CEDI OSMAN and the rest of Turkey want to send a strong message — that they are legitimate contenders at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China.

The “12 Giant Men” are riding high on their recent tune-up victories over European rival France and African side Tunisia.

Osman headlined the Turkish charge against France earlier this month, scoring 19 points and grabbing 9 rebounds. Coach Ufuk Sarica’s players notched the wins even without key players Scottie Wilbekin and Ersan Ilyasova.

“I think we’re playing well,” Osman said after they beat France. “This was an important game for us, and it was against France, one of the best teams and one of the favorites to win the World Cup. It was really important to show this kind of performance. To go out there and give our best was really important for the team, and we’re happy about this win. Of course, this win doesn’t really mean anything yet, so we have to keep fighting.”

Osman is expected to be one of Turkey’s main cogs in only his second World Cup appearance. The 24-year-old saw action in the 2014 edition, averaging 2.3 points as Turkey finished at 8th place. This time around, amidst a lot of greenhorns, Osman stands to be one of the seasoned veterans of the national squad.

“Obviously, we don’t have a lot of experience, especially at the World Cup,” he remarked. “There are only two players who have really played — Ersan Ilyasova and Semih Erden — and I played in 2014 but not too much. That’s why I think this is going to be a really good experience for everybody, so we just have to keep playing well.”

Turkey is bunched up in Group E with the Czech Republic, Team USA and Japan, and they will play all their group games in the sprawling metropolis of Shanghai. Osman believes the path laid out in front of them won’t be easy, but he also knows they have the materials needed to go far in the tournament.

“I think we’re in a tough group,” he said.(FIBA)