacle with a win on Sunday against Sweden or if Turkey lose to Netherlands.

The strong run of results come after Croatia failed to qualify for last summer's FIBA Basketball World Cup in China. Croatia lost three games in the first round of European Qualifiers and finished fifth among six teams in the second group stage with a 4-8 record.

The 1994 World Cup third-placed finishers Croatia had played at the previous two FIBA Basketball World Cups in 2010 and 2014.

If it doesn't come at the Tokyo Olympics for which Croatia are in contention via the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, Prkacin could make a case to make his major international tournament debut in 2022 in Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany and Italy if he continues to develop. Roko would join his father on the international stage after Nikola Prkacin served for years as Croatia's captain and played at the 2008 Olympics as well as seven FIBA EuroBaskets.

The younger Prkacin said he didn't talk to his father before making his debut.

"We don't talk before games. It is better not to because if he tells something to me, I don't want to do it. I cannot play that way," he laughs. "He is proud of me. I cannot say the opposite."

Besides being another Prkacin to wear Croatia's national team colors, he is also another youngster who made his way into the Hrvatska team thanks to playing with Cibona.

"A lot of players started with Cibona. When they were young, Cibona gave them a chance to launch their careers. I think we have to get Cibona back on the European map because we are not competing much in European competitions," said Prkacin, who joins the likes of Zeljko Sakic, Roko Rogic, Filip Kruslin and Mateo Dreznjak who all played for the Zagreb club, which won two EuroLeague crowns among other European titles.

While he hopes to bring Cibona back to prevalence on the European stage, Prkacin also is delighted to be doing his part in helping Croatia forget about the disappointment about the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019.

FIBA