EuroBasket finalists Jovic, Muric headline newcomers to boost European teams
#basketball #eurobasket #minds #sports #fiba EuroBasket finalists Jovic, Muric headline newcomers to boost European teams. MIES (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - Every national team will be looking for an injection of quality for February's World Cup Qualifiers.
Here are some players that have been named in squads that can make a significant difference. Jovic played meaningful minutes at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and then at the 2016 Olympics and finally at EuroBasket 2017, where he delivered perfect alley-oop passes to the likes of Vladimir Lucic. His all-round talent and toughness, and knowledge of what coach Sasha Djordevic (also his coach at Bayern Munich) wants from the point guard makes his return important as Serbia take on Germany in Frankfurt on February 23 and then Austria in Schwechat two days later. Jovic was hurt and unable to play in November.
A Slovenia forward since EuroBasket 2011, Muric, who is still only 26, has hit top form with Stelmet Enea Zielona Gora. A member of Slovenia's title-winning side at EuroBasket 2017 in Istanbul, Muric's December move from Anadolu Efes to Poland has opened the door for his return and raised the number of champions at Radovan Trifunovic's disposal to eight. Slovenia have games at Montenegro on February 23 and then Belarus on February 26. On the one hand, why would Turkey coach Ufuk Sarica want to bring two guards into a squad that won twice in the November window, at home against Latvia and at Ukraine? If ain't broke, don't fix it, right? The bottom line is that Sipahi is a bundle of energy who can help Turkey's full-court pressure defense take over a game, while Muhammed was one of the country's best players at FIBA EuroBasket 2015 and the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Sarica also knows Muhammed well from their time together at Pinar Karsiyaka.
The 34-year-old was supposed to play at EuroBasket 2017 but got hurt before the tournament and he still had not fully recovered by November. Turkey play at Sweden, a game that has been sold out for a month, on February 23 and then travel to Riga to face Latvia on February 26.
This will be one of those emotional moments in international basketball once Zelionis runs onto the court in Klaipeda, where he competes for LKL side Neptunas. Zelionis played a big part in keeping Neptunas' run to the Basketball Champions League Play-Offs on track with his fiery play and now the 28-year-old is poised for the ultimate honor of representing his country in Klaipeda against Hungary on February 23 and then Kosovo on February 26. "It's an honor for each player to represent his country on an international level," Zelionis said. "And I am not an exception. To my mind, it will be a new turn in my career and, of course, present new prospects."
Bost was very good in the Pre-Qualifiers as Bulgaria's naturalized player and has been excellent since his December move from Zalgiris Kaunas to SIG Strasbourg, helping the French club go from being outside the Play-Offs picture in the Basketball Champions League to first place in Group C. Bulgaria host the Czech Republic (2-0) on February 23 and have a quick turnaround with a February 25 game at Finland. Bost, unable to play in November, was named on the extended 24-man list for the February 23 game against the Czech Republic and the February 25 game at Finland by coach Lubomir Minchev.
Birgander, a 20-year-old pivot, averaged 15 points and 13.8 rebounds last year at the U20 European Championship Division A in Romania and is getting good minutes while playing for Spanish Liga Endesa side Joventut Badalona. Birgander was supposed to play in November but became ill, with a fever, and did not feature as Sweden lost at home to Ukraine and then at Latvia. Eriksson, who famously drilled 5 3-pointers in Sweden's home triumph over Bosnia and Herzegovina and is playing for Herbalife Gran Canara in the Spanish Copa del Rey this weekend, missed the November games with a toe injury. Lindqvist is the biggest question mark. He led Sweden as captain in the Pre-Qualifiers and has started playing again after being kept out of the November games with a knee injury. Sweden will wait as long as they can to see if the 27-year-old power forward can take part in the games at home against Turkey on February 23 and at Ukraine on February 26. There are going to be a lot of fans hoping this trio not only plays but makes an impact. All 7,500 tickets for the game against Turkey at Stockholm's famous Hovet Arena were sold more than a month ago!
With captain Pietro Aradori now ruled out because of injury, Vitali looks set to make the squad and get some minutes. There's no doubt about the ice running in his veins, either, with Vitale, the younger brother of Italy veteran Luca, drilling a go-ahead three-pointer in the final seconds of overtime for Brescia at Serie A leaders Sidigas Avellino on January 28. It's also significant that Virtus Bologna's Alessandro Gentile got hurt in PosteMobile Final Eight 2018 action over the weekend, ruling the Italy veteran out of the February window. Italy, 2-0 after November wins against Romania and Croatia, will host the Netherlands on February 23. They will then travel to Cluj-Napoca to face Romania on February 26.
Okay, we're breaking the rules here. Wojciechowski did play for Poland against Lithuania on November 26 but he's such a new and exciting addition to the senior team set-up that we have to bring his name up. Look for the skilled big man to have a larger role at home to Kosovo on February 23 and then at Hungary on February 26.
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