UTRECHT, the Netherlands – The summer break is gone, and it’s time to kick off the FIBA 3×3 World Tour 2022 with the first-ever stop in the Netherlands, the Utrecht Masters, on September 24-25.
Let’s take a deeper look at all you need to know about the seventh Masters of the season, which has the unique distinction of being organized by an NGO (3x3Unites).
Where can I watch the 2022 FIBA 3×3 World Tour Masters of Utrecht?
The action will take place on September 24 and 25, and you can watch it live on the FIBA 3×3 World Tour YouTube, Facebook, Sina Weibo, and Douyin accounts.
2022 FIBA 3×3 World Tour In Utrecht, who will be competing?
Liman Huishan NE, Antwerp, Amsterdam HiPRO, Sakiai Gulbele, Vienna, Belgrade Partizan, Marijampole Mantinga, Paris, Lublin Lotto, Utrecht, IJmuiden, Constanta CSU Neptun, Ventspils, Venice FDC are seven of the top 13 teams in the world rankings.
What exactly are the pools 2022 FIBA 3×3 World Tour?
Look at the pools about FIBA 3×3 World Tour
Who are the frontrunners 2022 FIBA 3×3 World Tour?
Will Liman Huishan NE (SRB) strike gold for the sixth time? Or have the Serbs exhausted their good fortune in Challengers, where they are virtually untouchable after winning 25 straight games?
Seriously, that’s not a typo; they’ve won five straight Challengers but have been plagued by heartbreak in Masters, where they have yet to win this season.
With nemesis Ub (SRB) out from the draw, the World Tour incumbent champions should enjoy their chances, aided by a red-hot Miroslav Pasajlic in top form.
With No.2 seed Antwerp (BEL) likely missing star Thibaut Vervoort, the Belgians have that sweet taste of World Tour triumph after their heroics in Debrecen, and you know they’ll make a deep run.
We might as well pencil them in for the semi-finals because Amsterdam HiPRO (NED) has reached the last four in all three Masters tournaments this season. But the Dutch haven’t made any progress, though perhaps playing in front of a sea of orange would help them break their curse.
On Day One, improved teams Sakiai Gulbele (LTU) and Vienna (AUT) face battle in a Pool D thriller. These are two in-form teams that had Challenger crowns this season, but they seek the major prize of a Masters title.
Both sides are armed and ready to light a fuse beneath the futuristic venue of the historic city of Utrecht.
Who are the most talented players 2022 FIBA 3×3 World Tour?
What did you get from Liman? We could name all four of them, but let’s limit ourselves to two. Mihailo Vasic already has more gold than Fort Knox after winning the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup 2022, and he’s poised to dominate the World Tour once more.
While Pasajlic deserves some recognition, we can’t forget about sniper Stefan Kojic, who seems like he’s going to burst with one of his famous heat checks, and Aleksandar Ratkov, who collected Challenger MVP honors like Panini cards.
With Vervoort aka ‘Must See TV’ on hold for the time being (unless he’s added to the roster at the last minute at the technical meeting on Friday night), sidekick Nick Celis gets his chance for some more screen time, and he can certainly play the lead part when needed. And it won’t be all on his shoulders, with Caspar Augustijnen capable of taking over with his Inspector Gadget arms seemingly capable of dunks from all angles.
Walking buckets Dimeo van der Horst and Arvin Slagter made it rain in Europe Cup 2022 to be the joint top scorers and lead the Netherlands to a bronze medal, making Amsterdam one of the favorites.
If they keep up their double act, Utrecht might hold the greatest party in the Netherlands.
When it comes to duos, we can’t forget Sakiai’s Aurelijus Pukelis and Marijus Uzupis, who have combined for roughly 12ppg on the World Tour this season.
To beat Vienna and their one-two punch of Stefan Stojacic and Filip Kramer, they may have to outperform that lofty average. If Stojacic’s deft maneuvers and long-range bombs don’t grab you, Kramer’s explosiveness will almost certainly do the trick.
Ivan Popovic and Marko Stevanovic are driving Belgrade’s resurgence, while Evaldas Dziaugys may only be 25, but he’s already a certified bucket for Marijampole Mantinga (LTU).
It’s exciting to see new faces on the World Tour, and we’ve got a couple of thrill machines ready to take Utrecht by storm.
Join the bandwagon because it’s about to fill up after Paul Djoko of Paris (FRA) starts shocking defenders with his amazing handles and tremendous vertical.
While you may have seen Worthy de Jong perform in FIBA EuroBasket 2022, this Dutchman feels completely at home on the half-court, where he is more than deserving.
He might well encourage Utrecht’s hometown heroes to go on a giant-killing spree.
