Pan-Am Games

Team USA Places Fifth, Finishing at 3-2

2007-07-31T09:09:00.000-07:00

Despite losing its first two games, Team USA rallied to win its final three contests. The Americans avenged their earlier loss to Panama, defeating Danilo Pinnock's squad 77-74. Pinnock lit up Team USA for 23 in their first meeting, which knocked the Americans out of contention for the medal round. For more info, check out CSTV.com
http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stories/072907aab.html

Team USA Loses Opener

2007-07-26T06:41:00.001-07:00

In their opening round matchup yesterday, Team USA fell 81-72 to Uruguay.

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=2949534

Also check out this article from ESPN's Fran Fraschilla on the biggest names taking the floor for some other nations in Pan-Am Games XV.

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/insider/columns/story?columnist=fraschilla_fran&id=2947767&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncb%2finsider%2fcolumns%2fstory%3fcolumnist%3dfraschilla_fran%26id%3d2947767

Team USA Heads to D.C.

2007-07-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

Team USA capped a scintillating week at the Gooding Arena last night with the same robust display of hard-nosed American basketball that we’ve learned to expect from them. The local mercenaries came back for a third consecutive night, but left looking more like Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s sparring partner than Executive Outcomes. G/F Shan Foster delivered haymakers in groves, knocking down eight three’s in less than thirty minutes of action. He and PF D.J. White combined as a formidable 1-2 punch on offense. When the D stretched to account for Foster’s hot hand, White assaulted Jason Fraser with an array of hook shots and drop steps inside. D.J.’s hook is a throw-back to an earlier era with a contemporary influence. Both the traditional sky hook and White’s “power hook” are released with one hand with the off-arm pointed directly at the basket. The sky hook circa 1976 was a finesse shot, taken from a slight running start. But White doesn’t need the momentum or the leg kick often associated with the move to pour in his points. By dropping his beefy shoulder into his defender’s chest, he adds a powerful component to the high release point in order to hit this shot from the low post.

In addition to this offensive barrage, Coach Wright’s 1-2-2 full court press sapped the energy and the shot clock from the visitors. Unlike many other trapping presses, this one is not designed to steal passes. Instead, it forces teams to patiently bring the ball up the floor and thus milks the shot clock from a full 24 seconds to around 12-14 seconds for a half-court possession. During yesterday’s run, twelve seconds of boisterous defense routinely forced low-percentage shots. The zone press paid even greater dividends for the Team USA big men, as they reaped the benefits of the work sowed by the guards at the front end of the press. The big men largely sat back and waited for the ball to traverse half-court before “jumping up” into Jay Wright’s “ball-you-man” lockdown D. Hopefully this can buy minutes for bigs like C Roy Hibbert, who slows down considerably as the game wears on.

As last night’s run wore on and the final minutes of USA Basketball in the Gooding Arena came to a close, the Duke dagger gave the crowd one last thing to cheer about. In a tie game with under five seconds to play, PG Eric Maynor took two dribbles and elevated for a shot from nineteen feet. Forget the guy draped all over him, he kissed his J off the glass and in for the win. What is all that Cris Carter did? Catch touchdowns. What is all that Eric Maynor does? Beat buzzers.

To fully celebrate the week that was, we wanted to recap some of the week’s “best of…”

Best Crossover

Eric Maynor – Maynor’s steady, composed pace makes this move all the more dangerous. It should be classified in the same genus as Timmy Hardaway’s ‘killer cross,’ which has claimed many an NBA ankle brace with two weight-shifting dribbles. Maynor also pounds the rock twice, but prefers to cross twice in front of his body as opposed to Hardaway’s between-the-legs bounce before snapping the ball forward across his body. Last Thursday, G DeMarcus Nelson felt the pangs of Maynor’s deke firsthand. Maynor went right-left-right, but Nelson couldn’t stay with him for the second move to the right. He stumbled to the side, bracing his fall as Maynor sped up the floor.

Block of the Week

DeMarcus Nelson – Before Maynor’s crossover or Nelson’s injury, DeMarcus stamped his mark on the Trials with a ridiculous weak-side stuff of big man PF Richard Hendrix. Hendrix swatted a shot in the lane, and then was rewarded for running the floor with a bounce pass and a clean look at the rim. Poised to dunk mid-elevation, Nelson flew in to get his entire hand on the rock and toss it out of bounds.

Dunk of the Week

Shan Foster – On Tuesday night, Foster started his burn with a facial on Jason Fraser. Foster filled the lane and caught a pass right before springing up and posterizing Fraser. Thankfully, Haverford’s Dorothy Labe provided proof of the flush. (Also make sure to click on the picture so you can see PF Joey Dorsey's smile. He appreciates a man’s dunk.)

(Foster, #33, hanging on over #20, Fraser, who still looks stunned)

Most Ridiculous Shot

Roy Hibbert – Hibbert edges Shan Foster’s fadeaway buzzer-beater with two guys in his face and Derrick Low’s step through three-pointer off a head fake with time expiring. Yesterday, Hibbert couldn’t get to an offensive rebound careening off the left side of the rim. The 7-footer swam over the top of his defender, giving him enough time to get a hand on the ball. He smacked it with his big left paw up into the air like an underhanded volleyball serve. It bounced off the glass and fell right in.

Team USA travels to the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. for a couple of days before heading to Rio. Game One versus Uruguay is on July 25th.

The Usual Suspects

2007-07-18T11:07:00.001-07:00

The twelve survivors of the Pan-Am Trials played together last night for the first time without the Grim Reaper of roster cuts hanging over their heads. The operative word here is together. When the right amalgam of players were on the floor at the same time, Team

USA

torched the visiting Philly area pro’s and former college stars. The combination of PG Eric Maynor, PG Drew Neitzel, SG Wayne Ellington, PF D.J. White and PF Joey Dorsey obliterated the opposition 26-5 on one particular run. Though this lineup seems small with both Neitzel and Maynor in at the same time, size was not a question. Joey Dorsey’s Evander Holyfield-esque shoulders could compensate for a perceived lack of size anyway.

Neitzel is the key to this puzzle as the ultimate combo guard. He can bring the ball up the floor without getting his pocket picked. Some Team USA guards struggled to get the ball over half-court with the smothering defense of the LA Clipper guard Dawan Robinson and even worse, former Bonnie Marques Green. Green, a 5’5’’ pigeon-toed ball hawk, might have ten steals in two days – just from taking the cookies of ball handlers in the backcourt. However, Neitzel blew by him on a number of occasions. “The key is not to dance with the ball, just make a quick move and try to get by him – keep him on his heels.” Neitzel has the verve to handle both the physical pressure of someone like Green and the mental pressure of a big stage. “Going up in the Big Ten you see those kind of guys night in and night out,” said Neitzel. “There are some great defenders in that league. My own teammates, I go up against Travis Walton another point guard who is one of the best defenders if not the best in our conference.”

(Neitzel, #6, staying with the incredibly quick Marques Green)

While he and Maynor assisted each other in breaking the press, Neitzel moved to the two and Maynor to the point when Team USA ran their half-court set. “I think they’re gonna have me play both – you know, combo guard. When I’m out there with Eric [Maynor] or somebody, I play the two a bit – kinda look for my shot more,” said Neitzel. “But I’m still a combo guard even at the point. I’m gonna distribute but still do some scoring,” he added. It's no surprise that he looked incredibly comfortable pulling the trigger - coming into the Trials he was the second leading scorer only to Tennessee's Chris Lofton. Let’s not forget Neitzel's sophomore season though: when MSU had some legit scorers to bode, he averaged nearly six assists per outing. Within a four minute span he found Ellington for two of three triples, hit G/F Shan Foster for another three and put the exclamation point on with one of his own. “It’s fun when you play with such talented guys as these guys who can knock down the open shot and make plays,” said Neitzel.

(Neitzel, #6, drilling a leaner from the elbow)

The question we asked yesterday after G/F Bryce Taylor and SG Josh Carter were cut was whether Team USA could defend at a level suitable to Coach Wright's demands when giving up size to bigger guards. The answer is simply yes. Save for C Roy Hibbert, everyone on the floor takes Coach Wright’s “chesting the dribble” technique to heart. Both Ellington and SG Derrick Low forced bigger opponents into taking off-balanced leaners even when they had the edge in transition.

Another tenet of Team USA defense is switching on screens. As one would imagine, it’s not advantageous for D.J. White to try to stop Dawan Robinson on the perimeter. It’s even worse when Neitzel is caught in the paint on Jason Fraser. Neitzel threw his body in front of the 6’9’’ big-man and drove his legs back to box out even though no shot had been taken. We love this about Neitzel – he embodies Wright’s “don’t give them a darn thing” mentality. “Just fight – fight for your life,” said the MSU guard about his approach to stopping players who are almost a foot taller. “You gotta do whatever it takes – bite, scratch, claw, do whatever it takes to get him outta there. If you gotta push him, whatever it takes, worst case you get a foul – it’s not the end of the world. You just don’t wanna give up an offensive rebound or let him catch the ball in there – just make him work for it.” He is a winner.

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Some notes: NBA 50 Great Billy Cunningham sat courtside last night, watching Wayne Ellington dismantle the opposition as the Kangaroo Kid’s former 76ers standout Andrew Toney routinely did against the Celtics. Cunningham shook hands with Memphis head coach John Calipari before exiting. Calipari presumably attended to support his starting center and our pick as the next human-highlight reel, Joey Dorsey. Also in attendance was ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla.

SG Derrick Low’s pump fake is so good he could deke you out of your chair right now. He sent Jason Fraser flying from the corner of the court to the laps of NBA scouts on the sideline. He finished that possession by taking two dribbles and kissing a leaner in off the glass. His Washington State teammate G/F Kyle Weaver excels on the other side of the floor. He is the consensus best perimeter defender on the team. However, his game falters with the ball. He stuffed a much bigger opponent within feet of the basket, only to rush the ball up the floor and throw an errant pass to D.J. White in the lane – it was a microcosm for his game. Check out this article the real Andy Katz wrote about these two Cougars.

ESPN Deportes will carry 160 hours of coverage of the Pan-Am Games. Some websites note that ESPN or ESPN2 will air the semi-finals and finals of the basketball event even though ESPN’s TV listings do not indicate that they will televise the Games anywhere but Deportes.

Final Roster Announced

2007-07-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly, the last two cuts from the Pan-American Games XV roster were two of their better shooting wings. G/F Bryce Taylor and SG Josh Carter were the last two to be sent home from the six day Trial. Along with the announcement, Coach Wright justified the coaches' decision to dismiss Taylor and Carter, who showcased some impressive skills in the Gooding Arena. "This was difficult of a decision as any I've been involved with in USA Basketball. Every kid here could play on this team and we would be happy to take them to Brazil. We just had to decide do we want to play with some extra guards and some extra bigs and maybe not as many wings, and that's really what it came to," stated Wright.

Carter never really got into a groove from downtown despite his reputation as a long-distance shooter. Without his shot falling, Carter slipped into invisibility. Though the other facets of his game were strong, he doesn’t stack up against other lanky guard/forwards on D. G/F Kyle Weaver’s lock-down defense solidified his position on the roster over Carter. The rising junior will have plenty of opportunities to build on this Trial and the success he’s already had with international basketball. Carter hit a three-pointer with 6 seconds left to defeat the Chinese Taipei 86-83 at the William Jones Cup representing the US on an “Athletes in Action” delegation.

However, the real surprise is the cut of Bryce Taylor. He’s scary athletic, which translates into terrific on-ball defense and game-breaking potential in transition. If his Oregon teammate F Maarty Leunen hadn’t burned through the nets during last night’s scrimmage, Taylor might still have a spot on the roster.

The cuts of two rangy and athletic guards beg one major concern: can Team USA’s host of small guards lock down their international opponents on defense? PG Drew Neitzel, PG Scottie Reynolds, PG Eric Maynor and SG Derrick Low are all 6’2’’ and under. Our guess is that the outstanding play of SG Wayne Ellington (6’4’’, 195 lbs.) has made the presence of too many other wings moot. He and Derrick Low will combine as a vicious 1-2 punch of accurate shooting and disciplined "chesting the ball" defense.

“I think it has been difficult for everybody on the team and even the coaching staff to really, really think like a team because we were all so concerned with the cuts,” said Wright. We became close, but everybody kind of felt like they had one foot out the door. Now I think everybody will feel ‘alright we’re in this’ and now we’re going to go down there as a team, as a family, and were going to start building that now. We’ve got to learn who is going to play what spots, who’s going to have what roles, and I think it will move quickly now that we know who the squad is.”

The final roster is thus:

- Roy Hibbert

- Drew Neitzel

- Scottie Reynolds

- Wayne Ellington

- Kyle Weaver

- Maarty Leunen

- James Gist

- Joey Dorsey

- D.J. White

- Shan Foster

- Eric Maynor

- Derrick Low

Pan-Am'sters versus Philly's Best

2007-07-16T18:13:00.000-07:00

We were just a bit off with the expected competition. Roy Williams and Gerald Henderson were MIA. Instead, the gym was packed with Philly-area hoopsters who have serious basketball pedigrees. DaJuan Wagner, the Camden native best known for his 100 point performance in a high school game, pulled his trigger whenever and wherever possible. Wagner has only recently recovered from surgery in 2005, in which his entire colon was removed as a result of “ulcerative colitis”. Villanova’s Chris Charles, former Chicago Bulls forward Malik Allen, former ‘Nova star Jason Fraser and former Friends Central standout, then Syracuse Orangeman and current Memphis Grizzly Hakim Warrick played along the front lines for the visiting squad. Rick Brunson donned some Temple gear to give the appearance that he could still run with the young’uns despite being the elder statesman at 35 years of age. In addition to Wagner, the backcourt was comprised of former URI Ram and current LA Clipper Dawan Robinson and Norristown native, former St. Bonaventure Bonnie Marques Green. Green is listed at 5’7’’, 170 lbs. on the Bonnies webpage, but he’s closer to 5’5’’ 150 lbs.

But the man with the biggest impact on the game of basketball wasn’t on the floor. Pan-Am Games IX alum and 1985 Villanova National Champion Ed Pinckney hobbled around Gooding Arena, hoping to transfer his gold medal vibes from his run with MJ and the ’83 championship team to this squad.

With Pinckney courtside, Team USA got off to a fiery start. They went up 18-6 on the shoulders of their shooters. PG Drew Neitzel got the ball rolling in response to tremendous defense by Dawan Robinson. Neitzel ran Robinson into a solid screen from C Roy Hibbert and then banged a three from about 23 feet. G/F Bryce Taylor stuck another 3 in from the corner off a two-pass swing. PG Scottie Reynolds followed that up by raising the bar from this morning’s POM honor to attain POD status (Player of the Day). The defense sagged at the top of the key and Reynolds knocked a triple down off the back of the rim. When the visitors defense went from aggressive to red-alert, Reynolds didn’t look fazed for a second. Some other Team USA players appeared flustered for a couple possessions, but Reynolds' instinctive moxie enabled him to shoot right through a defender's harassment. He capped a great day with a bomb three-pointer later on, ranging back around 25 feet.

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Despite some defensive growing pains, Team USA managed to break through some of the old heavy-handed habits. G/F Kyle Weaver’s hands were active – not zealous when in the paint with other bodies. He picked some passes and stripped guys going up for shots before getting what appeared to be a knee to his quad, which required some icing after practice.

While the visitors seemed heavy-footed at times, the Pan-Am’sters took advantage of their youth and athleticism to spring ahead. On successive possessions, PF Joey Dorsey went aerial for a right-handed version of Desmond Mason’s 2001 left-handed pull-back slam (about 2 minutes in to this video), which was one-upped by F James Gist’s two-handed rock-the-body dunk. Gist should patent this dunk, which is a carbon-copy of his slam from today. “Whenever me and Dorsey’s on the court it’s gonna’ be a highlight. When you get big men running the floor with the guards, a lot of production is gonna’ come outta that,” said the Maryland high-flyer.

(Gist, #20, hanging around the rim)

The anti-Dorsey – only in his shot selection – F Maarty Leunen had a breakout performance. He’s flown under the radar until today. He banged long-range jumpers in groves, feasting on swing passes that caused the defense to be late getting over. “I know I’m not one of the most athletic guys so I gotta stick to my strengths – shooting the ball,” said Leunen. Referencing a smart decision to stick a jumpshot on a 3-on-2 fast break, he said: “I’ll take the uncontested shot rather than go up against the big guys and try to be more athletic than them.”

(Leunen, #37, hitting a jumpshot during Sunday's practice)

With something on the line, even if it was just pride, he was a reliable option for Team USA. “It definitely helps just playing against higher competition because we don’t always get this back in Oregon. So for everybody to come out and try to play their best always raises the level of competition and how everybody plays,” said Leunen. His style of play fits pretty well in the international game given his proclivity for fundamental basketball. He also has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, collecting more offensive rebounds than one would imagine.

We saw more of the same from SG Wayne Ellington, who was nothing short of spectacular today. SG Derrick Low threaded the needle through the paint to find Ellington cutting to the rim. The UNC standout went off for nine straight points including that lay-up. Two 15-18 footers fell, which he then followed with a three. It seems as though nothing stops him from getting off that smooth, perfectly-rotating shot.

We appreciated a comment we received from Bryce Taylor’s father, Brian Taylor this weekend. The elder Taylor has a very impressive basketball resume, including a team-high 13.3 points per game during the 1971 Pan-American Games alongside Bob McAdoo and Paul Westphal. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention his two ABA Championships with the Nets. Despite such hardware, the younger Taylor is still convinced that he could take his dad in one-on-one today, noting that his old man has taken a reprieve from the game for about five years.

Big Things Poppin' (Later Tonight)

2007-07-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

There wasn’t too much burn this morning, as Coach Wright and his staff dissected the team’s defensive approach for the majority of the two hours. But there’s always a method to the madness with Wright. Rumors are that during the second chapter of today’s double session, Team USA will run against some local players including Duke’s Gerald Henderson and Villanova alum Jason Fraser. We also expect to see UNC Coach Roy Williams in attendance to support his stud shooting guard, Wayne Ellington.

Even with the limited action, Ellington gave the crowd something to ogle. During warm-ups, he and SG Derrick Low traded shots at the same basket. Wayne was ridiculous, stroking twenty-one consecutive jumpers from elbow to elbow. Low held up his end too, knocking down nine in a row. Plain and simple, these guys are good.

(Ellington is poised to start at the 2 in Rio)

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However, POM honors (Player of the Morning) go to PG Scottie Reynolds. As the only player familiar with the Jay Wright experience, Reynolds didn’t seem disturbed by his interjections. While most everyone else struggled to get into some sort of flow, Scottie’s game (and his mouth) were off and running. After yesterday’s half-court hedge from C Roy Hibbert on Reynolds, the little-man knifed in between the 7-footer and another defender to break into the lane for a pretty leaner when the same situation arose.

(Scottie Reynolds, left, a guy who rarely looks flustered)

PG Drew Neitzel gave the usual gritty performance in the AM. He hit a long three from the wing with a man in his face to put his team up. On the other side of the ball, he got caught on a screen and switched over to guard PF Joey Dorsey on the block. As any guard should have in that situation, Neitzel put his body in front of Dorsey’s and wrapped both of his arms behind to hold the big fella and prevent him from getting position. Two possessions later, he went back on the offensive, zipping a pass to G/F Kyle Weaver at the rim, who then dropped it back to PF D.J. White for a monstrous slam. G/F Bryce Taylor made the whole thing possible by diving on the floor for a loose ball.

Dorsey is making a push to surpass PG Eric Maynor as our favorite player at the Trials. While everyone on the floor keeps a straight face when Coach Wright speaks, Dorsey is all smiles. Going through the motions on an out-of-bounds play, Wright told Dorsey that if he catches the ball at the elbow, he sure as heck doesn’t want Dorsey taking that shot. The big man laughed and made the crowd into his audience, joking that “He’s killin’ my confidence man!” Minutes later Dorsey caught a pass at the elbow with 2.4 seconds to play in a tie game. He took the shot. Wright was mad – but only for a minute, as he couldn’t stay angry with the forward.

Practice is closed tonight - which means that we can expect some serious scrimmaging. Remember, the roster still needs to be trimmed from 14 to 12. We'll be back later with updates on the possible cuts and more.

Attitude Adjustment

2007-07-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

Without sixteen of the original thirty players at the Trials, the already spacious Gooding Arena looked a whole lot less crowded this afternoon. The remaining fourteen made it through three days of grueling practices and furious competition, and can now look forward to the real challenge – winning it all. Coach Wright dictated the tempo of today’s practice, teaching the subtleties of the “Quick” offense (a high ball screen from a post player for a pick and roll or three-pointer from a “replacing” wing) and preaching the ethos of USA basketball: not giving the opponent a darn thing. He villainized the competition down “there,” telling the players how “they” run certain plays, implying a certain subversive intent. He drew upon the conventional perception of American basketball players as unable to shoot and defensively lazy, mobilizing his players to dig deeper and drive their bodies beyond the frenetic pace which has characterized the Trials so far.

(Wright speaking with Boeheim after last night's Trials concluded)

The Arena buzzed all afternoon with commendation for Wright’s coaching. I've never seen someone communicate a mentality to his players like Wright. He gave the fourteen guys on the floor an identity, one inextricably linked to a tough, defensive-minded attitude bent on flawlessness. He doesn't raise his voice when mistakes happen; he simply said that he doesn't want the "bullshit" and shows everyone how to do things the right way. Wright ran the floor with the players during a modified five-on-five, stopping play to reinforce the “ball-you-man” approach of off-ball defense. He also talked about “chesting the dribble” and “reading your man’s chest” because “international referees protect the shooter.” G/F Bryce Taylor worked as his dummy for the lesson, moving his feet quickly as PG Eric Maynor played the role of the devious international player. Wright emphasized that if Maynor were one of “them,” he would lead his dribble with his shoulder and try to jump into the American defender. Taylor had to resist the urge of the stereotypical U.S. player to “get up and punch shots,” as Wright put it. He defended Maynor by keeping his chest directly in front of him with his hands up and pulling off of him when he tried to draw contact on his shot. Both Taylor and SG Josh Carter executed this technique immaculately throughout the day.

Carter’s on-ball, fire-blanket quality defense suffocated his opponents consistently. He brought Coach Wright’s teeth-gritting defensive attitude to life by keeping his chest on the ball-handler and staying at that very close proximity without using his hands or committing a foul. Carter also made two top plays: he lured G/F Kyle Weaver into sending the ball out to the wing, and picked it once he did; minutes later he closed out and blocked a jumpshooter in the corner. After last night’s practice, Carter noted that “this weekend hasn’t been great for me shooting, but hopefully I did some other stuff so I’ll make the team.” Today’s D could have protected his spot when the roster is trimmed from 14 to 12.

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Some other notes from today’s practice: On two occasions, 7-footer C Roy Hibbert hedged on a screen at the top of the key, shuffling with PG Scottie Reynolds all the way to half court. Watching Hibb hustle back to his man in the post was a beautiful thing.

Thankfully, the shooting woes have curtailed. SG Wayne Ellington swooshed a three on a catch-and-shoot. On the other side of the floor, Kyle Weaver caught the fire, followed by a Josh Carter 3 and then a fourth successive longball from Bryce Taylor.

F James Gist played his way onto this team with freakish athleticism and a serviceable jumper. He sprung off the baseline for a two-handed slam in which both of his hands were around the top of the square on the backboard. Later, he came down the floor and followed an Eric Maynor miss with a rim-rocking tip-dunk. As with PF Joey Dorsey, these plays are the ones etched into our memories and make it easy to forget the turnarounds he hit from the high post.

Bryce Taylor continues to impress on both sides of the floor. Georgetown Assistant Coach and Haverford alum Robert Burke ’88 recalled Taylor’s performance against the Hoyas last season: “Bryce Taylor might be a better defender than people realize. He guarded Jeff Green at points and can stack up against opponents at number of different positions. He’s a really talented guy that a lot of people on the East Coast don’t know about.”

14-Man Roster Announced

2007-07-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

The roster has been announced:

Roy Hibbert

Drew Neitzel

Joey Dorsey

Wayne Ellington

Scottie Reynolds

Bryce Taylor

Josh Carter

Shan Foster

D.J. White

Derrick Low

James Gist

Maarty Leunen

Kyle Weaver

And… our boy Eric Maynor!

We’re ecstatic that Maynor made the team, and if he hadn’t, he would have headlined the list of snubs. He nabbed PG Mario Chalmers’ spot even though the Alaska native had a really solid Trial. Maynor seems to always be in the right place on the floor, whether it’s running down long rebounds or stepping in to jumpshots from a big man’s kick-out pass. The stoic VCU Ram coach Anthony Grant is jumping up and down like a little girl right now.

Some really good players were left off the list for two huge surprises. F Maarty Leunen played his behind off, but lacked the athleticism to hang with many of the big men. While he stroked his jumper when he was open, he didn’t create too many openings.

Just as we expected one Duck to make it – and for that to be Bryce Taylor – we expected only one Washington State Cougar to make it. But G Kyle Weaver will join SG Derrick Low on the 14-man roster. Weaver didn’t stand out to the naked eye, but maybe that’s why the selection committee liked him. He plays under control and makes the smart play over the riskier possible highlight, possible turnover.

We’ll catch up with the rest of the info on the cut after the newly molded roster practices noon to 3.

The Last Episode

2007-07-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

When the Trials convened, Coach Jay Wright established that he did not want battles for spots on the roster to overshadow battles for playing time. “It’s better for us to see some practice now thinking about what type of team we’re going to be and how we’re going to play rather than practice and after it think about who’s going to make the team,” noted Wright after tonight’s session. Frankly, it appeared that Wright’s message was very clear to both the media and the players. Tonight’s concluding episode of the Pan-Am tryouts looked a whole lot like a start to the next chapter. A group of players have established themselves as a cut above the rest in their individual play and most importantly, their cooperation with the other players who are headed to Rio. Thus when the Tommy T look-alike, Jim Boeheim, pensively sat and watched for the last time, his decisions were basically already made for him – between those who synched with their teammates and those who were still trying to locate their own game.

(Doesn't Boeheim, center in reddish shirt, have that Quaker look?)

SG Derrick Low jived with everyone on the floor. Whether it was PG Sherron Collins finding him spotting up on the break or getting the ball on a kick-out from any number of big men, Low was the reliable shooter this team has been looking for. With time expiring, PG Eric Maynor took one dribble off of a screen to the top of the key, and looking like he was about to rain in the same shot that he beat Duke on, he ‘ooped it to PF Richard Hendrix for the flush. But Maynor left too much time on the clock. In less than the five seconds on the clock, the blue squad inbounded to Low who pumped SF Tasmin Mitchell into the seats before stepping through and draining the game-winning 3 à la G Gerry McNamara.

The other standout two-guard, Wayne Ellington, consistently brings the best out in his teammates by freeing himself from defenders on quick cuts. G/F Bryce Taylor fed him on a backdoor cut for an And 1 reverse lay-in. He manages to get almost two full steps of separation from defenders when coming off of baseline V-cuts.

(Ellington splitting two defenders for an aerial lay-in)

After Taylor found Ellington on a number of occasions, he came back in his next shift as the beneficiary of PG Scottie Reynolds’s dishes. They started their run with a give-and-go BT 3-ball. Reynolds has been the most vocal man on the floor since the moment everyone walked in the doors of the Gardner Center. He let out a solid “uuhhh” when Bryce drilled that three. Reynolds also has some great nicknames for his teammates. He abbreviates PG Mario Chalmers’ name to “Rio,” which I initially thought he called him because he was destined to make the team. He calls Wayne Ellington “Weave”. Not sure what that one’s all about.

The bell tolls for fourteen to live until tomorrow’s announcement.

Judgment Day AM Notes

2007-07-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

G/F Bryce Taylor rattled off seven straight points during the first scrimmage of the day. He may have solidified a spot for himself in demonstrating the one thing lacking from his game: consistency. He swooshed a couple three’s, and when defenders closed out on him, he drove baseline and dunked convincingly with two hands.

The torrid pace of the scrimmages really helps to showcase the athleticism of these players. Taylor, F James Gist and PF Joey Dorsey get off the ground with such quickness that help defense can’t get over in time to contest their dunks.

(Dorsey, #28, climbing the ladder once...)

Dorsey is positively the most electric player out there. While many other players soar into the air for the strong but plain two-handed dunk, Dorsey takes pride in abusing the rim. His dunk of the day was a double-pump that he threw down behind his head. The guy leaves nothing to be desired.

(JD swatting our boy, #10 Eric Maynor)

But frankly, Dorsey's showmanship might work against him at times, causing coaches and scouts to overlook his fundamentally solid post moves. He nabbed one from the Big Fundamental (Tim Duncan) today when he faced the basket off the low block, stepped through and spun PF Jon Brockman to clear space for an easy reverse lay-in.

PG Sherron Collins is officially the fastest person on the floor. For everyone who played Sega Genesis, Collins actually looks like Sonic the Hedgehog when he takes off in transition. His legs are a total blur underneath his stocky frame, and once he gets going, he shoots up the floor.

Our support of PG Eric Maynor’s campaign to make the team has probably reached the point where it’s foolish to even try to look impartial. He wowed the crowd a couple of times last night with accurate bullet-passes to cutters in the lane. However, it’s implausible to say that he could beat out PG Drew Neitzel, PG Mario Chalmers or PG Scottie Reynolds for a job at the point. Neitzel might be the sneakiest passer of them all. He lies through his body language, squaring up to a teammate on the wing only to throw a bounce pass to someone cutting on the baseline.

While SG Chris Lofton continues to be a disappointment, SF Tasmin Mitchell and SG Josh Carter made late pushes for their cause. They passed well with C Roy Hibbert around the basket and both played smartly when guarded by either slower, bigger opponents or by the smaller and quicker guys. Mitchell went after PF Maarty Leunen on consecutive trips down the floor, knocking down a J and then shimmying with his back to the basket before throwing in a baby hook.

(Mitchell, #12, hits a fadeaway from the corner over Oregon's Maarty Leunen #37)

Josh Carter’s really smooth stroke begs comparison to the former LA Laker, Jamal Wilkes. In addition to having wonky release points, both guys can unpredictably score a deluge of points. A four-time NBA Champion, Wilkes was known as someone who could catch fire and drop 30 on a given night. Likewise, Carter sunk eight 3’s against Nebraska earlier this year as part of a 26-point game. Cornhusker coach Doc Sadler said after, “How the heck do you let Josh Carter get eight 3’s? That’s ridiculous!”

This is likely the last time all the attendees will be on the floor together. We’re not sure whether the roster is going to 16 or 12, but if you’re looking for predictions, here are 14 guys who we think will survive to tomorrow:

Roy Hibbert, Drew Neitzel, Mario Chalmers, Scottie Reynolds, Wayne Ellington, Derrick Low, Josh Carter, Tasmin Mitchell, Bryce Taylor, Shan Foster, Brandon Costner, Joey Dorsey, D.J. White, Eric Devendorf

Special thanks to Haverford’s own Dorothy Labe for these great action shots.

Five Good Minutes with Shan Foster

2007-07-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

(Foster, #33, going hard to the hoop)

The amiable small forward took some time after this morning’s practice to sit down and discuss the Trials, Vandy basketball and his former POY teammate Derrick Byars.

While he hasn’t attained masterlock status like PG Drew Neitzel and C Roy Hibbert, Foster is a real possibility to play the three. Oregon SG/SF Bryce Taylor, NC State SF Brandon Costner and LSU SF Tasmin Mitchell are competing with him for the committee’s love.

“I just think I gotta keep doing what I’m doing, you know. Just making sure that I’m shooting the ball – and probably taking care of the ball a little bit more,” said Foster about his chances. “But really it’s about shooting the ball and continuing to show that I can shoot it while also playing good defense.”

Shooting is one thing Foster has done plenty of in two and a half days. His trigger-happy mentality is indigenous to VU Commodore basketball. 2006-2007 SEC Player of the Year and teammate Derrick Byars combined with Foster to attempt almost 900 field goals last year. That’s almost 26 field goals per game just from this pair who both qualify as guard/forward hybrids. “We pretty much play the same position, me and Derrick,” said Shan (pronounced Shane). “Derrick is probably more versatile than I am in that he can play the 1 through 4. But for the most part we both go out there on the wing and do the best we can.”

After drilling a three from the wing, Foster came back on the next possession to the same area of the floor with time running low. As the clock ticked down under ten seconds, he elevated higher than the two defenders in his face to sink a buzzer-beating 3. “I was just trying to get an angle to get my shot off,” Foster noted. He matter-of-factly added, “if I get it off, I have a shot at making it.” It was the shot of the day.

Beyond that highlight fadeaway three, his jumper has stood out from the rest of the field since arriving for both its success rate and its appearance. When shooting, Foster springs off the floor and cocks his wrist back, letting the ball float out of his hand high into the air. He attributes the rain-making, slightly awkward high arch to his basketball upbringing. “I played center all the way up until I got to Vanderbilt. When I got to Vandy it was my first time really playing guard. I had a lot to learn – still working on ball handling, things of that sort, trying to do the best I can and really be a guard.”

Foster has one more opportunity to prove his full array of skills when the Trials resume at 5 PM, and maybe only one more chance to play with so many other talented guys. When asked who he’d like to transport with him back to Vandy, Foster mentioned Neitzel, PG Mario Chalmers and PF D.J. White. “D.J. White! Wooo – if I could play with D.J. life would be wonderful.”

(Foster after last night's practice sporting the ice bags on both knees)

Waking up from the Nightmare on Elm Street: Day Two PM

2007-07-13T21:07:00.001-07:00

As fate would have it, Friday the 13^th was a crazy day of basketball in the Gooding Arena. The morning session was Freddie Krueger ugly. Both Jonathan Tannenwald of Soft Pretzel Logic and Dick Weiss echoed our concerns about the level of play in their respective blogs. But when the Pan-Am’sters came back at 5 PM for round two, they salvaged the day. Like the end to any nightmare, somebody woke up. Three white team guards, PG Drew Neitzel, SG Eric Devendorf and SG Wayne Ellington were the first to stir. Right out of the gates, Neitzel hit a three off the dribble. Devendorf found Ellington on a back door cut for a reverse lay-up to set the Tar Heel guard off on a cascade of points. He drained a 12 footer from the baseline, followed it with another mid-range jumper and then put the white team on top comfortably with a spot-up three.

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Practice remained hotly contested from that point forward. SF Bryce Taylor dove head first after a loose ball at center court, only to be buried underneath a massive scrum. Coach Wright loved the energy, stepping onto the floor to join everyone on the bench who stood up in applause.

(Taylor's body was eventually excavated from the pile)

However, the competition for that possession was child’s play in comparison to the ongoing war for the roster spots of the guards. Ten guys are in the hunt, all vying to play the 1 and 2 – and determining the ones with the inside edge depends mostly on who you ask. During yesterday’s opening ceremonies and today’s morning chapter, the guards really seemed to be pressing. Washington State coach Tony Bennett remarked that it was clear just how hard everyone was trying. But their effort didn’t necessarily translate into points – that is, until tonight.

Ellington was the first to break out of the slumber, showing the coaches and scouts alike that he can blow by quicksanded defenders who do a better job watching his explosive first step than staying with it. But he doesn’t need to take the ball to the tin – he just separates and elevates for his smooth shot. Tonight’s performance probably seats him as the favorite two-guard.

However, Eric Devendorf can’t be too far behind. Ignoring his connection to selection committee head Jim Boeheim for just a moment, Devendorf garners respect from everyone in the arena for the manifestation of his attitude in his game. He truly embodies his David Ortiz beard and tattoo-covered arms. It’s not a chip on his shoulder, but an inherent toughness that drives him to seek the ball and respond whenever his man puts the ball in the basket on the other end. He and Big East rival PG Scottie Reynolds had a few heated trips when guarding each other, in which neither wanted to give the other any room to breathe. When Reynolds slinked off of him or didn’t make it back in time on a fast break, Devendorf buried a couple of baseline jumpers.

(Eric Devendorf looks like a G and plays like one too)

Of these ten guards – Ellington, Devendorf, Reynolds, PG Sherron Collins, PG Mario Chalmers, Neitzel, SG Derrick Low, SG Chris Lofton, SG Josh Carter and PG Eric Maynor, we were most impressed with Maynor, and he yet again concludes the night’s tip sheet. Pat yourself on the back if you called him a sleeper going in to the Trials. While Chalmers and Collins are the no-doubt two best guys to start a fast break, they didn’t have Maynor’s composure in transition or in a half-court set. His distribution was extraordinary; he hit PF Jon Brockman for an ‘oop, found the big man again for an open jumper and then set up Alonzo Gee for two three’s. Maynor even created assists where they had no business being. After his defender closed out on him, Maynor swung the ball to Jon Brockman, who despite being a career 0% three-point shooter, swooshed one from downtown.

Unfortunately, it looks like SG DeMarcus Nelson’s run is over. He has a serious wrap around his right wrist and thumb, which prohibited him from participating in today's second session. While we don’t have the official diagnosis yet, the words “4 to 6 weeks” came out of his mouth after the night cap.

We expect to see the roster trimmed to sixteen by Sunday and twelve shortly thereafter. If this fabled unlucky day is a sign of things to come, the discussions in the selection committee’s conference room may become as impassioned as the battles on the floor.

The Learning Curve: Day Two AM

2007-07-13T12:54:00.000-07:00

With a teacher like Jay Wright, the Haverford ethos of learning is prevalent throughout the Gooding Arena. And frankly, it seems as important as any cross-over or spin move. During one component of the streamlined practice, which runs like a Cadillac, Wright stopped play to preach the virtues of the 4-out, 1-in zone offense. He jumped all over big man C Roy Hibbert for not flashing to the block aggressively enough. After a couple of possessions back-and-forth in this five-on-five drill, Hibbert was knocked to the floor under his team’s basket. Wright was right there, goading the 7-footer on to get back up and run the floor. And when Hibb came streaking down the middle, Wright was about ten feet behind him, matching stride for stride. You couldn’t help but smile.

For many of the players, adjusting to Wright’s zone offense is definitely something that takes time and focus. “I’m just used to a different system and I’m trying to adjust to his system right now,” said Hibbert. “So I just want to make a quick adjustment – as quick as possible without him getting on me again. I’m happy that he’s getting on me, it’s good that he doesn’t ignore me,” he added. While the offense remains fairly simple, it still isn’t the norm in the NCAA. Most teams lack the overall size and quickness to run a zone defense, instead choosing to play man-to-man defense to increase pressure on the ball and also to get out on the fast break.

(Hibbert, #35 instead of his usual #55, getting ready to shoot a free throw on the Gooding Arena's main court)

With zone D as the prevailing philosophy in the international game, the Trials’ ball handlers haven’t had to demonstrate their ability to handle floor-slapping pressure. (They still manage to show highlight-material behind-the-back dribbles when moving through traffic in transition.) Instead, there is a premium on snappy ball-movement and dialing long-distance. Thus, Coach Wright implored his shooters to seize opportunities by catching and shooting. G Derrick Low did just that, and looked as good as any shooter during today’s first session. During one particular run with Hibbert, SG Chris Lofton, SG/SF Josh Carter and PF Jon Brockman, Low was the beneficiary of good inside-out ball movement for two quick-release jumpers. It seemed that these three guards were the first grouping to grasp Wright’s direction in beating the zone. “He wants to see, if you’re a shooter, to catch and shoot,” said Low about Coach Wright. “It’s kinda hard to do stuff at these Trials, because on one team you have three or four good perimeter shooters. So sometimes you just have to look to get them open and of course take your shot whenever you have one. Obviously don’t pass it up. Smaller adjustments you’ve got to make because you’re playing with a lot of talent here,” added the Hawaiian guard.

(Low, wearing #9 for the blue team, taking the ball to the tin)

As much as Wright infuses his squad with energy, shows them the motions of the offense and even sermonizes on the virtues of moving the ball, there are still aspects of this game for which he cannot prepare his team. Unless he employs David Blaine’s “finger magnets”, Wright won’t be able to teach his team how to dismantle a zone defense – simply because he can’t teach them how to shoot. The field goal woes improved over the course of this morning's practice, but Team USA needs more consistent strokes from its guards. SG/SF Shan Foster had an opportunity to make a very strong case for a spot on the roster after leading all scorers on day one, largely with jump shots. However, his high-arching rain-maker looked run of the mill this morning.

Coach Wright's zone-defeating precepts hinge on knocking down open looks. As long as the players become more comfortable with a spot-up mentality, the system will look a whole lot smoother and shots will start to fall.

Big Names, Bigger Bodies: Day One

2007-07-12T20:37:00.000-07:00

Day One of the Pan-Am XV Trials was all about the big men. The biggest names in sports journalism – ESPN’s senior college basketball writer Andy Katz, SI’s Seth Davis, and the Philadelphia Daily News’ Dick Jerardi mixed and mingled among the NBA scouts and college coaches, taking time to exchange pleasantries in between some serious dunks that could flush the color right off the official FIBA ball, which is so ugly it wouldn’t even be used as a “money ball” for a 3-point competition. The big men of the coaching universe worked the room, all wearing a different color-of-the-flag polo coded to match their role as a member of the selection committee or the coaching staff. Jay Wright and his coaching crew adorned white and briefly guided the players through a four-out, one-in zone offense before dividing the group up for shooting drills and then about an hour’s worth of scrimmages. Jim Boeheim, Ernie Kent (Oregon) and the blue shirts remained on the sidelines as spectators for most of the two hours. However, the biggest men in the arena drew the most attention, regardless of celebrity. With the international paint area lines taped on the floor of the Gooding Arena courts, there was extra space to see these huge bodies take to the sky.

Indiana PF D.J. White showed a number of weapons in his offensive arsenal, ranging from a powerful drop step to a classic sky hook. I don’t believe that he’s 6’9’’ 251 lbs. either. He looked just as beefy as PF Richard Hendrix, who is probably just under his listed weight of 265 lbs. During shooting drills, White consistently knocked down shots from fifteen feet. During a fast-break drill he gave his best Daryl Dawkins impression with a two-handed tomahawk monster jam. But White wasn’t even the consensus pick to click. Memphis PF Joey Dorsey was nearly unstoppable within ten feet of the basket. It would have been impossible to miss this guy. While nobody saw him attempt a shot from anywhere outside the paint, everyone did see him make C Roy Hibbert a total non-factor on the boards on a number of trips with tenacious box-outs. Dorsey also took advantage of the FIBA international rule that allows players to touch the basketball while it is on or above the cylinder. He almost leapfrogged an unsuspecting guard when he tip-dunked a SG Derrick Low missed leaner. Even the most composed journalists gave their neighbor a wide-eyed silent stare before continuing to check out the action.

(Dorsey stuffing an anonymous blue team player like an envelope)

PF Ahmad Nivins of St. Joe’s got some attention on a couple of freakish athletic plays. There was a visible rustle of papers along the sideline, in which everyone took another glance at their roster sheet. Who is number 38 again?

Another surprise was the play of C Roy Hibbert. Hibb was not the dominant auto-basket that most people expected on day one. At times, his feet looked like they were nailed into the floor. He finished a couple of baskets on nice interior passes from penetrating guards, but could not seem to get comfortable with his back to the basket. But the first day is not of great concern to anyone, including the head coach. Jay Wright commented after the scrimmages concluded that no impressions are set in stone after the first day. “You learn not to get too excited the first night,” said Wright. “Some guys don’t come in in great shape. Some guys flew across the country. There’s a lot of things. That’s why it’s good that we have five sessions – you really need that time,” he added.

Whether it’s from the big men or the guards, Team USA will need more than the big-bodied athleticism on display today. When asked about the key to competing on the international level, Wright noted one thing: skill. “Skill – you gotta have guys with skill all over the floor. They’re so good offensively it’s tough to just say we’re gonna go shut them down. You gotta be able to score with them.”

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Aside from Dorsey’s jam, the other highlight of the afternoon was a move PG Eric Maynor made on SG DeMarcus Nelson. Nelson shot off the ground on a number of occasions, nabbing offensive boards when he outleaped much bigger opponents. And he also needed to hop off the floor when Maynor hit him with a quick double cross-over in the backcourt. Nelson lost his balance when Maynor shifted back to his left and could only put his arm down to try to keep his balance.

Despite adding two invitees to the Trials, USA Basketball was not allowed to bring Dominic James and Sean Singletary into the fold. These late additions were not on the original submission to the overarching Pan-American body. Thus, we’re back at thirty players.

More to come tomorrow, the first practice of a double-session starts at 10 AM.

Great Expectations

2007-07-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

If the now thirty-two hoopsters who will be at tonight’s Pan-Am Trials (5 PM – 7 PM) were all in action on a given night during the ’06-’07 season, you could expect them to combine for over 438 points, 168 rebounds, over 77 assists and a collective shooting percentage of just over 48%. (Two additional point guards, PG Sean Singletary of UVA and PG Dominic James of Marquette are joining the party.) Tennessee Vol’ SG Chris Lofton is the only attendee to contribute more than 20 points per game over the course of the season. Washington PF Jon Brockman is the top rebounder, cleaning the glass at 9.6 boards per game. KU PG Mario Chalmers and Marquette SG Jerel McNeal share the honor as the top thieves, nabbing the rock from the opposition 2.6 times a game. As impressive as these numbers are, none of these four make the cut as being the most statistically significant player at their position among the Pan-Am’sters. Here are five can't-miss prospects based on their performance last year.

Starting from the point, it’s hard to bypass Michigan State’s PG Drew Neitzel’s numbers, and maybe even tougher to overlook his intangibles. Despite losing three key contributors from the ’05-’06 campaign to ’06-’07, Neitzel’s numbers barely wavered. The graduation or departure of C Paul Davis’s 17.5 points per game on 57% shooting, SG Maurice Ager’s 19.3 ppg at 46% and G/F Shannon Brown’s 17.2 ppg at 46% from the field left Neitzel with few options when looking to dish. While his assists dropped from 5.7 per game to 4.3, he shouldered the offensive burden as a scorer. From his 8.5 points per game in ’05-’06 on 41% shooting, Neitzel managed to tack 10 more points onto that average (18.1) while also improving his accuracy to 43%. The southpaw even led his team further into the ‘tourney during his junior season than they had gone the year before with a substantially more talented team. The Spartans fell victim to George Mason’s Cinderella story in the first round of the ’06 tournament. In ’07, they beat Marquette before C Tyler Hansbrough (33 points, 9 rebs) and UNC ran roughshod through them 81-67. Neitzel still put together a gritty performance, dropping 26 points and dishing out 5 assists despite being defended by the ultra-tough PG Ty Lawson.

The shooting guard is by far the most stacked position at the Trials. Ten guys are competing to play the two in Rio. Aggie SG Josh Carter might not be one of the biggest names, but he is a lethal, opportunistic shooter. At 6’7’’ 195 lbs., Carter never struggles to get his jumper off. Playing alongside PG Acie Law IV, Carter’s role as a spot-up shooter led him to 11.8 points per game on a ridiculous 49.2% from the field, and a flat 50% from three. As an oversized guard, he creates mismatches defensively, and takes advantage of his height, grabbing four boards a game. On a squad where shots will be tough to come by, Carter’s accuracy is invaluable.

While it is tempting to select a small forward who stands out defensively, such as SF James Gist, (.9 steals per game, 2.1 blocks per game) NC State’s SF Brandon Costner is too versatile to pass up. At 16.3 points per game and 7.3 rebounds, this 6’8’’ 230 lbs. lefty is quick enough to rove the baseline and strong enough to bang bodies in the paint. He’s no defensive slouch, averaging almost a steal and a block per game. Most importantly, BC loves the limelight. He scored 20 on 3-of-6 shooting from downtown against Maryland, lit the Dukies up at Cameron Indoor for 30 and 7 boards, and went toe-to-toe with Tar Heel PF Brandan Wright, going off for 28 and 3 rebounds.

’Bama’s PF Richard Hendrix could earn the label as “statistically significant” simply from his stature. He rings in at 6’8’’ 265 lbs., second in size only to C Roy Hibbert’s 7’2’’ 278 lbs. Hendrix uses his size on the offensive end, but seems to have incredibly quick feet when playing D. In only 27.6 minutes of action per game, Hendrix was a virtual 15-10 guy at 14.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg. Against the Gators C Joakim Noah and PF Al Horford, he shot 7-for-13 for 16 points along with eight boards – four of which were offensive. On the season, Hendrix made the most of his opportunities, converting baskets at a 60.2% rate.

Finally, C Roy Hibbert, the biggest man in the group, is also the choice-cut of the centers. Even though Memphis’s PF/C Joey Dorsey is arguably the most talented defender at the Trials, (1.4 steals per game, 2.2 blocks per game) Hibbert’s 67.1% field goal percentage is unmatched. He has great hands, which are more like paws when opponents attempt shots in the paint. Hibbert’s 2.4 blocks per game is also the top mark at the Trials. He is not as ferocious a rebounder as some of the other big men, largely because he lacks the foot speed to get into great position. However, his size and strength make him a virtually automatic basket when opponents allow him to set up shop deep on the block.

Regardless of position, two other names need mentioning. SG Bryce Taylor, Oregon’s shooting guard, continues to satisfy my desire for efficiency. He leads all guards with an average of 51.7% shooting from the field. Additionally, the VCU PG Eric Maynor is the Trials' top assist-man, coming off of a 6.4 assists per game season. Maynor, you may remember, is the singular reason that the Rams made the NCAA Tournament. In the CAA Championship game against George Mason, Maynor could have made John Elways jealous with his two-minute drill. Down five with exactly two minutes to play (57-52), Maynor stole a pass, hit a lay-up and converted the free throw for a three point-play (57-55). He then picked the pocket of the GMU point guard and scored again (57-57). Maynor then grabbed a rebound off of a missed three-pointer. With under a minute to play, he drove the lane and hit a crazy leaner to put VCU up two (59-57). To seal the victory, the little-man grabbed another board, was intentionally fouled, and then knocked down both free throws. Check it out. But that wasn’t it. In the next game, the 6-11 matchup between VCU and the vaunted Blue Devils, Maynor did it again, hitting a “dagger” with under two-seconds left for the 79-77 win.

T-minus five hours for the Pan-Am Trials to begin. We can forget the stats from here on out save for one important number. Less than 40% of this incredibly talented group will continue to play past Saturday’s final cut.

For another look at who will be in attendance, here’s the list of all 32 names:

Jon Brockman (Washington / Snohomish, Wash.); Brian Butch (Wisconsin / Appleton, Wis.); Josh Carter (Texas A&M / Dallas, Texas); Mario Chalmers (Kansas / Anchorage, Alaska); Sherron Collins (Kansas / Chicago, Ill.); Brandan Costner (North Carolina State / West Orange, N.J.); Eric Devendorf (Syracuse / Bay City, Mich.); Joey Dorsey (Memphis / Baltimore, Md.); Wayne Ellington (North Carolina / Wynnewood, Pa.); Randal Falker (Southern Illinois / St. Louis, Mo.); Shan Foster (Vanderbilt / Kenner, La.); Alonzo Gee (Alabama / Palm Beach, Fla.); James Gist (Maryland / Silver Spring, Md.); Richard Hendrix (Alabama / Athens, Ala.); Roy Hibbert (Georgetown / Adelphi, Md.); Dominic James (Marquette / Richmond, Ind.); Maarty Leunen (Oregon / Redmond, Ore.); Chris Lofton (Tennessee / Maysville, Ky.); Derrick Low (Washington State / Honolulu, Hawaii); Wesley Matthews (Marquette / Madison, Wis.); Eric Maynor (Virginia Commonwealth / Fayetteville, N.C.); Jerel McNeal (Marquette / Chicago, Ill.); Tasmin Mitchell (LSU / Denham Springs, La.); Drew Neitzel (Michigan State / Grand Rapids, Mich.); DeMarcus Nelson (Duke / Elk Grove, Calif.); Ahmad Nivins (Saint Joseph’s / Jersey City, N.J.); Scottie Reynolds (Villanova / Herndon, Va.); Jon Scheyer (Duke / Northbrook, Ill.); Sean Singletary (Virginia / Philadelphia, Pa.); Bryce Taylor (Oregon / Encino, Calif.); Kyle Weaver (Washington State / Beloit, Wis.); D.J. White (Indiana / Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Rapper's Delight

2007-07-09T23:19:00.000-07:00

If the U.S. does not succeed in capturing gold despite an incredibly talented roster to select from in 2007, know that all is not lost. Since the 1983 Pan Am games, Brazil (’87, ’99, ’03), Argentina (’95) and Puerto Rico (1991) hung 24 karats around their necks. But the Americans can boast that at least one college delegate from each team since the ’83 gold has hit it bigger in the rare valuables market. No need for an Ace Ventura search – just look to the ring finger on the NCAA champions from 1988, 1992 and 2004, as one or more of their key contributors gained invaluable experience on an international stage at the Pan-Am games during the summer before winning it all. (1995 and 1999 must be excluded because both of those teams were filled with professionals from the Continental Basketball Association.)

F Danny Manning, the leading scorer on the ’87 silver medal team at 14.6 ppg, won the Most Outstanding Player award when his Jayhawks defeated Oklahoma for the 1988 ’chip. After the ’91 Pan-Am bronze, three Dukies from that roster were on the court for the Sports Illustrated “greatest college basketball game of all time”[1] when the Blue Devils defeated Kentucky 104-103, and then in the afterthought twenty-point win over Michigan in the finals. After two silver medals in ’95 and ’99 with CBA players, USA Basketball returned to college players in 2003. Both C Emeka Okafor and G Ben Gordon played on Tom Izzo’s Pan-Am team before heading back to Storrs-Mansfield, CT to win Jim Calhoun’s second title.

(Danny Manning couldn't capture gold at Pan-Am Games X, but won it all with KU the next year)

(Christian Laettner, after hitting the game winner over Kentucky in OT)

(Okafor won MOP honors with UConn in '04 after failing to place during the '03 Pan-Am games)

If this year’s delegation can’t overcome the favored Brazilians, for whom will the stars align and lead his school to “one shining moment”? The original Andy Katz (of ESPN.com) reported that Bruce Pearl’s Tennessee Volunteers added another key piece to their nauseatingly yellow puzzle.[2] F Tyler Smith, a transfer from Iowa, will be allowed to play this year despite the NCAA regulations which call for a player to sit out for a full year when he/she transfers within his/her division (D-I in this case). SG Chris Lofton, the odds-on favorite to succeed Vandy’s F Derrick Byars as the SEC POY, will benefit from Smith’s low-post presence. Even so, Lofton remains the unlikely candidate to fulfill the gemstone requirement for this class.

We spotlighted the KU backcourt of PG Mario Chalmers and G Sherron Collins last week. Along with F Brandon Rush’s team leading 13.8 points per game, the Jayhawks will be a tough team in ’07-’08 – especially at the Phog Allen Fieldhouse. The most pressing question is whether Bill Self can seamlessly replace F Julian Wright’s (6’8’’ 218 lbs.) transition offense and defensive presence in the lane with the younger F Darell Arthur (6’9’’ 230 lbs). If Arthur cannot be that game-changing forward, KU will rely on hulking big man C Sasha Kaun, (6’11’’ 245 lbs.) which will significantly slow down their running game. Despite serious talent, too many questions for KU to cut down the nets for the first time since Danny Manning’s ’88 team.

John Thompson III will have to continue waiting for his first championship, even if the 2007-2008 Georgetown team might be good enough to win the Big East. It’s also too soon for Roy Williams to return to the Promised Land, as the loss of F Brandan Wright’s freakish athleticism and G Reyshawn Terry’s leadership restricts Williams’ use of his best asset: a deep bench. Able-bodied replacements F Deon Thompson and F Alex Stephenson will move into prominent positions, and thus change the role of the Tar Heel primary replacement from crafty scorers (Wright and Terry) into less-skilled rebounders (Thompson and Stephenson).

So who’s left as the insurance policy for this ’07 Pan-Am squad? I’m usually not a Conference USA believer, but the return of virtually everyone to John Calipari’s Memphis team and the addition of the nation’s third most coveted prospect has everyone’s attention. C Joey Dorsey is the Tigers’ rep at the Trials, and one of only three centers in attendance (along with C Brian Butch and C Roy Hibbert). But he’s not even the third option in Calipari’s system. G Chris Douglas-Roberts (our second option in hyphenated last names next to RB Maurice Jones-Drew), G Jeremy Hunt and the incoming freshman, G Derrick Rose, are a triumvirate of scorers who will be far too much for any opposing defense to handle at once. No surprise that the Tigers rattled off twenty-five straight wins last year before falling to Ohio State in the Elite Eight.

A return trip from Brazil with twelve gold medals would be preferable to a single diamond ring, but the selection committee might as well keep Dorsey around just in case. Excluding the CBA teams of ’95 and ’99, the only other squad to finish without intra-American gold or at least one NCAA champ is the 1971 team. But let’s stay on the bright side – the ’71 group has champions too: Paul Westphal won an NBA crown with Boston in ’74 and Bob McAdoo won two with the Lakers.

Two quick non-basketball Pan-Am notes:

-- Two Dominican athletes were expelled from participating because of performance-enhancing drugs. Former St. Louis Cardinal Jose Jimenez, once threw a no-hitter in 1999, will have to watch along with a boxer from the Dominican because of steroid use.

-- On a news media center whiteboard, a U.S.O.C. (American) official wrote: “Welcome to the Congo.” The Brazilian O Globo paper published a picture of the message, criticizing it as being “full of prejudice.” The employee who wrote the comment has been sent home and the U.S. committee apologized.

[1] http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/sioncampus/03/10/greatest_games0311/

[2] http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=2929620&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos2

The Small Forwards Are Coming

2007-07-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

To fully appreciate our freedom in this great country, many of us will spend our July 4^th chowing down with friends and family, ogling a great display of fireworks and then reliving the real fight for independence at the theaters with the Michael Bay/Steven Spielberg instant classic, Transformers. Like many of its predecessors, this story of robot/human cooperation is about more than freedom and justifying immigration policy. Even if it’s not against giant metal shape-shifters who double as Walther P38’s, when the U.S. goes into proverbial battle against the Pan-American competition, they will need to take cue from the heroes of this July 4^th film: work together, win together.

(Tyrese Gibson, center, needs some help from his friends)

However, this motto of cooperation does not transcend the entirety of the basketball universe. The professional game has changed so drastically over the last ten years that it has left the NBA in jeopardy. These changes are embodied in the transformation of the roles of positions in the pro's, namely the small forwards. Formerly the defensive stoppers and transition scorers, small forwards served as the off-ball cog needed to complement more mechanically skilled passers, shooters and big men. Scottie Pippen was the prototypical NBA small forward, named to the NBA All-Defensive Team 10 times, and maybe best known as an opportunistic scorer, taking advantage of defenses who over-committed to His Airness.

Pippen’s focus was not on putting the ball in the basket, even if he averaged over 19 points per game on greater than 48% FG shooting in seasons that he was a starter with the Bulls. Today’s small forwards approach the game from the flip side, handling the ball and the offensive load as much as possible. Even though many of these scorers found statistical success during the regular season, they were largely MIA during the playoffs. The leading NBA small forward, LeBron James, led his Cavaliers to an astoundingly low average of 80.5 points per game over the four-game sweep by the Spurs during this year’s Finals. (80 points a game means 20 points a quarter, which is less than one basket a minute with the NBA’s 12-minute quarters.) These scoring woes exemplify the league’s problem: small-forwards are trying to take over NBA offenses. Writer Jack McCallum echoed this sentiment, reporting in last month’s Sports Illustrated that some coaches wanted to make LeBron the first cut on the 2006 Olympic team for his “inability to function in an offense without the ball.”

(Some would argue LeBron James, above, spends too much time as a ball handler.)

(Scottie Pippen, a true small forward, demonstrated his versatility on both sides of the ball.)

While small forwards comprised the largest portion of the players selected in last Thursday's NBA draft (15), a sign that the league remains off-track, there are only five players listed at that position who will be in attendance at that Pan-Am Trials. SF Tasmin Mitchell, SF Maarty Leunen, SF Alonzo Gee, SF Brandon Costner and SF James Gist all seem to uphold the standards of a small forward, playing off the ball and scoring their points via an amalgam of jumpers, transition baskets and tough hoops in the lane. Even if these five have spent their college careers as versatile off-ball contributors, expect Coach Jay Wright to drive home a team-oriented philosophy in which no one brings the ball up the floor aside from the potential PG crew of Mario Chalmers, Sherron Collins, Eric Maynor, Drew Neitzel, Scottie Reynolds, Kyle Weaver and maybe Eric Devendorf. “The United States hasn’t won a gold medal in the Pan American Games in a long time," said Wright. "We have got a lot of work to do. I rely on the committee to pick the team. Once they pick the team, we will try to figure out the best way for that group to play and hopefully be able to compete for a gold medal.” Wright’s equal valuing of all positions will create the balance needed to win. “I hope when we put the team together we have a mixture of an inside game, great shooters, and also some slashers,” added Wright.

It seems that these apocalyptic Independence Day movies carry with them important lessons about freedom, aliens and of course, sports. Independence Day taught us that, in addition to destroying a technologically superior army with computer viruses uploaded from a 1996 IBM laptop, our greatest asset is our ability to cooperate. Everyone sacrifices for the good of the human race - even the President jumps into the cockpit of a fighter plane.

Do the 'Do (HairDo)

2007-06-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

In late January, Kansas Jayhawk teammates and Chicago-natives PG Sherron Collins and SF Julian Wright took a trip to the barbershop, where they shaved matching patterns in the front-right portion of their heads. The “Chicago shave” as duped by KU bloggers, doesn’t have any real significance for Collins and Wright, except to show their allegiance to the Chi. “It doesn’t signify anything. I do it all the time back home. It’s my graphic design,”[1] KU’s then-freshman guard said to Gary Bedore of the Lawrence Journal-World. If Collins is in search of a buddy to inscribe the Windy City style in their ’do after arriving on the Main Line for the Pan-Am Trials this July, he need not look to his fellow Jayhawk backcourt mate. That other KU rep, PG Mario Chalmers, is a native of Anchorage, Alaska. Along with G Russell Robinson, these two formed the formidable Jayhawk backcourt, leading the break all the way to the 2007 Elite Eight. With Julian Wright as the only loss from last year’s team, it’s hard to imagine anyone who will stand in Kansas’ way in the Big 12 or even in the country. However, one problem remains. As Wright is predicted to go to the Hawks with the eleventh pick or the Clippers with the 14^th pick in tomorrow’s NBA Draft, who will Collins get his hair cut with? If they both make the 12-man roster, maybe he can convince Chalmers to head over to the Hair Cuttery to get American Flags in the back of their heads before heading south.

(Julian Wright on left, Sherron Collins, right)

Chalmers, whose hair we assume is still trimmed tight to his head, completes a triumvirate of Alaskan born basketball stars to do serious damage in college ball – but he happens to be the first one not to do so at Cameron Indoor. The “Alaskan Assassin,” SG Trajan Langdon led his East Anchorage HS team to the ’94 State Championship, setting the Alaska AAAA Men’s record with 2,200 career points en route. Langdon and Chalmers are the only two players to ever earn Alaska 4A Player of the Year honors three times over. That 1994 ’chip capped off Langdon’s third in four years, defeating Juneau by over thirty points. Langdon was named to the All-Tournament team for the third straight year. Juneau-Douglas HS, however, would gain redemption when PF Carlos Boozer came up through their ranks. Boozer, also a three-time All-Tournament team selection, led JD to two championships in his four years before following in Langdon’s footsteps to play under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke. Chalmers succeeded Boozer as the heir to Alaskan basketball, leading his Bartlett HS squad to two championships as well, and finishing as a runner-up in two more.

Despite their unique and totally different styles of play, Chalmers and Langdon are tied together by more than their allegiance to Seward’s Folly. Passing over the Russian Jack Springs Park on Debarr Road, their alma maters are separated by less than four miles. Their birthdays are even closer, as they were born almost ten years apart to the day (close enough – it’s 10 years and 6 days). And both guards were named after someone of great importance: Langdon got his name from a Roman Emperor. The second of the “Five Good Emperors,” Trajan’s reign from 98 C.E. to 117 C.E. marks the period in which the Empire reached its greatest territorial extent. Chalmers was named after someone whose impact was slightly more immediate, his mother Almarie. Mario’s full name, Almario Vernard Chalmers bears the resemblance. And Mario chooses to pay homage to his mom’s basketball career too; he wears her number 15 from her days at Winston-Salem State and Methodist College.

(Trajan, the emperor)

(Trajan, the basketball player... is there a resemblance here?!)

The only real similarity between Langdon’s and Chalmers’ games is their stroke from beyond the arc. Before SG J.J. Redick hit an incredible (and Duke record-breaking) 457 3-pointers, the “Alaskan Assassin” drilled a then-record setting 342 on 802 attempts. Chalmers did some damage from downtown in high school, leading the state in 3-point shooting. But his game is not limited to dialing long distance. Better than his 3-ball, Chalmers’ best asset is his quickness. Along with Marquette’s G Jerel McNeal, the Big East defensive player of the year, Chalmers is arguably the best defender at the Trials. He earned the co-Big 12 defensive POY with Oklahoma State’s F Marcus Dove, an all-around long defender, for his ability to put tremendous pressure on ball handlers and sharp anticipation in intercepting passes. He led the Big 12 in steals for the second straight year, this time breaking G Darnell Valentine’s KU record of 92 steals in 1981 with 97 in the ’06-’07 campaign.

Chalmers’ defensive prowess will give the U.S. exactly what they’re looking for in the Pan-Am games: easy baskets. When asked what the key was in overcoming the alarmingly low numbers of assists produced by Team USA during the ’03 games, in which PG Andre Barrett (Seton Hall) led the squad with 2.4 assists per game, Coach Jay Wright noted that defense would be the key to improvement. “Hopefully, we can get some easy baskets and our defense can create scoring opportunities,” said Wright.

As much as the international competition tries to slow down Team USA with zone defenses, Chalmers is a fast-break starter, complemented well by Sherron Collins, a fast-break finisher. Tom Keegen of the Lawrence Journal-World gave that label to Collins: “Sherron Collins is a finisher. He finishes drives to the hoop. He finishes games.”[2]

Even though he finds F Brandon Rush instead of Collins on this ’break, check out what Chalmers can do once he has the ball in his hands: Chalmers dish. I implore you to watch this video twice – it’s only visible from the first view, which is a shame, but watch Chalmers’ wrist action. PG Darren Collison’s body is in the way on the second angle, blocking the camera from capturing the execution of the Pistol Pete Maravich “wrist pass.” This Pistol video is absolutely classic, and also worth a watch – it also might teach you something the next time you’re looking to make your opponent “eat air.”

Hopefully Chalmers and Collins, despite being little guys at 6’1’’ and 5’11’’ respectively, can be on the floor at the same time to give us a glimpse of what will be on tap all next year at the Phog Allen Fieldhouse, and maybe even in Rio this summer.

[1] Bedore, Gary. "Collins Goes 'Ballin': Freshman 'Fabulous' for KU." KU Sports.Com: Lawrence Journal-World. 16 Jan. 2007. 26 June 2007 .

[2] Keegan, Tom. "Keegan: Collins One Fine Finisher." KU Sports.Com: Lawrence Journal-World. 20 Feb. 2007. 26 June 2007 .

Security Concerns in Rio

2007-06-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

For Rio de Janeiro to serve as the confluence of athletes from forty-three nations at the Pan-American Games this July, the city needs to address some of its troubling security concerns. Without Denzel Washington's Man on Fire character John Creasy to keep an eye on all the athletes, the police are preparing for the event by training in a virtual city created in a military garrison.

Despite assurances of safety from Rio's mayor, daily gun battles between the police and drug gangs as recent as last week leave serious questions as to the state of affairs on the real streets of the city. In the neighboring Vila Cruzeiro slum, seventeen people have been killed and sixty injured since May 1, according to Reuters. "Meanwhile, the coach of Brazil's volleyball squad [Bernardo Resende] said this week Rio was 'living a war' and he was worried that while the authorities promise to guarantee the safety of athletes, their families may be facing danger in other parts of Rio."[1]

Many suggest that Rio is looking beyond the Games, hoping to gain the confidence of the International Olympic Committee in pursuit of a bid for the 2016 Olympics. In order to exceed expectations, the budget has exceeded its original limitations - going from $225 million to $1.6 billion.[2]

However, that bid hangs in the balance, while the events slated to take place in three weeks must go smoothly for Rio to be a legitimate contender.

[1] "Raids, Checkpoints in Rio Slums as PanAm Games Near." 14 June 2007. Reuters. 21 June 2007.

[2] King, David. "S.A. in Middle as Rio Readies for Pan Ams and USOC Aids Chicago." MySA.Com. 19 June 2007. San Antonio Express-News. 21 June 2007 .

Honk Once for Big Men, Honk Twice for Swingmen

2007-06-19T21:23:00.000-07:00

With the NBA Draft looming less than two weeks away, the pressure is on virtually every NBA GM to do the most with their selection. Portland GM Kevin Pritchard is in the unique position of deciding what to do with the first choice. The argument amounts to a discussion of college basketball’s two most dynamic underage all-stars. C Greg Oden, (Ohio State) 19, and SF Kevin Durant, (Texas) 18, are the two possibilities when the Trailblazers select first on June 28^th. While the Blazers try to address this dilemma with algorithms and computations that could make Bruce Partridge’s head spin, and a series of extensive interviews with these two incredibly talented All-Americans, their decision boils down to whether they want to build their franchise around a post-player or a swingman.

Just as Pritchard must make this decision about the focus of his team, the USA Basketball selection committee, headed by Hall of Fame Syracuse coach, Jim Boeheim shoulders the tough task of evaluating talent and prioritizing the positions best suited for a gold medal run through the Pan-American Games. While Boeheim and his staff will select an entire team as opposed to a single player, each addition to the roster will address the same question that Pritchard is facing. Will we find success with big-bodied post-play, or will a guard-based, face-the-basket approach put more points on the board?

In the post-Jordan era, many teams find it difficult to pass on scorers who do their damage from the perimeter. Psychology professionals might term this “Bowieism,” as it was Portland’s choice back in 1984 to pass on MJ with the second pick in favor of the 7’1’’ Kentucky Wildcat, Sam Bowie. Bowie spent eleven injury-riddled years in the NBA, bouncing around the league. In 2007, Greg Oden looks much more like the first big man drafted in ’84, Akeem Olajuwon, than the one who followed.

(Bowie wears 54 for Kentucky, as he defends Houston's #45 Akeem Olajuwon. They were picks 1 and 2 during the stacked 1984 draft, which also included Jordan, John Stockton, Charles Barkley and Sam Perkins.)

Just as we expect Kevin Pritchard to make the sensible decision and go with Oden for the first pick, Jim Boeheim & co. will likely follow suit two weeks after the Draft in putting the burden of USA Basketball on the broad shoulders of the big men. While the U.S. boasts dead-eye shooters like Tennessee SG Chris Lofton, 20.8 ppg, 47.9% from the field and 42% from downtown in ’07, and UNC Tar Heel slasher SF Wayne Ellington, their games largely depend on a frontcourt presence. Roy Williams' system in Chapel Hill relies on filtering the ball through C Tyler Hansbrough's hands. His aggressiveness opens up passing lanes for Ellington, who scores the majority of his points on mid-range jumpers or open three's after good ball movement. If the ball did not enter the post, defenders would not be forced to collapse toward the middle, and there would be little room for shooters to find their shot. Ellington can look back to the Georgetown/UNC battle on March 25th, when the Hoyas' frontcourt of PF Jeff Green and C Roy Hibbert "started" the offense, demanding the attention of double-teams and finding the open man. The result, a GTown win 96-84 and five Hoyas in double-figures.

Even though Green is opting for MSG on the 28th instead of the GIAC on the 12th, NC State PF Brandon Costner can fill that role as the smaller, yet equally dangerous post partner. With his smooth south-paw style, Costner is most comfortable with his back to the basket, scoring frequently on a sweet left-handed baby hook. He also can face the basket and even finish with his off-hand. At 6'8'' 230, he will complement Hibbert the way Green, 6'9'' 235 did during the season.

Even if BC's jumper isn't what Green's is, his aggressive style of play will alleviate some of the pressure off of Hibbert, who isn't quite used to being the go-to-guy. Costner comes from a system in which head coach Sidney Lowe (pictured below) made his post-game the priority. Finding the seam in a zone and being able to spot the open man will suit Costner well during the Pan-Am games, where international competition will likely try to limit the U.S.’s athleticism with a healthy helping of zone defense.

If Boeheim had the opportunity, he would undoubtedly save a spot for both Oden and Durant. However, if he were in Kevin Pritchard’s position and could only select one for his team, know that he'd support the big-man philosophy and let the 7-footer roam the center of Jay Wright's defense.

Engine, Engine (and Gold Medal) Number 9

2007-06-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

As we prepare to welcome the largest influx of hoops talent ever to set foot on Haverford’s campus for July's Pan-American Games Trials, (apologies to Dick Voith ’77) it’s important to get a sense of what these hoopsters are aiming to accomplish within the walls of the Gooding Arena. Aside from testing the strength of the rims and backboards, thirty top Division-I all-stars will play for twelve spots on the roster, and twelve seats on a plane headed for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Pan-American Games XV.

Since the advent of this intra-America's competition in 1951, the U.S. men have captured eight gold medals, three silvers and one bronze over the course of fourteen Games. As impressive as these numbers are, the U.S. has not demonstrated their expected dominance in recent years. The last time they stood atop the victors’ podium was in 1983, when a twenty-year old guard from UNC, by the name of Michael Jordan pumped in an impressive 17.3 points per game alongside his Tar Heel teammate Sam Perkins’ 13.1 ppg.

(Jordan’s holding the ball in the center of the picture. I can’t make out who’s who, but somewhere in this shot of the entire 1983 gold-medal winning USA squad, you can find St. John’s shooter Chris Mullin, Georgia Tech guard Mark Price, ’Nova forward Ed Pinckney, UNC's Sam Perkins and OU Sooner Wayman Tisdale.)

The Haverford-hosted Trials are central to reversing the twenty-four year gold medal drought and the embarrassing fourth place finish in 2003. Making the trek all the way from Lancaster Ave. to call the shots is Villanova head coach Jay Wright. He has the responsibility of taking full advantage of Big East rival C Roy Hibbert, (Georgetown) possibly the U.S.’s most potent weapon. It was Hibbert who led the Hoyas to the Final Four before falling to C Greg Oden, PG Mike Conley, Jr. and Ohio State. Oden and Conley, both freshman during their run through March Madness, would be eligible to play in Brazil if they weren’t headed off to be lottery picks in this month’s NBA draft.

These ten days of basketball, which include a three-day tryout from July 12-14, to be followed by five days of practice, are central to bringing USA Basketball back to its spot atop the field. The drills, scrimmages and strategy for which the Gooding Arena will bear witness will likely determine the fate of winning that elusive ninth gold medal.

Before leaving for the 1979 Pan-Am games, in which the U.S. pounded the competition with a 9-0 record and an average margin of victory of more than 21 points per game, future three-time NBA Champion Kevin McHale called the Trials, not the Games, “my awakening as a basketball player.”[1] His epiphany is not meant to be a prophetic prediction that some other lanky middle-American forward will blossom into an elite low-post presence – well…maybe if someone taught Brian Butch (6’11’’ 245 lbs., Wisconsin) McHale’s signature “up-and-over” we might have something here. Instead, McHale’s admission highlights the life-altering nature of this event. These college-aged kids must elevate their level of play for something greater than a national audience. This time around, it’s for national pride and maybe even international glory.

(Kevin McHale, a legend of the low-post, above)
(Brian Butch, Wisconsin, below)

Nine of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players have competed at this event, only one of whom (David Robinson - 1987) fell short of coming home with gold. One month from today we will know whose flight is booked for Brazil and who is headed home.

[1] May, Peter. The Big Three: Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish: The Best Frontcourt in the History of Basketball. Simon & Schuster: New York, 1994. 137.