Everything you need to know before Gameday 10 of the European Qualifiers

MUNICH (Germany) - Expect celebrations and some disappointments in the November window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers with the stakes only getting higher.

Germany and Latvia already booked their tickets to next summer's big show - joining Finland, who locked up their spot in the last window in the summer, with six more nations in contention to do so on Monday.

Group I

9/18 games played

		GAMES				GAME POINTS					POINTS
#	Team	P	W	L	%	For	Agt	+/-	FA	AA
1	Latvia*	7	6	1	85.7	578	513	65	82.6	73.3	13
2	Serbia	7	4	3	57.1	555	547	8	79.3	78.1	11
3	Greece	7	4	3	57.1	549	535	14	78.4	76.4	11
4	Turkey	7	3	4	42.9	550	528	22	78.6	75.4	10
5	Belgium	7	3	4	42.9	467	504	-37	66.7	72	10
6	Great Britain	7	1	6	14.3	492	564	-72	70.3	80.6	8

November 14, 2022

Latvia v Great Britain - 18:30 CET - Riga, Latvia
Serbia v Turkey - 20:00 CET Belgrade, Serbia
Belgium v Greece - 20:30 CET - Mons, Belgium

So many storylines to watch in this group as Latvia battered Greece in the first game of the window in a battle of the top two teams, while Serbia survived a scare against Great Britain in Newcastle and Turkey got the better of Belgium to keep themselves in the running.

Heading into Monday's action, Greece are the only other team who can secure qualification already in this window, though the matchup between Serbia and Turkey will likely be the main attraction with huge implications in the race for the World Cup.

Star to watch: Nick Calathes - Greece

GUARD
Height: 198cm / 6'6"
European Qualifiers stats: 8.5 points, 6.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 2..5 steals per game  (2 games)

Nick Calathes is expected to join the Greece squad for the second game of the window on the road in Belgium. Following the one-sided defeat to Latvia at home in the first of two November fixtures, Dimitris Itoudis will be happy to reinforce his roster with a A-class floor general who brought a little bit of everything when he suited up for Greece in the summer.

Top prospect: Furkan Haltali - Turkey

CENTER
Height: 206cm / 6'9"
European Qualifiers stats: 6.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.5 blocks per game (4 games)

Haltali showed in the First Round that he can produce for Turkey at this level, totalling 11 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks in the two games against Greece. The 19-year-old big man has been producing this season well for Besiktas.

Here's where Group I teams are ranked in the FIBA World Rankings presented by Nike, as well as in Europe:

World rank	Country	Europe rank	Current points
6.	Serbia	3.	711.5
9.	Greece	6.	670.8
16.	Turkey	11.	516.3
29.	Belgium	16.	377.1
30.	Latvia	17.	375.3
48.	Great Britain	25.	265.4

 

November 14, 2022

Finland v Estonia - 17:30 CET - Espoo, Finland
Slovenia v Germany - 18:00 CET - Koper, Slovenia
Sweden v Israel - 19:35 CET - Norrkoping, Sweden

There's only World Cup ticket remaining in Group J after Germany joined Finland on the list of qualified teams on Friday. This group could be decided by the end of November 14, with Slovenia one win away from officially clinching berth as well after beating Israel on the road in the previous game.

However, both Sweden and Israel will be waiting for the FIBA EuroBasket 2017 champions to slip up - with the winner avoiding elimination in such a scenario.

Star to watch: Sasu Salin - Finland

GUARD
Height: 191cm / 6'3"
European Qualifiers stats: 13.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.3 steals per game ( 9 games)

Finland will not have the services of Lauri Markkanen so a lot of the scoring responsibility will fall upon veteran Sasu Salin, who is shooting nearly 44 percent from three-point range in scoring 13.3 points per game in the Qualifiers and has had an impactful start of the Basketball Champions League campaign with Iberostar Tenerife.

Top prospect: Ziga Samar - Slovenia

GUARD
Height: 198cm / 6'6"
European Qualifiers stats: 6.5 points, 3.5 assists, 2.3 rebounds per game (4 games)

If you haven't been following Hamburg Towers in Germany then you might not know what Ziga Samar has been doing since FIBA EuroBasket 2022 when he went at it day in day out against Luka Doncic in practice with the Slovenian national team. In his most recent game, the 21-year-old, ad 18 points and 6 assists against Ludwigsburg.

Here's where Group J teams are ranked in the FIBA World Rankings presented by Nike, as well as in Europe:

World rank	Country	Europe rank	Current points
7.	Slovenia	4.	703.5
11.	Germany	8.	640.6
25.	Finland	14.	425.0
33.	Israel	19.	332.7
44.	Estonia	22.	282.1
50.	Sweden	27.	234.9

Group K
9/18 games played

		GAMES				GAME POINTS					POINTS
#	Team	P	W	L	%	For	Agt	+/-	FA	AA
1	France	9	7	2	77.8	739	564	175	82.1	62.7	16
2	Lithuania	9	7	2	77.8	705	662	43	78.3	73.6	16
3	Montenegro	9	6	3	66.7	690	643	47	76.7	71.4	15
4	BIH	9	5	4	55.6	720	742	-22	80	82.4	14
5	Hungary	9	4	5	44.4	637	719	-82	70.8	79.9	13
6	Czech Republic	9	3	6	33.3	680	725	-45	75.6	80.6	12

November 14, 2022

Hungary v Czech Republic - 18:00 CET - Szombathely, Hungary 
Montenegro v Lithuania - 19:00 CET Podgorica, Montenegro
France v Bosnia and Herzegovina - 20:30 CET - Pau, France

Victor Wembanyama stole the show in Panevezys as France blew out Lithuania to overtake them at the helm of Group K, meanwhile Montenegro continued an impressive campaign by holding off Czech Republic. Bosnia and Herzegovina also kept good momentum with a win over Hungary.

Monday's games will present a chance to the two group leaders - France and Lithuania - to formalize their participation at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, but they tough tests away both: France will take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in Pau, while Lithuania will travel to Podgorica to face off against the in-form Montenegro.

Star to watch: Mindaugas Kuzminskas - Lithuania

FORWARD
Height: 206cm / 6'9"
European Qualifiers stats: 12.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assistis per game (4 games)

Lithuania are fighting for first place in their group and Kuzminskas will be key in that challenge. Not only will the team be looking to him for production but also his veteran leadership.

Top prospect: Victor Wembanyama - France

 
CENTER
Height: 221cm / 7'3"
European Qualifiers stats: 20 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal (1 game)

The world was watching as Victor Wembanyama made his France senior national team debut against Lithuania in Panevezys; and he'll step out once more against Bosnia and Herzegovina in front of a home crowd in Pau on Monday. The 18-year-old has been wowing global basketball fans with what he has done this season so far with Metropolitans 92, and Wembanyama will undoubtedly be ultra-excited to play for his county.

Here's where Group K teams are ranked in the FIBA World Rankings presented by Nike, as well as in Europe:

World rank	Country	Europe rank	Current points
5.	France	2.	712.9
8.	Lithuania	5.	673.7
12.	Czech Republic	9.	597.7
18.	Montenegro	12.	500.6
37.	Bosnia and Herzegovina	20.	326.1
40.	Hungary	21.	310.0

Group L

9/18 games played

		GAMES				GAME POINTS					POINTS
#	Team	P	W	L	%	For	Agt	+/-	FA	AA
1	Spain	7	6	1	85.7	591	498	93	84.4	71.1	13
2	Italy	7	5	2	71.4	639	609	30	91.3	87	12
3	Georgia	7	4	3	57.1	546	569	-23	78	81.3	11
4	Iceland	7	4	3	57.1	573	606	-33	81.9	86.6	11
5	Ukraine	7	2	5	28.6	585	584	1	83.6	83.4	9
6	Netherlands	7	0	7	0	504	572	-68	72	81.7	7

 

November 14, 2022

Ukraine v Iceland - 15:00 CET - Riga, Latvia
Georgia v Italy - 16:00 CET - Tbilisi, Georgia
Spain v Netherlands - 20:30 CET - Huelva, Spain

FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 and FIBA EuroBasket 2022 champions Spain put the clutch gene on display once more as they outlasted Italy in an overtime thriller on Friday to inch closer to securing a spot in the Final Round once more. Both Spain and Italy could do so on Monday if results go their way.

While Italy and Spain seem destined to finish one-two in some order, the other big talking point is if Iceland can stay ahead of Georgia in the battle for the third spot - and first World Cup appearance for either country. The Georgians came out victorious in the head-to-head battle in Reykjavik but the race is far from over with three more games left.

Star to watch: Nico Mannion - Italy

GUARD
Height: 190cm / 6'3"
European Qualifiers stats: 15.2 points, 4.2 assists, 1.8 rebounds, 1.0 steal per game (5 games)

Mannion has shown flashes of brilliance during the Qualifiers - 23 points, 7 assists and 3 rebounds vs Iceland - and other times he's been a role player. His scoring from the playmaker position will be helpful for Italy as they fight to take first place in the group.

Top prospect: Juan Nunez - Spain

GUARD
Height: 194cm / 6'4"
European Qualifiers stats: 0.0 points, 1.0 rebound, 1.0 assist per game (1 game)

Nunez has left Spain to take his game to the next level in Germany and has already left his mark with ratiopharm Ulm despite being only 18 years old. The playmaker was one of the final cuts for the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 title-winning team, and he will be ready to show what he can do with Espana on his chest with the senior national team.

Here's where Group L teams are ranked in the FIBA World Rankings presented by Nike, as well as in Europe:

World rank	Country	Europe rank	Current points
2.	Spain	1.	758.9
10.	Italy	7.	647.6
28.	Ukraine	15.	387.8
32.	Georgia	18.	337.4
46.	Netherlands	23.	276.2
49.	Iceland	26.	250.1

FIBA