In spite of a lengthy list of NBA absentees, a slot in the ‘Group of Death',no captain fantastic and Rakocevic opting out, Serbia have enough in their locker to survive. With a core of European high fliers and an experienced coach driving them, they are slowly but surely heading in the right direction again. Passing the Group stages would signal success.

Head Coach Dusan Ivkovic

Still haunted by their dismal performance on home soil in 2005 and a similarly disappointing display in EuroBasket 2007 that cost them any chance of an Olympic berth, Serbia are slowly emerging from their crisis and showing the green shoots of a recovery.

While unlikely to ever seriously threaten a repeat of the golden era from those halcyon days of the distant past, could the feel good factor finally be back for this National Team?

In the capable hands of a highly decorated play-caller such as Dusan Ivkovic, the craving for a return to past glories does at least have a chance of being partially fulfilled.

The masterplan may have the 2012 Olympic Games in London as its destination in the proposed four year reign of Ivkovic, but Eurobasket 2009 is an important first major landmark for this young team.

Milenko Tepic

Indeed youth has been a real feature in recent times with the last EuroBasket failure in 2007 particularly tough without several major stars and a team whose average age was just 23.

During an impressive qualifying campaign last summer, the average age had barely been raised and this new chapter in Serbian basketball was still very much based around those players who won gold with their country at various youth levels.

This time when Serbia walk out onto the court during the tournament there is hope there might be a better mix of youth and experience in place with Ivkovic having made a big effort to draft in some much needed maturity with the likes of Rakocevic and Avdalovic.

However neither players took the bait and decided to commit, leaving the average age of Serbia worryingly low yet again - although many players are now going to experience their second EuroBasket. Missing players is the one thing that Ivkovic can not control and something which has been a constant thorn in the side of Serbia in recent tournaments is the fact that once again, key players will be absent.

Novica Velickovic

It is a backhanded compliment that even without stellar names such as NBA absentees Stojakovic, Radmanovic, Milicic, Jaric, Pavlovic and also influential captain Vujanic and Rakocevic, Serbia could still be a threat in this tournament although much will depend on the mentality and whether the glass is viewed as half empty or half full by those involved.

The real issue for Ivkovic and his players is that they have been drawn in the toughest pool and one nicknamed the ‘Group of Death.' While reigning World Champions Spain will be expected to progress, there seems little to choose between perennial challengers Slovenia and Great Britain.

With this in mind, it is difficult to accurately find exactly where the ambitions of Serbia should lie. Their rich tradition still appears to hang heavy around their neck while also raising unrealistic expectations.

On the other hand, with players like Velickovic, the man who will lead the Real Madrid revolution under Ettore Messina and the likes of Perovic back onto the roster alongside Krstic and with players such as Tepic and Tripkovic full of confidence after big summer moves from Belgrade to Athens, Serbia do have big weapons capable of winning games. However simply getting out of the group would be an achievement.

The road to the next Olympics is a long one and time will tell whether this EuroBasket tournament proves to be something that steers Serbia in the right direction and gives them some much needed momentum in their quest to reach London or alternatively, results in the wheels coming off again.