Written by @brianswane

Update: Team Saskatoon was defeated by 21-13 Team Kranj (Slovenia) in the first round.

-----------

With towers reaching towards the heavens, Abu Dhabi's awe-inspiring skyline couldn't be further from the natural beauty of the Canadian Prairies, where the plains seemingly stretch to the end of the earth.

But the rim, the backboard, the netting they're all the same whether on the streets of Asia or in a University of Saskatchewan gymnasium.

And the quartet of Nolan Brudehl, Michael Lieffers , Michael Linklater and Willie Murdaugh has most certainly mastered the universal language of hoops.

Collectively known as Team Saskatoon, the Canadian ballers have touched down in Abu Dhabi for the 2016 FIBA 3x3 World Tour. A dozen squads from across the globe will battle on Oct. 27 and 28, with the winners being crowned FIBA 3x3 World Tour Champions.

Competition gets underway with round-robin games in four three-team pools. The top two teams from each pool advance to a standard knock-out round, comprising quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final. Team Saskatoon is the No. 4 overall seed, joining Slovakia's Team Kranj (No. 5) and Team Caguas (No. 12) from Puerto Rico in Pool D.

Team Saskatoon qualified by winning the 3x3 World Tour Lausanne Masters at the end of August, defeating Team Paris 17-14 in an intense final. Linklater scored a match-high nine points and took home the MVP trophy for his efforts. The Canadian squad had narrowly missed qualifying for the World Tour Final twice earlier in the season, finishing third at the Mexico City and second at the Prague Masters.

Three-on-three basketball is among the most played recreational sports in the world, with more than 250 million participants. The FIBA 3x3 World Tour comprises regional Masters events and the Grand Final. Games are played with one basket on a half-court using a 12-second shot clock, and the first team to reach 21 points or best after 10 minutes wins.

This marks the third time a Canadian squad has qualified for the World Tour Finals. At the inaugural event four years ago in Miami, Team Edmonton finished third, while Team Saskatoon placed sixth the following year in Istanbul, then in 2014 advanced to the final in Sendai, Japan, where they lost to Serbia's Novi Sad.

Now representing the host nation UAE, Novi Sad is the two-time defending champs and seeded No. 1 in 2016.

Can Team Saskatoon put Canada on top of the globe? Keep track of all the results at http://www.fiba.com/3x3worldtour/2016/abu-dhabi

‍