SPLIT (Croatia) - The FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Split, Croatia is about to start with the hosts lining up against Brazil, Tunisia, Russia, Germany and Mexico in the battle for a single ticket to Tokyo.

The games are starting on Tuesday. Germany, Russia and Mexico are in Group A, Tunisia, Croatia and Brazil are in Group B. The top two teams will advance to the Semi-Finals, and the Final on Sunday will give us one name which will be flying to Tokyo. Who are the players to watch in Spaladium Arena?

Bojan BOGDANOVIC - Croatia

SHOOTING GUARD

Birth date: April 18, 1989
Height: 204cm/6'8''
Club: Utah Jazz (USA)

It was a bittersweet finish to the season for all the Croatian NBA fans. On one hand, everybody wanted to see Bojan Bogdanovic reach the Finals as the crowning moment of an amazing season with the Utah Jazz. Bogdanovic averaged 17.0 points per game on 39.0 percent shooting from deep during the Regular Season, and increased those numbers to 18.1 points and an unreal 46.1 percent from beyond the arc in the NBA Playoffs.

It wasn't enough for the Jazz, but here comes the "sweet" part. Early elimination meant that Bogdanovic was able to join the team in Split and he has got the green light to do what he already did in 2016 - lead not just Croatia, but the entire Olympic Tournament in scoring.

Marcelinho HUERTAS - Brazil

POINT GUARD

Birth date: May 25, 1983
Height: 190cm/6'3''
Club: Lenovo Tenerife (ESP)

Any other team in the world would consider a 38-year-old as the veteran of the squad, but not Brazil. That's in part because Anderson Varejao and Alex Garcia are also in Split, but mostly because Marcelinho Huertas has been playing on an extremely high level for the past two seasons.

He led Lenovo Tenerife to history, their third-place finish in the Spanish League being their best result ever, and the point guard was selected to the Mejor Quinteto, the best team of the season in the entire Liga Endesa. His pick-and-roll game is something that should be taught in basketball schools and academies around the world so don't be surprised if he escapes Split with a double-double or two in points and assists.

Moritz WAGNER - Germany

CENTER

Birth date: April 26, 1997
Height: 211cm/6'11''
Club: Orlando Magic (USA)

Being bounced around and in the middle of not one, but two trades in a matter of months is never easy. However, Moritz Wagner finished the season strong, starting 10 of his 11 games with the Orlando Magic, putting up 11.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, the best averages of his NBA career, all done in just 26 minutes each night.

Wagner's confidence could be crucial as coach Henrik Rodl is looking not just to win this tournament, but also to build a stepping stone for the future of the team. A strong performance by the big guy in the middle could promote Wagner to a bigger role in the coming years.

Andrey VORONTSEVICH - Russia

POWER FORWARD

Birth date: July 17, 1987
Height: 207cm/6'9''
Club: Nizhny Novgorod (RUS)

In short tournaments like this one, having players who know how to win games is crucial. For Andrey Vorontsevich, for years he could count on getting a lot of anterior deltoids workout when the big games arrive because his shoulders had to lift all the trophies.

Vorontsevich is a three-time EuroLeague winner, eight-time VTB United League champion, seven-time Russian League champion and his strong finish to the 2020-21 campaign with Nizhny Novgorod was more than helpful. Firstly, because he got to know a lot of his national team teammates by sharing a club locker room with them, and secondly because his numbers proved he's still the same old efficient Andrey on the floor.

Francisco Pako CRUZ - Mexico

SHOOTING GUARD

Birth date: October 3, 1989
Height: 190cm/6'3''
Club: Tofas (TUR)

There is no greater recognition a Mexican player can get than being selected as the player to watch even though Gustavo Ayon is still on the team. Pako Cruz had an amazing season in Turkey with Afyon Belediye SK, averaging 19.6 points per game, meaning he won the scoring title in the Turkish Basketbol Super Ligi.

Such a strong performance by the experienced shooting guard did not go unnoticed, as Cruz booked a new contract with a Basketball Champions League contender Tofas Bursa, one of the teams that made it to the Round of 16 of that competition in 2020-21. Cruz is not just a scorer, he also finished 8th in assists per game in Turkey, dishing out 5.5 of them per outing.

Salah MEJRI - Tunisia

CENTER

Birth date: June 15, 1986
Height: 217cm/7'1''
Club: Etoile Sportive du Sahel (TUN)

Split sports another big name in Salah Mejri. He has been the leader of Tunisia for so long now, it's going to be impossible to imagine their national team without his towering figure in the middle. Mejri has seen it all, the top of the European ball, the biggest of national team events, and he had a four-year-long run with the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA.

Mejri will try and book another trip to the Olympics - he was there in 2012, as the FIBA AfroBasket 2011 winner, and let the entire competition in blocked shots, with 17 in just five games played.

FIBA