Serbia is U19 World Champ after kicking US team’s asses
Posted by Ricky - Sixers4guidos on July 23, 2007
(Small break from Sixers related topics)
Serbia is new Under 19 basketball world champ, having defeated US team in the final game of the World Championship played in Novi Sad (Serbia).
Serbian guys won the final 74-69, with Mladen Jeremic scoring 24 points and Milan Macvan 19 (+ 10 rebounds).
For the US team the best scorer was Deon Thompson with 16 while Patrick Beverley had 15 points + 8 rebounds.
Milan Macvan was named MVP of the championship.
Take a look at the roster of the new champs: there is also a 2.21 m (7’4) 19 y/o center…
This might be no big news for many of you guys but I hope that real knowledgeable hoops fans care: it basically means that a new generation of serbian players is going to come soon and hopefully some of these guys make it to the NBA. So you better start to get used to their names quickly (Billy King please take note !).
Last time it happened, it was 1987, but it was Jugoslavija (still one country, with Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia etc united). That 1987 team, who won the gold medal in the Under 19 World Championship played in Bormio (Italy), included guys such as Toni Kukoc, Vlade Divac, Dino Radja etc etc
In a famous game vs US junior team, my boy Kukoc scored 37 points going 11/12 from 3 pt land (it’s not a typo, eleven-out-of-twelve three pointers…).
I hope that Sixers take a serbian player soon and/or that in the next drafts we can pick someone better than notorius (bosnian) bust Edin Bavcic…
Serbian B 92 site has a nice coverage of the event, if you can read serbian you will find many news starting from here.
Napred Srbija !!!
(Back to Sixers related topics soon)
Sixers 4 guidos 
kalle said
ho visto la partita.
U.S. pietosi e serbi così così che colpiscono dalla distanza (muliebre).
ragazzi di casa emozionatissimi a giocare davanti a un muro di gente.
fenomeni o fisiconi niente (si parla di eccellenza, ovvio), ma si sa quanto ne capisco di basket.
(anche se 4 anni fa alle finali juniores ho visto gallinari e annunciato: questo va nella nba)
Ricky - Sixers4guidos said
thanks for the contribution Kalle
translation for non guido readrs:
“I watched the tv. US were awful and serbians so-and-so but they were hitting their three pointers – S4G NOTE: SOUNDS FAMILIAR ? LOL. Hosts were really excited to play in front of a big crowd.
No freaks or big bball bodies out there (I’m talking about top level guys of course) but you know how much I am knowledgeable…
(even if four years ago I saw Gallinari at the Junior Finals and I predicted: this guy will make it to the NBA)”
S4G NOTE : 18 y/o Gallinari is Italy’s best prospect and is expected to cross the Ocean soon to reach Bargnani and Belinelli in the NBA
stopmikelupica said
Fascinating info on the Euro circuit. I agree, I think you will see some more Serbians in the NBA real soon….
kalle said
in the same tournament i saw the match italy (datome – atletic forward with some celing – and nothing else) vs hellas.
in the greek team there is a stud, a point guard like nicos galis, not an athlete (but not just like nicos “de vito” i should say), but raw talent an incredible feeling for scoring.
the fact is that i don’t remember the name.
nba prospect? sure
Ricky - Sixers4guidos said
thanks both
Nikos “Nick” Galis: greatest greek bball player of all time, a living legend, played during the 80’s, a 5.11 PG with unbelievable driving and scoring skills. Imagine a white Iverson or Tony Parker. Led Greece to its first European Chapionship in 1987, with a scoring average of 37 PPG in the tournament (!)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Galis
Luigi Datome: SG/SF of Montepaschi Siena, another italian good prosect. Not NBA ready like Gallinari, though
SML:
serbian players in the NBA are currently Stojakovic, Krstic, Pavlovic, Milicic, Radmanovic, Ilic (NJ Nets)+ the often injuried Cabarkapa. This summer GSW signed center Kosta Perovic from Partizan Belgrade lifting the total number to 9. Not bad
Kalle: essei Biscardi… denghiu
Venom said
Neither of the Serbian guys is an NBA prospect. Macvan is very skillful in the paint, good outside shot, but he’s short and not athletic nor strong enough — he was rejected way too many times in the paint. He is big for his height, but more like fat than strong :).
Jeremic maybe, but then again, I don’t know of a lot of Serbian guards that made it in the NBA. He was definitely the most polished guard in the whole tournament and a great shooter, but he’s a ball hog.
I think they’re both very promising European players, which is not a bad thing at all, and I hope they never go overseas. Jeremic more than Macvan, but of course that’s just my opinion. A lot can happen in 3-4 years.
The 7-3 guy is a stiff.
Ricky - Sixers4guidos said
thanks for clarifying Venom, very nice breakdown
to all readers: Venom is a serbian guy, fellow poster on the B 92 forum. I think he knows better than everybody, myself included of course, what he’s talking about
I just hope he’s not right this time 🙂
Venom said
Oh, no, no. I don’t watch basketball that much anymore, and even if I did I wouldn’t know much about these guys. What I know is from watching the tournament sporadically, and I guess I should have said it’s just my opinion.
One other thing is that I’m really not used to watching U-something competitions… maybe they’re really great for their age.