FIBA World Championship 2010 Draw
The FIBA Basketball World Championship draw was held yesterday 16th December. The groups turned out to be very interesting as old rivals and difficult games were drawn from.
Defending champions Spain face an all European group with particular interest on France and Lithuania while tournament hosts Turkey will be facing arch rivals Greece and Russia in group C.
Argentina who are ranked No 1 by FIBA World Ranking will have difficult games in group A with Serbia, African powerhouse Angola, Australia, Germany and Jordan. Team USA will also have very interesting games with clashes with Slovenia, Brazil, Croatia, Iran and Tunisia.
“We respect all of our rivals that have quality,” said Spain’s Sergio Scariolo, the coach who guided the team to a EuroBasket gold medal this year in Poland.
“It’s difficult to evaluate them without knowing which players they will take. Lithuania is the most complicated rival.”
Lithuania underachieved this year and needed a wild card just to play at the FIBA World Championship and have changed coaches to Kestutis Kemzura.
“Our group is not a bad one,” Kemzura said.
“Spain is a clear favorite, but our friendly game in Vilnius and the beginning of EuroBasket 2009 showed that sometimes, they also face problems.
“France has lots of talent. They have NBA players and are very athletic, but they have some weaknesses. I don’t know much about the others.
“Much will depend on a team that we will be able to bring to Turkey, but I do not expect easy games. We will have to fight in every game.”
All eyes will be on Ankara because that’s where hosts Turkey are set to go up against rivals Greece.
EuroBasket 2007 gold medalists Russia, who received a wild card, are also in Group C along with Puerto Rico, Ivory Coast and China.
Greece edged Turkey 76-75 in overtime in the EuroBasket 2009 Quarter-Finals and went on to capture the bronze medal.
They could be stronger next year with the possible return of Theo Papaloukas, Panagiotis Vasilopoulos and Konstantinos Tsartsaris.
