SAITAMA, Japan Aug 27 - China's high hopes for its basketball team ahead of hosting the 2008 Olympics took a hit on Sunday, as the team was humbled 95-64 by Greece in the world championship.

Asian champions China, the youngest team in the tournament's second round, had hoped for success in Japan as a jump start to medalling at the Beijing Games.

"The team needs experience, we need more games like today," said head coach Jonas Kazlauskas. "It should be good for the team to go to Europe and play against a European-style defense."

The Chinese squad finished with a 2-6 record and only made it to the best 16 when a last second three-point shot beat Slovenia.

On Sunday against Greece, a 12-point early Chinese turned into a 30-point rout in the second half when they could not handle the Greek pressure.

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming came into the game with the best scoring average among all world championship players, but finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.

The 2.26-metre NBA All-Star showed no lingering impact from a broken foot suffered in April, but the team had no answer for the undefeated Greek side.

"For sure we will become more mature, especially by playing against the pressure defense at the Greek team's level," said Zhu Fangyu, who finished with 12 points.

"In the future if we can play more games like this, it will help us to have more experience."

After finishing eighth at the Athens Olympics, China wants to medal at home and head coach Kazlauskas said prospects remained bright.

"It's not like we have nothing, we have a lot of young talented players," he said. "This (result) is really important for the Olympic Games."