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Friday, September 27, 2013

Philippines climb up 11 places in the FIBA World Men's Rankings

A busy summer of hoops has not changed the top three in the FIBA Ranking Men, but there is plenty of movement further afield.
Philippines climb up 11 places in the FIBA World Men's Rankings
As they did in 2012, the USA, Spain and Argentina still rank first, second and third respectively, following the conclusion of the 2013 season of men's continental championships.

Lithuania - finalists at EuroBasket 2013 - have leapfrogged Greece into fourth place, while other notable movement inside the top 15 sees Brazil and China each drop down a place.

The Brazilians lost all their games at the FIBA Americas Championship and are now 10th, while China fell in the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA Asia Championship and have moved down to 12th.

One of the biggest jumps is by Mexico who move up eight places, from 32nd to 24th, after their title triumph at the FIBA Americas Championship in Caracas, Venezuela where their star big man Gustavo Ayon was named the most valuable player of the tournament.

Meanwhile, the Philippines - runners-up to Iran at the Asia Championship in Manila - have moved up 11 places, from 45th to 34th.

Finland, who advanced to the Second Round of the EuroBasket for the second straight time and signed off with a 92-76 triumph over tournament hosts Slovenia, have risen from 48th to 39th.

Egypt caused a major surprise at AfroBasket 2013 in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire where they made it all the way to the Final and as a result have broken into the top 50. The Egyptians were 60th in 2012 but are now 46th.

Belgium and Jamaica have also had quantum leaps, with the former improving 27 places to joint-50th while the latter moved up to 55th from 79th.

The Belgians played at a second straight EuroBasket and made it to the Second Round, while Jamaica proved to be giant-killers with a victory over Brazil getting them to the Second Round of the FIBA Americas Championship for the first time.

Jamaica also beat Argentina and complicated their path to a top-four finish, although Julio Lamas' team eventually won the bronze medal.

Among other teams that had impressive summers to move up the rankings wereUkraine, Puerto Rico and Great Britain.

Ukraine finished second in the opening round of the EuroBasket in Group A behind eventual champions France and then defeated Serbia in the Second Round. They finished sixth to qualify for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and move up five places in the ranking, from 50th to 45th.

Puerto Rico were runners-up to Mexico in Caracas and have gone from 19th to 17th, while Great Britain won a couple of games at the EuroBasket and improved a spot to No. 22.

Click here to view the full FIBA Ranking Men.

The FIBA Ranking Women will be updated following the conclusion of the 2013 season of women's continental championships in early November after the FIBA Asia Championship for Women in Bangkok, Thailand (27 October-3 November).

The FIBA Combined Ranking - which takes into account the rankings for Men, Women, Boys and Girls - will be updated in late November.

 

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