Kovac doing his part to put Luxembourg hoops on map

STRASSEN (FIBA U18 European Championship 2017, Division B) - Ben Kovac maybe be only 17 years old but he will be playing internationally for Luxembourg for the fourth time at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2017, Division B. The life-long baller is doing all he can to put his small homeland on the basketball map.

Kovac played the last three summers at the FIBA U16 European Championship Division B. But the 6ft 4in (1.94m) forward is counting the days until the FIBA U18 European Championship 2017, Division B starts on July 28 in Estonia.

"This summer will be something special because it's the U18 competition," said Kovac, whose team will face Albania, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Netherlands and Sweden in Group A. "The past three summers I learned that everything is possible there. Sure there are some favorites in every game, but we already witnessed other things, that even smaller and maybe less stronger teams can do big things there."

Kovac said Luxembourg's objective in Tallinn is to win a couple of games and "make some surprises against some opponents."

"The only way we can achieve something like that is that we have to play as a team and give 110 percent from the first to 40th minute."

"Unfortunately, just a very few people know about Luxembourg. In my opinion, the level of basketball isn't even that bad," Kovac said. "I think the problem is that no agents etc will watch out for players from Luxembourg. Luxembourg has plenty of good young talented players. But Luxembourg basketball won't get any attention or credit."

Kovac believes Luxembourg have a chance to surprise teams in Tallinn, especially because of one of his teammates, fellow 2000-born Lou Demuth.

"Every team needs a guy like Lou, a 7ft (2.13m) lefty who can penetrate, shoot very good for a big man, dunk and is quicker and lighter than the other big men and who is also a very good rim protector," Kovac said of Demuth, who played two summers with Kovac but missed the 2016 U16 tournament with an injury. "We understand each other pretty well on the court so that could be a positive advantage for us."

"Unfortunately, just a very few people know about Luxembourg. In my opinion, the level of basketball isn't even that bad. I think the problem is that no agents etc will watch out for players from Luxembourg. Luxembourg has plenty of good young talented players. But Luxembourg basketball won't get any attention or credit."Ben Kovac Ben Kovac

As could be Kovac's leadership, which also comes from having two athletes as parents.

"My mother played basketball and my dad was a professional skier. I learned from my mom how to play basketball and my dad taught me how to ski," Kovac said. "They also taught me to have a sportsmanlike behavior on and off the court."

While Kovac learned alpine skiing from his father Otto Kovac, he grew up around the game of basketball thanks to his mother Dana Kovacova.

"My mom was a professional basketball. She played with Basket Esch so when I was born I directly picked up some balls and was playing with them," he said. "I started practicing with 'babybasket' at the age of 3."

"Every team needs a guy like Lou Demuth), a 7ft 0in (2.13m) lefty who can penetrate, shoot very good for a big man, dunk and is quicker and lighter than the other big men and who is also a very good rim protector."Ben KovacBen Kovac

Kovac expects to be a leader for the Luxembourg team in Estonia.

"I have to take the responsibility in a couple of difficult situations during the game or in crunch time," Kovac said. "But for that, I still need to work on my killer instinct."

But Kovac is definitely trying his best to make people notice his game - and that of Luxembourg.

FIBA