ANTWERP (EuroBasket 2015) - Belgium are going to play in their third straight EuroBasket this summer.

Rest assured, this is a team that has big aims.

From the veterans all the way down to the new generation of stars who are finding their way into the senior team, like Pierre-Antoine Gillet of Oostende, Belgium mean business.

Maybe in 2015, Belgium will reach the knockout round and go on to challenge for a medal.

To do so, they will have to have some success in Riga, which is where Eddy Casteels' team will play in Group D against hosts Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic.

One of the Belgium players is Maxime De Zeeuw, who is on the books of Acea Roma and playing in the Lega A and the Eurocup.

De Zeeuw played important minutes for the team at the last EuroBasket.

"I know my players and they are very, very ambitious," he said to FIBA.com. 

"They all realize there are no easy games at that level, no matter what the level of the opponent. 

"There are no easy games when you show up at a European Championship. This is top quality and we expect top quality."

Even so, Casteels warns, everyone else had better be ready for Belgium. 

We are ready to go all the way. - Casteels 

"We will have our approach as Belgians," the veteran coach said, "but we are not an unknown factor anymore at this level of competition."

What is clear is that in at least three games and maybe four, since Ukraine is not that far away from the Baltics, the Belgians will have a disadvantage in terms of the number of fans.

"But I really didn't mind playing in Latvia," Casteels said. 

"I recognize that Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will be supported by a great number of fans, a home-court Baltic advantage. 

"But I think we have correct ambitions with teams like Estonia, the Czech Republic and Ukraine.

"We played Ukraine several times in the past. 

"We are mature now. It's the third time in a row that we can go over there. We have our experience."

Casteels says there is a lot to be proud of when it comes to Belgian basketball.

An area where the national team program has done well is making sure there is a link between the youth sides and the senior team.

"Every year, we start our preparation with two parts," he said. 

"Every year we invite our younger talents to show them what it's all about and to show a connection with our youth program with the professional senior program.

"So there is a link and we have some continuity." 

We have great leaders that make everyone understand you play with pride and play for your country. - Casteels

This past summer, when Belgium finished top of Group D in the 2nd Qualification Round with five wins in six games ahead of F.Y.R. of Macedonia (MKD), Belarus and Denmark, there was a good mix of veterans and youth.

"We were there with five, six players who came out of the youth program," Casteels said, "players who were new names, and players like Gillet who are heading into a great future. 

"They benefitted from the past, found some continuity and connection with the national team level and now bring to Belgium new names."

It's not just the players that are expected but everyone else, including the team's physio.

FIBA