Nikic out to right "impossible" of Croatia in U18 Division B

ZAGREB (FIBA U18 European Championship 2017, Division B) - Croatia are known for producing high-level talent who impact the game at the highest levels. But they also head into this summer with two of their youth national teams in Division B. Kresimir Nikic, for his part, is out to change that "impossible" status at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2017, Division B.

Croatia dropped down to Division B last year at the U18 level for the first time in history, losing to Turkey in the Classification 9-16 game and then falling to Latvia in the Classification 13-14 to seal their fate. The Croatians were relegated to Division B at the U20 level in 2015 and lost in the Third-Place Game last summer to remain in Division B this year.

"We have two generations in Division B - U18 and U20. If someone said Croatia with six NBA players have two generations in Division B, you would say how could that happen," Nikic said. "It's impossible."

The 7ft 1in (2.15m) Nikic has long been considered a highly-regarded center talent in the Croatian youth ranks. But he has been dealing with injuries the last two summers and missed out on playing at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2015 and FIBA U18 European Championship 2016. Now it's time to make his debut for Hrvatska.

"I really want to go to the national team to help them. I have missed the last two years now," said the 1999-born big man. "For me it's a real motivation because it would be my first time with the national team. Now I need to show myself."

Nikic and his Croatia teammates will face off against Belarus, Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary and Iceland in Group B of the FIBA U18 European Championship 2017, Division B in Estonia. The two top teams advance to the Quarter-Finals with the top-three finishers heading to Division A.

"We have two generations in Division B - U18 and U20. If someone said Croatia with six NBA players have two generations in Division B, you would say how could that happen. It's impossible."Kresimir NikicKresimir Nikic

Nikic, who didn't take up basketball full time until age 12 after eight years of swimming, will be happy to just get to the start of the tournament in Tallinn. He missed the U16 tournament in 2015 with a hip issue that kept him out six months from May to December 2015. Nikic returned to the court but then was forced to sit out another eight months, which kept him out of the last year's U18 tournament in December.

"I thought that I had fixed it, but it came back and I missed eight months and missed the U18 in Turkey," said Nikic, who has been playing in the Cibona Zagreb youth ranks for many years already.

The big man, who has a wingspan of 7ft 2in (2.18m), believes Croatia have a good chance to grab a top three spot in Tallinn and earn promotion back to Division A.

"We have Darko Bajo, Antonio Jordano, Toni Nakic and Luka Samanic. I think we can do something," Nikic said. "We need to go and use our strengths. I think we can go and win that championship."

That would then right Nikic's "impossible" thought of Croatia being in Division B - at least at the U18 level.

FIBA