PODGORICA (FIBA U16 European Championship 2017) - Croatia entered the Final Phase of the FIBA U16 European Championship 2017 without a victory. But they remained unwavering believers in what captain Viktor Saric was telling them and they rode that faith to a return to the Semi-Finals - and a date with France.

Saric and Croatia's other main man Matej Rudan had played okay in the first three games of the tournament but not impressively. But the 6ft 7in (2.00m) small forward Rudan is a budding superstar and Saric is Croatia's only player who was on the team at last year's FIBA U16 European Championship.

Viktor Saric has been a great leader and captain for his team in Podgorica.

"He believed in us even though we were losing games," Croatian shooting guard Ivan Gulin said of Saric. "Saric is a very good player and was at the last FIBA U16 European Championship. He is the big leader of our team."

The belief in Saric from to team is reciprocal.

"100 percent. We are a team and if we play like we can, then I think we must go to the Final," said Saric, who did not play in any of the games last summer but watched the team reach the Semi-Finals and eventually finish fourth.

Once the knockout stage in Podgorica started, Saric and Rudan picked up their games, giving Croatia fans hope of a third U16 title following their crowns in 1995, 2010 and 2011. 

Matej Rudan has shown in the Final Phase why he is considered one of Croatia's next star talents.

Saric's averages of 8.0 points on 54 percent shooting, 6.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists in group play improved to 17.0 points on 67 percent shooting, 9.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in the last two games. Rudan's improvement was even more impressive, going from 12.0 points on 40 percent shooting, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists to 22.5 points on 52 percent from the field, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks in the Round of 16 and Quarter-Finals.

"This is for all the people in Croatia who believe in us and don't believe in us," Saric said after the Round of 16 win over Slovenia.

Croatia's answer to the haters who got loud after the team went 0-3 in the Group Phase. 

When asked about the celebratory pictures of them holding their hands up to their ears following the Round of 16 win over Slovenia, Saric said: "That is for the haters who don't believe in us."

The 6ft 7in (2.01m) power forward Saric really didn't have a good answer as to why Croatia struggled so much in Group A, where they lost by three points to Israel and then were blasted by 21 points against Lithuania and hammered by 50 points against Serbia.

"I don't know. We are children and that's the reason," he said. "We are from Croatia, and if you are not from Croatia you don't understand it."

"I don't want just the Semi-Finals. I want the Final. And I want to become a European champion."Viktor SaricViktor Saric

Saric himself understands that he has suffered enough losses in this tournament, and he is not ready to lose again in Podgorica.

"I don't want just the Semi-Finals. I want the Final. And I want to become a European champion," Saric said with unwavering determination.

With that kind of belief in himself, it's not hard to see why Croatia have thrown their faith behind Saric and been carried to the Semi-Finals.

FIBA