BADALONA (FIBA U18 European Championship 2017) - Looking at the Spanish roster for the FIBA U18 European Championship 2017, one thing stands out - there are a lot of players from Joventut Badalona. That's because of some excellent development work that is going on at the club, according to one of those talents Josep Busquets.

In the build-up to the tournament in Slovak Republic, Busquets is one of six Joventut players preparing to face Italy, Serbia and Ukraine in Group B, along with Didac Cuevas, Eric Gonzalez, Pol Molins, Joel Parra and Arnau Parrado.

"It means a lot for me to have my teammates from Joventut here with me," said Busquets, a native of Granollers, a city northeast of Barcelona. "It means that we are working in the right way at Joventut."

Busquets has been with Joventut for four years. The club, also located northeast of Barcelona, has molded him into a Spanish youth national team player, with the tournament in Bratislava and Piestany set to be his second time representing Spain, following on from the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2016."I think it is one of the best clubs in Europe," the 6ft 6in (1.97m) shooting guard said. "They are very patient with the players. Every small detail is important. So I am happy to be learning every year there."

It should not be a surprise that Busquets is joined by five of his Joventut teammates in Slovak Republic this summer. Especially when you consider the pedigree the youth department of Joventut has produced over the years.

Not only has the club developed future Spain stars such as Rudy Fernandez, Roger Grimau, Raul Lopez, Alex Mumbru, Pau Ribas, Ricky Rubio and Sergi Vidal, but the Montenegrin Marko Todorovic learned the game early on in Badalona before getting selected in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft as did Congolese Christian Eyenga, who was a first round pick and played two years in the NBA.

Ricky Rubio is one of the most famous alumni from the famed development program at Joventut Badalona.

"They have the experience and knowledge," Busquets said. "I also think they love what they do, making every player reach his maximum potential."

Busquets and the rest of the team will be facing some lofty expectations going into the tournament. Spain have reached at least the Quarter-Finals of the last six FIBA U18 European Championships. But Busquets welcomes the challenge.

"I think it's great for our basketball and for the young players that they have bigger goals and try to surpass the generation before them," Busquets said.

Despite the impressive streak of top-eight finishes, Spain have failed to bring home much hardware, winning the title in 2011 and third place in 2013.

Busquets will call upon his experience from last summer at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup, where he helped Spain reach the Semi-Finals.

"We need to stay together and be solid defensively. The other things will come together. Our strength is that we are a team. We are going to play as a team and we will not quit."Josep BusquetsJosep Busquets

"The biggest thing that I learned from last year was that you need to be mentally and physically strong to compete at that level," Busquets said.

The goal will be a title for Spain in Slovak Republic. But it will be a tough task, as Busquets knows.

"We need to stay together and be solid defensively. The other things will come together," he said. "Our strength is that we are a team. We are going to play as a team and we will not quit."

FIBA