Osman looking forward to seeing next generation shine for Turkey

REGENSBURG (David Hein's Eye on the Future) - Cedi Osman will not be available for Turkey during the November and February windows of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers, but he will be watching closely to see how the next generation of talents work their way into the senior national team.

It's kind of hard talking about the "next generation" of Turkish players when Osman himself is only 22 years old. But Osman this past summer played at his second FIBA EuroBasket, not to mention having played at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014 and the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2016.

Still there is a strong group of youngsters coming up behind him who were wildly successful at the youth national team level.

"We have great generations of players coming up, and at youth level we have been working very well. So I am confident that we will get to a very high level of competitiveness soon," Osman told FIBA.basketball. "I am sure that in two or three years we will be a very good team and we will compete for a medal."

Turkey's 1996-born group won the FIBA U16 European Championship/FIBA U18 European Championship double in 2012 and 2014, respectively, while also taking third place at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2015 and the FIBA U20 European Championship 2016.

Turkey celebrate after taking third place at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2015.

Seven of the players on Turkey's preliminary 24-man roster for the World Cup Qualifiers played on all or most of those youth teams. And Osman played with three of them - Egemen Guven, Berk Ugurlu and Okben Ulubay - in claiming the FIBA U18 European Championship crown in 2013 while Ulubay was also on the FIBA U16 European Championship title winning team two years earlier with Osman.

While Turkey's FIBA EuroBasket 2017 team did include 34-year-old Sinan Guler and 31-year-old Semih Erden, head coach Ufuk Sarica also continued the youth transition of the national team. The 1997-born Furkan Korkmaz and Osman's teammate from the youth championships, 1995-born Kenan Sipahi were given much more of a role in the team.

Furkan Korkmaz averaged 10.5 points per game at FIBA EuroBasket 2017.

"It was a very nice tournament knowing that we played with a lot of young players. The young guys had the opportunity to see a lot of minutes and I think we did a good job," Osman said of the team falling to Spain in the Round of 16.

Still, it was clear to Osman that something was missing - more experience.

"I think our biggest weakness was that we were still learning and that our roster was young, so we lacked a bit of experience against guys that have been playing at this level for five or 10 years," Osman said. "We still have to learn how to play during the last couple of minutes, when the pressure and the tension are at their highest levels."

Erden and Guler are both included in the roster for the World Cup Qualifiers, something Osman feels is crucial in the development of the young Turkish players - especially since all seven of those 1996-born players would be making their senior national team debut later this month. 

"We have great generations of players coming up, and at youth level we have been working very well. So I am confident that we will get to a very high level of competitiveness soon. I am sure that in two or three years we will be a very good team and we will compete for a medal."OsmanOsman

"We have also some very good veterans who are helping a lot and showing the young guys how is it to compete at the highest level. Their role on the team is priceless," he said. "It is very important for our development as a team and also for each and every one of us as players."

Osman himself is ready to jump into a Turkey jersey whenever he can and help the national team qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 - being a leader as well.

"I am always ready to help the national team. I am very happy when I wear Turkey's jersey, and whenever I have the chance to represent and play for the national team, I will do so," said Osman, who will be playing with the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers during the November Qualifiers.

But until he gets back into the white and red, Osman is convinced that Sarica and the Turkish coaches will do a great job with the current group of players.

Head coach Ufuk Sarica talks to Kenan Sipahi at FIBA EuroBasket 2017.

"What I like about (Sarica) is that he always pushes you to stay focused and to fight hard. This kind of 'warrior' spirit is very important in a group of players, to keep them focused and ready against which ever team they play against. He believes in us, he gives us more confidence, that is great. He never gives up," Osman said.

"Our coaching staff is for sure going to help us qualify for the next FIBA World Cup. We are going to learn from our mistakes made at FIBA EuroBasket and with the help of each and every one, we are going to do better in the next couple of months, with the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers for example."

"I am always ready to help the national team. I am very happy when I wear Turkey's jersey, and whenever I have the chance to represent and play for the national team, I will do so." OsmanOsman

The Turkish team can count on Osman watching those games closely, knowing he wishes he could be there as well.

David Hein

FIBA

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