World Cup Qualifiers to put Polish basketball back in the limelight

VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor's Eurovision) - It's going to a very demanding but exciting year for a lot of national team coaches in Europe.

Mike Taylor of Poland is among them.

Set to lead the Poles at a second consecutive FIBA EuroBasket in late August and September, Taylor will have to quickly turn his attention to FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers at home against Hungary on 23 November and away to Lithuania on 26 November.

The three teams discovered today they are in Group C, with a fourth to join them from the Pre-Qualifiers that are to be staged this summer.

The task of getting a team ready for a EuroBasket is already demanding but Poland must also keep an eye on the World Cup Qualifiers.

"I think you have to," Taylor told me. "You're focused on maximizing the EuroBasket opportunity. We've been preparing all year for our opponents there (in Group A, Helsinki), but we'll definitely be keeping an eye on Lithuania, Hungary and as soon as we know who that mystery team actually is, then we'll get to work on them.

"The players, I don't want them to worry too much about it but to focus on the job at hand. However, the coaching staff, we'll work ahead with our preparation to make sure that when November comes around, we'll be ready to go." 

It's only right that basketball fans in Poland get to watch their team in action. This is a group of players and a rising star of a coach that have a chance to do something special.

Poland last played at an Olympic Games in 1980 and finished seventh. The only time that the Poles played at a FIBA Basketball World Cup was in 1967 in Uruguay - five years before Taylor was born!

There has been some excitement in Polish basketball in recent years with Marcin Gortat having become an NBA star. He's in the play-offs with the Washington Wizards, who are engaged in an Eastern Conference Semi-Finals battle with the Boston Celtics.

There is much to like about the current edition of Poland's national side. The players fight for each other and they've got some skill, too. Remember two years ago at the EuroBasket in Montpellier?

Their players are getting better and better with captain Adam Waczynski having played an integral part in Unicaja Malaga's EuroCup title triumph this season and both Damian Kulig and Mateusz Ponitka having important roles for Turkish sides Banvit and Pinar Karsiyaka, respectively.

Fans will relish seeing Ponitka take off for Poland in the World Cup Qualifiers

Przemek Karnowski also won the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award this season as the top center in American college basketball. He led Gonzaga into their first-ever NCAA Final.

So yes, when Poland host Hungary on 23 November, the Polish fans are going to have an opportunity to see their heroes in action. They will also watch them on television or livebasketball.tv, except for the lucky ones that get to travel, when they play at Lithuania on 26 November.

Some coaches would fret over the prospect of taking on juggernauts like Lithuania, but not Taylor.

We feel like the core of the team will be our strength. They've been coming on together for four years.Taylor

Imagine what it's going to be like in the third qualifying window when Poland host Lithuania on 28 June?

"That's a big ticket," Taylor said. "A team like Lithuania is a local team, a rivalry team and one that everyone respects so it can be a nice draw for the fans. Maybe it's a game that's played in the Triple Cities (Gdansk, Gdynia or Sopot) here in Poland."

While some coaches might have cursed their luck if they not only had to play Lithuania but to face them when NBA trio Jonas Valanciunas, Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Domas Sabonis are available for the Baltic side, Taylor thinks otherwise.

"That will be a nice game for our fans," he said. "But then also Hungary is a team that has come up over the last couple of years and we respect them. The best thing is to focus on your own team and be the best that you can be."

Taylor will coach Poland in a lot of big games this year

Right now, there are a lot of federations and coaches getting used to the idea that the World Cup Qualifiers are going to be played in six windows throughout the year. But it's clear that following the draw, the excitement around international basketball is already ratcheting up.

"We like our draw, the opportunity that it gives," Taylor said. "I think there are a lot of uncertainties going into the windows but we're very positive about it. We feel like the core of the team will be our strength. They've been coming on together for four years.

"We feel like that's a strength when it comes to preparations. We'll see who comes out of the Pre-Qualifiers. That has the potential to really change things if one of the really strong teams comes out."

It also helps that the draw has taken place several months before the games.

"It's nice to have the clear picture of who you play, when you play so you can start to prepare the basketball side," Taylor said.

Teams that finish in the top three will advance to the Second Round. Twelve teams from Europe will ultimately make it to the World Cup. The fun, has indeed, already started.

Jeff Taylor
FIBA

FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.

FIBA takes no responsibility and gives no guarantees, warranties or representations, implied or otherwise, for the content or accuracy of the content and opinion expressed in the above article.