Five early questions leading into the February window

MUNICH (Germany) – The next window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers is fast approaching with lots to be determined in February.

The Qualifiers reach the midway point of the First Round in a pivotal period that pits teams against each other in home-and-away double-headers.

Here are some of the key questions to look out for:

Which teams will stay unbeaten?

Eight teams in total got their campaigns off to the perfect start in November as Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Israel, Lithuania, Russia, Slovenia and Spain all enjoyed 2-0 starts. At least one team will suffer their first defeat with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Lithuania meeting twice in four days in intriguing Group F encounters.

Meanwhile, France have a chance to pull away in their group with a double-header against the lowest-seeded team Portugal. Belgium will expect a tough duel with Latvia in one of the top matchups and Israel come up against Germany.

Spain were rampant in their opening two wins and the aim will be to continue in the same vein with Ukraine their opponents for Gamedays 3 and 4. Russia defeated Italy to take pole position in Group H and can close on the next phase if they can keep their winning record intact.

Who will take control of Group B?

Four games played, one win apiece for Belarus, Turkey, Greece and Great Britain. This is the only group where every team has already been beaten and sets the platform for a fascinating battle to make it through.

Heavyweight duo Greece and Turkey will go head-to-head in Ano Liosia and Istanbul having both suffered opening defeats. Great Britain will return to Newcastle – the home of memorable recent wins – to take on Belarus after their meeting in Minsk.

The four-way tie remains a distinct possibility with the teams seemingly evenly matched, but this window marks an opportunity to take control, especially with the chance to snatch one of the crucial head-to-head records.

Which teams are already in ‘must-win’ territory?

While eight teams are yet to lose, eight nations are still waiting for their first victories of the campaign. Among the teams yet to get off the mark are Czech Republic and Poland, who both competed at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China.

An 0-3 start is far from insurmountable, but it’s certainly less than ideal and the task to advance gets that much tougher. Czech Republic will have their chance to bounce back with a double-header with Bulgaria that begins in Botevgrad, while Poland lock horns with Estonia in Group D.

Croatia, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Portugal and Slovakia are the other sides heading into the next set of games looking to break their winless start.

Are more upsets on the way in the Qualifiers?

The Qualifiers have been renowned for upsets in recent years and the opening window of this campaign was no different. Belgium beating Serbia, Belarus overcoming Turkey, Great Britain coming from behind to stun Greece amongst some notable results to get the action underway.

The second window promises more of the same with some big matchups in store. Finland will be amongst the teams looking to claim a big scalp as they first host the reigning European champions Slovenia in Espoo.

It was a tale of successive two-point defeats for the Netherlands in November, but signs of encouragement in the midst of disappointment to take into their battles with Russia as they seek a big win to launch their campaign.

Can Croatia bounce back under their new head coach?

The upcoming window marks the start of a new dawn for Croatian basketball as Damir Mulaomerovic takes the reins. They could well have been heading into this window at 2-0, but were unable to come through close encounters with Slovenia and Finland in defeats.

Next up are Sweden. The two teams met during the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 Qualifiers with Croatia enjoying double-digit victories in each encounter. They will hope for more of the same this time around to get up and running in Group C – firstly on home soil in Zagreb.

There were positive to takes, despite the defeats with the likes of Filip Bundovic and 19-year-old Roko Prkacin impressing with their performances. More will be needed collectively to get back on track.

FIBA