THE 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup is just days away from kicking off, with the first game set to take place on Friday evening AEST.

The best basketball countries from around the world have qualified for the ultimate tournament, which will see some of the best action in recent years.

In a field that looks as even as ever, there are a plethora of sides that could potentially win it all in the coming weeks.

The big names appear to be ready to hit the court this year in one of the most star-studded tournaments of the modern era. The likes of Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and even Australia’s own Joshua Giddey are suiting up for their respective sides in what will be must-watch action.

Rookie Me Central‘s group preview series continues today, looking at a pair of stacked groups that have their fair share of contenders spread across the eight teams.

Group C

USA
Jordan
Greece
New Zealand

Given there is a clear favourite to advance to the second round here, the battle for the other place in the next stage looms as a three-horse race.

The United States are the heavyweight side here, ranked second in the world and as genuine a contender as there is in the tournament. They are searching for a record sixth World Cup win, currently tied with Yugoslavia for the most in tournament history.

However, in the 2019 World Cup, they were defeated in the quarter-finals by France, so they will need to bring their best throughout the entire tournament. With Steve Kerr bringing his winning pedigree to the role of head coach, and a plethora of NBA stars at their disposal, the United States should have no troubles advancing to the second round.

On the other end of the spectrum, Jordan face the most uphill of battles to make it out of the first stage. It has qualified for the World Cup for the third time in this century, and its two appearances prior were forgettable with one win and nine losses. However, all it takes is a couple of upsets to turn things around, so expect Jordan to be hungry to disrupt things.

Greece will be without its biggest name in Giannis Antetokounmpo, but still should be a prominent threat. It looked impressive during the warmup games of late, and will face a true challenge in the first round. Giannis’ brother Thanasis seems likely to take on a bigger role in the upcoming tournament, but without the ‘Greek Freak’, it is a tougher task for Greece.

New Zealand round out the group, and will be a strong chance to move on to the next phase of the tournament. Greece and New Zealand played off in a classic during the 2019 tournament, where the former claimed a thrilling win. Expect the Tall Blacks to seek out revenge here and with New Zealand basketball as strong as ever, they loom as one of the stronger performers in Group C.

Group D

Egypt
Mexico
Montenegro
Lithuania

Group D of the 2023 FIBA World Cup has Lithuania as the favourite to occupy one of the spots in the quarter finals.

After falling to a tough draw during the 2019 instalment, Lithuania will be eager to redeem itself in Manila over the coming weeks. Despite Domantas Sabonis not suiting up for the World Cup, Jonas Valanciunas will lock down the starting center spot, having produced some terrific performances at FIBA level in the past, while Ignas Brazdeikis will no doubt have an impact.

Montenegro will be looking to make the last few years of Nikola Vucevic‘s international career count, as the talented tall edges towards the end of a decorated stint. It certainly has the height as one of the taller teams in the tournament, but given the reliance on Vucevic, will be hoping some of the younger players make a statement.

Mexico is coming off a strong showing during the qualifiers, riding a wave of momentum to book a spot in the World Cup. It has pushed some of the best sides in the world (including the powerhouse that is the United States) over the past decade, and is well and truly capable of causing an upset.

Egypt appears the least likely to advance to the next stage, as the 30-year anniversary of its last FIBA World Cup victory approaches. A change in coaching (Roy Rana has taken the helm) may breathe some life into this time, but it will need to show a drastic turnaround from past performances.