MEXICO CITY (2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments) - Much has been made of Canada's experience, or lack thereof, in international basketball in recent years. It's been an impediment for a very talented but young group of players that tried to qualify for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.

Every tournament that the Canadians have taken part in has given them valuable games, though. The same could be said for the summer tour of Europe that Canada went on in 2014, when they didn't play at the World Cup. At least they played against highly-regarded national teams.

There were definitely lessons to be learned at the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship, where Canada came within an eyelash of reaching the Final and qualifying for the Olympics. Venezuela, a team with no NBA players, beat a Canada side with the most NBA players at the event, 79-78, to clinch a spot in Rio de Janeiro.

Nik Stauskas, a 22-year-old sharpshooter, was in that Canada squad.

Things didn’t go our way in the Semi-Final game. A few guys got sick, Venezuela played a great game and we didn’t. That’s what can happen in these one game competition formats, anyone can beat anyone. So it’s important in international competition to play at your best at every game. - Stauskas

However, if there's one thing Canada did do in Mexico City, it's show plenty of toughness. Despite the loss to Venezuela, Canada managed to win a hard-fought battle against Mexico for third place to reach the podium. Sometimes, as the saying goes, a team has to learn how to lose before it can win.

Stauskas is upbeat about Canada's chances for the future. First up will be a chance to reach the Rio Games via the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Manila. Jay Triano's side will face Turkey and Senegal in Group A and if they finish in the top two they will take on a team from Group B in a Semi-Final in the shape of France, New Zealand or the Philippines. The winners of the two Semi-Finals will then play each other for Olympic qualification. Canada's last Olympic appearance came at Sydney 2000.

Obviously everyone’s goal is to play in the Olympics. It’s been a long time since Canada has been there. Unfortunately we weren’t able to qualify directly through the FIBA Americas but we have another opportunity this summer and you know, hopefully things will work out for us and we can get a spot to Rio. - Stauskas

Stauskas, who plays for the Philadelphia 76ers, knows that experience will be important at the OQT. The other teams there will have it in abundance. Do Canada now have enough?

"It's going to be a tough road to the Olympics for us," he said. "The other teams have more experience at international level than we do and we need to play at the highest level to qualify for Rio."

FIBA