Preview: Race to qualification will go down to the wire in Group F
BEIRUT (Lebanon) - There are still some World Cup qualification spots left up for grabs in Group F and the teams left in contention can miss a step from here on out.
BEIRUT (Lebanon) - After nearly five windows of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers, the World Cup qualification picture from Group F is starting to take shape..
It’s a tight race at the top between the teams in the group with undefeated Australia leading the pack and already clinching World Cup qualification.
Here's what the standings look like in Group F heading towards the end of Window 5 of the Asian Qualifiers:
Group F
9/18 games played
All First Round results carry over to Second Round
| GAMES | GAME POINTS | POINTS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | P | W | L | % | For | Agt | +/- | FA | AA | |
| 1 | Australia* | 9 | 9 | 0 | 100 | 812 | 533 | 279 | 90.2 | 59.2 | 18 |
| 2 | China | 9 | 7 | 2 | 77.8 | 722 | 592 | 130 | 80.2 | 65.8 | 16 |
| 3 | Kazakhstan | 9 | 5 | 4 | 55.6 | 606 | 622 | -16 | 67.3 | 69.1 | 14 |
| 4 | Iran | 9 | 5 | 4 | 55.6 | 701 | 642 | 59 | 77.9 | 71.3 | 14 |
| 5 | Japan* | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44.4 | 645 | 684 | -39 | 71.7 | 76 | 13 |
| 6 | Bahrain | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22.2 | 571 | 746 | -175 | 63.4 | 82.9 | 11 |
14 November 2022
Iran vs Australia - 17:00 GMT +3.5 - Tehran, Iran
Kazakhstan vs Japan- 20:00 GMT +6 - Astana, Kazakhstan
Bahrain vs China - 19:00 GMT +3 - Manama, Bahrain
The remaining games are all important for the teams left in running to collect World Cup tickets. In a race as tight as this one, there isn't margin for error.
Star to Watch
Wang Zhelin
CENTER
Height: 212cm / 6'11"
Asian Qualifiers stats: 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds per game, 62.5 field-goal shooting percentage
Wang Zhelin was among one of the top performers of the first gameday in this window and rightfully so. The center stepped up in the absence of the Zhou Qi (who was rooting for his teammate on the sidelines due to an injury) and provide China with scoring and defense at the center position - which they needed going up against Hamed Haddadi.
China will go up against Bahrain who have a formidable center in Wayne Chism, so it's likely that they'll need Wang to play at a high level again.
Key Prospect
Yuki Kawamura
POINT GUARD
Height: 172cm / 5'8"
Asian Qualifiers stats: 8.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 3.0 steals per game
Asian basketball fans should be well acquainted with Kawamura after the debut summer he has had with the senior Akatsuki Japan. Whether it was Windows 3 and 4 and the Asia Cup, Japan basketball fans should be pleased with what they’ve seen from the young point guard and even more pleased to know that he is expecting to take another leap forward.
Yuki Kawamura has played like he's been with the #AkatsukiJapan for quite some time now. Is a leap in the works? 🇯🇵#FIBAWC | #WinForJapan
— FIBA Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWC) October 28, 2022
Considering what he’s already doing well on the court, specifically on defense, whatever he improved on will be a welcome bonus for World Cup co-hosts Japan.
Here's where Group F teams are ranked in the FIBA World Rankings, as well as in Asia:
| WORLD RANK |
COUNTRY | ASIA RANK |
CURRENT POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3. | Australia | 1. | 741.1 |
| 21. | Iran | 2. | 445.4 |
| 27. | China | 4. | 398.8 |
| 38. | Japan | 7. | 317.7 |
| 65. | Kazakhstan | 10. | 151.9 |
| 86. | Bahrain | 16. | 116.5 |
FIBA