Saric goes back-to-back

ISTANBUL (FIBA Basketball World Cup/EuroBasket 2015) - Admit it. You have to be surprised.

Dario Saric, one of the hottest names in international basketball the past few years, a Croatian that has already featured at EuroBasket 2013 and the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, is still only 20 years old.

That fact is, however, true, and because he is, he has been able to clinch the honor as FIBA Europe Young Player of the Year for the second time in a row (2013 and 2014).

In doing so, he joined Jonas Valanciunas (2011 and 2012) and Ricky Rubio (2007, 2008 and 2009) as a multiple winner of the award.

At the World Cup, Saric was Croatia's second-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder.

The 2.08m power forward was also tied with Krunoslav Simon as team's third-best assist man.

The truth of the matter is that Saric had some good company in the race for the Young Player of the Year honor.

Also nominated, just to name a few, were other FIBA Basketball World Cup players in Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece, Sviatoslav Myhailiuk of Ukraine and Cedi Osman of Turkey.

Osman and Saric are teammates at Efes.

First, with Cibonia Zagreb, Saric received the MVP awards in the Adriatic League regular season, and at the Final Four.

Those achievements have given him an important place in basketball history in the region.

"I was in the arena (2010 Adriatic League Final Four) when (Dusan) Kecman scored that three-pointer (for Partizan Belgrade) and I can recall how my father talked to me about the old Yugoslavian League," Saric said at the time. 

"That's why I am so happy to win something in this league."

His immediate adjustment to Istanbul and the demanding Ivkovic was not smooth but eventually Saric found a comfort zone and now he is thriving.

Saric also plays alongside Osman, and a veteran guard in Dontaye Draper who marvels at his young teammate's ability.

Draper was also a teammate of Saric when the two played at the EuroBasket in Slovenia in 2013.

"It's crazy," Draper said at the time to FIBA.com. "I can't explain to you his physical skills and his brain for basketball.

Dario can play the point to the five, and I think you can't find that anywhere else. - Draper

"He really can play every position.

"I watch him every day in practice and think, 'whew!' That's not normal."

Draper and Saric are good friends at Efes.

Speaking of toughness, Saric couldn't wait to sink his teeth into best international competition on offer at last year's World Cup.

What he didn't expect, however, was to actually lose teeth in a physical Group B contest against Argentina.

His competitive desire didn't allow Saric to leave the game.

He ran over to the bench and handed the six teeth that were out but still in his possession to the trainer before running back onto the court.

Saric might have won the Young Player of the Year Award after he walked off the court at the World Cup, but he decided to give voters even more reasons to choose him.

With Efes, he was the Turkish Airlines Euroleague MVP of the Month for November.

In his 2014 Euroleague games with Efes, Saric averaged 11.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

It's going to be interesting to see how long Saric waits before he leaves Europe for the NBA.

Drafted 14th overall last summer by the Orlando Magic, the Philadelphia 76ers acquired his rights.

Is he better off staying with Efes and playing for a legend like Ivkovic, a coach who is only going to make him work on his fundamentals and weaknesses, or might it be worth the risk to join a Sixers team that is young but struggling? 

The Sixers think very highly of him, and that includes the players.

During the World Cup, Nerlins Noel, Michael-Carter Williams and Joe Embiid flew to Spain to watch him play.

"I'm ecstatic," Noel said, when asked about the possibility of playing with Saric in the future.

"I'm so ecstatic. His game is so unique. With the great passing like that we're really going to grow as a team and really going to be able to do so many things."

Saric admitted at the time that he was extremely happy to know that Sixers players had come to offer their support.

He said in an interview published this week with Jutarnji list in Croatia, however, that "there is no concrete answer" and "it is impossible to predict" if he will leave for the NBA after this campaign.

"After the end of the season," Saric said, "we will sit down and see ..."

What is a certainty is that Saric will soon experience one of the greatest moments of his young basketball career when he plays for Croatia again at EuroBasket 2015.

This time, the games will be in Zagreb, in front of his own country's fans, with the city hosting Group Phase games.

Saric will be hoping that he can help Croatia reach the Final to clinch a place in the Rio de Janeiro Games, or at least a third, fourth, fifth or sixth place to earn a spot in the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

FIBA