MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on My Mind) - After three Asian Qualifiers windows, we are left with the top twelve teams vying for seven spots in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019.

These twelve remaining squads went through varying degrees of challenges throughout their Asian Qualifiers first round journey that started in November 2017 and ended July 2018. Each of them will return to action in September 2018 to tip off the second round.

Before that, however, let's continue to look back at the first round and see how each of the twelve teams made it this far. I will give each side a grade based on how they performed vis-a-vis their competition and their prospects for the second round based on their current position.

JORDAN (5 wins, 1 loss)

Grade: A
Al Nashama were among the very best teams of the first round, and were just two Zaid Abbas free-throws away from sweeping all their Group C games. They were the second-most efficient team in the entire Asian Qualifiers, and just played at a higher gear than most of their foes, winning their matches by an average of 24.8 points. They have placed themselves in a great position in Group E, and with Ahmad Al Dwairi back in the fold, are certainly favored to be among the top three teams by the time the smoke clears in the second round.

LEBANON (5 wins, 1 loss)

Grade: B+
The Cedars' loss to Jordan in the first window cast a shadow early on in their campaign, but they reeled off four wins in a row since then to compensate. They are taking five wins into the second round and have a great shot at making it to the World Cup provided they don't suddenly take a nosedive and lose, say, four of their six games. Without Wael Arakji for a couple of games, it has been Amir Saoud stepping up big for Lebanon, averaging 22 points and an eye-popping 5 three-pointer per game! With him at the helm, the Cedars should continue their stellar play.

NEW ZEALAND (5 wins, 1 loss)

Grade B+
The Tall Blacks had a rather similar path to the second round that Lebanon had. The Kiwis dropped their first Asian Qualifiers assignment at home against Korea - a shocker considering they were playing at home. But that lit a fire in New Zealand as they strung up five straight victories en route to topping Group A. They returned the favor against Korea on 26 February before closing out the first round with double-digit wins over Hong Kong and China. With 11 points in Group E, the Tall Blacks are looking good as they make a push for their sixth World Cup appearance.

KOREA (4 wins, 2 losses)

Grade: B
The Koreans had a helluva good start to the Asian Qualifiers after they upset New Zealand, 86-80, on 23 November 201, but they've endured a roller-coaster ride since. They lost two of their three home games in the first round before closing strong with a road win over the Chinese and a closer-than-expected triumph over Hong Kong on 1 July. The entry of Ricardo Ratliffe has been terrific for them as he gives them a consistent and solid presence in the middle without taking away their core strengths of speed and shooting. Don't count them out of the running for the World Cup yet.

CHINA (3 wins, 3 losses)

Grade: C+
The Chinese are surely feeling good they are hosting the World Cup next year. That's because they've been quite inconsistent in the Asian Qualifiers. They dropped one home game to Korea and failed to defeat New Zealand in two tries, with their three defeats severely hampering their chances of finishing among the top three in Group E. Still, the mindset of China has been developmental - they want to expose as many of their top players to as much high level competition as possible, eventually trimming their "two teams" pool to a single group as the World Cup closes in.

SYRIA (2 wins, 4 losses)

Grade: C
The Syrians don't share the same sky-high expectations of other teams in Group E, but they still managed to qualify, if barely, to the second round. Their results against top-level competition have not been promising, though, and they shouldn't be surprised if many consider them a notch or two lower than the other sides in this group. Needless to say, it will take nothing less than a miraculous series of events for them to barge into the World Cup.

AUSTRALIA (5 wins, 1 loss)

Grade: B
By all accounts, the Boomers were the most dominant team in the first round, but their grade takes a hit because of a disastrous third window. Being on the business end of a shock loss to Japan and then having played a part in the 2 July incident at the Philippine Arena were both dark blots on what was erstwhile an immaculate campaign for the Aussies. Still, with 5 wins in 6 games entering the second round and a deep pool of talent to fill in the spots of sanctioned players, Australia are in pretty good shape to cruise to World Cup qualification.

IRAN (5 wins, 1 loss)

Grade: B+
Team Melli were expected to be untouched in Group D, but Iraq blindsided them on 24 November, 74-66. That jolted the Iranians and pushed them to re-evaluate their approach to the Asian Qualifiers. The result? They notched blowout wins in four of their next five games, with the exception of a tight 77-75 victory over Qatar last month. It's clear Iran are no longer the same team that dominated Asia for the past decade or so, but guys like Arsalan Kazemi, Behnam Yakhchali and Mohammad Jamshidi still make them a force to be reckoned with.

PHILIPPINES (4 wins, 2 losses)

Grade: C+
The Filipinos' win-loss record hides the fact that they didn't exactly impress as much as they should have in the first round. Three of their four wins were by 7 points or fewer, while they were blown out in both defeats to Australia. Of course, try as we may, it's also difficult to forget what happened in their final first round encounter against the Boomers. The consequence? Personnel suspensions and hefty fines that will definitely have a negative impact on their chances in Group F. Needless to say, it will be a tremendous challenge for Gilas Pilipinas to put forth a team with the same depth and quality we are used to. If they aren't careful, they may also fall short of making it to the World Cup.

KAZAKHSTAN (3 wins, 3 losses)

Grade: C+
The Steppe Wolves started like a house on fire, recording two big wins in the first window. They have struggled ever since, though, losing three of their last four games. Still, they are just 1 point behind the Philippines for that crucial third place spot in Group F, so they still have a legitimate shot of making a run for the World Cup. It won't be easy, however, especially with Japan's retooled roster and the seemingly indomitable Australians more motivated than ever. Kazakhstan's big guns - Anton Ponomarev, Anatoliy Kolesnikov and Rustam Yergali - surely need to be at their best in the second round.

JAPAN (2 wins, 4 losses)

Grade: C
The additions of Nick Fazekas and Rui Hachimura coupled with the return of both Yuki Togashi and Yudai Baba did wonders for Japan in the third window. The Akatsuki Five were bigger, deeper and more athletic in their huge wins over Australia and Chinese Taipei, and all of a sudden they look like among the most fearsome teams in the continent. Sadly, that may not be enough to tow them into the World Cup owing to the 4 losses they are bringing into Group F. Nothing less than 5 wins will ensure their safe passage into the World Cup and even then, they'd need the Philippines and Kazakhstan to lose more than a couple of games, too.

QATAR (2 wins, 4 losses)

Grade: C
Al Annabi endured a disastrous 0-2 start to their Asian Qualifiers campaign before finding a semblance of order and getting the bare minimum number of wins necessary to advance. They were impressive when they nearly pulled the rug from under Iran last month, but a too-close-for-comfort win over Iraq at home isn't exactly the strong ending they were hoping for. They have their backs against the wall in the second round and, like, Japan, whatever good comes out of their performance here may eventually be too little, too late.

Enzo Flojo

FIBA

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