Pecarski and Petrusev not done winning yet for Serbia

HERAKLION (Greece) - Marko Pecarski and Filip Petrusev have proven to be an immovable force for Serbia at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2019 and have the European U18 champions dreaming of winning their second title at the global spectacle.

Pecarski and Petrusev have combined to average 42.6 points, 20.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.0 blocks through the Group Phase, which saw them complete an undefeated Group D run with an 85-76 win over France. That victory was a re-match of the FIBA U18 European Championship 2018 Semi-Finals, which Serbia also won en route to the crown. In fact the two big men actually led Serbia to two straight U18 continental crowns and now have their sights set on global glory.

"It motivates us a lot. The last two years have been great - the last two U18 European gold medals. That's huge for us, but we don't want to stop there,” Petrusev said. "This is probably our last youth competition together, so we want to end really well and get that third gold."

Pecarski, who was named the MVP of last summer’s U18 European tournament with Petrusev also on the All-Star Five, said he is extra motivated to get Serbia their second U19 World Cup following 2007.

"It's the World Cup. Even though the European Championship is really a big thing, it’s different to play a World Cup. It is much more competitive and a lot more challenging," said Pecarski, whose father Miroslav Pecarski won the U19 World Cup title in 1987 with Yugoslavia. "We want to show the world that we are really good. Playing against the best teams in the world like the United States, it’s a dream come true."

Petrusev also admitted that winning the title in Heraklion is on his mind - if not at least in the back of it.

"It's always in the back of my mind. I wouldn't say it's the priority or the first thing, but it's always in the back of my mind. That gives us extra motivation to go from game to game," Petrusev said.

Heraklion might be the end of the Serbian youth journey for the dominant big man duo, who first teamed together for Srbija four years ago at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2015 - both as bottom level players a year behind the 1999 generation. 

"We started as rivals at age 10. But when the national team started for U16 (in 2015) we clicked together the first practice. We knew that we were dominant and we agreed that we had to use that," said Pecarski, who averaged 12.0 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in that U16 tournament while Petrusev added 3.8 points and 5.6 rebounds. "It's a big plus for us and for the team. I don't think there's any more dominant big man combo than us. We just have to use that to play our game and don’t be selfish and play for the team and good things will come for us."

“(WINNING BACK-TO-BACK FIBA U18 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES) MOTIVATES US A LOT. THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE BEEN GREAT - THE LAST TWO U18 EUROPEAN GOLD MEDALS. THAT'S HUGE FOR US, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO STOP THERE.”- Petrusev

Pecarski and Petrusev had even more motivation to play at the U19 World Cup after they missed out on playing at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2016 after the U16 team finished eighth in 2015.

"We were 15 and the World Cup was a huge thing, so it really motivated us. Since then we said the next time that it comes up we have to be at the World Cup," Pecarski said. "Now we are here and we have to use this opportunity."

What could be one final opportunity to win together at the youth level.

FIBA