GEO - Hickman a key to Georgian expectations

CELJE (EuroBasket/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - With Georgia missing their top two players, new naturalized point guard Ricky Hickman will be one of the main keys to the country's still high expectations at EuroBasket 2013.

Hickman arrives in Igor Kokoskov's team having played last season in the Euroleague and nearly taking Israeli giants Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Final Four. The 28-year-old will now have the keys to a Georgian team that is missing its two leaders in NBA players Zaza Pachulia and Tornike Shengelia.

"I don't think I'm telling a secret, but we have to play much faster now because we were relying so much on Zaza and Shenglia," said Viktor Sanikidze, one of five players on Georgia's roster returning from EuroBasket 2011 - the nation's first appearance in Europe's leading national team tournament.

"Now we need to move faster and play as fast as we can. It's going to be very tough for our opponents to guard us."

Hickman will help in that regard since he's used to running a Euroleague team.

"He brings us experience. He played Euroleague last year and has played a lot of close games," said Manuchar Markoishvili, who also played in Lithuania two years ago, of Hickman.

"He fits perfectly into the team, a real team player. He's the guy who can change the team."

Georgia's 2011 summer was historic with their first EuroBasket victory - over Belgium - and their first advancement into the second round. The team now is trying to lower expectations of the people back home after the promising debut.

"Everybody in Georgia expects good things. They want to see the Georgian national team do better than last time," Markoishvili went on.

"That's our wish too, of course, to advance. Right now it's just game by game and show that we are capable of playing at this level. And we will go from there."

Sanikidze meanwhile put more pressure on himself.

"I will say we have to have the same result as at the last European championship, regardless if we are missing the players or not," said the 27-year-old player from Montepaschi Siena.

"At the last EuroBasket, we didn't have much experience. But now we have much more experience. Our players have grown up.

"We still have good guys. I think we have to have the minimum of the same result from EuroBasket. I ask that of myself."

Georgia face a tough draw in Group C with Poland, Croatia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Spain.

"I think our group is even if we don't count Spain," said Markoishvili.

"We all know how strong the Spanish team is. Then it's very balanced, even if the names don't show that much. It will be very hard to say who will advance."

FIBA