Serbia and France are good enough to win mens basketball medals at the Olympics. First, they have to get there.The final three places in the 12-team field are on the line in the three Olympic Qualifying Tournaments next week. Serbia and France, who won silver and bronze two years ago in the Basketball World Cup, will be among the favorites to earn berths after falling short last summer.The new format to fill out the Olympics has 18 countries still in the running for spots in Rio. Six teams will be in each tournament, and the three winners will be Brazil bound.Some teams still trying to get there are better than a few who have already qualified. Four of the worlds top 10 will be competing, including France (5th), Serbia (6th), Turkey (8th) and Greece (10th).The Serbs have a powerful team and home-court advantage as they try to lock up a spot that eluded them in last years EuroBasket.We still need to fine-tune our teamwork but thats normal at this stage of preparations. We are going through this process together so that we will still be playing until the end of the OQT, and hopefully after that too, coach Aleksandar Djordjevic told FIBA.com after his team won its three tuneup games.Serbia hosts one tournament in Belgrade that also includes Angola and Puerto Rico in Group A. The Czech Republic, Japan and Latvia are in Group B.In Manila, Philippines, its: Turkey, Canada and Senegal in Group A; with France, New Zealand and the hosts in Group B.The Turin, Italy field: Greece, Mexico and Iran in Group A; Italy, Croatia and Tunisia in Group B.Each team will play the others in its group, with the top two finishers in each advancing to the semifinals. The tournament champions will then be drawn into the Olympic field, with two slated to end up in a group with the U.S.A look at some top contenders:BELGRADE, SERBIASERBIA: The hosts swept a home-and-home with France and beat Greece, another top contender, in their warmup play. Serbia has one of Europes top point guards in Milos Teodosic and a top young prospect in Denver Nuggets All-Rookie selection Nikola Jokic, but will miss injured Timberwolves forward Nemanja Bjelica and Spurs center Boban Marjanovic, who is a free agent.PUERTO RICO: Longtime guards J.J. Barea of the Dallas Mavericks and Carlos Arroyo should again provide the strength for the Puerto Ricans.MANILA, PHILIPPINESFRANCE: Tony Parker wants to cap his international career with an Olympic medal. The French failed to earn their chance playing on home soil last summer when Spain beat them in the Eurobasket semifinals, but stand a good chance now if they can hold on until the arrival of Nicolas Batum, who is an NBA free agent and wont be available until after he signs a contract on July 7.TURKEY: Their tough defense, anchored by NBA center Omer Asik in the middle, always gives the Turks a chance to stay in games. They gave the U.S. its toughest test in the 2014 Basketball World Cup.CANADA: With Timberwolves star Andrew Wiggins sitting out, the Canadians could regret not locking up a spot when they blew a late lead against Venezuela in last years FIBA Americas semifinals.TURIN, ITALYGREECE: Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks is a do-everything star and Sacramentos Kostas Koufos a solid center for a Greek team that scored a pair of victories over Turkey during its pre-tournament schedule.ITALY: The Italians havent reached the Olympics since winning silver in 2004. But they have plenty of shooting behind NBA players Danilo Gallinari and Marco Belinelli and former No. 1 pick Andrea Bargnani, a top coach in Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, and the backing of a home crowd to get them there this time.---Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney---This story has been corrected to show that the Italy tournament is in Turin. Wholesale Jerseys US . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament. Wholesale NCAA Jerseys . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. http://www.uschinasupplyjerseys.com/ . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year. Wholesale SOCCER Jerseys . The Dutchmans tenure got off to a poor start when referee Guido Winkmann awarded a penalty within two minutes for Niklas Starks clumsy challenge on Alexandru Maxim. At age 40, Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan continues to serve honorably as one of hockeys great ambassadors. While leading a rebuilding club last season, Doan enjoyed one of the better seasons of his 20-year pro career and paced the Coyotes with 28 goals. This season, Doan has been tasked with mentoring one of the leagues youngest teams, which includes teammate Jakob Chychrun, an 18-year-old defenseman who was born almost three years after Doan was drafted, in 1995.The arrival of all this young talent -- including Arizona native Auston Matthews, with whom Doan skated as part of the Coyotes youth program -- makes Doan excited about the future of the game. Even if it does make him also feel kind of old.ESPN.com: How complicated is it being a veteran on such a young team?Shane Doan:?At one point we had nine guys 21 and under. Thats pretty incredible. I dont think its like that anywhere else in professional hockey, including the AHL or the East Coast League. Obviously, its exciting for the future, but its a little more difficult for the present.ESPN.com: You have four teenage children. Does that help you deal with the kids on your team?Doan: My oldest daughter is the same age as some of them. There are obviously similarities. But these guys are so mature. As a hockey player, you leave home when youre 15, 16 years old. It forces you to grow up. Our guys are great. Theyve handled themselves incredibly well. Its fun to be around them.ESPN.com: Are younger players better prepared for the NHL today?Doan: I think, because of social media, you get to see the day-to-day life of an NHL player a lot more. If you follow someone on Twitter or Instagram or whatever, you see what goes on a little bit more because of that. That makes it a little bit easier. You understand things you may not have understood in the past because there just wasnt exposure to it.ESPN.com: Do you wish you had social media when you were younger?Doan: No. Im so glad, so thankful that I didnt. Its crazy how much it affects our day-to-day lives as players and how much it affects the young guys.ESPN.com: What are the main differences today for young players compared with 20 years ago?Doan: Their skill level. It all comes down to exposure. When someone in the Swedish Elite league makes an incredible move, then the kids everywhere get to watch it and practice it -- and it becomes part of the hockey community. I think it pushes the skill level so much quicker because everybody can see things and their imaginations are kind of expanded by being able to see what other guys are doing around the world. In the past, if you saw it on the late-night sports TV shows, it was pretty amazing, but you only saw it once. Now everyone watches it over and over and can break it down. I think that helps. The skill of the young guys is just incredible now.ESPN.com: Youre skating alongside players whose fathers you played with and against. Have you talked to any of them about playing with their dads?Doan: Ive played with quite a few of them.?Max Domi?and Connor Murphy. Weve hadd?Philip Samuelsson?and Brett Hextall on the team.dddddddddddd Getting to play against Matthew Tkachuk after playing with his dad, or Josh Manson in Anaheim. They were in our dressing room as kids when I was a player.ESPN.com: Have you reminded them about how you saw them as kids in the dressing room?Doan: For sure. Without a doubt. Thats one of the things that, as a player, you remember. Matty and Josh were so young, they dont really remember. But my daughter is the same age as Matty. They were both born here [in Arizona]. Ive gotten to know Josh as he got older. Its exciting. Its fun. You feel old, but you enjoy it, for sure.ESPN.com: Do you ever chat with Matthew Tkachuk about how you bought and moved into his childhood home in Arizona?Doan: Oh, yeah. We have horses here and Matty would come out and go riding at the farm. It was fun.ESPN.com: You skated with Auston Matthews while he was in the Coyotes youth program. What do you remember about him as an emerging young player?Doan: I got to know his family a little bit. His mom and dad go to the same church that we go to. Hes an unbelievable kid. Hes an even better person than player, and thats exciting because hes an incredible player.ESPN.com: Was his talent evident right away?Doan: The first time he skated with us, it was just shinny. I think his team won or lost 5-4. He had all his teams goals and it was against NHL guys, and he was a year away from being drafted. I was pretty impressed.ESPN.com: How important is it for youth hockey players in Arizona to see someone like Auston make it?Doan: Its huge for us. It gives validation to an organization like the Junior Coyotes. Any time anyone asks how the program is, you can say Auston Matthews grew up in the program. Thats huge for minor hockey and grass roots.ESPN.com: Your general manager, John Chayka, is more than a decade your junior. How often does he come to you with questions?Doan: Hes not afraid to come and ask for your opinion. But at the end of the day hes the one who makes the decisions. Thats the way it goes. As much as I think every player wants his opinions heard, its not our [call]. Hes very professional in that he asks questions and wants to gain perspective from people who might have experienced a few things. At the same time, he recognizes its his call and he makes those decisions when he needs to.ESPN.com: Youre coming off one of your best statistical seasons, but have you given any thought to retirement?Doan: It crosses your mind daily. But you dont make those decisions on a daily basis. Ten days ago, if you had asked me I probably would have retired on the spot. Today if you asked me, I think Id sign a five-year deal. It kind of goes back and forth. You understand you cant make rash decisions like that. It has to be something you make over the course of the year. I kind of approached last year the same way I approach this year. Ill just see how I feel at the end. Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jersyes Cheap Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '