SLO - Zdovc returns to the helm

LJUBLJANA (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Jure Zdovc was a big hit in his first and only summer as the coach of Slovenia's national team, leading an injury-depleted squad to the Semi-Finals of the EuroBasket 2009 in Poland.

Now the 47-year-old has been put back in charge of the squad for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Zdovc, who decided to step away from the role in late 2009 and concentrate on his former job as head coach of Union Olimpija, takes over from Bozidar Maljkovic, the Slovenia boss at the last two EuroBaskets.

Immediately after Zdovc and before Maljkovic, Memi Becirovic coached Slovenia at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

Zdovc is excited to be back.

"I am honored that I have the chance to manage a new team and I know that expectations are high,” Zdovc said.

Zdovc did a terrific coaching job at EuroBasket 2009, with captain Matjaz Smodis hurt and spending most of the tournament on the bench, and Goran Dragic also suffering an injury early in the tournament and missing the last five games.

The team overcame their absences and reached the last four,  where Serbia beat them in overtime, 96-92.

Greece then denied Slovenia their first spot on the EuroBasket podium by defeating them in the Bronze Medal Game, 57-56.

"I said that four years ago I did not believe that we will again get a generation that can play at such a high level,” Zdovc said at his unveiling on Wednesday, "but now I think otherwise.

"I think it (the team) is capable of continuing the good games and results."

Slovenia hosted last year's EuroBasket and finished fifth despite the absence of big man Erazem Lorbek, who needed to take the summer off after a demanding campaign with Barcelona.

The national side not only received big contributions from veterans Dragic and Bostjan Nachbar, but got great efforts from a host of players.

Dragic’s brother, 1.96m guard/forward Zoran, excelled on both ends of the floor and finished as the team’s second leading scorer at 10.6 points per game.

Lorbek’s brother, Domen, returned to the squad for the first time since EuroBasket 2009 and provided consistent scoring from the perimeter, shooting 51.7% (15 of 29) from the arc.

Gasper Vidmar and Mirza Begic shared the center duties, giving Slovenia a couple of strong low post players, and Jaka Blazic and Edo Muric thrived when Slovenia increased the pressure on defense.

Slovenia's medal hopes disappeared when they fell to eventual champions France in the Quarter-Finals, but there is plenty of cause for optimism ahead of this year's FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

Goran Dragic is moving from strength to strength in the NBA, averaging 19.3 points and 6.0 assists per game for the Phoenix Suns.

Zoran Dragic, meanwhile, is averaging 13.5ppg for Unicaja Malaga, helping them reach the Top 16 of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague.

Erazem Lorbek is also returning to full fitness and has, in his last couple of Euroleague outings with Barcelona, averaged 22 minutes per game.

Zdovc is one of Slovenia's all-time greats as a player.

He was a guard in the former Yugoslavia team that won the world title in Argentina in 1990.

After Slovenia declared its independence, the Maribor-born Zdovc played for their national team.

Slovenia will discover who their opponents will be at the World Cup when the draw for the event is held 3 February in Barcelona.

FIBA