MIES (Switzerland) - Eight countries have won the title at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup and one of them - 2017 winners Canada - is in Group B while another team in the group - Germany - has realistic chances of becoming nation No. 9 to hoist the trophy.
Group B is the only one with two Europeans in it - Slovenia being the other team from the continent - and also includes the aforementioned North Americans and China.
The Favorite: Germany
Any time a FIBA U19 World Cup takes place, the FIBA U18 EuroBasket champs from the summer before must be considered a title contender. And Germany definitely fits the bill. The first-time European junior champs have countless weapons which can beat you in a variety of ways - inside, outside, playing fast, working halfcourt sets.
It wouldn't be a surprise at all if Germany roll through this group with three easy victories - though a challenge would probably be good for them for the knockout stage. The grouping of Christian Anderson, Hannes Steinbach, Eric Reibe and Jack Kayil is just lethal. But there are other options off the bench should any of those guys have off games. Germany certainly should come into the tournament with expectations of at least reaching the podium.
The Underdog: China
China have been working together for months now and will probably be the most well-oiled team in terms of clicking on all cylinders. That being said, the Asians will face a major hurdle in this group with two European countries and a strong Canada.
China do have a strong core of talent at the leadership spots - the trio of wing Boyuan Zhang, center Sinan Huan and point guard Jacob Zhu. But will they have the depth to match the other teams in the group? Do they have in the roster hidden gems waiting to be revealed on the global stage? Still, the Asians are shooting to reach the Quarter-Finals and at least match their best-ever showing of seventh place in 2013.
The Pivotal Game: Slovenia v Germany
The opening day sees one of the biggest games of entire group stage as Germany face off against Slovenia. This all-European showdown is a re-match of the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024 Semi-Finals, which Germany won 88-68.
Germany know that Slovenia will be out for some revenge and would love to trip up the European junior champs to start the tournament on a major high. Germany for their part would love to down Slovenia and start their tournament in style as they have high hopes for this event.
More
Looking for more about the teams in Group A, don't forget to check the pieces introducing the 16 participating nations as well as Parts 1 and 2 on why each team can win the tournament.
FIBA