After Sunday’s round of Eurobasket qualifiers, there could be four teams advancing to next year’s event in Slovenia.
Montenegro, Croatia, Ukraine and Italy are all one win away from qualification with Ukraine the only side out of that four to have dropped a game thus far.
All four teams have been expected to qualify from the beginning with Serbia, Germany, Latvia, Georgia, Poland, Finland and surprise package Czech Republic all on the right track of the qualification line also.
Both Montenegro and Italy have tough tests though if they are to qualify later on. Montenegro host bitter rivals Serbia in Podgorica with the Serbs still licking their wounds from Nikola Ivanovic’s fourth quarter, half-court buzzer-beater two weeks ago that gave Montenegro a precious win on enemy grounds.
Italy host second place Czech Republic in Trieste knowing that a win would seal their place at Eurobasket 2013, but a defeat would not only open the door for the Czechs, who would go top but it would also let third placed Turkey in as well. They play in Belarus in Group F’s other game.
Croatia have got the easiest of the four games as they play away to bottom side Cyprus in Nicosia. Ukraine host Austria in Group C’s other game.
The winning qualifiers will join hosts Slovenia, Spain, Russia, Lithuania, France, Macedonia, Greece and Great Britain in next year’s event.
Group A
Iceland vs Slovak Republic Estonia vs Israel Montenegro vs SerbiaGroup B
Luxembourg vs Germany Bulgaria vs AzerbaijanGroup C
Ukraine vs Austria Cyprus vs CroatiaGroup D
Romania vs Georgia Bosnia & Herzegovina vs NetherlandsGroup E
Poland vs Switzerland Albania vs FinlandGroup F
Belarus vs Turkey Italy vs Czech Republic
