SLO - Interview with coach Ales Pipan [video]

MADRID (FIBA Europe Championship) - Slovenia coach Ales Pipan watched his team beat Italy at the death, destroy Poland and then come from behind to stun France. The successes meant that Slovenia, not the French or Italians, topped Group D in Granada. He is keeping his feet on the ground, though, because two years ago in Serbia & Montenegro the Slovenians stormed into the quarter-finals after four consecutive victories, only to lose to Dirk Nowitzki and Germany. Pipan is especially happy, however, that a new-look Slovenia has won games without key players like Bostjan Nachbar, Primoz Brezec, Sani Becirovic, Beno Udrih and Marko Milic, with all five unavailable this sumer. He spoke to Jeff Taylor before their game against Turkey.