LTU - Balanced Lithuania U17 Men look to make home fans proud

KAUNAS (FIBA U17 World Championship) - Lithuania’s basketball fans always expect their national team to win international tournaments. And those expectations are even higher when they play at home.

With that in mind, Paulius Juodis hopes his balanced Lithuania team does not disappoint their fans as they host of this summer's FIBA U17 World Championship.

The last men’s youth world championship was in essence a home tournament for Lithuania, who saw tens of thousands of fans drive up to Latvia and root for the next national hero Jonas Valanciunas and the winning team at last summer's FIBA U19 World Championship.

Juodis’s U17 team doesn’t really rely on any one superstar, something the coach is quick to point out.

“Our strength will not be individual players or leaders, but the team as a whole. We will have to play as a team. Furthermore, we hope to demonstrate a beautiful basketball and do not disappoint our basketball fans,” he said.

The coach hopes his young team does not feel overwhelmed by the crowd in Kaunas.

“When a team plays in front of their own fans there always will be tension and bigger responsibility for the team. I think that this tension and responsibility might slightly affect young basketball players,” he explained.

“However, we expect a full gym whenever we will play. The fans will be our sixth player. I think that the championship will be hard but also interesting.”

Lithuania have been drawn into Group B along with Argentina, Canada, Croatia, Korea and Spain. And Kuodis admitted that at this point he doesn’t know much about the two non-European teams.

“I've seen some action from the Spain and Croatia teams. However, I cannot say much about other teams, how they look and how they play,” he warned.

Last year's U16 European champions Croatia are definitely among the favorites according to Kuodis, who said: “No doubt, the United States and the European champions Croatians will be favorites this year. However, we can receive some surprises from Canada, Australia and Argentina.”

One of the key players from Lithuania’s team at last summer's U16 Euros - where the Baltic side finished a disappointing 13th place - was top assist man and leader in steals Aidas Kavaliauskas.

But Kuodis said Kavaliauskas is currently injured and it remains unclear if he will make the team.

“It all depends on how he recovers from the injury and if he can adequately prepare for the championship,” said Kuodis, who did not have the point guard for the team’s last March-early April training camp.

FIBA