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Chris Finch insists Great Britain's EuroBasket experience will prove priceless in the long term - despite his side failing to win a match in Poland.

Great Britain qualified for EuroBasket at the first time of asking having been promoted from EuroBasket Division B to Division A.

Finch's troops exited the tournament at the first opportunity having been handed defeats by Group C opponents Slovenia, Spain and Serbia.

But Finch insists the experience will be crucial as Great Britain try to prove to basketball's world governing body, FIBA, they are worthy of a spot at the Olympic Games.

"Our goal this summer was to qualify for the next round and keep moving forward. Maybe that was over ambitious, but I don't think it was," said Finch.

"Over the last 18 months people have asked me what we could add to the programme to grow and get better.

"I have always said that it wouldn't be a position or an individual - we need a collective experience of playing at the highest level.

"There's nothing like experience and going through it together.

"EuroBasket will have been invaluable and I've no doubt that it will pay dividends at some point down the line to have been there now, as opposed to 2011 which is when most people thought we'd make it."

Great Britain's standout performance came against reigning world champions and Olympic silver medallists Spain, who they led by four points in the final quarter before losing 84-76.

But while the rest of Europe sat up and took note, Finch insists the match only highlight's Great Britain's weaknesses.

"We have to be very careful, while we played well, gained respect and had our chances when no-one else was giving us a chance, it is only the outside perception that's changed - inside still says we didn't win," added Finch.

"We expected to win and that leaves us feeling disappointed. Moral victories are still losses.

"We need to come up with a better balance. We need to do some things technically better on the floor and we need to raise our level of professionalism within the team.

"It's hard to be anything but disappointed because we had chances in all the games to go through.

"It's kind of disturbing to think the tournament is going on and we have had to come home, it doesn't feel right.

"The steps we need to make now will be critical. We will demand more of the programme, starting with the players.

"We will put everything we have learnt into use to help in some way. I think we showed that we can be competitive and we definitely learnt that we aren't that far away."

More than the Games / Eurosport