LTU - Kazlauskas returns

VILNIUS (EuroBasket/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Lithuania are looking to former boss Jonas Kazlauskas to lead them into the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The Lithuanian Basketball Federation (LBBF) have announced that the 57-year-old is the new coach of the men’s team.

The veteran tactician guided the national side from 1997-2001 and coached them in one of the most famous Olympic games of all time in Sydney against the United States.

Kazlauskas nearly engineered an upset of the USA in the Semi-Finals 12 years ago but a potential game-winning three-ball at the buzzer from Sarunas Jasikevicius stayed out.

The Lithuanians then beat hosts Australia to capture the bronze medal.

Kazlauskas, who is taking the reins from Kestutis Kemzura, has coached China at the 2008 Olympics and the following two years led Greece's national side.

Under his leadership, the Greeks took a surprise bronze medal at EuroBasket 2009 but endured a disappointing FIBA World Championship in Turkey the following summer, failing to reach the Quarter-Finals.

A successful coach at club level in his career with clubs like Zalgiris Kaunas and Olympiacos, Kazlauskas was just seconds away from leading CSKA Moscow to a Turkish Airlines Euroleague crown last season.

But the Russian giants, taking on his former club Olympiacos, lost 62-61.

CSKA, boasting a star-studded line-up that included Andrei Kirilenko of Russia, had led by 19 points late in the third quarter but collapsed and the defeat ultimately led to Kazlauskas’ departure from the club.

Kemzura had mixed results as coach of the Lithuania national team.

After the Baltic side's miserable EuroBasket 2009 in Poland, when it failed to advance to the Quarter-Finals under coach Ramunas Butautas, Lithuania appointed Kemzura.

Lithuania received a wild card to play at the World Championship in Turkey and made the most of the opportunity by snatching a bronze medal.

The following year, without injured stars Linas Kleiza and Jonas Maciulis, Lithuania made it to the Quarter-Finals of the EuroBasket on home soil in Kaunas but lost in the Last Eight to The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MKD).

Lithuania travelled to Caracas, Venezuela, for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) this summer and claimed one of three places for the London Games.

Another side to advance from Venezuela, Russia, ended Lithuania's medal hopes by beating them, 83-74, in the Last Eight.

The Lithuanians finished with two wins and four defeats, although they did give eventual champions Team USA one of their hardest games before falling, 99-94, in the Preliminary Round.

FIBA