Israel U18 Basketball Faces Slovenia in European Quarterfinals Seeking Revenge

The Israel under-18 basketball team is set to face Slovenia today at 14:00 in the European Championship quarterfinals in Trento, Italy. The winner will advance to the semifinals and secure a spot in the under-19 World Championship next year in the Czech Republic. The loser will compete in placement games for 5th to 8th place, with only the fifth-place team qualifying for the World Championship.

Israel and Slovenia have a recent competitive history, having met twice in the past two years with Slovenia winning both encounters. Two years ago, Slovenia defeated Israel 84-70 in the bronze medal game at the European Championship, denying Israel a podium finish. Last year, Slovenia again beat Israel 79-55 in the World Championship quarterfinals and went on to claim third place globally.

So far in this European Championship, Israel has won all four of its games, while Slovenia suffered a group stage loss to Germany. Slovenia's roster features two standout players: guard Igor Stefanovic, averaging 16.8 points with 41.2% three-point shooting, and Stefan Joksimovic, who scores 21 points per game at 44% from beyond the arc. Slovenia ranks fourth in points per game (86.3), second in shooting percentage (46%), and third in three-point percentage (30.8%).

Israel’s coach Nadav Zilberstein described Slovenia as the toughest opponent faced so far, praising their talent, depth, shooting, and speed. He highlighted one Slovenian player as possibly the best in the tournament and a likely top-five draft pick. Zilberstein called the match a "very big challenge" but emphasized that facing high-level opponents is necessary to reach their goals.