# 1997 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship

The 1997 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship (known at that time as 1997 European Championship for Cadets) was the 14th edition of the FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship. The cities of Pepinster, Kortrijk and Quaregnon, in Belgium, hosted the tournament. Yugoslavia won the trophy for the sixth time, the first since the breakup of Yugoslavia.

## Teams

* Belgium
* Croatia
* Yugoslavia
* France
* Georgia
* Greece
* Israel
* Italy
* Macedonia
* Russia
* Slovenia
* Spain

## Qualification

There were two qualifying rounds for this tournament. Twenty-three national teams entered the qualifying round. Fifteen teams advanced to the Challenge Round, where they joined Greece, Macedonia and Italy. The remaining eighteen teams were allocated in three groups of six teams each. The three top teams of each group joined Croatia (title holder), Spain (runner-up) and Belgium (host) in the final tournament.

## Preliminary round

The twelve teams were allocated in two groups of six teams each.
* Team advanced to Quarterfinals
* Team competed in 9th–12th playoffs

### Group A

| Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | Pts |
| Russia | 5 | 5 | 0 | 403 | 305 | 10 |
| Israel | 5 | 3 | 2 | 301 | 319 | 8 |
| France | 5 | 3 | 2 | 364 | 377 | 8 |
| Yugoslavia | 5 | 2 | 3 | 391 | 380 | 7 |
| Macedonia | 5 | 2 | 3 | 352 | 337 | 7 |
| Belgium | 5 | 0 | 5 | 297 | 390 | 5 |

### Group B

| Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | Pts |
| Greece | 5 | 5 | 0 | 411 | 363 | 10 |
| Spain | 5 | 4 | 1 | 390 | 352 | 9 |
| Croatia | 5 | 2 | 3 | 343 | 365 | 7 |
| Slovenia | 5 | 2 | 3 | 353 | 329 | 7 |
| Georgia | 5 | 1 | 4 | 348 | 430 | 6 |
| Italy | 5 | 1 | 4 | 323 | 329 | 6 |

## Knockout stage
### 9th–12th playoffs

| Playoffs | Playoffs | Ninth place | Ninth place |
| Belgium | 67 |
| Georgia | 76 | | |
| Georgia | 76 | Georgia | 46 |
| | | Macedonia | 44 |
| Italy | 57 | Macedonia | 44 |
| Macedonia | 76 | | |
| Macedonia | 76 | Eleventh place | Eleventh place |
| | | Belgium | 50 |
| | | Italy | 88 |

### Championship

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Spain | 78 | | |
| France | 80 | | |
| France | 80 | France | 61 |
| | | Russia | 66 |
| Russia | 92 | Russia | 66 |
| Slovenia | 70 | | | | |
| Slovenia | 70 | | | Russia | 87 |
| | | | | Yugoslavia | 100 |
| Greece | 66 | | | Yugoslavia | 100 |
| Yugoslavia | 73 | | | | |
| Yugoslavia | 73 | Yugoslavia | 74 | | |
| | | Israel | 68 | Third place | Third place |
| Israel | 82 | Israel | 68 | Third place | Third place |
| Croatia | 78 | | | | |
| Croatia | 78 | | | France | 55 |
| | | | | Israel | 65 |

#### 5th–8th playoffs

| Playoffs | Playoffs | Fifth place | Fifth place |
| Spain | 67 |
| Slovenia | 61 | | |
| Slovenia | 61 | Spain | 85 |
| | | Greece | 92 |
| Greece | 92 | Greece | 92 |
| Croatia | 68 | | |
| Croatia | 68 | Seventh place | Seventh place |
| | | Slovenia | 80 |
| | | Croatia | 75 |

## Final standings

| Rank | Team |
| | Yugoslavia |
| | Russia |
| | Israel |
| 4th | France |
| 5th | Greece |
| 6th | Spain |
| 7th | Slovenia |
| 8th | Croatia |
| 9th | Georgia |
| 10th | Macedonia |
| 11th | Italy |
| 12th | Belgium |
* 1997 European Championship for Cadets
* Yugoslavia Sixth title