FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Preview: Cyprus

LIMASSOL (Cyprus) – Cyprus will be one of the biggest underdogs in FIBA EuroBasket history, having never qualified for the continental showcase. But their fans will be thrilled to see their heroes playing against some of the best teams in Europe.

Cyprus have won only five of 36 games in the qualifying campaigns for the last three EuroBaskets. That being said, head coach Christophoros Livadiotis’ team will go into the tournament with zero pressure of high expectations whereas all of their group opponents will be favored to win – and essentially needing to be the co-hosts to advance to the knockout stage.

Schedule

August 28: vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (17:15 CET)
August 30: vs Greece (17:15 CET)
August 31: vs Spain (17:15 CET)
September 2: vs Georgia (17:15 CET)
September 4: vs Italy (17:15 CET)

Star Player

Darral Willis

206 cm (6’9″) Power Forward

The naturalized Darral Willis has been part of the Cyprus national team since the beginning of the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers, receiving his passport shortly before the games started. The American had a strong debut with 22 points and 13 rebounds against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Wisconsin native ended up playing five games and averaged 14.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in the qualifying campaign. Willis will be playing his first national team competition this summer but he already had a history with Cyprus head coach Christophoros Livadiotis. Willis’ first club as a professional in 2018-19 was Keravnos in Cyprus and Livadiotis was the head coach and one of the Cyprus team leaders Nikos Stylianou was on the club as well. Willis ended up winning the MVP of the Cypriot Cup after the team won the trophy that season.

The 29-year-old Willis has also played in Russia, France, Italy, Puerto Rico, Korea, Japan and Greece. He is a power forward who can also shoot from the outside and rebounds the ball well. As the team’s naturalized player, Cyprus will desperately need Willis to play well to have a chance to win.

History

Cyprus will be welcoming the continent to Limassol and are aiming to challenge the best that Europe have to offer in their first appearance. The island nation played the Division B from 2005 to 2013 before entering the qualification for the Division A starting in 2013.

The country managed five victories in the qualifying campaigns for the 2017, 2022 and 2025 EuroBaskets, the latter of which Cyprus had already booked a ticket as co-hosts. The country has taken the title at the Games of the Small States of Europe nine times, the most recent coming in 2017.

How they qualified

Gameday 1: CYP 66-99 BIH
Gameday 2: CRO 92-63 CYP
Gameday 3: CYP 59-75 FRA
Gameday 4: FRA 85-70 CYP
Gameday 5: BIH 108-62 CYP
Gameday 6: CYP 67-104 CRO

Poll: Where will they finish?

Tickets

FIBA