SRB - Being ready mentally and physically

BELGRADE (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - There is a mixture of caution and bravado for Serbia ahead of the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

A country that has produced some of Europe's top players and coaches over the years saw its national team nearly hit the heights under coach Dusan Ivkovic in 2009 and 2010, but fall short of expectations since.

Ivkovic had the youngest team at EuroBasket 2009 in Poland yet engineered a surprising run to the Final and the following year in Istanbul, Serbia were within seconds of making it to the title game to face the United States but lost in overtime to 2010 FIBA World Championship hosts Turkey.

The team then fell to Lithuania in the battle for third place.

The three years since have seen Serbia falter late in competitions.

Most recently, Serbia came in first in the EuroBasket 2013 'Group of Death' ahead of Lithuania, Latvia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MKD) but then narrowly qualified for the FIBA Basketball World Cup, winning a seventh-place game against Italy to do so.

Former Yugoslavia point guard Aleksander Djordjevic has taken over as Serbia coach and will lead the team in Group A of the World Cup against Spain, France, Brazil, Iran and Egypt.

Calling Spain the title favorites ahead of the United States when he gave his reaction immediately after the draw to FIBA, Djordjevic shared more thoughts with the media back home.

"We've stopped being dominant over other teams when it comes to physical fitness," he said.

"A large part of the work we have to focus on is in this area and to be as physically strong as ever.

"That is why we have no results (wins), players have the talent and technique, but it does not mean much without physical education."

Djordjevic stressed the need for the Serbians to have the right mindset when it faces teams like Spain and France.

In their most disappointing performance at the EuroBasket, Spain beat them in the Quarter-Finals, 90-60.

"You should always go for the win," Djordjevic said. "It's only right that all the players have this philosophy."

One team Djordjevic is wary of is Iran, a team that has grown in stature the past several years due in large part to the excellent coaching.

Slovenian Memi Becirovic is the boss of the Iranian national side now, with the previous two men to hold the reins, Rajko Toroman and Veselin Matic, also hailing from the Yugoslavian school of coaching.

"Iran is a great team," Djordjevic warned, "seven or eight years together and it will have a few months to prepare for the World Cup."

Dejan Bodiroga, the MVP of the 1998 FIBA World Championship after leading Yugoslavia to the top of the podium and also a member of the 2002 world-title winning side, is Serbia Basketball Federation vice president.

"We have a very difficult group, with the two strongest European national teams, the official champions (EuroBasket winners France) and hosts of the World Cup (Spain)," he said.

"Brazil have traditionally been strong, and we certainly should not underestimate Iran or Egypt - especially the Iranians who have won three (of their last four FIBA) Asian Championships.

"But we have a quality team. If are complete and are ready to play with each rival, we want to fight for the best possible result at the World Cup."

FIBA