Latvia was, without any doubt, the biggest surprise of EuroBasket 2001 after reaching the quarterfinals with a game based on deadly outside shooting. Two years later, the Latvians came close to putting together another upset. Despite the retirement of sharpshooter Ainars Bagatskis, the Baltic side will be, once again, a very dangerous underdog.

		Roberts Stelmahers

The image is still vivid in the minds of many basketball fans. Ankara. 2001. Lithuania, bronze medallist at the Sydney Olympics, totally outplayed by a fabulous Latvian squad hitting 14 out of 22 three-pointers. The star of the evening was Ainars Bagatskis, forgotten on the bench of Dijon in France, but unstoppable during EuroBasket. Two years later, the team of coach Armands Kraulins could no longer rely on  the element of surprise and had to deal with the injury of playmaker Raimonds Miglinieks, a key member of the 2001 run. The first game was, ironically enough, played against a Lithuanian team dreaming of revenge. In a tension packed derby, Lithuania forced overtime and after Sarunas Jasikevicius’ two free-throws, Kristaps Valters missed a potentially game winning drive. This loss seemed to demoraliye Latvia who then fell to Germany and Israel, returning home winless from Norrköping. This was a disappointing result as many observers felt the team from Riga had a bright future ahead.

With a population of just over 2,3 million, Latvia has a long basketball tradition. In fact, the country was the first European champion. That was in 1935, in Geneva. It might explain the people passion for the game as the clubs and coaches keep on producing extremely talented young players. In the youth categories (U16, U18 and U20), Latvia is a major player and this persistence at the highest level will surely translate into senior success in the long run. Today, Miglinieks is the manager of the national team while Bagatskis is the head coach of local team Barons Riga. Armands Kraulins, the coach in the last two Eurobaskets, has taken over the women’s program. A new generation now has the tough task of carrying the torch.

		Uvis Helmanis

Of course, some veterans remain and they will once again play a key role in Serbia-Montenegro. Roberts Stelmahers will be the leader of the squad. The team’s best scorer in Stockholm is coming off a great season with Lithuanian side Lietuvos rytas, winning the ULEB Cup and his ability to navigate between the point guard and shooting guard spot will be an important asset for coach Karlis Muizinieks. The same goes for power forward Ulvis Helmanis. A veteran of the German Bundesliga, Helmanis is an intriguing combination of strength and shooting touch. Along with Arnis Vecvagars, these two players are the only members of the national team over the age of 30.

In fact a lot was expected from 19 year old Andris Biedrins, coming off an interesting rookie season in the NBA, with the Golden State Warriors. The left handed center could have been the difference maker for his country. But after taking part in the Las Vegas Summer League with the Californian franchise, the 11th pick in last year’s NBA draft chose not to attend the national team training camp. A terrible blow for Latvia as his association in the paint with Kaspars Kambala sounded extremely promising, as Biedrins’ defensive presence, combined with Kambala’s offensive flair could have proven deadly for many opponents. Nonetheless, other young guns will certainly play a major role in Serbia. Armands Skele has lit up the scoreboard in the cadets and junior categories and now, aged 22, seems ready to do the same at the senior level. Spectacular guard Kristaps Valters (24) has taken a new dimension in Germany while big man Raitis Grafs (24) has chosen to go back to his homeland after spending the season in Poland. Promising forward Gatis Jahovic (20) will not be able to participate in Serbia & Montenegro after injuring his Achilles tendon while Maris Laksa (23), one of the revelations of Eurobasket 2001 is also out due to illness.

		Armands Skele

While the vast majority of the national team members are playing abroad, one club in Latvia remains an important contributor to the squad: BK Ventspils. Founded just 12 years ago, the club has won six consecutive league titles. Even more impressive, Ventspils has compiled a 163-8 record in the last five years (95.2%) and is unbeaten since November 2003 under the guidance of Karlis Muizinieks, also in charge of the national team! This success can also be felt on the European front. In 2003, Ventspils reached the FIBA Champions Cup Final Four in 2003. This year, international team members Aigars Vitols and Arnis Vecvagars led the club to the best regular season record in the ULEB Cup before falling by only one point in the quarterfinals against Hemofarm Vrsac.
Just like Ventspils, Latvia has no complex in the face of the best teams in Europe. A good point as they will have to face powerhouses Serbia and Montenegro and Spain in Group D. Their main goal will be to snag a win against the country which qualified through the additional tournament and therefore make it to the elimination round where anything can happen. Latvia showed it in 2001 and is dreaming of doing it again.