Great Britain will open up EuroBasket on Wednesday morning with a daunting clash against Lithuania, but it is one they are relishing despite being underdogs.

GB faces one of Europe’s basketball powerhouses in what could set the tone for their entire campaign, with head coach Marc Steutel relishing the opportunity to test his squad against the continent’s elite.

“We understand where we are as a basketball nation but I think that is one of the things that drives us really positively,” Steutel said in the pre-event press conference.

“We know that every time we compete at this level we will always be the underdogs and that is a mentality that we embrace.”

The weight of expectation and history hangs heavy over Team GB’s preparations. In five previous EuroBasket appearances since 2009, Britain has managed just four wins from 23 games – a stark reminder of the mountain they must climb.

“We understand our history of GB at EuroBaskets,” acknowledged Steutel. “We’ve qualified more times than not, but we’ve had four wins in EuroBasket history. Two in 2011, two in 2013, none in ’17 and none in ’22 (and none in 2009).”

Despite this challenging record, Steutel’s squad arrives with renewed optimism and clear ambitions.

“The group is just really excited”, explained Team GB captain Carl Wheatle. “We’ve had a good preparation… The group has really put our focus into being one of the best performing Great Britain teams.

“Now that we are here, that’s what we want to do, that’s what we want to carry forward. It’s a tremendous honour to be a part of Great Britain basketball, to be the captain of this team. We are all just really excited, we want to get started, we are raring to go, and we can’t wait for tip-off tomorrow.”

The head coach praised his team’s preparation ahead of their Group B campaign:

“Really excited to be here…I’ve been really proud of how our group has worked throughout this preparation period, a really professional approach, I think, from everybody in our group.”

Team GB’s Group B schedule presents a formidable challenge.

After opening against Lithuania, they face Finland (August 29), Sweden (August 30), reigning World Champions Germany (September 1), and Montenegro (September 3). With the top four teams from each group advancing, every game carries significant weight.

The clash with Germany – who captured the 2023 FIBA World Cup – represents perhaps the group’s biggest test, while Lithuania’s rich basketball heritage and consistent EuroBasket pedigree make them equally dangerous opponents.

After the disaster of 2022, the programme is keen to show the improvement and what a difference having a preparation period can actually have.

GB’s games will be free to watch on Courtside 1891 – register an account to watch live here.