Why? Win this and you go to the FIBA U19 World Championships. Lose this and no one will remember you beat China in the group stages.
Here are three things to look out for:
Thing #1 Batang Gilas Dominance, Stat-wise
Batang Gilas leads Bahrain in most categories, averaging waaaay more points (80-66.8), rebounds (58-38), blocks (6-3) and assists (17-8) per game, as well as shooting better from the three point line (30% - 27.5%) and the free throw line (72%-54%)
If we look only at those stats, then Batang Gilas should be able to handle the Bahrainis easily.
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| Kai Sotto and AJ Edu. Photo courtesy of FIBA.com |
We've discussed ad nauseam the effect of 7-1 Kai Sotto, 6-10 AJ Edu, and 6-8 Raven Cortez on Batang Gilas opponents. Bahrain's tallest players top out at 6-6.
The chances of Batang Gilas dominating inside is about as high as it gets, as Bahrain may actually be the shortest team they've faced so far.
Thing #3 You still have to play the game.
The Bahrainis may not have the advantage in height and heft but they are gutsy, pesky, and have the mental fortitude to upset higher ranked opponents (see Chinese Taipei game)
If Baqer Ali and Mustafa Rashed get going from the outside, Bahrain may be able to negate Batang Gilas' size advantage and have a puncher's chance of pulling out what could be the upset of the tournament.
FEARLESS PREDICTION: Batang Gilas wins 80-60.
Winning this game puts us in the semifinal round against Australia. That's tantamount to the championship match right there. Objectively, I'd say Batang Gilas doesn't have the tools yet to beat Australia but they may have the best chance to upset the Emus.
But again, that's moot and academic. Making it through to the semifinal round means booking a ticket for the FIBA U19 World Championships. Whether we win the tourney or finish fourth, it's good enough for me.
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