John Shurna (11) of the US claims the ball during the match against Iran at North Shore Events Centre. The US won 106-55. Photo / Getty Images

John Shurna (11) of the US claims the ball during the match against Iran at North Shore Events Centre. The US won 106-55. Photo / Getty Images

Whether it's the cockiness of youth, the language barrier or just flat-out honesty is hard to know. Probably it's a mixture of all three.

But there is no doubt Greece's captain, Nikolaos Pappas, is confident about his team's chances in the Under-19 world basketball championships.

The European champions began their campaign last night against the emerging African power Angola, but well before that match tipped off Pappas was talking up his team's chances.

"We are ready to win the tournament," Pappas deadpanned when asked for an assessment of his team's prospects. Everybody here knows we have a good team and they respect us. We are the European champions and we are ready to win in this tournament. But we must show that on the court."

His confidence is probably not misplaced. The Greek team have been together for two years. In 2007 they claimed the silver medal at the European Under-17 championships. Last year they went one better, beating Lithuania 57-50 in the final.

The quirk of the draw has placed them in the same group as Lithuania in Auckland. Puerto Rico upset the Lithuanians in their opening fixture yesterday, but Saturday night's match with Greece promises to be the marquee game of the opening pool phase.

Pappas was unfazed. "I think we are better than them," he said. "We have improved from last year and we have exactly the same team. We are ready to win. We are ready to show our game."

Bordering on arrogance, perhaps, but it certainly makes a refreshing change from the "talk-up-the-opposition-at-all-costs" line routinely trotted out by Kiwi sportspeople.

Pappas' confidence, however, isn't shared by the bookies, who have installed the United States as $2 favourites to take the title.

Given America's basketball pedigree, that is no surprise. But with the NBA cherrypicking foreign talent, the gap between the game's superpower and the rest of world has shrunk dramatically since the first Dream Team dazzled the world at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.

These days the American senior team are routinely challenged by the likes of Greece, Argentina and Spain. In the junior ranks, the international game is even more competitive.

The US come into this tournament having won three titles and made six of eight finals overall, but it is 18 years since they last lifted the trophy at this level. And they are not the top qualifier from their region, having been defeated by Argentina in the final of last year's Under-18 Americas championships.