BELGRADE (Euroleague/EuroBasket) - The pool of talent that exists in Serbian basketball is deep.

Very deep.

National team coach Sasha Djordjevic has a long list of players, including many youngsters, that are champing at the bit to put on the Serbia shirt and compete for the senior side.

One need only look at the performances of two players having sensational seasons on the books of Crvena Zvezda, standouts that did not feature at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, to understand the resources at Djordjevic's disposal. 

Giant center Bojan Marjanovic and forward Luka Mitrovic have been two of the main reasons why the club has four wins and three defeats in Group D and looks to be on its way to a spot in the Top 16 of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague.

Marjanovic ranks No. 1 in the Euroleague Index Rating, which takes into account all statistical categories.

Mitrovic, the final cut from the Serbia squad that finished runners-up at the World Cup, ranks No. 13.

What did Djordjevic say at the time he announced Mitrovic had not made the World Cup squad?

"Luka has given this team a lot," he said.

"I think he is certainly a better player than he was at the beginning of the preparation. 

"He plays as a modern four (power forward) which is essential to our basketball." 

The 2.04m Mitrovic, a star with Serbia’s U20 team in 2013, had arguably his best performance of the Euroleague season in a double-overtime defeat at Galatasaray on 21 November when he scored 30 points.

As for Marjanovic, he is coming off a terrific performance against Neptunas Klaipeda that garnered him the Round 7 bwin MVP award.

Marjanovic, who was also the Round 1 MVP, had 24 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal.

Another way to illustrate how effective the two players have been is to examine the list of players in between them in Index Rating.

Some of them are important figures in for their national teams like Montenegro's Taylor Rochestie at No. 2, France's Thomas Heurtel at No. 4, Croatia’s Ante Tomic at No. 6, Greece's Vassilis Spanoulis at No. 8, Serbia's Nemanja Bjelica at No. 10 and Russia's Sasha Kaun at No. 11.

Marjanovic and Mitrovic are not just saving their scintillating performances for the Euroleague. They are also shining in the Adriatic League.

Over the weekend, the two played for Crvena Zvezda and contributed to a 76-67 triumph over rivals Partizan Belgrade.

Mitrovic is averaging 11.1ppg and shooting 40 percent (10 of 25) from the arc in the Adriatic League while Marjanovic is averaging 11.2ppg and 8.3rpg.

FIBA