Women's basketball guru Tom Maher has ruled out turning GB into Olympic medal contenders but has pledged to make the nation proud.
Australian coach Maher, 57, took up the challenge of guiding the GB women's team in May 2009, replacing Mark Clark.
And the basketball chief is now preparing for his fifth Olympics in 2012 when London is the host city.
Maher possesses an impressive CV after leading Australia's women's side to bronze in Atlanta in 1996 and then silver at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
Maher was also head coach of New Zealand in Athens in 2004 when he steered them to their best-ever performance of eighth despite inheriting a side ranked 115th in the world.
Then he coached the Chinese team at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 where the hosts' team finished fourth.
Now Maher is charged with overseeing GB's Olympic assault and has just held a training camp in Scotland ahead of this summer's busy fixture list.
GB play a series of tests against Bulgaria, Portugal, Belgium, Holland and Israel in the next two months before their Eurobasket qualifiers in mid-August.
But Maher admitted: "I am not going to say to them let's go and win a Olympic gold medal, that would be ridiculous.
"It is the biggest sport in the world for women - it is like soccer for men.
"I don't want to be stupid about it - I want to be realistic.
"It is not about getting in the top three as at the last Olympics there were really only three teams who could win a medal.
"We can't think we are going to go into that environment with a huge history.
"But I guarantee British basketball is really well-organised.
"The programme and backing is professional as you get anywhere so we are taking giant steps.
"It is about respect for us. It is about putting down a stamp and showing you can stand up at this level."
Maher does not have the depth of talent to call upon compared to GB's rivals but believes the nation's sporting ethos will stand them in good shape.
He added: "When I went to New Zealand I didn't know anything about the New Zealand team but I knew they could compete.
"The Kiwis always compete, and compete hard, as it is in their system and culture.
"I expected it to be the same here and it is.
"Players compete so you can always do something.
"It was much more difficult in China as you had to teach them to compete but the culture of Great Britain will make it easier."
Maher has no qualms about being an Australian in charge of a British team and can count on the full support of his wife Robyn, who played at six world championships for Oz.
But Maher still intends to immerse himself in British culture while based in the UK and has been busy swotting up on the nation's history.
"I bought a couple of books," said Maher, who visited Edinburgh castle earlier this month.
"I am a bit of history buff.
"I bought a book recently on the origins of the kings of England and it is really good.
"I tried to learn a bit about China but the books about that country were translated and the translations were so bad."