CHERKASY (Olympics) - The dust has almost settled on FYR of Macedonia's fairytale run at the EuroBasket.

The team didn’t reach the podium in Lithuania, but did have an enormous impact on the tournament and finished fourth to claim a spot in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

There was one revelation after another in the Baltics when it came to Macedonia.

One was that veteran playmaker Vlado Ilievski is among the best point guards in Europe. No one was better at controlling the tempo of games.

Another revelation was Vojdan Stojanovski, a player who made his impact felt on both ends of the floor.

Stojanovski, whose twin Damjan also plays for the national team, shut down Andrei Kirilenko in the battle for first place in Group F that was won by Russia with a buzzer-beating three-ball by Sergey Monya.

Kirilenko had just two points on one of nine shooting from the floor and also turned the ball over three times in his team’s 63-61 win.

Offensively, Stojanovski’s best game came in the Quarter-Final against Lithuania, when he put up five three-pointers and nailed them all to help knock the hosts out of medal contention.

Looking back on the night that Macedonia shocked the hosts, Stojanovski remembers being in a state of shooting nirvana.

"I have had good shooting games, but that day, it felt like I wouldn't miss a shot," he said to FIBA.com.

"I've scored more three-pointers in a game, but never with 100% shooting.

"It felt like I wouldn't stop, no matter what."

How far can Stojanovski and Macedonia go next year?

Don’t bet against them making the Olympics.

They have many strengths.

The side has a scoring machine in the irrepressible Bo McCalebb, a husky three-point shooting big man coming off the bench in Gjorgij Chekovski and a power forward in Pero Antic whose versatility allows him to play inside or out.

There is the coach, Marin Dokuzovski, who pulls all the right strings.

The biggest reason for the success of Macedonia, Vojdan Stojanovski says, is something else.

"Our main weapon is the chemistry in the national team, the friendship that we have," he said.

"We are together for so long and will be together for many more years, I hope.

"The chemistry will always be the same and it will be the main fuel that will guide us through more and to even bigger successes, I hope."

Stojanovski remembers clearing one hurdle after another in Lithuania.

“Oh yes, there were challenges during those days, at the EuroBasket,” he said.

“Let's say Croatia for the mental barrier, let's say Greece for everything else in our lives that is not basketball, the underdogs Georgia when we were alone creating our own history, then the powerhouse Lithuania which was the biggest victory in Macedonian sport so far.

“But for me, individually speaking, Andrei Kirilenko was the biggest challenge, because of his background, his physical characteristics and because of his basketball abilities.”

Macedonia faced Russia again, in the Bronze Medal Game, and had an opportunity to avenge their defeat.

But they lost at the death when the ball slipped out of Damjan Stojanovski’s hands as he was about to score an easy, game-tying lay-up.

The Macedonia players were crushed, yet they still returned home to Skopje as heroes.

“The European championship showed our character, our will to succeed and our level of persistence,” Vojdan Stojanovski said.

“Now, everybody has a different opinion when it comes to Macedonian basketball.

“Now, we have the respect we deserve.”

Stojanovski hopes to carry the momentum of the EuroBasket into the club season.

He is on the books of Cherkasy Monkeys in Ukraine.

Bigger clubs like Olimpia Milano are being strongly linked with him.

Stojanovski doesn’t concern himself with transfer speculation.

“Above all, my biggest expectation for the new season is to be healthy and safe,” he said, “so that I can reach my limits and maybe improve them.

“Everything else will come by itself.”

Branko Cupeski
FIBA