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.

Rapper's Delight

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

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)

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 .

Engine, Engine (and Gold Medal) Number 9

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.