VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor's Eurovision) - It's too late to turn back now.

That was the feeling for Serbia back in 2009, when a young squad led by their enigmatic point guard Milos Teodosic went on an unexpected run to the EuroBasket Final in Poland.

If they were ahead of schedule, so what?

Serbia were even better the next year at the 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Turkey, avenging their EuroBasket Final defeat to Spain by eliminating them in a memorable Quarter-Final that saw Teodosic hit a long three-pointer at the buzzer.

The plan under coach Dusan Ivkovic had been to get Serbia to the London Olympics but everything seemed to conspire against them in 2011.

A few untimely injuries contributed to Serbia's demise.

Their London hopes disappeared in an 87-77 defeat to Greece in a Classification Round game.

After a less-than-impressive EuroBasket 2013, when Serbia looked dominant at times but ended up having to beat Italy in the battle for seventh place to reach the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the team got its mojo back last year under Sasha Djordjevic.

That breathtaking run started with a 90-72 Round of 16 blowout of Greece, continued with an 84-56 rout of Brazil and finished with a 90-85 triumph over France in the Semi-Finals.

The USA then ravaged Serbia in the Final, 129-92, but to finish second to a powerhouse American team was no disgrace.

So now, just as Serbia gather once again to prepare for this summer's big event, the EuroBasket, and despite that reality check by the USA, expectations have been raised.

Djordjevic is manning up and declaring that his players are have the highest of aims.

They are going to pull out all stops to reach the Rio de Janeiro Games.

"My attitude, ambition and faith in these guys, and the people who work with them, are known to everyone," he said this week.

"Our goal is to represent Serbia at the Olympics in Rio.

"We know that we are not the only ones who want it, and only the finalists will automatically qualify.

We are aware that this will be one of the best and most demanding championships of late. - Djordjevic

"All teams will come in full strength, and only in our group are there five candidates [Spain, Turkey, Italy, Germany and Serbia] for a medal.

"However, everything that is more difficult is [making success] sweeter."

Every year, teams change.

Circumstances change.

Just looking at their group opponents, Spain, despite what Djordjevic says, will not be at full strength because Marc Gasol, the NBA's best center, is taking the summer off.

Juan Carlos Navarro is also injured and unable to play.

Germany have Dirk Nowitzki back and he and his teammates will be roared on by a home crowd in Berlin in Group B. You can safely assume that Nowitzki is going to do something special.

Serbia will be hoping that it's not against them.

Italy and Turkey are greater unknowns because their performances have been inconsistent over the years.

Iceland will be the big underdogs.

Serbia did show a mental toughness under Djordjevic last year that bodes well for their summer.

Losing three of their opening five games in the Group Phase to Spain, France and Brazil didn't matter.

What mattered was the knockout round, and when that started, Serbia were ready to play.

I think they'll be ready when it matters this year, too.

They can book a place in Brazil by making it to the EuroBasket Final, or by finishing third, fourth, fifth or sixth.

Serbia missed out on London, but don't expect them to be absent from Rio.

Jeff Taylor

FIBA

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