Australia has drawn the ‘group of death’ for this year’s FIBA world cup, and will have to beat at least two of Canada, Lithuania and Senegal to advance to the round of 16.
Australia, ranked 11th in the world, will be the second highest ranking team in group H after the sixth ranked Lithuania, however Canada (23rd) looms as perhaps their biggest threat if they field a team featuring NBA stars Corey Joseph, Andrew Wiggins and Tristan Thompson.
Should Australia be fortunate enough to escape the group of death they will be thrust into another unforgiving group comprised of the two best teams from groups G and H, where they would likely have to beat at least one of France and Germany to progress through to the top eight. Nevertheless, Australia will want to win both matches and avoid second place in that group as second place will almost guarantee the Boomers cop the ultimate booby-prize in the sudden-death quarter-finals – Team USA.
A first placed finish, however, will yield a tough yet more favorable encounter with the second placed team to emerge from the amalgamation of groups E and F, including Greece, Brazil, Turkey, USA and New Zealand.
Escaping both groups could prove a mammoth task for the Boomers, who are likely to be without Ben Simmons and Dante Exum due to contract negotiations and injury respectively. Australia, however, will feature their greatest lineup ever, adding Thon Maker and Jonah Bolden to the team that came agonizingly close to the Bronze medal in Rio 2016.
The draw for Australia may seem unfair – and it is! Australia has the misfortune of being the zone champions of the region that world cup hosts China are from, relegating Australia to second seed in Asia behind them. And as such, Australia are pitted against the champions of another region (Canada – champion of the Americas) earlier than they would otherwise be.
China, however, have drawn the safest group in the competition, group A, and will be favored to emerge from their group, comprised of Cote D’Ivoire, Poland and Venezuela. Their crossovers will likely be the tough, but by no means insurmountable, Russians and Argentinians from group B. If the host nation should complete a surprising dream run into the later rounds, the soonest they could face a certain death at the hands of the Americans is in the semi finals.
Our friends across the ditch in New Zealand will have their own problems, pitted against Brazil, Montenegro and the Antetokounmpo-led Greece in group F. If they should advance from that group their likely crossovers are Turkey and the USA of group E. A quarter finals match up against ‘big brother’ Australia is a possibility if New Zealand should punch above their weight. The Tall Blacks will have to hope their underdog status catches their more fancied foes unaware if they’re to make it into the round of 16 and beyond.
Australia’s world cup campaign begins on August 31st against Canada.
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