Bosnia & Herzegovina league and NT

[Dirtyh]

We've had poor prep games, but I'm not worried because it was the same story before EC 2011.

And you got kicked out of tournament after first stage. I think you should be worried...

[JABroy]

I would like to ask a question to who know youth basketball in Bosnian: I was impressed by the talent of the trio Musa- Campara- Sikiras, and by the excellent game of their entire team. I have also seen the welcome that Bosnians did to the boys, with incredible fifty-thousand people in the streets of Sarajevo ...

So I became interested in this team and I look to the future: what will make this team at the World Championship Under-17 on 2016 ?

In my opinion, because they have won the European Championship, they can definitely get into the top five ... but can they win?
With these three guys (Musa- Campara- Sikiras) they have so much talent, and they have a really solid team, but winning the Championship means to beat the United States ... then can they do it?

For this, I think they should add one or two players really big and powerful (Sikiras is agile...) under the basket: so the question is this, more than 12 European Champions, there are other talents in Bosnia in the years 1999-2000, possibly center or power-forward?

The ideal player in my opinion would be a player like Jusuf Nurkić ... ok, I know, it's not easy

For example, do you think someone of the actual team could grow (physically and technically)? Vedran Mirkovic and Timur Ovcina?

Or, what do you know about these players, already seen with the National UNDER 16 Team before the European Championship?
Aleksandar Stojišic (1999 Partizan TS), Miladin Vlacic (1999 Buducnost Bijeljina), Eman Šertovic (1999 Kos Sarajevo), David Kovacevic (1999 Partizan

TS), Ivan Sabljic (1999 Široki), Semin Burko (1999 Celik Zenica) ... the last three are power forward or center.

Finally, do you know this player? he's born in 2000, he'is 206cm tall, and he plays for SPARS SARAJEVO (with Campara and Darko Bajo)...he looks like really big, he's name is PALO GALIB!!!

Do you know others?

Thanks for your attention,
JABroy

[serbianhoops]

Verdran Mirkovic and Timur Ocvina (both 6'7") are typical example of precocious puberty, (early developed, quite strong but undersized post players). Their growth spurts are likely over.

6'10 C Galib Palo is a joke of a player while his 6'9" teammate versatile PF Erwin Gutic ('00) is a far better prospect. Both are said to be still growing.

6'11" C Semin Burko has size and could develop into a decent big man.

6'10 Anes Softic ('99) who will play next for croatian side Sibenik (Darrusafaka's farm team) is the mystery man and could be the next sensation produced by Ozren Seleskovic who is known to be Mirza Begic, Alen Omic and Jusuf Nurkic's personal skills development trainer.

[serbianhoops]

Mega Leks' lefty PF Stefan Glogovac injured a knee in a friendly game against german side Bremerhaven the day before yesterday.

[BiHBasket]

Our senior national team gathered for the 2019 World cup pre-qualifers. We will play versus Sweden, Slovakia and Armenia.
Our three best centers(Nurkić, Stipanović, Kikanović) will not play. Teletović will not play, and some more important players like Gordić or Milošević also will not play. It's a young team leaded by experienced coach Duško Vujošević. I don't expect much.

Those players are on the preparations:

- PG Amar Gegić(98') 6'7'' Bayern

- PG Darko Talić(98') 6'2'' Igokea

- PG Adi Zahiragić(95') 6'2'' Spars

- SG Nikola Gajić(91') 6'5'' Igokea

- SG Edin Atić(97') 6'7'' AEK

- SG Almir Hasandić(90') 6'3'' Sloboda

- SF Džanan Musa(99') 6'9'' Cedevita

- SF Adin Vrabac(94') 6'8'' Partizan

- SF Aleksandar Lazić(96') 6'9'' Dynamic Beograd

- SF Nedžad Muratović(95') 6'7'' Sloboda

- PF Stefan Glogovac(94') 6'9'' Igokea

- PF Njegoš Sikiraš(99') 6'9'' Fuenlabrada

- C Draško Albijanić(86') 6'11'' Igokea

- C Ismet Sejfić(93') 6'10'' Pannon

- C Markus Lončar(96') 7'0'' Cedevita

- C Obrad Tomić(93') 6'10'' Kakanj


Naturalized PG Alex Renfroe is expected to join.

[JABroy]

Our senior national team gathered for the 2019 World cup pre-qualifers. We will play versus Sweden, Slovakia and Armenia.
Our three best centers(Nurkić, Stipanović, Kikanović) will not play. Teletović will not play, and some more important players like Gordić or Milošević also will not play. It's a young team leaded by experienced coach Duško Vujošević. I don't expect much.

Those players are on the preparations:

- PG Amar Gegić(98') 6'7'' Bayern

- PG Darko Talić(98') 6'2'' Igokea

- PG Adi Zahiragić(95') 6'2'' Spars

- SG Nikola Gajić(91') 6'5'' Igokea

- SG Edin Atić(97') 6'7'' AEK

- SG Almir Hasandić(90') 6'3'' Sloboda

- SF Džanan Musa(99') 6'9'' Cedevita

- SF Adin Vrabac(94') 6'8'' Partizan

- SF Aleksandar Lazić(96') 6'9'' Dynamic Beograd

- SF Nedžad Muratović(95') 6'7'' Sloboda

- PF Stefan Glogovac(94') 6'9'' Igokea

- PF Njegoš Sikiraš(99') 6'9'' Fuenlabrada

- C Draško Albijanić(86') 6'11'' Igokea

- C Ismet Sejfić(93') 6'10'' Pannon

- C Markus Lončar(96') 7'0'' Cedevita

- C Obrad Tomić(93') 6'10'' Kakanj


Naturalized PG Alex Renfroe is expected to join.

Given the great pre-qualification obtained, and consider the following:
- Nurkic and Teletovic will not play the qualifiers;
- Renfroe has perhaps closed with the national team for behavioral
- Musa is the leader of this team;
- Dusko Vujosevis is really excellent coach;

Who are the players for to improve this team in the difficult qualifiers of November?

I say: there are not great talents left out (Karadhzovic?), so we increase the experience with gordic-milosevic-stipanovic What would you do?

[BiHBasket]

SG/SF Tarik Biberovic, although he is born and raised in Bosnia and Herzegovina and doesn't have anything with Turkey decided to took turkish passport and won't play for the BiH anymore. He never lived in Turkey in his life, at one point he signed for Fenerbahce but still he regularly played for his Bosnian club SPARS Sarajevo in this season(now on loan). Bosnian basketball association said that they will not give him clearance to play for Turkey(he played for BiH U16), which means he will not be able to play for any turkish national team before he turns 21.

PF/C Haris Bratanovic(allegedly he has a done deal with Barcelona) made debute for Belgium senior national team in the qualifications for the WC 2019. He's born and raised in Belgium, part of their basketball program from the U16 team, so it's kinda normal that he plays for them, but his parents are from BiH and in past he showed interes to play for BiH. Late or non-existent action from Bosnian basketball association didn't help the case.

Both of them are considered top 2001 born prospects, we keep losing players.

[BiHBasket]

16 players called for the games vs Finland and Czech Republic:

- PG Nemanja Gordić (88', 6'4) Budućnost
- PG Amar Gegić (98', 6'7'') Partizan
- PG Adi Zahiragić (95', 6'2'') Spars
- PG Darko Talić (98', 6'2'') Igokea

- SG Džanan Musa (99', 6'9'') Brooklyn
- SG Edin Atić (97', 6'7''), Free agent
- SG Almir Hasandić (90', 6'3'') Sloboda Tuzla

- SF Milan Milošević (85', 6'8'') Lavrio
- SF Adin Vrabac (94', 6'8'') Spars

- PF Ajdin Penava (97', 6'10'') Baskonia
- PF Aleksandar Lazić (96', 6'8'') Olimpija
- PF Emir Sulejmanović (95', 6'9'') Breogan
- PF Amar Alibegović (95', 6'8'') Roma

- C Jusuf Nurkić (94', 7'0'') Portland
- C Andrija Stipanović (86', 6'10'') Cedevita
- C Elmedin Kikanović (88', 6'11'') Monaco


Today was first day of the preparations, 7 players were in the training camp for the first day, and Nurkić was one of them.

After Dusko Vujosevic temporary or permanently resigned because of health problems, Jasmin Repesa will be our coach in those two games, and after those games they will discuss will he stay on that position.

It's expected that Gordić will join the team, although at one point it looked like he will never play for the national team anymore, for his own weird reasons.

After the lost in Belgium, although home team was already eliminated at that point, our chances for the World Cup are slim.

[Picek]

It's expected that Gordić will join the team, although at one point it looked like he will never play for the national team anymore, for his own weird reasons.
.

it looks like his reason for not playing the last games was Vujošević and not his house issues.
at least looking it from perspective that he is suddenly back after coach change.

[BiHBasket]

Nice to see Džanan and Jusuf on the national team practices before the matches vs Finland and Czech Republic

[BiHBasket]

Nemanja Gordic, at this moment third best BiH player(only Jusuf and Dzanan are better) for the unexplained reasons(disagreements with the Federation) missed last two FIBA "windows".

[BiHBasket]

At this point we are pretty much eliminated from the WC 2019 race. What can I say, I'm not really disappointed, after we missed Eurobasket 2017, and after we had to play pre-qualifiers for the WC qualifications, current situation doesn't look like the worst days of our basketball. We won a game against Russia and eliminated Belgium in the first round of the qualifications, that's some success.

Our future? Eurobasket 2021 is for three years, that's a long time. And who knows will we even qualify. And it's ridiculous to make long term projections with us, you never know which player will decide to play for some other national team, or just not to play for the our national team anymore, there is always some affair around our team, man, I'm really tired of that.

Things i liked in our game in last two matches? There aren't many, but I must say both Nurkic and Musa draw so many fouls on this level. That's best what we can offer in offence, so we aren't team that's nice to watch. We shoot many free throws, but with poor percentages.

Our team can't shoot for 3, can't shoot free throws, can't shoot anything. Shooting is worst part of our game in offence. And also the fact that we were without any serious PG in our roster so Musa with his 206 cm had to play on that position which seriously constrain his scoring effectiveness. We were also without any pure PF, so we played either with two C's or with SF on that position.

In defence, we are oversized and slow. Opponents just outrun us. Slow pace game suits us better. It's hard to win games when every opponent can run better and have better outside shooters than you.

With just Gordic and some naturalised American guard it would be completely different situation and far more serious team.


Let's just say a word about 17 players list right now of the BiH national team:

PG

Gordic (30 yo)

Previous post was about him.

Gegic (20 yo)

He will maybe be a good point guard one day. Righ now he isn't.

Talic (20 yo)

Same as Gegic, probably with even less chances for succes.

Zahiragic (23 yo)

His level is Bosnian league.


SG

Musa (19 yo)

He may have long and successful career in the NBA, or maybe not and he will return to Europe sooner than expected, but as for the BiH he is already our second best player.

Atic (21 yo)

He's enough talented that in the lack of Gordic and some American he is a second best player counting just positions 1, 2 and 3, although he is a free agent for a long time and previously never had a real chance to play in AEK. His talent was never questionable, but there are concerns about his dedication. I am still a beliver, he's 6'7'' with 6'10'' wingspan, decent athlete, can do all the things on the court and finish the game with stats like: 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks.

Hasandic (28 yo)

He is the only pure shooter in this team, but plays in the Bosnian league and that's really poor level of competition and you can't seriously count on him on the high level. He was 3/3 for three against Finland, that's best you can get from him, once in a while.


SF

Vrabac (24 yo)

He is just awful. He makes me insecure with how he plays.

Lazic (22 yo)

I expected more from him. What he can contribute on the court right now isn't really much. I hope there is still a room for growth and improvement as a player for him.

Milosevic (33 yo)

Should retire.


PF

Halilovic (27 yo)

He maybe plays in the 2nd division in France but he was decent contributor for the national team in some matches. Missed this window because of injury.

Sulejmanovic (23 yo)

He will play in the ACB in this season, so let see how good truly is he. Missed this window because of injury.

Alibegovic (23 yo)

I don't even know why is he in the national team. Last season in the NCAA he had 1.6 points per game.

Penava (21 yo)

Played well in the NCAA and in this summer signed for European powerhouse Baskonia. He still didn't made his debut for the national team. Nobody can tell right now will he develop into a good player and how useful will he be for the BiH in the future.


C

Nurkic (24 yo)

Nurk was dominant both in offence and defence, although he had to deal with the lack of true PG, good shooters and some stretch four around him. He's too good for this mediocre national team.

Kikanovic (30 yo)

He played well this time, but just because opponents double -teamed Jusuf when we played with two C's and nobody really cared about Kikanovic. That's the story with him in the national team, he will score 15 when we have some bigger names in our roster, but when he is our first or second offensive option, when opponents actually care about him in defence, he will score 0.

Stipanovic (32 yo)

Should retire.



I belive that Ibrahim Durmo(21 yo, 6'8'' SF, Spars Sarajevo) should have been in the team for this „window“, it's not like he can be worst than our current SF's, and he is at least younger than them.

And let see how much will Nedim Buza(23 yo, 6'8'' SG, Oostende) play for his club in the next season after couple of serious injuries, when healthy and in form he at least can give us some outside shooting.

Nedim Djedovic(21 yo, 6'7'' SG, Araberri) was 46/137 for three in the 2nd division in Spain in the last season, he may be a option too. Remember, his older brother and Bayern Munchen player Nihad couple of years ago took German citizenship and he had to give up Bosnian citizenship in the process because you can't have both, so he lost the right to play for the BiH national team.

I actually have hopes that some guy who is anonymous right now will shine in the near future.

We should go in the full young mode for the last 4 games, although we already have really young team but unfortunately young doesn't necessary mean talented, I have serious doubts about some of our young players. It's already time to think and build a team for the Eurobasket 2021 qualifications.

[R1ou]

Well it's a shame you're out. Should have won Belgium and Czech Republic, against beatable opposition in order to have a real shot at qualifying. Next competition will be in 2021, so that will make it 6 years without a major tournament for Bosnia. You chances are very slim now, basically you need to win all remaining games and hope for Russia and Finland to win less than 2 games. Doesn't look impossible since both will miss their star players in the rest of the games and they also face each other twice, while Finland will get to travel to Bosnia and host France. Russia's schedule is easier, they got to play Bulgaria and an already qualified Czech team.

[BiHBasket]

ABA or Adriatic league 2nd division first round: Borac Cacak - SPARS Sarajevo 80 : 84(after a overtime)




This is first season for the SPARS on the higher level than Bosnian league. They are more known as a regular participants of the U18 Euroleague and because they care more about young players development than results, from the angle of Bosnian fan they are our only club worth to follow right now. It's a nice win for the debutants, Borac is a decent Serbian team with a loud home crowd, they even have a Serbia national team player for those FIBA "windows"(Ilija Djokovic).


Team SPARS:

PG Nemanja Protic, 32 yo, Serbian. Experienced player who changed a lot of clubs in his career.

PG Adi Zahiragic, 23 yo, Bosnian. Occasional BiH national team player.


SG Lovro Mazalin, 21 yo, Croatian. Once considered as NBA prospect, part of the talented Croatian 97' generation, but his development is
below expectations(that's how he ended in SPARS).

SG Slobodan Jovanovic, 21 yo, Serbian. Former Partizan player.

SG Sandi Grubelic, 22 yo, Slovenian. Former member of the U20 Slovenia national team.


SF Adin Vrabac, 24 yo, Bosnian. Regular part of the BiH national team and he is one of the worst there, but as it seems he is good enough for this ABA 2nd division level.

SF Ibrahim Durmo, 21 yo, Bosnian. Right now occasional BiH national team player(I hope regularl in the future).


PF Stefan Glogovac, 24 yo, Bosnian. Occasional BiH national team player.

PF Fahrudin Manjgafic, 21 yo, Bosnian. Part of the BiH U18 team which finished 4th on the 2015 European championship.


C Drasko Albijanic, 32 yo, Bosnian. Former BiH national team player.

C Refik Basic, 23 yo, Bosnian. He's 7'0'' with a strong built, and that's all.

C Kenan Kamenjas, 18 yo, Bosnian. Best 2000 born Bosnia and Herzegovina player.

[BiHBasket]

Our national team players in the next season of the Adriatic league:

- Gordic (Buducnost, Montenegro)

It's questionable will he ever play for the national team again, but anyway he will play in the Euroleague and for his fans that's a far more exciting competition to follow than a Adriatic league.

- Stipanovic (Cedevita, Croatia)

They are one of the favorites teams, and he should have a significance role on the center position. But he will turn 32 in December, already seems on the court exhausted and less energetic than before, there are no many high level seasons in front of him.

- Lazic (Olimpija, Slovenia)

Should have a decent role and playing time, after all he can play both forward positions, but he is just meh.

- Talic (Igokea, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

He will be their second or third PG, or maybe they will again send him on loan.

- Gegic (Partizan, Serbia)

Newcomer in the league. After a time in Bayern Munchen(and for the most of the time it was a Bayern Munchen reserve team) he signed for Partizan. As it seems from a preparation games, he will have a role in this team, but at least for now it will be something like this: 15 mpg, because of his 6'7'' size, strong body and solid athleticism they expect from him intense defence on opponent PG's, SG's or SF's, and in offence he will not be used as primary ball handler when on court, although he's a point guard(at least he was till now).

Atic (Mega, Serbia)

He just signed for them, after he was without club for months. Season is just to start, and unlike rest of the team he obviously missed the preparations. This is possibly his last chance to get his career on the right track. He is that really talented guy but with some behavior and dedication question marks. It's time to get serious, with a right attitude and a hard work, I can easily see him in the Euroleague in the future. But if he screws up with this club and this opportunity, his future professional career as a basketball player will be questionable.