ZAGREB (2010 FIBA World Championship) - Josip Vrankovic will lead Croatia at the 2010 FIBA World Championship after being appointed as the replacement for Jasmin Repesa.

A former national team player himself, Vrankovic had worked as the Croatia B team boss since 2008.

He led them at the Mediterranean Games this summer.

Vrankovic has taken over a team that underachieved last summer in most people’s eyes.

Just last year, Croatia earned a spot at the Beijing Games via the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and reached the Quarter-Finals.

At the EuroBasket this year in Poland, fans had hoped the team would get to the podium and possibly challenge for gold but instead they suffered a Quarter-Final exit at the hands of Slovenia.

It wasn't that long ago that Vrankovic played the game.

His last season was with Siroki back in 2006.

The last time he represented Croatia was at the 2001 EuroBasket in Turkey.

As a coach, he led Siroki to the title in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2007 but left for Cibona, only to part ways with the club in the middle of the season.

He returned to Siroki to coach and was also appointed boss of the Croatia B side.

Drazen Anzulovic, an assistant to Repesa, was also considered for the national job but lost out.

One player who wasn't with Croatia this year was emerging center Ante Tomic of KK Zagreb and his time could be coming soon.

"I'm glad that Ante Tomic has continued to have good games to build the maximum confidence, but it's still too early in the season for some generalizations," Vrankovic said.

FIBA