Team in focus: Croatia

ZAGREB (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - The 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup is just around the corner. In the lead-up to the biggest international basketball event, we take an individual look at all 24 teams.

Country: Croatia
FIBA bwin Ranking Men: No. 16
Last participation in the FIBA Basketball World Cup: 2010 (2 wins, 4 defeats; 14th place)
Best result in the history of the FIBA Basketball World Cup: 3rd place (1994)
Result in qualifying tournament for 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup: 4th place at EuroBasket 2013 (8 wins, 3 defeats)

In Croatia's rich basketball history are stories of legends.

Drazen Petrovic was a pioneer who shone not only for the national team but in the NBA and paved the way for other Europeans to compete in the league.

Toni Kukoc was a three-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls in the nineties and Dino Radja played for the Boston Celtics.

Both donned the Croatia shirt in international competition.

All three won the silver medal at the 1992 Olympics and both Kukoc and Radja were among the Croatian stars to celebrate a third-place finish at the 1994 FIBA World Championship in Toronto, Canada.

It would take 16 years for Croatia to return to the World Championship.

In 2010, the team made it out of the Preliminary Round in Turkey but lost in the Round of 16 to Serbia.

There is plenty of cause for hope that this year's FIBA Basketball World Cup campaign will be better.

Croatia have the majority of players that finished fourth at EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia last year.

One is Dario Saric.

The 20-year-old forward was the Adriatic League's Most Valuable Player, and the MVP of that competition's Final Four after firing Cibona to the title.

At 2.08m and with plenty of muscle, Saric is a handful for opponents.

Croatia have plenty of veterans, too, some who competed in 2010 when the team only exited the World Championship in Turkey after a last-second, heart-breaking defeat to the Serbians.

Bojan Bogdanovic, who was just announcing his arrival on the international basketball stage four years ago, is probably the Croatians best player.

The 2.04 forward averaged a team-high 17.4 points per game at EuroBasket 2013.

A tremendous shooter who also does plenty of damage with his drives to the basket, Bogdanovic made the All-Tournament Team in Slovenia.

Damjan Rudez will arrive in Seville, where Croatia are to play in Group B, with his confidence soaring, too.

After a standout EuroBasket, the sweet-shooting big man did well in Spain with CAI Zaragoza.

This summer, he penned a deal with the Indiana Pacers.

Center Ante Tomic is back to offer a tall presence in the low post after helping Barcelona upset Real Madrid in the Spanish Liga Endesa Finals.

There are many more players who are back to ensure continuity, and there is also the veteran leadership of coach Jasmin Repesa, who is in his second stint at the helm.

Croatia went on an eight-game winning streak last year and reached the Semi-Finals of the EuroBasket.

They will be in the reckoning for Group B supremacy and may contend for a spot on the podium in Spain.

FIBA