Nazor waiting in the wings for Croatia job

VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor's Eurovision) - Croatia will not have much to ponder the next time they have a coaching vacancy with the senior national team.

The perfect man for the job will be Ante Nazor.

If anyone needed convincing about his nous, motivational skills or his ability to improvise, his performance at the FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete left no room for doubt about his capacity to coach in important tournaments.

Had it not been for a missed free-throw four seconds from the end of regulation by Luka Bozic, who was overall a big-time contributor for Croatia at the tournament, the Balkan team would have beaten the United States in the Final and captured the title.

As it was, the USA dodged a bullet and won in overtime, 79-71.

"It's a pity," Nazor told me just after he left the court, "because my feelings right now tell me that we didn't take the silver, but lost the gold."

Nazor and his players were, overall, big winners in an event that always showcases huge talents before their careers take off.

Stephen Curry played for the USA in 2007, and Matthew Dellavedova suited up for Australia two years later.

In 2011, Jonas Valanciunas shone for Lithuania and in 2013, Aaron Gordon, Jahlil Okafor and Justice Winslow were leading players in the USA team.

Curry, the Golden State Warriors star, was the MVP of the NBA this past season and also helped the Warriors win the championship.

Dellavedova had a dramatic impact for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the postseason.

Okafor and Winslow captured an NCAA Title with Duke in April under USA coach Mike Krzyzewski and then went third and 10th overall in the NBA Draft to Philadelphia and Miami, respectively.

There was tremendous talent at the U19 World Championship this year, too.

And there was also some big-time talent that was supposed to be at the U19 World Championship that in the end disappeared.

One who practiced with the team and travelled to Crete to play for Croatia was their biggest star, at least before the tournament.

Dragan Bender, a potential tournament MVP beforehand, ended up getting caught between a rock and a hard place because of his shoe a contract with adidas.

The Croatian Basketball Federation has a contract with Jordan Brand.

Bender didn't play but watched the first couple of games from the stands and ultimately left.

Croatia also lost Ante Zizic, who averaged 13 points and seven rebounds before an injury knocked him out of the tournament.

Nazor nevertheless got his players mentally prepared for each game. They executed on both ends of the floor, especially in their three toughest games.

They beat Canada in the Quarter-Finals and then hammered Turkey - basically the same team that had defeated Croatia in the U18 European Championship Final last year - before falling to the USA in overtime.

Nazor says the missed free-throw by Bozic ruined an otherwise terrific tournament for his team.

"We have done well in the tournament, but it's a part of concentration," Nazor said.

"Clear concentration.

"We had a free-throw to close the game. We missed.

"That is sport. That is life."

If the scouts, journalists and fans go to youth tournaments to see the stars of the tomorrow, they can also observe terrific coaches like Nazor.

After EuroBasket 2015, Croatia coach Velimir Perasovic will travel to Spain to lead Laboral Kutxa.

That means the Croatia job is going to be vacant, there for the taking for a coach like Nazor.

"It's difficult to talk about myself," he said.

But he does want to coach the senior team.

"Of course," he said.

"I've been here for two Olympic cycles in a row.

"I would like also one day to be the first coach.

"This is my fifth medal in a row with this generation.

"We have excellent players for the future and they probably play more basketball in the senior team in the future.

"I think we will come to this place in world basketball. I'm sure of this."

Jeff

FIBA

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