EuroBasket group play ended today and although Turkey did not play, they received good news regarding their placement in the knockout round. In their first matchup, Alperen Sengun and Turkey will face Sweden, who went 1-4 in the group stage.
Not only that, but Turkey also finds themselves on the opposite side of the bracket of Germany, Serbia, and Slovenia. Meaning that Turkey won't have to face dangerous NBA stars like Franz Wagner, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, or Lauri Markkanen until the EuroBasket final. They may find themselves matched up against Greece and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but that would not be until the semi-final round.
Assuming Turkey make it past Sweden in the round of 16, they'll face either Bosnia-Herzegovina or Poland in the quarterfinals, both of which finished the group stage with a record of 3-2.
Sengun and Turkey will hope to win their first EuroBasket title in country history, with a silver medal in 2001 being their best current finish.
Although Turkey has not won a EuroBasket tournament in the past, they should certainly be one of the favorites in 2025. Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun leads the way for the team and was the sixth leading scorer throughout five undefeated group stage games. He also ranks third in player efficiency rating, averaging 31.4 efficiency points per game, trailing only Doncic and Antetokounmpo. Even as a center, Sengun is third in the tournament in assists per game and ranks fourth in rebounds per game as well. Add other solid contributors and former NBA players Shane Larkin, Furkan Korkmaz, and Cedi Osman into the mix and Turkey look quite dangerous as EuroBasket heads to the round of 16.