SACRAMENTO (2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments) - Kostas Koufos is one of the many admirers of Giannis Antetokounmpo. So much so, in fact, that the Sacramento Kings center described his Greece teammate and Milwaukee Bucks forward as "an amazing freak of nature". "What else can I say?" Koufos said to FIBA.com.

He might say the same thing about himself. Koufos revealed at EuroBasket 2015 that he is an extremely athletic big man, one that gets up and down the floor in a hurry, a player that can jump as high as anyone.

He showed power when he dunked, intimidation when he blocked shots, a nice touch when he drilled jumpers, good hands when he caught passes and skill when he made them. And the 27-year-old, who shot 56.2 percent from the floor and averaged 10 points and 6.6 rebounds in just over 20 minutes per game last year, thinks he can get a lot better.

"I am still relatively young, you know," he said. "I am also very healthy as I've never had any serious injuries. I have been playing 80 plus games every season."

I have started a lot of games in my career and I always want to improve on my game, both offensively and defensively. It’s important to have a great preparation and be healthy in order to take your game to the next level, as I always want to do. - Koufos

Koufos made much more of an impact last year than at the EuroBaskets in 2009 and 2011. Most of his highlight reel plays were of the alley-oop, dunking variety.

The man on the other end of some of those alley-oop passes was Nick Calathes, who like Koufos and Antetokounmpo is a player that figures to be a leading man with Greece for the next several years at least. Calathes has been more of a regular with the national team, only missing EuroBasket 2013 since making his senior team bow in 2009. He is 17 days older than Koufos while Antetokounmpo is only 21 years of age.

I think right now, we are still young as a team and we can only go up. We have a good foundation of core players and we are building in order to be competitive for each summer. Last year, we were a relatively new team and we've been learning how to play with each other. - Koufos

All three will be crucial this summer, when Greece play at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Turin. Croatia, Italy, Tunisia, Mexico and Iran are also at the OQT, which is to be staged 4-9 July with only the winner progressing to the Rio de Janeiro Games.

"I think right now we have a good chance," Koufos said. "We've got to stay positive and not think too far in advance. We just have to take that shot, stay focused and stay humble."

Greece reached the Quarter-Finals of the Olympics in 2004 as the host nation, and once again in 2008 after they claimed a spot in the OQT staged in Athens. In 2012, however, the Greeks were upset by Nigeria at the OQT in Caracas, Venezuela, and crashed out of the competition, short of a place at the London Games. Making an appearance at an Olympics is something that Koufos wants to experience.

"For sure," he said.

It's a goal for everybody to be in the Olympics. I have been watching the Olympics since I was a kid. If we qualify, it would be truly a blessing for me. - Koufos

One of the all-time greats of Greece, Vassilis Spanoulis, is no longer in the squad. The superstar shooting guard announced his international retirement after the national team's final game at last year's EuroBasket. Coach Fotis Katsikaris will need other leaders.

Koufos can clearly be a difference maker on the inside. He can be that reliable scorer, but also the rim protector.

"I think that everybody will have to step up a little more," Koufos said. "We have a lot of talent coming up. We still feel confident in what we can accomplish and that's what we are going to do in order to go as far as we can in future competitions."

FIBA