REGENSBURG (David Hein's Eye on the Future) - Five more tickets for the FIBA U17 Basketball World 2018 are up for grabs with the FIBA U16 European Championship 2017 tipping off on August 11. While Spain enter the tournament as reigning champions, the field is completely open with nearly every team having realistic chances of a top-five performance.

The FIBA U16 European Championship has shown in the past that one dominant star player can bring a team pretty far. And if there one or two strong complementary pieces with him then there are chances of even winning a title.

Eleven different countries - including the original Yugoslavia and Soviet Union - have hoisted the cadet level trophy. Five different nations have won the U16 title in the last six years with only Spain topping the podium twice.

Golden Dike is ready to help carry Spain to another title and continue the country's dominance at the FIBA U16 European Championship.

Spain are the closest thing to a superpower at the level at the moment with two titles in the last four years and four in the last 11. Add to that three more podium finishes and two fourth placed showings since 2006 and it's a safe bet that Spain will grab one of the five FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2018 tickets. And with the likes of Golden Dike, Jaime Pradilla and Hector Alderete, the Spanish look like contenders for U16 crown number five, which would pull them even on the all-time list with Yugoslavia (which ran until 1992) and Serbia (which includes Yugoslavia post 1992 and Serbia & Montenegro until 2006).

It would seem likely that Lithuania and Turkey both grab tickets to the U17 global showcase in Argentina next year after they finished second and third, respectively, at the last two FIBA U16 European Championships. But a slip-up in the Quarter-Finals means you face the tough task of needing two wins to finish fifth and snatch the final berth for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup.

Just ask Germany, who despite having some high level talent, in 2015 lost in Classification 5-8 and thereby missed a chance to return to the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup for the first time since they hosted the inaugural global event in 2010.

Germany this time around is even more loaded with talent and are serious title contenders with the likes of Kay Bruhnke and Luc Van Slooten both returning after playing last year's tournament. Add to that talents such as Franz Wagner, Jason George and Ariel Hukporti and Germany should feel good about their chances.

France also have their fair share of rich talent including Theo Maledon, Killian Hayes and Essome Miyem. But potential has not always shone through for France, who have finished in the top eight the last 19 tournaments but grabbed a spot on the podium just twice since 2005 - second place in 2012 and their second title in 2014.

Serbia will be out to return to the U17 global tournament after missing out in 2016 and will be led by Djordje Pazin as well as Lazar Zivanovic and Dusan Tanaskovic. Hosts Montenegro want to give the home fans in Podgorica a reason to party and have a strong trio of their own with Jovan Kljajic, Stefan Vlahovic and Bojan Tomasevic.

Croatia have three cadet crowns from 1995 and the back-to-back glory days of 2010 and 2011. And the Croatians have the talent to get back to the podium with Matej Rudan, Ivan Perasovic, Boris Tisma, Matej Bosnjak and Roko Gizdavcic.

Russia have four second placed finishes to their credit and will be motivated after returning to Division A and also have a good group of talent, led by Pavel Zakharov, Ivan Belousov, Gleb Bednyakov and Dmitrii Kadoshnikov.

Italy could be an interesting team with the likes of Lorenzo Donadio, Sasha Grant and Nico Mannion. The American combo guard Mannion failed to make the United States team for the FIBA U16 Americas Championship 2017 and then choose to play for Italy. He has not been in Europe for very long and crucial to Italy's success will be his ability to adapt to the international game.

Those are most likely the teams to represent Europe next year at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2018. But others could sneak in there too as Slovenia have an interesting group of Rok Radovic, Gregor Glas, Ziga Samar and Luka Smodis. And even Estonia could be interesting with Kaspar Kitsing and Kerr Kriisa.

The teams have arrived in Montenegro and had their headshots taken. Now the coaches bear down with their final preparations and their differing aspirations in mind. Some just want to stay in Division A. Some want to take home the title. But for most, the minimum goal would be one of the lucky quintet to grab tickets for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2018.

David Hein

FIBA

FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.

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