3x3 Basketball World Tour Riyadh 2022: Preview, schedule, and how to watch live
Paris 2024 qualification ranking points as well as a spots at the 3x3 World Tour Final in Abu Dhabi are on the line for teams competing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 11-12 November.
Basketball 3x3
The FIBA 3x3 Basketball World Tour returns from a break in play for the Riyadh Masters, taking place 11-12 November at the Formula E Track in the capital of Saudi Arabia.
As the second-to-last stop before next month’s tour final in Abu Dhabi (10-11 December), plenty is at stake for those heading to Riyadh.
With only three teams out of a possible 12 having so far booked their ticket to Abu Dhabi the race to secure one of the nine remaining spots is very much still on.
WATCH: 3x3 World Tour Riyadh lives on Olympics.com
But there is more.
From now until 1 November 2023, all FIBA 3x3 Federation Ranking points collected will begin counting towards qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The Federation Ranking list, which is calculated based on the points collected by a National Olympic Committee’s top 25 national players competing in FIBA-endorsed events, will be used to determine the first three quota spots for Paris as well as eligibility for subsequent Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.
READ: How to qualify for 3x3 basketball at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained
Therefore, should teams want to represent their countries on the iconic Place de La Concorde at the Olympics in Paris they must, from here on, perform consistently at their best to improve their odds of making it.
3x3 World Tour Riyadh 2022: Schedule and format
Teams competing at 3x3 World Tour Riyadh:
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Ub Huishan NE (SRB)*
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Riga (LAT)
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Antwerp (BEL)*
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Vienna (AUT)
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Jeddah (KSA)
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Omaha 3BALL (USA)
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Utrecht (NED)
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Cebu Chooks (PHI)
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Doha QSC (QAT)
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Lusail DAS (QAT)
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St. Louis Ballislife (USA)
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Changhua (TPE)
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Okayama TryHoop (JPN)
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Riyadh (KSA)
(*qualified for 3x3 Would Tour Final in Abu Dhabi).
Friday 11 November
All times are in Arabian Standard Time (UTC +3).
Qualifying Draw
16:05 – Changhua v Riyadh
16:60 – Okayama v Riyadh
17:15 – Changhua v Okayama
Pool games
18:00 Ub v Doha – Pool A
18:25 Riga v Lusail - Pool B
19:00 Antwerp v St. Louis - Pool C
19:25 Vienna v QD winner - Pool D
20:00 Ub v Cebu - Pool A
20:25 Riga v Utrecht – Pool B
21:00 Antwerp v Omaha – Pool C
21:25 Vienna v Jeddah – Pool D
22:05 Cebu v Doha – Pool A
22:30 Utrecht v Lusail – Pool B
23:05 Omaha v St. Louis – Pool C
23:30 Jeddah v QD winner – Pool D
Saturday 12 November
Quarterfinals
16:20 Winner of Pool A v runner-up Pool C
16:55 Winner of Pool D v runner-up Pool B
17:35 Winner of Pool B v runner-up Pool D
18:10 Winner of Pool C v runner-up Pool A
Semi-finals
19:10 Quarterfinal game 1 winner v quarterfinal game 2 winner
19:40 Quarterfinal game 3 winner v quarterfinal game 4 winner
Final
20:35 Semi-final game 1 winner v semi-final game 2 winner
21:00 Prize ceremony
3x3 World Tour Riyadh: Teams to watch
Heading to Riyadh, certain hopes encircle top seeds Ub Huishan SE.
The Serbian unit, made up of Nemanja Baraca, Marko Brankovic, Dejan Majstorovic and stalwart Strahinja Stojacic, began the tour back in May with blistering intent. They claimed the first four Masters stops to immediately set themselves apart from the rest of the field.
But then came a slip-up in Debrecen where they lost the final to Antwerp to bring their winning run to an end. A stumble then followed in Paris, where they surprisingly exited the competition at the quarter-final stage.
It may not be since mid-August that Ub have claimed a world tour win but with No.1 ranked played Stojacic back in the fold for Riyadh, and finals fast approaching, the Serbs have a point to prove and the means to prove it making them one-to-watch heading into the week's end.
Coming in as the number two seeds, and sure to put up a fight, are Riga (LAT) comprised of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medal winning team: Edgars Krumins, Karlis Lasmanis, Nauris Miezis and Agnis Cavars.
The team from Latvia qualified for Riyadh via the Sacheon Challenger where they bested a loaded field, including the third world tour qualified team Liman, to come out on top.
Lasmanis’ and Miezis’ connection shone as Riga backed up the recent form that saw them win Masters titles in Montreal and Cebu. If they can carry that momentum with them to Saudi Arabia, then the team currently sitting in fifth in the tour standings could well be in a position to enjoy a strong end-of-season finish.
Cebu Chooks come to Riyadh as wildcard holders but with their number one 3x3 basketball player on side, Mac Tallo, the side from the Philippines could cause headaches for those in Pool A including a resurgent Ub.
Tallo will be linking up with Brandon Ramirez, Mike Nzesseu and Marcus Hammonds for the competition and having lost out to Ub in their home tour stop in Manila fans can expect some fireworks when they meet the Serb early doors in the pool stages.
How to watch: 3x3 World Tour Riyadh 2022
3x3 World Tour Riyadh will be available to watch live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics apps for mobile, tablet and connected TV devices.
Territorial restrictions may apply.
Click here to livestream all the action from Riyadh.