Emerging San Juan out to continue strong form at FIBA 3x3 Clermont-Ferrand Challenger 2023

CLERMONT-FERRAND (France) - Buckle up because talented youngsters San Juan (PUR) are aiming to continue their red-hot form at the FIBA 3x3 Clermont-Ferrand Challenger 2023 on June 10-11. 

In a competitive field, 16 teams will be eyeing the title while fighting for the prized two tickets available for the Prague Masters, which is the sixth stop on this year's FIBA 3x3 World Tour.

Let's preview all the action as the pro circuit returns after an absolutely insane FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2023. 

The Favorites 

We'll start with arguably the hottest young team on the pro circuit - San Juan who have lived up to the hype so far in 2023. 

Puerto Rico's bet to create a team filled with dedicated young 3x3 players is paying off after San Juan impressively reached the semi-finals at the Manila Masters. 

Sharpshooter Antonio Ralat proved he is deadly in the clutch, while athletic marvel Luis Cuascut is unstoppable around the rim. Just pencil these dudes to again feature in the top 5 plays. 

 

San Juan will be tested immediately in a tough Pool C, which contains Partizan (SRB) who have made three quarter-finals from three events this year but are hoping for a deeper run here. 

It's probably taken us too long to talk about legendary Liman(SRB), who have a few different names but they still record plenty of Ws. Liman have already finished runners-up twice this season on the pro circuit with sniper Stefan Kojic having never looked deadlier. 

He'll again be paired with partner-in-crime Mihailo Vasic, who'll arrive with a swagger after claiming gold for Serbia at the World Cup 2023. 

 

Top seeds Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU) will be out to get on the board in 2023 and their chances look good with Aurelijus Pukelis and Marijus Uzupis one of the best duos in 3x3. 

No.3 seeds Paris (FRA) are also legit contenders because they have a dude called Franck Seguela who can do magic tricks with the Wilson. 

The Field 

There are plenty of other teams who can go all the way starting with new-look Utrecht (NED), who will unleash prized recruit Maksim Kovacevic - a former Liman and Amsterdam star. 

 

Lausanne (SUI) have been one of the most reliable teams on the pro circuit for many years and they'll bring back familiar faces, including speedy Gilles Martin who is always a fan favorite. 

American powerhouse Princeton (USA) might look a little different but real ones will know Damon Huffman is a tough man and he'll make sure this famous team haven't missed a beat. 

And we just can't ignore Toronto (CAN) and Tel-Aviv (ISR), who boast high-flyers Bikramjit Gill and Netanel Artzi with these dunking daredevils capable of inspiring their teams to great heights.

Pools

Pool A: Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU), Marijampole Mantinga (LTU), Qualifier
Pool B: Liman (SRB), Princeton (USA), Qualifier 
Pool C: Partizan (SRB), Lausanne (SUI), San Juan (PUR)
Pool D: Paris (FRA), Utrecht (NED), Yokohama BeefmanEXE (JPN)

What's at stake

The top 2 teams in Clermont-Ferrand will qualify for the Prague Masters on August 5-6, 2023, as part of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour.

How to watch

The two-day extravaganza is on June 10-11 and you can follow it live on the FIBA 3x3 YouTube and Facebook pages.

FIBA