The Usual Suspects

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.

Big Things Poppin' (Later Tonight)

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.

The Last Episode

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.

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

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

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

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.