EuroBasket - 24 teams ready for battle in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA (EuroBasket/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Twenty-four teams are about to go into battle at the EuroBasket in Slovenia.

For some, reaching the podium is the aim while for others, the objective is to claim one of the six places on offer for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

Still others have the modest goal of wanting to play good basketball and see how far that takes them in what promises to be another drama-filled tournament on the old continent.

Some teams are arriving in the cities of Ljubljana, Jesenice, Celje and Koper with history behind them, national sides that over the years have not only been in the hunt for medals but claimed them.

They are teams like Spain, Lithuania, Russia, Greece and France.

Others were once part of Yugoslavia and are going for glory, much like Serbia did in 2009 when they had a surprise run to the silver medal at the EuroBasket in Poland.

Montenegro were once part of Yugoslavia, then Serbia and Montenegro.

The team coached by Luka Pavicevic went unbeaten in the Qualification Round and now wants to go one step further, to advance from a Group B in Jesenice that is loaded with quality.

If they can finish among the top three in a 'group of death' that includes Serbia, Lithuania, Latvia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MKD), the Montenegrins can be dangerous.

That was the same line of thinking two years ago when Montenegro travelled to Lithuania but went home after the First Round.

This is a different Montenegro side, though, one that doesn't have Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic but does have Valencia big man Bojan Dubljevic.

Montenegro have talented players at all positions, including point guard with naturalized American Tyrese Rice.

"At the last EuroBasket, there were no celebrations," Montenegro's Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic said after practice on Monday in Slovenia.

"But now we know what the goal is and we want to get to the second phase.

"We have the quality to achieve our goal and I believe we will succeed, but it's extremely important to start winning."

First up will be MKD, the team that stunned Europe two years ago when it not only made it to the Quarter-Finals but upset hosts Lithuania.

Montenegro are wondering about the status of MKD big man Pero Antic, a signing by the Atlanta Hawks after two Euroleague-winning campaigns with Olympiacos.

"Most of the uncertainty (on MKD) is about Pero Antic, who suffered an injury, but he will be prepared according to the information we have," said Pavicevic.

"This is an important situation with regard to MKD, but we are just concentrating on what we need to do."

Serbia won't have Milos Teodosic, an All-Tournament selection at EuroBasket 2009 after leading the Blues to the silver medal, yet their veteran coach Dusan Ivkovic is optimistic the team can have success.

"Our team is the youngest at the EuroBasket, with average age of just 24," he said.

"We are the team with most newcomers, rookies in the squad.

"We'll do our best, despite the fact that we're in a tough group, with so many quality teams, especially Lithuania, one of main contenders for gold in Slovenia. But, I'm an optimist. I believe we'll play modern basketball."

Lithuania will be Serbia's first opponents.

The Baltic side, with Jonas Kazlauskas back at the helm for the second time, are indeed among the favorites to win the title with players like Mantas Kalnietis and Martynas Pocius in the backcourt and young center Jonas Valanciunas in the low post.

The last time they did win gold was in 2003 in Sweden, while the country's last podium finish at a major basketball event was the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

Latvia will take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in the other opening day match of Group B and Mirza Teletovic, the latter will be hoping, will be in the sort of form that he displayed recently when he tore apart the competition in a friendly tournament in Germany.

Group D, in Koper, is stocked with medal contenders, too.

There are Turkey, Greece, Russia, Italy, Finland and Sweden.

Turkey won the silver medal at the last FIBA World Championship as hosts but then came up short of the Quarter-Finals at EuroBasket 2011.

"It's not easy but not impossible to be champions," said Turkey coach Bogdan Tanjevic.

Last week, Tanjevic admitted that two of his most important players, Omer Asik and Ersan Ilyasova, were not in peak form, yet.

Tanjevic knows what it takes to win a EuroBasket.

He led Italy to the EuroBasket crown in 1999.

Greece are the popular pick to win the title under new coach Andrea Trinchieri.

The Italian coach has many of the players who have shone for the Greeks in recent times, including holdovers from the 2005 title-winning side like Vassilis Spanoulis, Nikos Zisis and Antonis Fotsis.

Trinchieri's aim is to go game by game and not look too far ahead.

Russia believed they would have a Greek at the helm several months ago but Fotis Katsikaris, who replaced long-time coach David Blatt before Christmas, parted ways with the basketball federation.

Former national team point guard Vasily Karasev, whose son Sergey is in the team, was put in charge.

Karasev led Russia to gold when they hosted the World University Games this summer.

Italy are sure to be tough, despite the absence of key players Daniel Hackett, Andrea Bargnani and Danilo Gallinari.

Bargnani had expected to play but became ill during the preparations and had to pull out of the squad, while Gallinari is recovering from knee surgery.

Finland have all the makings of a side that can progress, just as they did in 2011 when no one expected them to get out of the opening round.

Henrik Dettman's team has sharpshooter Petteri Koponen among his talented corps of players.

Sweden have received a couple of jolts of inspiration from Jonas Jerebko and Jeffery Taylor, players in the NBA who joined the team in late August.

Spain are hosts of the 2014 FIBA World Basketball World Cup and have a place in the tournament, so they are not under pressure from a qualifying standpoint.

But as the two-time defending champions of Europe, and under new coach Juan Antonio Orenga, the Spaniards want to make their mark.

They may not be a better backcourt at the competition with Sergio Rodriguez, Jose Calderon, Sergio Llull and Ricky Rubio all able to bring the ball up the floor.

Spain also have major weapons in captain Rudy Fernandez and giant center Marc Gasol, last season's NBA's Defensive Player of the Year following an impressive campaign with the Memphis Grizzlies.

They are in a Group C with a very good Slovenia side that many believe can win a first medal at the EuroBasket, and possibly gold.

The Slovenians have plenty of experience, and an electric guard in Goran Dragic.

Coach Bozidar Maljkovic will be thinking his team can go far in the tournament.

Poland have the twin towers of Marcin Gortat and Maciej Lampe, and former Germany boss Dirk Bauermann as their new coach.

Georgia, the Czech Republic and Croatia are also in Group C.

Croatia have giant Barcelona center Ante Tomic and veteran playmaker Roko Leni Ukic, but not Marko Tomas, a veteran sharpshooter lost to a muscular injury just several days ago.

In Group A, France are the overwhelming favorites to finish first with many of their key players back like veteran point guard Tony Parker.

His San Antonio Spurs teammates Nando De Colo and Boris Diaw are in the team, as well as experienced hands like Mickael Gelabale and Florent Pietrus and one of the most exciting players in international basketball, Portland Trail Blazers high flyer Nicolas Batum.

Vincent Collet, who took over in 2008, has remained the coach after the Olympics in London where France reached the Quarter-Finals but lost in a tough contest to Spain.

If France seem to be shoe-ins for a top-three spot in Group A, it's anybody's guess who the other two teams will be.

Israel, Germany, Ukraine, Belgium and Great Britain are also in the pool.

For full and in-depth coverage of EuroBasket 2013, go to the official website http://www.eurobasket2013.org.

FIBA