By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The 2022 EuroBasket Power Rankings released by FIBA immediately confirm the deep field contending for medals.
Defending champion Slovenia tops the list. “The reigning European champions to repeat? There are 77 reasons why that is a claim to get behind. Luka Doncic is elite and the ‘supporting cast’ more than proved their value last summer in the Olympics journey,” as noted by FIBA.BASKETBALL.
Sitting second, France. “There has been plenty of talk about creating a dynasty, and EuroBasket provides the perfect platform for the first step of that plan. The talent pool goes deep, even with some notable absentees, and the onus will be on close friends Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier in leading Les Bleus to what they hope will be a first title together having made their tournament bows after the 2013 triumph.”
A pattern forms in third-placed Greece. “Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo. Four brothers, one Greek Freak and a place amongst the top three in the initial rankings. A lot of expectation rests on the shoulders of Giannis, but this is a squad that will have high hopes of ending a long wait to return to the podium at EuroBasket. They will be the team to beat in Group C, and it will be interesting to see how the draw shapes up for them beyond the first phase.”
Volume 1 of the Power Rankings:
1. Slovenia
2. France
3. Greece
4. Serbia
5. Lithuania
6. Spain
7. Turkey
8. Italy
9. Germany
10. Czech Republic
11. Croatia
12. Finland
13. Israel
14. Georgia
15. Poland
16. Bosnia-Herzegovina
17. Montenegro
18. Belgium
19. Ukraine
20. Great Britain
21. Hungary
22. Bulgaria
23. Estonia
24. Netherlands
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL