Israel - Center Kozikaro: 'If we were bad, we're not to blame'

From www.haaretz.com
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After Israel was embarrassed in the Czech Republic a few weeks ago, coach Zvika Sherf entered the locker room and asked if anyone had anything to say. The only player who tried to cheer up his teammates was Ido Kozikaro. Even now, after the team's impressive defeat of the Czechs in Yad Eliahu, which put the team in the EuroBasket championship, Kozikaro remains the team's unofficial cheerleader.

"It was a group that we should have advanced from," he says. "Britain is an outstanding team, a lot better than we thought. They didn't surprise us, but there was no reason for how we played against Bosnia and the Czech Republic."
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True, the team did the unexpected, but Kozikaro also knows it was far from being an enjoyable campaign. "We had our backs to the wall every game. We had three consecutive away games and came to Britain and had not slept for three nights," he explains. "Conditions in Bosnia were terrible. It may be the toughest home court to play in Europe. We came to the Czech game exhausted. I don't know who is to blame - maybe the association, which did not find proper flights."

The center points out that the basketball association had six months to prepare for these away games. "It's sounds petty, but that's how it happened," he adds.

Beyond the tiredness in the Czech Republic and Bosnia, it looked like you lost your motivation.

Kozikaro: "They talked about bad relations with Zvika, but no player pointed a finger at him. People know it's us. No player doesn't want to win. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, nothing works."

You've had other years of big losses and big wins. Why is the team so inconsistent?

"I think we can beat the best teams on any given day, but because we are not at the top in Europe talent-wise, our ability to concentrate and focus mentally determine the outcome. It's one of the big differences for us between victory and defeat."

How could you show up mentally unprepared?

"I'm not sure we didn't show up prepared. We took a lot of criticism, but the talent gap in Europe is closing. Look at Italy and France - two powerhouses, and at least one of them won't be in the championship."

So what accounted for the dramatic turnaround in the last game and half?

"After taking a beating, we won by almost 60 points, between the two games. It's crazy. Credit Zvika for having faith in us. Maybe we have a lot of nerve, but even when we lost by 21 points to the Czechs, we knew we were better than they were. During half-time, Zvika told us: 'Step on it because you have something to play for.' It took the pressure off us, and it worked."

Kozikaro started five of the team's six Group D games. His focus was defense, but it did not exactly work, as the team yielded 81.3 points per game, 15th among 17 teams.

Did the tough press coverage get to you all?

"We don't need headlines to change gears. The criticism was justified. We didn't play well, though there were reasons for it. I just don't get the harshness. It's sad that everyone wants us to win, but they blow everything up if we don't meet expectations. There's no middle ground."