Slovenian Youth NTs

[elaj]

U18 NT candidats:

Anže Pelc (Alpos Šentjur)
Brane Lekič (Elektra Esotech)
Uroš Zadnik (Geoplin Slovan)
Mitja Nikolič-Smrdelj (Geoplin Slovan)
Luka Snoj (Janče)
Nejc Koračin (Krka)
Maj Kovačevič (Krka)
Sandi Skrbinšek (Mario Primorac)
Jure Pelko (Mario Primorac)
Marko Vranjkovič (Mario Primorac)
Jan Petrovčič (Nova Gorica)
Dino Murič (Parklji Bežigrad)
Mirza Sarajlija (Union Olimpija)
Nejc Buda (Union Olimpija)
Jaka Zagorc (Union Olimpija)
Luka Dimec (Zlatorog Laško)

Coach: Rade Mijanovič

Why the hell he didn't include Sirnik (injury?)? He's probably better shoter than half of those guys.

[elaj]

Coach Rade Mijanovič decided to take the following U18 NT roster:

Uros Zadnik (190cm, 1990, PG) – Geoplin Slovan Ljubljana
Nejc Koračin (190cm, 1990, PG/SG) - Krka
Matic Sirnik (199cm, 1991, SF) – Union Olimpija Ljubljana
Anze Pelc (190cm, 1990, PG) – Alpos Sentjur
Dino Murič (199cm, 1990, PF/SF) – Parklji Bezigrad
Luka Snoj (200cm, 1990, SF) – Jance Ljubljana
Mitja Nikolič-Smrdelj (199cm, 1991, SF/PF) – Geoplin Slovan Ljubljana
Marko Vranjkovič (204cm, 1990, PF/C) – Maribor Primorac
Brane Lekič (206cm, 1990, C) – Elektra Esotech
Sandi Skrbinšek (205cm, 1990, C) – KŠ Mario Primorac
Luka Dimec (204cm, 1990, PF/C) – Zlatorog Laško
Mirza Sarajlija (183cm, 1991, PG/SG) – Union Olimpija Ljubljana

This team played the following friendly games before the EC:

Tournament in London:

Slovenia - Richmond College 80:56 (17:9, 22:8, 11:24, 30:15)
Slovenia: Sarajlija 10 (2:2), Vranjkovič 6 (2:2), D. Murič 14 (9:12), Zadnik 10 (0:2), Snoj 9 (4:4), Pelc 4, Pelko. Sirnik 5 (0:2), Dimec 6 (2:4), Nikolič Smrdelj 11, Skrbinšek.

Slovenia - Unicaja Malaga 95:65 (23:23, 25:10, 23:9, 24:23)
Slovenia: Sarajlija 20 (5:5), Vranjkovič 17 (4:5), D. Murič 11 (6:6), Zadnik 9 (1:2), Snoj 4, Pelko 4, Sirnik 8, Dimec 10, Nikolič Smrdelj 12 (1:1), Koračin, Skrbinšek.

Slovenia – Poland 71:89 (21:15, 13:26, 21:22, 16:26)
Slovenio: Sarajlija 16, Vranjkovič 5 (1:2), D. Murič 13 (6:8), Zadnik 7, Snoj 3 (1:1), Pelko 4 (1:2), Sirnik 9, Dimec 9 (1:4), Nikolič Smrdelj 4 (2:2), Koračin, Skrbinšek.

Slovenia - Unicaja Malaga 70:63 (14:4, 21:17, 12.14, 23:28)
Slovenia: Sarajlija 3, Vranjkovič 7 (1:2), D. Murič 14 (6:7), Zadnik 14 (7:8), Snoj 7 (1:1), Sirnik, Dimec 9 (1:2), Nikolič Smrdelj 7, Koračin, Skrbinšek, Pelc.

Preparation in Hungary:

Hungary - Slovenia 68:101 (11:29, 21:22, 21:29, 15:21)
Slovenia: Koračin 0, Sirnik 12, Pelc 16, D. Murič 13, Snoj 0, Nikolič Smrdelj 23, Vranjkovič 14, Lekič 4, Skrbinšek 0, Dimec 6, Sarajlija 13.

Hungary - Slovenia 66:98 (13:24, 15:24, 23:24, 15:26)
Slovenia: Zadnik 5, Koračin 0, Sirnik 15, Pelc 9, D. Murič 15, Snoj 2, Nikolič Smrdelj 3, Vranjkovič 19, Lekič 5, Skrbinšek 0, Dimec 9, Sarajlija 16.

Tournament in Slovenia:

Slovenia - Austria 66:47 (16:13, 19:11, 11:11, 20:12)
Slovenia: Zadnik 8, Koračin, Sirnik, Pelc, D. Murič 16, Snoj 6, Nikolič Smrdelj 4, Vranjkovič 12, Lekič 9, Skrbinšek, Dimec 4, Sarajlija 7.

Slovenia - Latvia 66:62 (19:11, 19:10, 13:17, 15:24)
Slovenia: Zadnik 10, Koračin 2, Sirnik 2, Pelc 2, D. Murič 10, Snoj 3, Nikolič Smrdelj 5, Vranjkovič 12, Lekič 4, Skrbinšek, Dimec 12, Sarajlija 6.

Slovenia - Turkey 73:76 (17:15, 24:24, 13:12, 19:25)
Slovenia: Zadnik 2, Koračin, Sirnik, Pelc 3, D. Murič 12, Snoj 2, Nikolič Smrdelj, Vranjkovič 14, Lekič 12, Skbinšek, Dimec 5, Sarajlija 22.

There was an incident which happened during last minute of Slovenia – Turkey game, few players responded on Turkish provocations and started a mass fight which ended in a way that Turkish players decided to leave the court.

I hope we get back to A division. This NT has potential.

[elaj]

EC U18 Division B:

Slovenia - Sweden 85:63
Slovenia: Sarajlija 17pts+2rbs+3ast, Zadnik 5pts+5ast+1rbs+6TO, Pelc 5pts+2rbs+1ast, D. Murič 17pts+4rbs+3ast, Snoj 8pts+3rbs, Nikolič-Smrdelj 6pts+1rbs+2stl, Vranjkovič 11pts+9rbs+3blk, Dimec 6pts+4rbs+2ast, Sirnik 10pts+3rbs
Sweden: Person 8pts, Ronnquist 3pts, Czerapowicz 10pts+4rbs, Persson 4pts, Sjostrom 5pts+2rbs, Zeghden 11pts, Lindell 6pts, Lindqvist 6pts+5TO+5stl, Sellin 10pts+3rbs

As I expected, we trashed Sweden in our first game.

Sarajlija with a bad shooting touch - 4/9 for 2, 3/9 for 3.

[elaj]

EC U18 Division B:

Switzerland - Slovenia 56:86
Switzerland: Kazadi 5pts+3rbs, Savoy 4pts, Fridel 4pts, Petković 9pts, Lechtman 4pts, Bovet 5pts, Remsier 15pts, Kimonawoko 5pts
Slovenia: Zadnik 9pts+6ast+2stl, Sarajlija 19pts+2rbs+2ast, Pelc 1pts, Murič 11pts+4rbs+3ast, Snoj 5pts, Nikolič-Smrdelj 4pts+4ast+2rbs, Vranjkovič 10pts+5rbs+3ast, Lekič 2pts+5rbs, Dimec 14pts+5rbs, Sirnik 11pts+5rbs+1ast+2stl

Sarajlija with 19pts (5/6 for 3) in 17 minutes... This team could easily play in A division...

[elaj]

EC U18 Division B:

Slovenia - Ireland 94:42
Slovenia: Sarajlija 14pts+2rbs+3ast, Koračin 6pts+5rbs, Pelc 5pts+6rbs, Murič 13pts+2rbs+2ast, Snoj 13pts+7rbs, Nikolič-Smrdelj 7pts+8rbs, Vranjkovič 14pts+4rbs, Lekič 2pts+2rbs, Skrbinšek 2pts, Dimec 15pts+6rbs+3ast, Sirnik 2pts
Ireland: D. James 9pts, Fagan 6pts, Burns 2pts, C. James 12pts, Tummon 6pts, C. O'Sullivan 2pts, Hagan 3pts, D. O'Sullivan 2pts

What's the point? If coach would wanted, he'd play our best guys for 30 minutes each and they'd probably make +80 difference... Sarajlija played 14min, Murič 18min, Vranjkovič 20min, Dimec 22min..etc.

Sarajlija 4/5 for 3 in 14min.

[Joško Poljak Fan]

B division isn't really some scale for evaluation obviously, but Sarajlija is obviously playing amazing there. being 1 year younger, averaging 16.7 ppg, 2 rpg and 2.7 apg in just 19 minutes... nice...

too bad that the previous generation fall down to B division and made the whole thing that tougher fo these kids. They probably wouldn't be a medal contenders in A division, but definately they wouldn't fight in relegation.

I dare saying that if 91 generation finds a decent tall guy that can play with Sirnik, Smrdelj and Sarajlija in charge this team could fight for high places next year (if we get to A division in the first place, of course)

[elaj]

EC U18 Division B:

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Slovenia 87:63
BiH: Gak 8pts+2rbs+3ast, Halilović 14pts+5rbs, Čamdžić 3pts+1rbs, Majstorić 38pts+2rbs+3ast, Damjanović 8pts+7rbs, Mustapić 15pts+4rbs, Klinac 1pts+1rbs
Slovenia: Sarajlija 15pts+2rbs+1ast, Murič 17pts+7rbs+3ast, Snoj 2pts+3rbs, Nikolič-Smrdelj 2pts+1rbs+3ast, Vranjkovič 10pts+5rbs+2ast, Lekič 8pts+3rbs, Dimec 9pts

Interesting. We lost to BiH which lost to Switzerland and Sweden which we won them more than easily. They even played without their main weapon Dino Hodžić. Anyway, nothing to worry about, this loss means nothing. Guys probably underastimated the opponet due their previous results, nothing new for such inexperieced players. Maybe this loss is for the best, better now than on other day.

Majstorić had an amazing game, 10/13 for 2, 3/7 for 3, 9/10 for 1

[elaj]

EC U18 Division B:

Austria - Slovenia 74:80
Austria: Seilem 17pts, Schaaf 11pts, Klepeisz 4pts, Lanegger 17pts+8rbs, Mahalbašić 12pts+7rbs, Vieider 3pts, Gunka 4pts, Csar 2pts, Schranz 4pts
Slovenia: Zadnik 4pts+5ast, Sarajlija 18pts+4rbs+4ast+6TO+2stl, Pelc 5pts, Murič 13pts+5rbs, Snoj 2pts, Vranjkovič 13pts+7rbs, Lekič 4pts, Dimec 16pts, Sirnik 3pts

With this win we qualified for semi-finals.

[elaj]

EC U18 Division B:

Slovenia - Czech Republic 78:77
Slovenia: Zadnik 8pts+6rbs+3ast+3stl+6TO, Sarajlija 7pts+3rbs+4ast+3TO+1blk, Pelc 13pts+3rbs+5TO, Murič 16pts+9rbs+5ast+1blk+1stl, Snoj 8pts, Vranjkovič 10pts+5rbs+2TO+1blk, Lekič 8pts, Dimec 5pts, Sirnik 3pts
Czech Republic: Kysela 14pts, Santoransk 14pts+11rbs+4ast+6TO, Kudlacek 16pts+6ast, Krakovic 4pts, Zampach 3pts, Gniadek 9pts, Vesely 13pts+10rbs+2stl+3blk

Tight win after one overtime. Despite bad overall performance (stat wise) by Sarajlija, he scored the last layup for the win 7 seconds to go. Next, cruical game, semis.

U20 NT also starts today with their EC. Roster is announced here.

[elaj]

EC U20 Division A:

Slovenia - France 46:91

As expected... we are going down to B this year...

Serbia - Slovenia 90:78

Russia - Slovenia 77:69

[elaj]

EC U18 Division B:

Semifinals:
Slovenia - Slovakia 81:53

With this win we are back in A division.

Finals:
Slovenia - Czech Republic 68:60

Yey. As expected.

[elaj]

EC U20 Division A:

Classification Round:
Greece - Slovenia 70:77

Wow, we won a game.

[elaj]

EC U20 Division A:

Classification Round:
Slovenia - Georgia 91:82 after OT

Hats off to coach Alilović and his team for staying in division A. I didn't expect that.

[Joško Poljak Fan]

thank god. i was afraid that just now when our U18 team qualified back to A division, our U20 team would spoil it off and get relegated

Our youth basketball seems to be going downwards though, since qualifications for reegation were ussualy not the option there... quite the oposite, even the lamest generations ussualy managed to sneak through the first stage somehow.. and now... nothing from that.
For this U20 generation Dragič, Muha (i mean... he is able to score more in Slovenian first division than at U20?!?), Bilič, Vujasinovič and maybee Virk and Trampuš = half of the team being 89' born can give us some hope about the next year's championship.

Now we can hope about our U16 NT qualifying back to A division and after that, even if they succed our basketball federation should still think about it once more about how come this is happening to us...

[elaj]

thank god. i was afraid that just now when our U18 team qualified back to A division, our U20 team would spoil it off and get relegated

Well, they can still drop to B, if we lose to Bulgaria by -24 and Greece beats Georgia. But I don't see that happening.

As for our U20 NT... I see not special talent, average or below average youngsters... I hope I'm wrong and there will be some "late bloomer".

Now we can hope about our U16 NT qualifying back to A division and after that, even if they succed our basketball federation should still think about it once more about how come this is happening to us...

"Bad generations" always happen when you have a country with population of only 2 million.