Bogdan Tanjevic

Biggest EuroBasket Success

Turkey’s silver medal in EuroBasket 2001, which they hosted, was one to remember. Add to that the fact that the games themselves were thrillers and played in front of frantic home crowds provided the recipe for a truly special basketball memory. Turkey opened with a very narrow win over Latvia and then lost to Slovenia by 12. In the last game of the group Turkey faced Spain. A loss meant last place in the group but an improbable win in which Turkey squandered a 15-point lead only to slip through with a victory and first place in their group. Turkey then won two thrilling overtime games, beating Croatia after trailing by as many as 18 and upsetting Germany after a game-tying three pointer from Hidayet Türkoğlu. Turkey played its best game in the final but lost, though they were already the champions in the eyes of the nation.

Biggest EuroBasket Disaster

EuroBasket 2005 in Belgrade was a disgrace, the results speaking for themselves. Turkey lost to Lithuania and Croatia in the group and then to Germany in the elimination round. All three games were over before the fourth quarter even started. Their only win in 2005 came in overtime against Bulgaria. But little we knew that the disastrous on court performance was only a flicker compared to the inferno to follow off the court. The blame game started and spread like wildfire with players blaming each other and management. The results of the games were front page headlines but the fracas that followed occupied people’s attention for a lot longer.

Best Individual Performance/Best Player of All-Time

With all due respect to its former stars, Turkish basketball has only gained first class status in Europe since 1993, so it is fitting that a player from the “new generation” should hold the honour of the best player of all time.  No matter the circumstances İbrahim Kutluay was always there to give it his all for the National Team. He saw the emergence of Turkish basketball in ‘93,’95 and ’97 and was there when the team had an injection of youth in 1999. He was there for the silver medal in 2001 and the collapse in 2005. He was there when Turkey licked their wounds and rose from the ashes at the 2006 World Championships in Japan and all that time he was a leader. He always scored and found a way to inspire himself and others. Kutluay always worked hard and sacrificed from himself for the good of the team.  When the team needed a big shot, he was always there to take it and more often than not he made them.

Scouting Report
Turkey is a team of shooters and generally does its offensive damage from the perimeter, but the real machine that keeps this team going is effort and defense. The inner strength far outweighs the talent level of the team and of course the inner demons can far outclass the personal abilities as well. When emotions are high and the Turkish players are not over-thinking things and just let the game flow anything is possible, as evidenced at the World Championships in Japan where the team that lacked Okur, Türkoğlu and Tunçeri, but still finished sixth.  When Turkey gives all-out effort, they play with an extremely high level of intensity that not many teams can claim to reach. However, the experience of EuroBasket 2005 and the 2006 World Championships should have showed the Turkish team what it ultimately takes to succeed and maybe follow in the footsteps of neighbours Greece or World Champions Spain, two teams that combine effort with wits. Having Mehmet Okur, Serkan Erdoğan, Kaya Peker, Ender Arslan and Kerem Tunçeri playing a major role in competitive leagues should enhance their professionalism and hopefully make it easier for coach Bogdan Tanjevic to combine the effort and skill with his team’s newfound basketball IQ.

Prediction

Predicting what Turkey will do is like trying to guess the next card in a blackjack table because you can never know which Turkey will show up. This time around, after their unification in Japan, everyone has a positive feel for the team and the ‘good’ Turkey will likely show up in Spain. Therefore for the first time since their silver medal in 2001, Turkey will finish in the last eight, with the goal of advancing to the Olympic Qualifiying Tournament.  A podium finish seems a long shot but not impossible. With Spain and Greece in a class of their own, Turkey could finish anywhere between third and eight.

Likely Squad

Kerem Tunçeri and Ender Arslan are locks for the point guard spot but a point man will be chosen and it looks like Engin Atsür has the best shot at the moment. The wings should be occupied by Serkan Erdoğan, Ersan İlyasova and İbrahim Kutluay. Hidayet Türkoğlu is still in limbo and if he shows up he ‘might’ make it but that is far from a certainty. Despite a bad year, Cenk Akyol will probably make it if Türkoğlu is omitted. For the inside players Mehmet Okur is back along with Kerem Gönlüm and Kaya Peker who should also be included. The last two inside players will probably be Semih Erden, who had a great second half to his season, and Ermal Kurtoğlu.

Last 10 FIBA Events

2006 - World Championship, Saitama 6th
2005 - EuroBasket, Belgrade Tied for 9th
2004 - Olympics, Athens Did not qualify
2003 - EuroBasket, Stockholm Tied for 9th
2002 - World Championship, Indianapolis 9th
2001 - EuroBasket, Istanbul Silver Medal
2000 - Olympics, Sydney Did not qualify
1999 - EuroBasket, Paris 8th
1998 - World Championship, Athens Did not qualify
1997 - EuroBasket, Barcelona 8th