FIBA – U19 World Championship for Men: Group C preview

LIEPAJA (FIBA U19 World Championship) – Our preview switches from the small town of Valmiera to seaside Liepaja, “the city where the wind is born”. And expect more than a mild gust in group C, where European powerhouses Lithuania and Croatia, a strong and athletic Canadian side as well as a fast-paced South Korea are preparing to take the FIBA U19 World Championship by storm.

As is the case for the three other groups previewed thus far, in group C there are three main contenders – Lithuania, Croatia and Canada – who will be expected to grab the group’s three second round tickets, but South Korea will be looking to bite into every chance their opposition might hand them.

Canada will bring a very exciting squad to Latvia for the FIBA World U19 Championship, but not as exciting as it could’ve been, as Kyle Wiltjer and Myck Kabongo, the two key players from the Maple Leafs march to bronze in the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, will be missing from the Canadian roster.

To fill the void, Canada’s coach Greg Francis will be relying on six talented young players from the team that took bronze in the 2010 FIBA World U17 Championship in Hamburg.

These include the much talked about Kevin Pangos, who was the go-to guy man for Canada last year in Germany, averaging 15.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. The 18-year-old playmaker, who represented the World Select team in the Nike Hoops Summit and who has already linked up with the senior side at several training camps, will have to take some of the responsibilities for Canada to have a successful World Championship.

The fifth place finish in the 2010 FIBA Europe U18 Championship wasn’t the most satisfying result for Croatia, but it was enough to qualify for the 2011 FIBA World U19 Championship.

After falling as early as the quarterfinals last year, the Croatians will be looking to improve on that performance in Latvia.

In the middle of all of the attention for Croatia is the young 17-year-old big man Dario Saric, who has been shining in every tournament he has participated in. Playing against players, two years older than him, Saric averaged 12.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in the 2010 FIBA Europe U18 Championship last year, while he was dominant in the 2010 FIBA Europe U16 Championship with 24.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.

Amongst other players, who will make a big contribution for the Croatia are the names of the energetic guard Toni Katic, skilled big man Boris Barac as well as Roko Rogic, a deadly three-point shooter.

South Korea booked a place in Latvia by finishing second in the 2010 FIBA Asia U18 Championship, losing to the Chinese team in the final. The core of the team that will be representing the country in the 2011 FIBA World U19 Championship was also part of Korea’s roster in the 2010 FIBA World U17 Championship in Hamburg last year, in which they didn’t win a single game.

The South Korean team – traditionally talented and quick but short on height – will be fighting against the odds in each of the games versus the group’s big-guns and even a single victory would be a surprise. If they are to pull off a shock result, the team’s leaders Dong Lee and Seonggon Moon, who both have an lightening drive and averaged over 15 points per game at last year’s U17s, will have to combine for a once-in-a-lifetime performance.

Heading into the tournament as one of the main favourites, Lithuanian spirits are high after winning the 2010 FIBA Europe U18 Championship at home in Vilnius. Anything, but a podium finish would be seen as a massive failure in Lithuania, especially with a player like Jonas Valanciunas in the roster.

The big man from a small town of Utena was chosen as the MVP of the European Championship having averaged 19.4 points, 13.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game and leading his team to the gold medal.

One of Europe’s most intriguing prospects is set to become the highest NBA draft pick from Lithuania, as Zydrunas Ilgauskas currently holds that title with the 20th pick of the 1996 draft.

However, things aren’t all rosy and sweet for Lithuania as the team’s second-leading scorer from last year with 15.8 points per game and also a member of the all-tournament team, Deividas Pukis, hasn’t fully recovered from a mid-season injury. While he should still feature on Lithuania’s World Championship roster, his contribution will be considerably smaller.

Lithuania, who are certain to bring an army of supporters from just across the border, will be slight favourites to come out on top but expect some great games and maybe even an upset or two in Liepaja in group C.

Check our group A preview.
Check our group B preview.
Check our group D preview.

FIBA