SCG - Youth movement underway for Serbia & Montenegro

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BELGRADE (FIBA World Championship) - Serbia & Montenegro will usher in a new era at the FIBA World Championship with national team coach Dragan Sakota fulfilling his pledge of taking youngsters to Japan.

Darko Milicic of the Orlando Magic and Nenad Krstic of the New Jersey Nets are the NBA’s representatives in the 15-man preliminary squad with no places for Minnesota’s Marko Jaric, or Los Angeles Clippers duo Vladimir Radmanovic and Zeljko Rebraca.

Krstic, 22, has played in the national side in recent seasons and is an established pro with the Nets while Milicic, 20, has yet to get on track in the NBA after three seasons.

A former second pick overall by the Detroit Pistons, the seven-footer Milicic did play at EuroBasket 2005 for Zeljko Obradovic. The Pistons traded him to Orlando last season.

Also in Sakota’s group are Kosta Perovic, Mile Ilic, Dejan Milojevic, Ognjen Askrabic, Miroslav Raicevic, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Branko Jorovic, Luka Bogdanovic, Igor Rakocevic, Uros Tripkovic, Vule Avdalovic, Bojan Popovic and Marko Marinovic.

Rakocevic is a national team veteran who plays for Real Madrid while Milojevic just led Partizan Belgrade to the Superleague title and was voted that competition’s most valuable player.

Serbia & Montenegro, who are the two-time defending champions, already knew Indianapolis Pacers superstar Peja Stojakovic - one of their heroes from Indianapolis 2002 - would not be selected.

There were no places for veterans Vlado Scepanovic and Milan Gurovic, who plays under Sakota at Red Star Begrade.

"Stojakovic is, probably, best player I've ever coached, but he is my friend, too,” Sakota said.

“I'm in contact with him almost all the time since I've been appointed as coach of national team, and we've reached agreement that, after a season filled with injuries he needs a rest, but will be available for EuroBasket 2007 in Spain.

“Players like (Dejan) Bodiroga, (Dejan) Tomasevic, Gurovic, Rebraca and Scepanovic did great things for our national team in the past, won many medals and we'll do our best to organise their farewell game in our blue jersey.

“This is a new team, which consist of some players that already represented us at big competitions, but some new, young, too."

When asked about of 27-year-old guard Jaric and 25-year-old forward Radmanovic, Sakota said: "We tried with our best players, and it went wrong during past several years.

“Now it is a time for some new guys, youngsters whom we'll try to build into new leaders.”

Sakota revealed he asked the country's basketball legend Aleksandar Djordjevic to be his first assistant, but the coach of Armani Jeans Milano in Italy politely said no due to his club commitments.

A second coach in Sakota's staff will be Vlada Vukoicic, who won regional Adriatic League with FMP this year.

"At all competitions, we are starting with the highest ambitions,” Sakota promised.

“We have to believe that we can defeat any opponent, but we must know that we are not a world superpower anymore.

“Our high ambitions are and always will be present, but everyone must know that we are creating a new, younger team, so there's no need for any kind of pressure and asking for the best results."

Sakota will gather his team on July 2 in Belgrade, with training sessions to start there on July 5 after two-day of tests.

Serbia & Montenegro failed to qualify automatically for the FIBA World Championship but received a wild card for the event, which tips off in August.

They have been drawn in Group A with Olympic champions Argentina, France, Nigeria, Venezuela and Lebanon.

From Darko Nikolic
PA Sport, Belgrade