GRE – Fotsis, Hellas ‘halfway through’

MILAN (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament) – The dust has settled on the EuroBasket for Greece veteran Antonis Fotsis.
 
The mission of keeping the Greeks in the hunt for a spot in the London Games was accomplished, no mean feat considering the tumult in the side following the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey when star Dimitris Diamantidis announced his retirement from the national team.
 
Greece also had to appoint a new coach after the expiration of Jonas Kazlauskas’ contract in Istanbul, and get rid of the hangover of a disappointing tournament in Turkey when the side made an uncustomary exit in the Eight-Finals at the hands of Spain.
 
No one really knew what to expect from Greece before this summer.
 
The federation appointed Ilias Zouros, the highly-rated tactician who had been named Eurocup Coach of the Year in 2010, as the team’s new boss.
 
But this summer, the unavailability of Loukas Mavrokefalidis and Sofoklis Schortsanitis for personal reasons, and an injury to Vassilis Spanoulis, complicated the situation.
 
If the Greeks went into previous EuroBaskets looking to win medals, expectations were tempered this time.
 
“For sure, our aim was to reach the qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games,” Fotsis said to FIBA.com.
 
“We did that.
 
“Certainly, we could have done more and reached the top four.”
 
The Greeks, indeed, could have done more, although that doesn’t mean they should have done more.
 
Zouros did a masterful job of getting the most out of his experienced players Fotsis, Nikos Zisis and Ioannis Bourousis, while getting solid contributions from a host of very talented youngsters like Nick Calathes, Michail Bramos and Kostas Koufos.
 
In the Quarter-Finals, Greece led much of the time against a star-laden France but ended up falling, 64-56.
 
“We lost a very tough game against France,” Fotsis said.
 
“They played better than us.
 
“But that's how basketball is. We have to learn from that and be better prepared in the future.”
 
If EuroBasket 2011 showed anything about Greece, it’s that they have tremendous self-belief and a battling spirit.
 
“Like any other team, we had some problems,” Fotsis said.
 
“Some players didn't come, or were injured, but that's basketball.
 
“What matters is the players that were there.
 
“They're tried to give their best on the court, gave 100% and the result is that we qualified for the pre-Olympic Games.”
 
It was a different summer for Fotsis, too, because as one of the elder statesmen at the age of 30, he had no choice but to lead.
 
"I tried to make the new players feel more comfortable in the team,” he said.
 
“They were new players and they're a little stressed.
 
“It's a big thing to play for the national team of your country.
 
“The young kids did a very good job on the court and that's what matters.”
 
Many questions will be asked about who should represent Greece next year and who should not.
 
Will other veterans return, or stay away?
 
“Right now, we have to finish what we started,” said Fotsis, who is now playing for Emporio Armani Milano in Italy’s top flight and the Euroleague.
 
“We qualified and now, we want to take one of the three places for the Olympic Games.
 
“It's very important (to make it back to the Olympics).
 
“We're halfway through and now, we want to finish it.”
 
FIBA