CHANGSHA-HUNAN (2015 FIBA Asia Championship) - The 2015 FIBA Asia Championship closed first round of hostilities yesterday with three teams emerging unbeaten. Hosts China are among these teams, but can they remain undefeated amidst the challenges of the second round? With six teams that are good enough to qualify for the Olympics, the race to the Quarter-Finals is wide open!

China (2-0 carryover record)
Their slate is clean, but China very nearly blew it against a very tough Korean team. The Chinese’s endgame rally was a testament to their resolve, though, and they will need every bit of that to top Group F. Yi Jianlian and Zhou Qi have been this squad’s spearheads, but it’ll be their backcourt that will need to step up against the likes of Jay Youngblood, Trey Johnson, and Jerry Johnson.

Qatar (2-0 carryover record)
The Qataris were impressive in their first two games, playing through 8 quarters and 3 overtime periods. Without a doubt, Trey Johnson has been the man of the moment for them, but he will need his supporting cast to step up if they are to make it past round two. Against the bigs of Korea, Jordan, and China, guys like Erfan Ali Saeed and Mohamed Yousef will need to bring their A-game.

Korea (1-1 carryover record)
The Koreans could have swept Group C had it not been for some miscues late in the fourth period against China. Yang Dong-Geun has been awesome for them so far, and they will need him to continue playing his best if they are to finish in the top two of Group F. Yang was rested yesterday together with Park Chan-Hee and Cho Sung-Min, so they should be extra fresh and ready for the next three games.

Lebanon (1-1 carryover record)
The Lebanese got sidetracked by Qatar on day two, and they will probably rest Ahmad Ibrahim for the next few days (if not for the entire tourney). Still, they have plenty of guys who can deliver, led by Jay Youngblood, who has been their undisputed leader so far. Wael Arakji, Jean Abdelnour, and Ali Haidar have also had their shining moments, and coach Veselin Matic will hope to have more of those as the competition goes on.

Jordan (0-2 carryover record)
Coach Rajko Toroman’s boys gave China a good fight on day three before fading in the final frame, but it sure looks like they have another gear in them. Al Nashama haven’t looked as sharp as they should, but if guys like Zaid Abbas, Sam Daghlas, Alex Legion, and Wesam Al-Sous start hitting their makrs, watch out. They started slow in the 2011 edition as well, and we all know how that turned out, right?

Kazakhstan (0-2 carryover record)
The Kazakhs had a golden opportunity to trip Qatar on day one, but they faltered in the end. They also got blasted by Lebanon yesterday, and it seems Jerry Johnson is feeling the pangs of a muscle strain. These are ominous signs for a team that definitely has the tools to be a contender in this tournament.

The Big Picture: China may encounter trouble as their volatile backcourt will be tested by the vaunted guards of Qatar, Lebanon, and Kazakhstan. Korea have a great chance to advance as long as Yang’s playmaking remains on-point, while Jordan need to shift into higher gear to be competitive. Perhaps only China and Korea are certain to book Quarter-Finals spots with much of the field level in terms of talent.

FIBA