REGENSBURG (David Hein's Eye on the Future) - Balkan basketball is alive and well and global fans will get an unprecedented look at it next year as three teams from the former Yugoslavia have booked their tickets to the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2018.

Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia all advanced to the Semi-Finals of the on-going FIBA U16 European Championship 2017 and thereby qualifying for next year's U17 global spectacle, which will be played in Argentina. This will be the first time in the history of the event, which started in 2010, that more than one Balkan team appeared in the biennial competition.

In 2010 it was Serbia, followed by Croatia in 2012. The field for the 2014 event was extended from 12 teams to 16 and Serbia made it back to the competition. And in 2016, Bosnia and Herzegovina debuted at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup after winning their first title at the FIBA U16 European Championship a summer earlier.

Serbia head back to the U17 competition after a disappointing failure to make it to Zaragoza 2016 as they lost to Turkey in the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA U16 European Championship 2015 and then falling to Finland in the Classification 5-8. To get an idea of the talent level that was on that Serbian U16 team in 2015, that 1999-2000 born generation went on to win this summer's FIBA U18 European Championship. Serbia's march to the Semi-Finals also comes one year after the country suffered through their worst ever youth summer with two 10th-placed finishes and an 11th place in the 2016 youth European Championships.

Croatia are also experiencing a bit of a revival - both in the youth ranks of the federation and the team's road to Argentina. Last year saw the U18 drop to Division B for the first time and joined the U20 team in the lower division. But what a difference a summer makes as the U20 and U18 charged back and earned promotion to Division A for next summer. But the Croatian U16 team did not exude that much confidence early on at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2017 as they lost all three games in the Group Phase. Croatia knocked off previously-undefeated Slovenia in the Round of 16 though and then downed Latvia in the Quarter-Finals to book their spot in the field in Argentina.

Another Balkan team will debut at the U17 showcase next year as Montenegro made the U16 continental Semi-Finals for the first time. A trio of the Montenegro leaders played last summer at the U16 as bottom level players and helped the team to the Quarter-Finals. This time armed with more experience and the boisterous home crowd in Podgorica, Montenegro defeated Lithuania to secure their best-ever showing at a youth level. And that comes in the first summer that all three age categories - U16, U18 and U20 - played in the Division A at the same time. And the U18 and U20 teams both staved off relegation and will play Division A next summer as well. And some of these 2001-2002 born players could try try to get Montenegro to their first-ever FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup if they play at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2018.

As for the the other two spots from Europe at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2018, France also have booked a spot in the field by reaching the Semi-Finals - notably as the only remaining undefeated team. The French will be appearing at the U17 event for the third time after 2012 and 2016.

The fifth ticket will go to one of Latvia, Lithuania, Spain or Turkey, who will play in the Classification 5-8 with the fifth-placed team qualifying for Argentina.

Latvia would also make their U17 global debut if they can win their final two games in Podgorica while Lithuania made it in 2010, 2012 (as hosts) and 2016. Spain have never missed the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup while Turkey debuted last summer at the event and made it all the way to the Final.

Regardless of who joins as the fifth team from Europe, the world will see in Argentina that Balkan basketball is alive and well.

David Hein

FIBA

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