Croatia excited by national team ... and Bogdanovic

FIBA Europe, aka Eurobasket, is still three months away, but fans in Croatia are increasingly excited by their tiny nation's chances in the all-Europe tournament, and the leadership of the team still rests squarely on the shoulders of Bojan Bogdanovic.

In its weekly video report, FIBA TV talks about the importance of the Nets swingman, calling him "heart and soul of this team" and it's "Swiss Army knife."

Indeed, the red and white are loaded, but Bogdanovic is the star. In addition to Bogie, there's Damjan Rudez, the 6'10" forward for the Pacers; Dario Saric, the 6'8" point forward whose rights are held by the Sixers; Ante Tomic, the 7'2" center for F.C. Barcelona; and Mario Hezonja, the hyper athletic 6'8" small forward who's likely to be taken in the top 10 later this month.

FIBA TV also notes Bogdanovic's accomplishments the last two summers, being voted to the first team all-Eurobasket in 2013, and finishing tied for second (with Andray Blatche) in scoring during last year's FIBA World Cup.

Expect more this summer, intones the reporter. Bogdanovic, he notes, improved his game in the NBA, where he said the competition is "ruthless." The segment on Croatia and Bogdanovic can be found a little after the halfway point of the FIBA TV report.

• FIBA World Basketball - Episode 164 (Video) - FIBA YV