U20 Men’s Games: Friday 22 July
HELSINKI (FIBA U20 European Championship 2016) – The FIBA U20 European Championship Quarter-Finals have thrown up some fascinating pairings.
Take a look at what lies in store in Helsinki, Finland on Friday with the Classification Round also tipping off.
Watch all of the action live on FIBA’s YouTube channel.
Follow the action live throughout the day on the FIBA U20 European Championship live feed.
QUARTER-FINALS
What an opportunity for both of these sides. A Semi-Final spot is within touching distance after impressive showings in the Round of 16 and, as if to add spice to an already intriguing encounter, the sides will know each other well with many of these players having met in the FIBA U18 European Championship Division B Final in 2014 – a contest won by Germany.
Italy showed in just five fourth-quarter minutes of their Round of 16 game against Serbia why they can be so dangerous. A flurry of three-pointers wiped out a 10-point deficit and set them on their way to victory. Given Turkey’s formidable strength in the frontcourt, this could be one way for the Italians to give themselves a chance of producing a shock.
The mental resolve shown by Lithuania in their Round of 16 clash with hosts Finland will no doubt have delighted coach Tomas Masiulis. Not only did his young charges deal with the loss of the talismanic Martynas Varnas, but they managed their emotions to silence a raucous home crowd and advance. The Czechs demonstrated resilience of their own to rise above Slovenia during a frantic period of overtime.
The current crop of Spanish players have suffered their fair share of Quarter-Final heartbreak in recent competitions and must surmount that mental barrier before getting to grips with a Latvian outfit that simply outclassed Sweden on Wednesday.
CLASSIFICATION 9-16
After four losses in a row, France will be desperate to prove themselves against a Serbia side that struggling to live up to the standard of last year’s champions at this level. A fixture usually associated with the medal rounds could produce high-level entertainment.
The Finns' medal hopes may be over, but you can be sure they remain determined to put on a show for their passionate supporters.
Belgium are yet to really put together a full 40-minute performance to show what they are truly capable of while Israel have pulled off two of the tournament’s most impressive results so far, before relying too heavily on their three-point shooting in a Round of 16 meeting with Germany.
Two teams promoted from Division B in 2015 face-off with the primary aim of avoiding an instant return to the second tier. Sweden will be the favourites, based on performances so far, but Hungary will take positives from the improvements of the last two games.
FIBA
