Pierre Vincent has enjoyed plenty of highs this season with Bourges but he suffered a couple of lows at the EuroLeague Women Final Four.

The French giants, who rebounded from a 1-4 start to finish second in their Qualifying Round Group before sweeping both MKB Euroleasing and Fenerbahce in the play-offs, suffered an overtime defeat to hosts Gambrinus and then lost to a buzzer-beating three-ball by Caroline Aubert of UMMC Ekaterinburg in the third-place game.

Looking forward is Vincent's motto, though.

And that's why Bourges, the title favourites in France, are likely to bounce back.

It's also why he was a perfect person to install as the new coach of the French women's team that last summer failed to reach the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and must instead take part in EuroBasket Division A games.

"I don't want to think about the past," Vincent said.

"The past is the past. We have to make now a new team and think about the future. We have to build a new team, a new way of playing and a new identity.

"We are a new team, at the beginning of a new adventure and we start from zero."

Vincent has not arrived to the top of coaching profession in Europe by mistake. He applied himself in France, and also learned from others.

"I was really interested by the way of playing of Ettore Messina when he was coaching in Italy and the national team," Vincent said.

The Italian Messina, who currently leads CSKA Moscow, is considered by many to be the best coach in Europe.

"I looked at his style, the evolution of his style and I've read some of his articles."

Vincent's France will take on Romania, Slovakia, Croatia and Hungary this summer. None of those sides can be taken lightly.

Slovakia, for example, has Gambrinus Brno sensation Zuzana Zirkova, a player who had 28 points against Bourges in their overtime win.

"It's a big challenge, but I'm really honoured," Vincent said.

"It's a big responsibility for me. I think it will be difficult. We respect these types of teams. We saw (Zuzana) Zirkova, for example. We know that it will be difficult, but it will be exciting as well."