2013 International Basketball Thread

[awhom111]

As with any summer, there will be plenty of National Team action. While we may no longer have a direct link to the head coach of our national team, there are still likely to be plenty of present, former, and future Blue Devils representing their countries. I figured that a catch-all thread could be used as some teams try to win youth championships and others vie for continental supremacy in anticipation of the World Championships next summer since my other thread seems to be more commonly used for players on their professional club teams.

I had been looking for this first item for a little while now, but apparently my Finnish skills are a little rusty. Alex Murphy is listed on a training camp roster for Finland's U20 team as they will once again be playing in the B Division of the European U20s in July. This training camp starts in June and Alex will probably be expected to be one of the two main stars again as some new players join a few veterans as a number of players from last year's squad are now too old to be on the team. Of the 25 players, only Alex and two players based in Spain do not play in Finland. Here is the article with the list:
http://www.basket.fi/uutiset/?x125709=17491905

[awhom111]

The list of players who will try out for the US Women's U19 team later this month has been released. Alexis Jones is there representing current Duke players and incoming freshmen Oderah Chidom and Kendall Cooper are also on the list. The 33 players will eventually be cut down to 12 as they will play in the World Championships in July. There is one more Duke tie as Katie Meier is the head coach of the team.

Here is the roster:
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/u19/roster.html

Here is the story:
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/u19/13_wu19_trials_invitees.html

[Reilly]

Thanks for posting this. Poking around the USA Basketball site, I didn't realize there was a national under 16 team ... apparently this is the 3d one we've had, and Quinn Cook played on a prior one. The roster right now is made up of guys who are in the 9th and 10th grades, including a ninth grader from Gatesville NC, and there will be tryouts at the end of the month to select the final team that goes to Uruguay for a FIBA Americas tournament.

http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u16/13_14_mdnt_athletes.html

I think about Michael Jordan not making the h.s. varsity as a 10th grader and being relegated to j.v. ... and now we are shipping 9th graders off to Uruguay ...

[dball]

I think about Michael Jordan not making the h.s. varsity as a 10th grader and being relegated to j.v. ... and now we are shipping 9th graders off to Uruguay ...

It was uncommon for sophomores to play varsity ball during that era. It would have been more of a story if a 5'9"" guard had been put on the varsity of the really good team (playoff contender the year before with both starting guards returning). Jordan's coach did pull one 6'7'' guy out of the 10th grade though since the varsity lacked height. Jordan was a superstar on the JV but it was the norm for 9th and 10th graders to play JV with the varsity being 11th and 12th graders. (Much like freshmen couldn't play college ball. Arbitrary, but customary.) Though, of course, this really supports your comment about how much the game and the approach to the game have changed.

[awhom111]

Another day, another USA squad announcement.

This time, it is the Women's University Games tryouts, which will include both Tricia Liston and Haley Peters. The tryouts are about a week away with the actual games in July.

Here is the list:
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/worlduniversity/roster.html

Here is the story:
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/worlduniversity/13_wwug_trials_invitees.html

[luburch]

It was uncommon for sophomores to play varsity ball during that era. It would have been more of a story if a 5'9"" guard had been put on the varsity of the really good team (playoff contender the year before with both starting guards returning). Jordan's coach did pull one 6'7'' guy out of the 10th grade though since the varsity lacked height. Jordan was a superstar on the JV but it was the norm for 9th and 10th graders to play JV with the varsity being 11th and 12th graders. (Much like freshmen couldn't play college ball. Arbitrary, but customary.) Though, of course, this really supports your comment about how much the game and the approach to the game have changed.

The team actually performed worse Jordan's junior and senior years, when he was varsity, than it did when he was not on varsity.

[awhom111]

Marty Pocius is still recovering from surgery after his latest injury, but Lithuania's new coach believes that he will be available for national team duty in the summer. This may be Marty's big chance to play well for his next contract.

Here is the article from the FIBA Europe site:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/coid_lkSS24dLGxURI5ZgC5pYb2.articleMode_on.html

[awhom111]

Olek Czyz has been named to the 21 player preliminary squad for Poland for the upcoming Eurobasket. Olek is still in the middle of his first professional season in Rome at Danny Ferry's old team.

The roster included Marcin Gortat and a few active NCAA players.

Here is the article in Polish:
http://www.pzkosz.pl/aktualnosci/bauermann-podal-szeroki-sklad-reprezentacji-polski/

[awhom111]

Two more players have been added to the Women's University Games list to increase the ACC participation. Both that team and the U19 team will have final rosters by the end of the week as they start trials on Thursday. Here is the most recent article:
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/worlduniversity/13_wwug_trials_invitees_2.html

Also in USA Basketball news, there was a change on the coaching staff of the Men's U19 team, which also increases the amount of ACC participation. No roster has been named for that team yet as their tryouts are still a month away.
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u19/virginias_tony_bennett_added__2013_05_15.html

Here is an English-language article if the preceding Polish article was too confusing:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/coid_sa2x4IGmIy2qR4yL4M3s,1.articleMode_on.html

[awhom111]

Here are a pair of articles about the start of the trials for the two Women's teams:
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/u19/tough_competition_ahead_for_th_2013_05_16.html
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/worlduniversity/2013_wwug_trials_start.html

[awhom111]

There was both good and bad news this morning for Duke players as the two rosters were announced.

Alexis Jones made the U19 roster, but Kendall Cooper and Oderah Chidom did not. Here is the roster:
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/u19/roster.html
Here is an article:
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/u19/13_wu19_team.html

For the World University Games, Tricia Liston made it, but Haley Peters did not. Here is the roster:
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/worlduniversity/roster.html
Here is an article:
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/worlduniversity/13_wwug_team.html

[jimsumner]

From Duke press releases.

"Following three days of trials at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., Duke University rising senior Tricia Liston has been named to the 2013 USA Basketball Women’s World University Games team on Sunday.

Along with Liston on the squad will be Ariel Massengale (Tennessee), Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (UConn), Bria Hartley (UConn), ReShanda Gray (California), Cassie Harberts (USC), Theresa Plaisance (LSU), Odyssey Sims (Baylor), Crystal Bradford (Central Michigan), Aaryn Ellenberg (Oklahoma), Jordan Hooper (Nebraska) and Shoni Schimmel (Louisville). The 2013 World University Games women’s basketball competition will be held July 8-15 in Kazan, Russia, and the team will regroup in Colorado Springs for training June 25-July 1."

"Duke University rising sophomore Alexis Jones has been named one of 12 members of the 2013 USA Basketball Women’s U19 World Championship Team on Sunday, following four days of trials at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Along with Jones on the U19 World Championship Team will be Candice Agee (Penn State), Nia Coffey (Northwestern), Bashaara Graves (Tennessee), Gabby Green, Linnea Harper (Kentucky), Moriah Jefferson (UConn), Kelsey Plum (Washington), Breanna Stewart (UConn), Morgan Tuck (UConn), Brianna Turner and A’ja Wilson. The 2013 FIBA U19 Championship will take place from July 18-28 in Lithuania."

[Bob Green]

This is great news, thanks for sharing. I am extremely optimistic about next season and playing in the international games will provide invaluable experience for Liston and Jones.

[burnspbesq]

Wilson is the consensus top recruit in the class of 2014. A good opportunity for AJ to get in her ear and impress on her the joys of playing for Duke.

[awhom111]

135 players? There must be a future Duke player or two on the U16 Girls' tryout list, right?

Here is the article:
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/u16/13_wu16_trials_roster.html
Here is the full list (feel old as there could be an athlete born in 2000 representing the United States):
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/u16/roster.html

I wonder what other kind of personnel are in the gym during these giant tryouts. Poor Brian Robinson from North Carolina's Bishop McGuiness is the only one of the eight named staff that is a man.

[awhom111]

Marty Pocius was one of 15 players named to the Eurobasket preliminary squad for Lithuania and is expected to be healthy enough to play by then.

Here is the article from Lithuania's Basketball Federation:
http://www.musukrepsinis.lt/lt/index;news;show,id.20,item.2166
Here is an English language article:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_FBQQzyr4HXgrI7zdCNVr61.articleMode_on.html

The squad lists includes three current NBA players and two more whose draft rights are held by NBA teams. Overall it is a reasonably strong squad as the team is slowly integrating some younger players into the team for the next cycle of international tournaments.

[MCFinARL]

Rasheed Sulaimon has been invited to the selection camp for the USA U19 team that will go to the world championships in Prague. Half the attendees will be chosen for the final team. Also at the camp: Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow. http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=207779360&DB_OEM_ID=4200

[awhom111]

Here are the official announcements from the USA Basketball site:

Here is the roster:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u19/roster.html
Here is an article on the team:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u19/13_mu19_training_invitees.html

18 of the 24 players have already played in college, 4 are incoming freshmen, and 2 are current high school players.

[awhom111]

After creating this thread, I thought it would be good to add a little context to what is happening this summer:

While the two United States senior teams will not have significant action this summer (now down to one without a coach, unless Geno decides to take a page out of Coach K's book), every other major national program has plenty to play for this summer as they try to qualify for next year's World Championships. Both American teams have already earned their bids after their Olympic triumphs. Spain is hosting the Men's Tournament and Turkey is hosting the Women's tournament, but both teams are still fighting hard at the European Championships this summer in a bid to make their teams as strong as possible next summer. On the other hand, the United States has rejected bids to the two FIBA Americas tournaments (the Women's one is during the stretch run of the WNBA season).

There is still plenty of USA basketball action this summer with the youth national teams. The U16 Boys head to Uruguay in mid-June followed by the U16 Girls in Mexico as they try to qualify out of the Americas for the next World U17 Championships. The two U19 teams try to extend American dominance with the Men competing from late June through early July in the Czech Republic and the Women in Lithuania in late July. Two teams will also be in action in the World University Games in Russia in July.

Almost all of the continental competition fields are set with only a few spots still up for grabs. On the Men's side, Asia will determine its champions first in early August in the Philippines. Oceania is next in mid-August although it is basically a formality for Australia and New Zealand to pass through. Africa follows in late August in Ivory Coast with the Americas starting right near the end of August and stretching into mid-September in Venezuela. Europe will be the last to crown a champions as their tournament runs through most of September in Slovenia. On the women's side, Europe will go first, running from the middle of June to the end of the month in France. The Oceania championships will run concurrently with the Men's tournament with a pair of games between Australia and New Zealand for one slot. Africa (in Mozambique) and the Americas (in Mexico) will play in late September with the Americas not even having their qualifiers yet. Asia will not start its championship until late October in Thailand.

[awhom111]

In less than a week, the coaches managed to whittle down the list of players to give us 12 girls for the U16 team that will soon head to the U16 Americas championships in Cancun.

Here is the roster:
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/u16/roster.html
Here is an article:
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/u16/13_wu16_team.html

Next up in tryouts are the U16 boys.

[awhom111]

The tryout roster of 31 players for the U16 Boys team has been set now. Are there any future Blue Devils on the list?

Here is the roster:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u16/roster.html
Here is the article, which mentions the eight new players added to the pre-existing pool of players:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u16/13-14_mdnt_athletes_adds.html


In terms of other international basketball topics, who do people want to see at the USA camp this coming July? Names are starting to leak out and I have to wonder how many newcomers we will be seeing on the 2014 roster and how many that the fans want to see. Quite a few past players are still expressing their interest and availability for both 2014 and 2016. It is great to see people actually wanting to play for the team.

[awhom111]

The USA U16 team is now down to 16 players with the final decisions being made much closer to the tournament.
Here is the article:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u16/13_mu16_finalists.html
Here is the roster right now:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u16/roster.html

Hosts France have named their final 12 player roster for Eurobasket Women. Why might this be of particular interest to Duke fans? Mistie Bass, who has spent a number of seasons in France playing professionally in the WNBA offseason, has expressed a desire to take up French citizenship when she can with an eye towards possibly representing their national team in a major tournament in the future.

Here is the roster announcement:
http://www.ffbb.com/_actu/page_m.php?d=actu&p=actu&id=9653

Here are the players and their teams and any connections to the United States:
Isabelle Yacoubou, Spartak Moscow (Russia)
Endene Miyem, Bourges (France)
Diandra Tchatchouang, Perpignan (France), Maryland
Sandrine Gruda, UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia), WNBA (2008-2010)
Edwige Lawson-Wade, Lattes Montpellier (France), WNBA (2005-2006, 2008-2010)
Celine Dumerc, Bourges (France)
Emilie Gomis, Lattes Montpellier (France), WNBA (2006)
Marielle Amant, Nantes (France)
Emmeline Ndongue, Bourges (France), WNBA (2006)
Valeriane Ayayi, Landes (France)
Anael Lardy, USK Prague (Czech Republic)
Gaelle Skrela, Lattes Montpellier (France)

[awhom111]

As mentioned in the other thread that I imagine will soon be merged into this one, the roster for the Men's University Games team tryouts has been announced, including two Duke players.
Here is the roster:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/worlduniversity/roster.html
Here is the article:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/worlduniversity/13_mwug_training_camp_roster.html

Also recently announced was a preliminary squad for Canada's University Games team, which will obviously include a number of NCAA players, including Kyle Wiltjer, who apparently escaped John Calipari's clutches for at least part of the summer:
http://www.basketball.ca/training-camp-roster-and-staff-announced-for-dmnt-p154103


Three more European teams have finalized their rosters for the Eurobasket Women tournament that is less than two weeks away. There are even some ACC connections here:

Sweden: http://iof1.idrottonline.se/SvenskaBasketbollforbundet/Nyheter/NyheterfranSBBF/12spelareuttagnaitanktEM-trupp/
Malin Aasa, Norrkoping Dolphins (Sweden)
Frida Aili, Northland (Sweden)
Kadidja Andersson, Ruzomberok (Slovakia), Minnesota
Katarina Andersson, Solna Vikings (Sweden)
Anna Barthold, Northland (Sweden), St. Peter's
Elisabeth Egnell, Norrkoping Dolphins (Sweden), Boston College
Elin Eldebrink, Cagliari (Italy)
Frida Eldebrink, Bourges (France)
Louice Halvarsson, Cagliari (Italy)
Danielle Hamilton-Carter, Georgia Tech
Ashley Key, Mark (Sweden), North Carolina State
Stefanie Yderstrom, Miami

Slovakia: http://www.basket.sk/clanok19398-Dvanastka_Sloveniek_na_ME_znama_nahradnickou_Pindr ochova.htm
Timea Sujova, Samorin (Slovakia)
Zuzana Brezaniova, Ruzomberok (Slovakia)
Gabriela Kubatova, Roche (France)
Lucia Kupcikova, Good Angels Kosice (Slovakia)
Katerina Tetemondova, Ruzomberok (Slovakia)
Dominika Baburova, Ruzomberok (Slovakia)
Barbora Fabianova, Cagliari (Italy), Youngstown State
Eva Kmetova, Ruzomberok (Slovakia)
Anna Jurcenkova, Brno (Czech Republic)
Klaudia Lukacovicova, Ruzomberok (Slovakia)
Romana Vynuchalova, Samorin (Slovakia), Penn State
Lucia Krc-Turbova, Piestanske Cajky (Slovakia)

Lithuania: http://www.musukrepsinis.lt/lt/index;news;show,id.20,item.2182
Inesa Visgaudaite, Toulouse (France)
Gabriele Gutkauskaite, Fortuna (Lithuania)
Rasa Zemantauskaite-Matlaisaitiene, Sirenos (Lithuania)
Mante Kvederaviciute, Kibirkstis (Lithuania)
Greta Sniokaite, Kibirkstis (Lithuania)
Kamile Nacickaite, Chieti (Italy), Drexel
Kristina Vengryte, Kibirkstis (Lithuania)
Monika Grigalauskyte, Fortuna (Lithuania)
Giedre Paugaite, Mondeville (France)
Gintare Petronyte, Taranto (Italy)
Egle Siksniute, Fortuna (Lithuania)
Iveta Salkauske, Sirenos (Lithuania), Illinois

[Dev11]

I see that Rodney and Quinn are participating in tryouts for the University games, and that they are training in Colorado Springs. Anybody know if those tryouts are open to the public?

[awhom111]

I see that Rodney and Quinn are participating in tryouts for the University games, and that they are training in Colorado Springs. Anybody know if those tryouts are open to the public?
USA practices are only available to those with media credentials.


The USA U16 Boys team is now set. I thought that they were going to wait until closer to the upcoming tournament in Uruguay to make the finals cuts, but they are now ready.
Here is the roster:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u16/roster.html
Here is the article:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u16/13_mu16_team.html


Latvia is the latest country in Europe to cut their roster down to 12 for the Eurobasket Women tournament, but they did leave some room for further moves. Here is the roster:
http://basket.lv/sieviesu_izlase/04062013-sieviesu_valstsvieniba_nosaukts_sastavs_p
Anda Eibele, Cesis (Latvia)
Elina Babkina, USK Prague (Czech Republic)
Kristina Karklina, Ceyhan (Turkey)
Ieva Krastina, Riga (Latvia)
Kitija Laksa, Riga (Latvia)
Anete Horelika, Lions (Netherlands)
Zane Jakobsone, Cesis (Latvia), Houston
Dita Liepkalne, Cesis (Latvia), Hawaii
Liene Jansone, Tarsus (Turkey), Siena
Anete Steinberga, UTEP
Aija Brumermane, Pecsi (Hungary)
Liga Surkusa, Broni (Italy)

[awhom111]

Now that there is a coach, USA Basketball has announced more plans for this summer's training camp in Las Vegas. The camp will conclude with its own Blue-White game, which will be open to the public. Some of the roster invitations have been leaked out ahead of the official announcement. Which players do you want to see as part of this group?

Here is the article:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/national/13_mnt_las_vegas_return.html


Finland has announced a preliminary squad for Eurobasket. Included on the list is Erik Murphy. Here is the article:
http://www.basket.fi/uutiset/etusivun_uutiset2/?x33156=17938533

The article also indicates that Alex Murphy will be in Durham for the summer instead of Finland.

[awhom111]

Here is an English-language article about Finland that cover the same main topics as the Finnish piece linked yesterday:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/newsid/55843/arti.html
The article includes translations of the quotes from the national team coach about the brothers Murphy.


The other thread made reference to some of the players whose invitations for Team USA this summer have already been leaked out. Here is a compilation of some of them:
Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Tyler Zeller:
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2013/06/kyrie_irving_dion_waiters_and.html
Paul George, George Hill:
http://blogs.pacers.com/2013/06/05/paul-george-george-hill-invited-to-team-usas-july-minicamp/
Taj Gibson:
http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/outside-shot/Chicago-Bulls-Taj-Gibson-Team-USA-209546461.html
John Wall, Bradley Beal:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wizards-insider/wp/2013/05/24/john-wall-and-bradley-beal-expected-to-participate-in-team-usa-minicamp/
Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes:
http://www.csnbayarea.com/warriors/report-thompson-barnes-invited-team-usa-minicamp
Greg Monroe, Andre Drummond:
http://www.freep.com/article/20130524/SPORTS03/305240062/detroit-pistons-usa-basketball-greg-monroe-andre-drummond
Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson:
http://www.nola.com/pelicans/index.ssf/2013/05/new_orleans_pelicans_forwards.html
Larry Sanders:
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/bucks/larry-sanders-invited-to-usa-basketball-select-camp-b9916716z1-208597771.html
Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward:
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/56357331-77/usa-team-favors-hayward.html.csp
Chandler Parsons:
http://houston.cbslocal.com/2013/05/23/chandler-parsons-invited-to-team-usa-olympic-camp/
DeAndre Jordan:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-clippers-deandre-jordan-team-usa-20130605,0,1537003.story
DeMarcus Cousins:
http://blogs.sacbee.com/sports/kings/archives/2013/06/demarcus-cousins-is-invited-to-team-usa-minicamp.html

How many of these players do you see suiting up in 2014? Who would you like to see on that roster next year? Do any of these players have what it takes to be playing when the stakes get bigger in preparation for 2016? Would you rather have seen Team USA send a team of 12 of these guys to Venezuela to compete for the FIBA Americas tournament this summer just like Spain, who did not need to participate in Eurobasket to qualify for the 2014 World Championship?

[awhom111]

Some continents have not even finished with determining fields for this year's championships. Asia made the draw for its group stage of the Men's Championship this week even though the last two teams from Southeast Asia are not even known yet. On the other hand, Europe has already gotten its start for 2015 with one tournament spot up for grabs among 14 teams that are not involved in the 2013 edition.

Action started today in 4 locations. Group A is in Luxembourg and Greece held off the Netherlands 61-59 in the first game. Estonia pounded the hosts 79-53 in the other game, which was had the unusual occurrence of an Estonian player fouling out after playing less than 6 minutes, all in the first half. In Group B, hosts Bulgaria beat Slovenia 57-52. In Group C, Poland beat Belgium 79-60 as all games are taking place in Finland. The Group D game between hosts Israel and Germany probably had the most American connections with ex-Maryland player Shay Doron leading Israel to a 68-57 with in 19 points and 7 assists. The other game in the group saw Macedonia edge past Portugal 60-56.

[awhom111]

A couple of spots in the second stage of the 2015 Eurobasket Women Qualifiers were sealed with today's games. A 65-56 Poland win over hosts Finland in Group C was enough to move them on:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9492-C-2-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9492.teamID_.html

Israel is moving on in Group D after they beat Macedonia 72-56 in a game featuring a number of players with American connections. Germany beat Portugal 66-59 in the earlier game in the group but the later result eliminated both teams.
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9492-D-4-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9492.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9492-D-3-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9492.teamID_.html

In Group B, Slovenia defeated Switzerland 84-76 to make tomorrow's game the final decider in the group:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9492-B-2-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9492.teamID_.html

In Group A, Estonia beat the Netherlands 77-54 and Greece beat Luxembourg 80-68 to set up a winner takes all game tomorrow.
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9492-A-3-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9492.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9492-A-4-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9492.teamID_.html#TABBED_DIV_2


Back to the 2014 edition of the tournament, the Czech Republic is the latest team to finalize their roster:
http://www.cbf.cz/reprezentace/nominace-zeny-a-2013.html

Katerina Bartonova, Sedis (Spain)
Veronika Bortelova, Karlin (Czech Republic)
Romana Hejdova, Brno (Czech Republic)
Katerina Elhotova, USK Prague (Czech Republic)
Katerina Hindrakova, Kara Trutnov (Czech Republic)
Tereza Vyoralova, VS Prague (Czech Republic)
Michaela Zrustova, USK Prague (Czech Republic)
Tereza Peckova, Brno (Czech Republic)
Jana Vesela, Antakya (Turkey), WNBA (2010)
Alena Hanusova, Brno (Czech Republic)
Ilona Burgrova, USK Prague (Czech Republic), South Carolina
Petra Kulichkova, Good Angels Kosice (Slovakia)

[awhom111]

The rest of the games for this stage of Eurobasket Women 2015 were completed today. In Group A, Greece advances after prevailing in the winners take all game with Estonia 58-43. The other game in the group was meaningless, but the Netherlands beat Luxembourg 77-53.
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9492-A-5-3.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9461.teamID_.html#TABBED_DIV_2
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9492-A-6-3.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9461.teamID_.html

Bulgaria won 73-65 over Switzerland in Group B to advance without needing any tiebrakers:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9492-B-3-3.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9461.teamID_.html

The game in Group C was meaningless, but Belgium beat hosts Finland as both teams crashed out of the tournament:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9492-C-3-3.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9461.teamID_.html

Group D's games were meaningless, but still ended up being exciting as Israel beat Portugal 59-56 and Germany needed overtime to beat Macedonia 87-83.
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9492-D-5-3.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9461.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9492-D-6-3.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9461.teamID_.html

With all of those results, there are four teams left in the running for one automatic spot in the tournament. The next stage is a home and home series. Bulgaria faces Poland and Israel faces Greece.


Another team has finalized their roster for Eurobasket Women 2013 as Spain set their list with less than a week to go:
http://www.feb.es/2013/6/9/baloncesto/mondelo-quedo-con-capacidad-del-equipo-ponerse-siete/48183.aspx

Silvia Dominguez, UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia)
Laia Palau, Polkowice (Poland)
Elisa Aguilar, Spartak Moscow (Russia), George Washington
Marta Xargay, Perfumerias Avenida (Spain)
Cristian Ouvina, Wisla Krakow (Poland)
Queralt Casas, Rivas Ecopolis (Spain)
Alba Torrens, Galatasaray (Turkey)
Amaya Valdemoro, Real Canoe (Spain)
Laura Gil, Burgos (Spain)
Sancho Lyttle, Atlanta Dream/Galatasaray (Turkey), Houston
Laura Nicholls, Rivas Ecopolis (Spain)
Cindy Lima, Gyor (Hungary)

[awhom111]

Andrew Wiggins has ruled himself out for Canada this summer, so it will be a while before we seem him in competition.


Great Britain is the latest team to name its Eurobasket Women squad, with a heavy USA college influence:
http://www.gbbasketball.com/news/2989.php

Dominique Allen, Bologna (Italy), Oral Roberts
Rose Anderson, Cercle Saint Paul Reze (France), Central Oklahoma (DII)
Kimberly Butler, Cesis (Latvia), Oregon State
Ella Clark, Long Beach State
Stefanie Collins, Cardiff Archers (Great Britain), St. Bonaventure's
Stephanie Gandy, Sheffield Hatters (Great Britain), Michigan
Chantelle Handy, Mersin (Turkey), Marshall
Georgia Jones, Cluj Napoca (Romania), Oral Roberts
Johannah Leedham, Bourges (France), Franklin Pierce (DII)
Azania Stewart, Bacs (Hungary), Florida
Lauren Thomas-Johnson, Sheffield Hatters (Great Britain), Marquette
Rachael Vanderwal, University of Limerick (Ireland), Boston University

[awhom111]

The USA Men's U19 team will start tryouts on Friday. They have added two more players since the initial announcement so Rasheed Sulaimon has a little bit more competition:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u19/13_mu19_trials_invitees_adds.html

The USA Boy's U15 team got off to a good start with a 130-31 in over Mexico. Mexico had 32 turnovers and the USA had 29 offensive rebounds and 29 assists for comparison.
Here is the official boxscore:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=A&n=2&r=9644&t=AUFGZEMLPC
I prefer this boxscore:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u16/13_mu16_game_01_stats.html

Serbia has announced their Eurobasket Women Squad (I usually avoid secondary sources, but this is much cleaner than the one from Serbia):
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_6mumGMTFJXUKv9eumYZZN2.articleMode_on.html

Ana Dabovic, Ankara (Turkey)
Bojana Vulic, Canik (Turkey)
Sasa Cado, Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)
Dajana Butulija, Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)
Ines Ajanovic, Cesis (Latvia)
Ivanka Matic, CSM Targoviste (Romania)
Jelena Milovanovic, Sopron (Hungary)
Jovana Rad, Tarbes (France)
Milica Dabovic, Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)
Nevena Jovanovic, Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)
Sara Krnjic, Sopron (Hungary)
Tamara Radocaj, Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)

[awhom111]

The USA Girl's U16 team had to make one change to their squad before departing for Cancun and it is a big one as they bring in an extremely tall player (no relation to anyone famous sharing her last name):
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/u16/13_wu16_team_mulkey.html
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/u16/roster.html

The USA Boy's U16 team only beat Argentina 96-72 today as they continue their domination of the Americas. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=A&n=3&r=9644&t=AUFGZEMLPC

Here is the full story and list on the USA mini-camp in July:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/national/13_mnt_27players.html
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/national/roster.html


With only a few days to go until the tournament starts, more teams are announcing their rosters for Eurobasket Women, although language issues mean I will be linking English language versions of most of the announcements:

Italy: http://www.fip.it/News.asp?IDNews=5894
Francesca Dotto, Lucca (Italy)
Martina Fassina, Orvieto (Italy)
Sabrina Cinili, Umbertide (Italy)
Giorgia Sottana, Schio (Italy)
Giulia Gatti, Taranto (Italy)
Ilaria Zanoni, Taranto (Italy)
Gaia Gorini, Umbertide (Italy)
Raffaella Masciadri, Schio (Italy), WNBA (2004-2005 and 2008)
Abiola Wabara, Taranto (Italy), Baylor
Bendetta Bagnara, Lucca (Italy)
Kathrin Ress, Lucca (Italy), Boston College and WNBA (2007)
Allesandra Formica, Umana Reyer (Italy)

Russia: http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_Or9ji9mRIcsC2aS1sWVYi2.articleMode_on.html
Anna Petrakova, UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia)
Evgenia Belyakova, Spartak Moscow (Russia)
Natalia Vieru, Spartak Moscow (Russia)
Marina Kuzina, Spartak Moscow (Russia)
Natalia Vodopyanova, Dynamo Kursk (Russia), WNBA (2005)
Epiphanny Prince, Chicago/Dynamo Kursk (Russia), Rutgers
Natalia Zhedik, Nadezhda Orenburg (Russia)
Liudmila Sapova, Nadezhda Orenburg (Russia)
Nadezhda Grishaeva, Dynamo Moscow (Russia)
Ilona Korstin, Dynamo Moscow (Russia)
Valeriya Musina, Polkowice (Poland), Lee University (NAIA)
Irina Osipova, Istanbul University (Turkey), WNBA (2006)

Croatia: http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_YlnTNwzbIOMVxfkLve7k-1.articleMode_on.html
Iva Ciglar, Perpignan (France), Florida International
Andja Jelavic, Samsun (Turkey)
Antonija Misura, Jolly Sibenik (Croatia)
Emanuela Salopek, Gospic (Croatia)
Monika Bosilj, Gospic (Croatia), Florida International
Kristina Benic, Jolly Sibenik (Croatia)
Jelena Ivezic, Ceyhan (Croatia)
Ana Lelas, Lattes Montpellier (France)
Iva Sliskovic, Spisska Nova Ves (Slovakia), South Carolina
Marija Rezan, Perfumerias Avenida (Spain)
Luca Ivankovic, Jolly Sibenik (Croatia)
Matea Vrdoljak, Novi Zagreb (Croatia)

[awhom111]

Today's hapless USA U16 opponent was the Bahamas, which kept the game respectable briefly before being overwhelmed 121-52. The USA team was missing starter Harry Giles, who was injured early in yesterday's game. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=A&n=6&r=9644&t=AUFGZEMLPC


All of the rosters are now more or less out for Eurobasket Women 2013, which starts on Saturday, although not all the sources are conveniently in English:

Ukraine: http://ukrbasket.net/national-team/women/ (also http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_NU-R,X8gJ-kooD0kBRfUZ1.articleMode_on.html )
Lyubov Alyoshkina, Olimpia (Belarus)
Olga Dubrovina, Neftochimic (Bulgaria)
Kateryna Dorogobuzova, Bacs (Hungary)
Oleksandra Khomenchuk, Horizont (Belarus)
Ganna Zarytska, Tim-Scuf (Ukraine)
Krystyna Matsko, Tim-Scuf (Ukraine)
Inna Kochubei, Tim-Scuf (Ukraine)
Oleksandra Kurasova, Rivas Ecopolis (Spain)
Olena Ogorodnikova, No Club
Viktoria Murcheva, Nantes (France)
Olena Samburska, Montana 2003 (Bulgaria)
Alina Iagupova, Los Angeles/Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine)

Turkey: http://www.tbf.org.tr/Tbfweb/tbfweb2.nsf/0/7D1D53A67BEF6517C2257B890043B3FB/$FILE/A%20Milli%20Kadin%20Rehber.pdf
Tugba Palazoglu, Istanbul University (Turkey), Western Illinois
Tugce Canitez, Westmont (NAIA)
Aysegul Gunay, Kayerseri (Turkey)
Birsel Vardarli, Fenerbahce (Turkey)
Begum Dalgalar, Kayseri (Turkey)
Esmeral Tuncluer, Fenerbahce (Turkey)
Isel Alben, Galatasaray (Turkey)
Nevriye Yilmaz, Galatasaray (Turkey), WNBA (2003-2004)
Naile Cirak, Antakya (Turkey)
Quanitra Hollingsworth, New York/UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia), LSU
Saziye Ivegin, Galatasaray (Turkey)
Bahar Caglar, Galatasaray (Turkey)

Montenegro: http://www.kscg.me/index.php?option=com_joomleague&view=roster&p=36:A%20Tim%20-%20zene&tid=47:crna-gora&Itemid=109
Snezana Aleksic, Dynamo Moscow (Russia)
Milena Bajic, Buducnost (Montenegro)
Ana Baletic, Buducnost (Montenegro)
Milka Bjelica, Besiktas (Turkey)
Jelena Culafic, Zeljeznicar (Bosnia)
Anna DeForge, USK Prague (Czech Republic), Nebraska and WNBA (2000 and 2003-2009)
Jelena Dubljevic, USK Prague (Czech Republic)
Milica Jovanovic, Besiktas (Turkey)
Iva Perovanovic, Nadezhda Orenburg (Russia)
Natasa Popovic, Spartak Noginsk (Russia)
Jelena Skerovic, USK Prague (Czech Republic)
Ana Turcinovic, Antakya (Turkey)

Belarus: http://www.bbf.by/ru/news/nacionalnaya-zhenskaya-sbornaya-na-mezhdunarodnom-turnire-vo-francii-3005---0106.htm
Alla Murauskaya, Berezina (Belarus)
Natalia Trafimava, Energia Ivanovo (Russia)
Aleksandra Taraseva, VS Prague (Czech Republic)
Anastasia Verameyenka, Fenerbahce (Turkey)
Tatsiana Likhtarovich, Fortuna (Lithuania)
Ekaterina Snytsina, Vologda Chevakata (Russia)
Maria Popova, Olimpia (Belarus)
Natalia Anufryienka, Horizont (Belarus)
Zhanna Haradzetskaya, Minsk (Belarus)
Olga Isteletsova, Minsk (Belarus)
Marina Kress, Minsk (Belarus)
Yelena Leuchanka, Atlanta/Liaoning (China), West Virginia

[awhom111]

The USA U16 team was tested for a longer period of time than in previous games, but eventually took care of Puerto Rico 93-64. They will play in tomorrow's Final at approximately 5:00pm Eastern. The game will be available on the FIBA Americas website through their UStream channel. Quality and lagging issues are sometimes an issue, but it is free. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=15&n=A&r=9667&t=AUFGZEMLPC

Does anyone know if there are any media members providing up to date coverage of the USA U19 tryouts? It would be nice to get an indicate of how Rasheed Sulaimon is doing between now and the final roster announcement.

[awhom111]

The USA U16 team took care of business in the final as they faced Argentina and won again, this time by a 94-48 margin. The top teams from this tournament will be playing in next summer's World U17 Championship. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=20&n=A&r=9668&t=AUFGZEMLPC

The U19 tryouts are still going on. Here are clips from an interview with Rasheed Sulaimon that include a few moments of practice:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AykY5zhJDJw


Eurobasket Women 2013 got started today with four groups of four teams with the top two teams moving on. In Group A, Montenegro beat Slovakia 77-63. In the other game, Turkey, which does not need a top placement in this tournament since it has already qualfied for next year's World Championship for Women by virtue of being named hosts, took care of business anyway with a 78-52 win over Ukraine. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8756-A-1-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8756.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8756-A-2-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8756.teamID_.html

In Group B, Italy prevailed 64-63 over Sweden in a game with many ACC ties. Katherin Ress, who went to Boston College, had 18 points and 14 rebounds in the win while ex-North Carolina State player Ashley Key, who was recently naturalized as a Swedish citizen after some time in the country playing well in their league, had 10 points in the loss. The other game became quite close as Russia mounted a fourth quarter comeback against Spain, but fell short 77-72. Russia's naturalized player, Epiphanny Prince, who left Rutgers early to play professionally, recovered in time from an ankle injury that had originally threatened her participation in the tournament and provided 13 points in the win. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8756-B-1-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8756.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8756-B-2-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8756.teamID_.html

In Group C, Great Britain beat Serbia 76-68 with a surge in the final period in a game that is likely to be critical in the final standings. Great Britain has a team of 12 players with NCAA ties. Hosts France, expected to be one of the favorites in the tournament, had an easy time in a 62-39 win over Latvia. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8756-C-1-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8756.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8756-C-2-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8756.teamID_.html

In Group D, Croatia beat Lithuania 89-77 and Belarus beat the Czech Republic 60-39. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8756-D-1-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8756.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8756-D-2-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8756.teamID_.html

Even though the 2013 tournament has just started, qualification continued for the 2015 tournament. The last four teams are fighting for one spot with teams facing off in two game home and home series with both home teams winning the first games. Greece beat Israel 69-57 and Bulgaria beat Poland 59-44. Here are the two boxscores:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9493-2-A-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9493.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9493-1-A-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9493.teamID_.html

[MCFinARL]

Rasheed Sulaimon, Jahlil Okafor, and Justise Winslow all advance to the final 16 candidates for 12 spots on the USA U-19 team. http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u19/

[awhom111]

Day 2 of the 2013 Eurobasket Women 2013 gave some teams the opportunity to clinch a spot in the next round by not finishing last in the group. In Group A, Turkey took care of business by beating Montenegro 66-57. Slovakia beat Ukraine 75-68 as games tomorrow will determine the final placements. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8756-A-3-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8756-A-4-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8756.teamID_.html

In Group B, Spain also took care of business with a 71-59 win over Italy. Sweden shocked Russia 68-57 to put the defending champions in danger of elimination. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8756-B-4-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8756-B-3-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html

In Group C, Great Britain moves on after pulling away in a 69-56 win over Latvia. They will play France next in a game between qualified teams with the result carrying over after the hosts dismantled Serbia 76-32. The two teams that lost today face off tomorrow for the final spot in the group. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8756-C-4-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html#TABBED_DIV_2
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8756-C-3-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html

In Group D, Belarus beat Croatia 57-43, but both teams are set to move on. The Czech Republic eliminated Lithuania with a 70-51 win with Lithuania losing all potential tiebreakers. The Czechs move on but still have a big game against Croatia that will count in the next stage. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8756-D-4-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8756.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8756-D-3-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html

[UrinalCake]

Rasheed Sulaimon, Jahlil Okafor, and Justise Winslow all advance to the final 16 candidates for 12 spots on the USA U-19 team.

So does this mean that Rodney Hood did not make the cut? I'm a little confused by all the updates from the various teams.

[MCFinARL]

So does this mean that Rodney Hood did not make the cut? I'm a little confused by all the updates from the various teams.

No, Rodney and Quinn Cook are trying out for the World University Games team; they are likely too old for the U-19 team, which requires one's birthday to be on or after Jan. 1, 1994. The training camp for the University Games team runs from June 24-30.

[UrinalCake]

No, Rodney and Quinn Cook are trying out for the World University Games team; they are likely too old for the U-19 team, which requires one's birthday to be on or after Jan. 1, 1994. The training camp for the University Games team runs from June 24-30.

Gotcha; thanks for the clarification. We've got so many players competing on international teams that it's hard to keep them straight 8-)

[MCFinARL]

Gotcha; thanks for the clarification. We've got so many players competing on international teams that it's hard to keep them straight 8-)

Yes--it's a good kind of problem to have.

[NSDukeFan]

Gotcha; thanks for the clarification. We've got so many players competing on international teams that it's hard to keep them straight 8-)

It's nice to have a coach who encourages these kinds of experiences.

[awhom111]

Yes--it's a good kind of problem to have.

In theory it could have been an even more busy summer. Alex Murphy and Todd Zafirovski both turned down invites from their national team programs in order to take care of school. Luol Deng is also probably taking the summer off on the pro side. Good thing we won the gold medal in the Olympics or we would have had to play this summer too (although I suspect that they might have hired a new coach in that case).


It's nice to have a coach who encourages these kinds of experiences.

Hey, John Calipari is fully in support of this sort of thing as long as your name is Kyle Wiltjer or its a recruit playing internationally directly for him.


Eurobasket Women 2013 finished its first round today. In Group A, Montenegro took care of business and eliminated Ukraine 72-60. That meant that both teams in the second game were assured their spot in the next round, but the result of their game still counted for the next stage, and Turkey beat Slovakia 66-48 to give themselves a boost to continue in the tournament. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8756-A-5-3.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8756-A-6-3.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html

Group B was the the most intriguing group and Russia finally got their win after beating Italy 72-66. This result left the two teams waiting for the second game to see which tiebreakers would apply and eliminated one of the two. Sweden took the early lead on Spain, which would have put Russia through, but loss their way in the second half and fell 73-49 to help Italy join them in the next round to leave Russia eliminated in rather shocking fashion. Georgia Tech's Danielle Hamilton-Carter managed to foul out in under 10 minutes without any positive statistical contributions in the Sweden game. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8756-B-6-3.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8756-B-5-3.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html

In Group C, Serbia and Latvia faced off first with the winner moving on and the loser going home. Serbia did just enough to win 62-56. France and Great Britain were both already moving on, but their game would also count towards the next stage so the hosts French took care of business and won 79-47. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8756-C-5-3.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8756-C-6-3.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html

In Group D, the first game was meaningless for both teams, but already-eliminated Lithuania did manage a 72-67 consolation win against already-qualified Belarus. The other game saw the Czech Republic beat Croatia 74-68 to give themselves a leg up in the next round. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8756-D-5-3.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8756-D-6-3.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html

After this round, the top three teams advanced to the next round. The teams qualifying from Group A joined the teams qualifying from Group B to from Group E. Likewise, Group C teams and Group D teams combined to form Group F. Only the results with other qualified teams carry on, so results against the last-place teams are wiped out. Now each team will play the three teams in their group that they have not played yet, with four out of six teams in each group moving on to the quarterfinals. Here are the standings with the results carried over:

Group E:
Spain 2-0
Turkey 2-0
Montenegro 1-1
Italy 1-1
Sweden 0-2
Czech Republic 0-2

Group F:
France 2-0
Belarus 2-0
Czech Republic 1-1
Great Britain 1-1
Croatia 0-2
Serbia 0-2

[awhom111]

Rasheed made the team along with both Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow.

Here is the roster:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u19/roster.html

Here is the article:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u19/13_mu19_team.html

As we get a little closer to the tournament, we will know more about some of the other teams.

Here is a nice video from the coach at the top:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=x8kpT8Ei5ps

[awhom111]

Another country with a number of NCAA players chose their U19 team recently as Canada has set their roster:
http://www.basketball.ca/junior-men-s-national-team-announced-p154209

The next competitive games for a USA team will be tomorrow at the FIBA Americas U16 Girl's tournament.


While most fans have their eye on 2013 or at most 2014, we are getting closer to determine the first survivor of qualifying for Eurobasket 2015 Women after the second legs of the two semifinals. First, Poland hosted Bulgaria trying to overturn a 15 point deficit from the first game. They ended up with a big 65-44 win as they held off as strong comeback effort from Bulgaria to win 109-103 on aggregate. In the other semifinal, Israel, with their multitude of ties to the United States, looked to overcome a 12 point deficit against Greece, but soon fell behind and lost 66-57 to lose 135-114 on aggregate. Now those two teams will also have a two game home and home series to earn an automatic spot in 2014 to avoid the qualifiers next summer. Here are the two boxscores:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9493-1-B-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9493.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9493-2-B-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9493.teamID_.html

[awhom111]

The second stage of Eurobasket Women started today with three games in Group F. The day started with a matchup between the two 1-1 teams with the Czech Republic prevailing 66-55 over Great Britain. The next game saw Serbia earning its first win while handing Belarus its first loss by a 54-48 margin. Hosts France looked to be cruising after a strong first half, but let Croatia back in the game in the second half before holding on to a 78-70 win to remain undefeated and to keep their opponents winless. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8757-F-2-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8757.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8757-F-3-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8757.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8757-F-1-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8757.teamID_.html

Here are the updated standings for the group (top 4 teams advance):
France 3-0
Belarus 2-1
Czech Republic 2-1
Great Britain 1-2
Serbia 1-2
Croatia 0-3


The USA U16 Girls team put on an absolute defensive clinic today in their opener against Brazil as they won 76-20. Asia Durr had 20 points herself in under 15 minutes of play. For comparison, Brazil had 28 turnovers (23 for the USA) and 22 fouls. They did not make a three pointer and their 4 for 11 performance from the stripe was as frustrating as their overall 16% field goal percentage.

[awhom111]

The next USA team that will roll through Colorado is the Men's University Games team, which convenes on Monday. Although two Duke players were on the initial list, Quinn Cook will not be able to participate in the tryouts so Rodney Hood will be the player to represent the school. C.J. Fair is the other player on the initial list who will not be there. P.J. Hairston, on the other hand, will be there. Here is the latest roster:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/worlduniversity/roster.html
Here is the article:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/worlduniversity/13_mwug_training_camp_opens.html

The USA U16 Girls started putting things together and cleaning up a few issues as they beat Argentina 98-28. Things were actually close after one quarter, but that all changed quickly. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=A&n=4&r=9655&t=VATYUWCLZO


Eurobasket Women action continued with three games from Group E today and our first two quarterfinalists. Spain smashed Slovakia 80-44 behind 18 points from Sancho Lyttle in the first game to stay undefeated. The battle in the middle time slot saw Sweden beat Montenegro 69-58. Ashley Key won the battle of the naturalized players with 17 points in the win as Anna DeForge had 10 points in the loss. Turkey stayed unbeaten with a strong second half pulling them ahead of Italy for a 66-46 win. Turkey and Spain have now qualified as no more than two teams can reach three wins. Of course Turkey's final placement in this tournament does not matter as they qualify for the World Championships by virtue of being hosts. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8757-E-3-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8757-E-2-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8757-E-1-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html

Here are the updated standings for the group:
Spain 3-0
Turkey 3-0
Montenegro 1-2
Sweden 1-2
Italy 1-2
Slovakia 0-3

[awhom111]

The USA U16 Girls team continued its rampage through the Americas with a 106-19 win over Costa Rica in Cancun. They fell behind briefly 4-2 before embarking on a 39-0 run to set the tone for most of the rest of the game. They continue with the semifinals tomorrow already having easily booked their trip to next summer's U17 World Championships (confirmed today to be in Slovakia with the U17 boys headed to the United Arab Emirates). Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=A&n=5&r=9655&t=VATYUWCLZO


In Eurobasket Women action, Group F play resumed with Serbia eliminating Croatia 77-64. The second game saw Belarus use a fourth quarter surge to beat Great Britain 71-61 and move on to the next round. Hosts France continued their domination with a 64-49 win over the Czech Republic as they were also advancing to the quarterfinals. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8757-F-5-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8757-F-6-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8757-F-4-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html

With one game left for the group, the picture for the quarterfinals is becoming clear. France and Belarus will cap off play on Sunday competing for the top spot in the group. Belarus will enter that game knowing if a loss would push them to third or not because the winner of the first game between the Czech Republic and Serbia is going to advance. Serbia would move up to second with a win and a Belarus loss while a Czech win would put them in third and Belarus in second. The Czech Republic will advance no matter what happens in their game, but need will finish fourth with a loss.The first game will also have an impact on the middle game as Great Britain must beat Croatia to advance, but will already be eliminated if Serbia wins. A Serbia loss and a Great Britain win against already eliminated opponents would leave Serbia out of the picture.

Here are the updated standings:
France 4-0
Belarus 3-1
Czech Republic 2-2
Serbia 2-2
Great Britain 1-3
Croatia 0-4

On the men's side, things are starting to clear up for 2013 as only one spot remains in the qualifiers for the World Championships in 2014. Indonesia and Thailand will find out which one of them is the last qualifier in Asia after tomorrow's games in the Southeast Asia Basketball Championship. After the two games tomorrow, all of the continental competitions will have their fields decided. The first qualifiers for the World Championships besides the automatic qualifiers, Spain, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, will be known in August in the the Asian Championships hosted by the Philippines.

[awhom111]

The USA U16 Girls had their semifinal against hosts Mexico today, but had little trouble on their way to a 101-29 win. They will play Canada in the final (the start of a basketball rivalry between the two nations?). Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=15&n=A&r=9669&t=VATYUWCLZO


The FIBA Asia Championships now have their field complete with Thailand beating Malaysia to earn the last spot after Singapore shocked Indonesia.

We are one step closer to awarding a team a spot in Eurobasket Women 2015 with the first leg of the final qualifying stage today. Greece took care of Poland 61-46 at home, keeping their opponents from closing the gap in the second half to take a solid advantage on the road. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9494-3-A-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9461.teamID_.html#TABBED_DIV_2

Meanwhile, back in 2013, Group E of Eurobasket Women played three more games today, with a number of things still to be decided when the teams play on Monday. Italy handed Slovakia another loss in the first game of the day 58-47. Turkey then remained undefeated with a 72-51 win over Sweden. The final game was also not a surprise as Spain stayed undefeated after beating Montenegro 66-50. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8757-E-5-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8757-E-4-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8757-E-6-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html

Nothing more was decided after today's games. Spain and Turkey will face off in the final game with the winner finishing first in the group and the loser finishing second. Montenegro and Italy face off first and Italy will make it easy for themselves with a win, but things get interesting if they lose. Sweden and Slovakia play in the middle slot with Slovakia needing at least an Italy win before winning big themselves. Sweden will know exactly what it needs to do before their game to move on.

Here are the updated standings:
Spain 4-0
Turkey 4-0
Italy 2-2
Montenegro 1-3
Sweden 1-3
Slovakia 0-4

[awhom111]

The final of the FIBA Americas U16 Girls Championship finally meant a challenge for the United States as they faced Canada. Things stayed close with the two teams heading into the halftime break tied at 27. The United States blasted out of the gates in the third quarter to open a huge lead and coast to a 82-48 win. This was the first time all tournament that it was clear who the stars were as the rotation was adjusted to get more playing time for the starters. As was the case throughout the tournament, Asia Durr and Katie Lou Samuelson were the key players as they ended up combining for more points than Canada. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=20&n=A&r=9670&t=VATYUWCLZO

Up next this week will be the U19 Men in World Championships in Prague.


One group finished play in Eurobasket Women today as Group F is now settled. In the first game, Serbia beat the Czech Republic 75-59 after a dominant second quarter to put both teams through. That result made the second game meaningless with both Great Britain and Croatia eliminated. Great Britain held on to an 85-79 win behind a great all-around performance from Johannah Leedham. Hopefully this result is enough for the United Kingdom to continue to have a national basketball program. In the final game, the top spot in the group was at stake and France managed to grind out a result at home 58-50 to push Belarus down to third place. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/default.asp?cid=%7BBC65AC9E-1C7D-401E-83D4-AE6E0031D9BB%7D&compID=%7BCF1BFB60-1462-4EB7-ABFD-6769D7079803%7D&season=2013&roundID=8743&gameID=8757-F-9-3
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/default.asp?cid=%7BBC65AC9E-1C7D-401E-83D4-AE6E0031D9BB%7D&compID=%7BCF1BFB60-1462-4EB7-ABFD-6769D7079803%7D&season=2013&roundID=8743&gameID=8757-F-8-3
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/default.asp?cid=%7BBC65AC9E-1C7D-401E-83D4-AE6E0031D9BB%7D&compID=%7BCF1BFB60-1462-4EB7-ABFD-6769D7079803%7D&season=2013&roundID=8743&gameID=8757-F-7-3

Here are the final group standings:
France 5-0
Serbia 3-2
Belarus 3-2
Czech Republic 2-3
Great Britain 2-3
Croatia 0-5

The top four teams move on to the quarterfinals with their opponents from Group E to be revealed tomorrow. Serbia and the Czech Republic will play on Wednesday and France and Belarus will play on Thursday.

[awhom111]

The USA U19 Men introduced themselves to Prague today as they beat the Czech U19s in a scrimmage 97-51. Rasheed had 7 points and 6 rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u19/13_mu19_exh_01_box.html

The tournament starts on Thursday for the team against Ivory Coast. The official broadcast of the first round of group games will be from a fully legal Czech webcast. All games will be at 2:15 pm Eastern (and we will want those times for the rest of the tournament as that will mean that the team is winning). Here are the games and links:
Thursday, Ivory Coast:
http://basketbal.tvcom.cz/Zapas/Soutez-Mistrovstvi-sveta/Cast-Skupina-D/Pohlavi-Muzi/Sezona-2013/23604-Pobrezi-slonoviny-USA.htm
Friday, China:
http://basketbal.tvcom.cz/Zapas/Soutez-Mistrovstvi-sveta/Cast-Skupina-D/Pohlavi-Muzi/Sezona-2013/23608-USA-Cina.htm
Saturday, Russia:
http://basketbal.tvcom.cz/Zapas/Soutez-Mistrovstvi-sveta/Cast-Skupina-D/Pohlavi-Muzi/Sezona-2013/23612-USA-Rusko.htm


Quarterfinals are now set for the Eurobasket Women tournament after today's concluding matches for Group E. Italy used a strong second half to beat Montenegro 66-60 and seal third place. This result meant that Sweden could advance with a win and they did so after a strong start against Slovakia before desperately clinging to a 75-72 win for the ACC-heavy team. In the final game, Spain took a big early lead in their bid to top the group, only to see Turkey cut the deficit before they finally built the lead back up for a 61-48 win. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8757-E-8-3.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8757-E-9-3.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8757-E-7-3.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html

Here were the final group standings:
Spain 5-0
Turkey 4-1
Italy 3-2
Sweden 2-3
Montenegro 1-4
Slovakia 0-5

Here are the quarterfinal pairings with the winners also qualifying to the World Championships and Eurobasket 2015 Women. The 5th place team will also qualify for next summer's tournament and the 6th place team will qualify if Turkey finishes 5th or higher.

Tuesday:
Serbia vs Italy
Spain vs Czech Republic

Wednesday:
Turkey vs Belarus
France vs Sweden

[MCFinARL]

The USA U19 Men introduced themselves to Prague today as they beat the Czech U19s in a scrimmage 97-51. Rasheed had 7 points and 6 rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u19/13_mu19_exh_01_box.html


Interesting box score. I note Sulaimon played more minutes than all but two players--Payton and Williams-Goss--for whatever that is worth. What really caught my eye, though, was that he had 6 rebounds--sharing the largest number on the team with Montrezl Harrell and Jahlil Okafor. Pretty impressive for a guard.

[awhom111]

The U19 Men's team continues their preparations for Thursday's opener. Jerami Grant was thought to have strep throat, but it turned out to be mononucleosis, so he needed to be replaced. USA Basketball opted for another incoming ACC player as they called in James Robinson of Pitt. Here is the story:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u19/13_mu19_grant_unable_to_participate.html

Apparently they had another scrimmage today against Canada, but full details do not appear to be available.

More roster information about the other teams should be coming tomorrow in more formalized form. Most of the rosters have been set at this point.


The fourth qualifier for Eurobasket Women 2015 has been decided on this off day for this summer's competition. Poland sought to overcome a 15 point deficit from the first game and looked like they would at least make it close, but let Greece close the gap and could only manage a 57-56 win. That result left Greece as the winner of the tie by a 117-103 aggregate score. Greece joins Turkey and hosts Hungary and Romania as teams with a spot in the 2015 tournament. At least three if not four more teams will punch their tickets in the next two days. Here is the boxscore for today's game:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9494-3-B-2.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2015.roundI D_9494.teamID_.html

[awhom111]

There were a few interesting photos from today's World University Games practices/tryouts (time for a caption contest I think) thanks to USA Basketball:

http://www.usabasketball.com/photos/13_wwug_train_gall_01_23.JPG
http://www.usabasketball.com/photos/13_wwug_train_gall_01_11.JPG
http://www.usabasketball.com/photos/13_wwug_train_gall_01_08.JPG

Caption this:
http://www.usabasketball.com/photos/13_muwug_train_gall_01_20.jpg

[awhom111]

Two spots were handed out for the 2014 World Championship for Women and 2015 Eurobasket Women today as the first two quarterfinals took place at Eurobasket Women. Italy held a small lead for most of the game against Serbia before letting their opponents take a late lead. Ex-Boston College player Kathrin Ress missed two free throws that would have tied the game and let Serbia win 85-79. Ex-Baylor player Abiola Wabara managed a special feat in the loss as her only boxscore contribution was five fouls in 9 minutes of play. The second game saw Spain jump out to an early lead with 22 first half points from Alba Torrens and 14 first half points from Sancho Lyttle, both of whom were teammates of Lindsey Harding's this season. They did not get much help from their teammates, which let the Czech Republic back into the game, but they reestablished control and won 75-58. Now Spain will play Serbia in the first semifinal on Friday. Italy and the Czech Republic will play tomorrow with the loser being eliminated from contention for the World Championships. The winner will not know if they are automatically qualified until the conclusion of the second game, where they will hope for a win for Turkey. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8758-46-A-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8758.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8758-43-A-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8758.teamID_.html


Here are the article and roster for the World University Games team now that we are down to 16:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/worlduniversity/13_mwug_finalists.html
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/worlduniversity/roster.html

Official squad lists are out for the U19 World Championship. I will run through them starting with the three other teams playing in Group D alongside the United States. A number of players play for a specialized academy or the junior or reserve team of a professional club and some do not have a team listed.

China: http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/team/p/eid/9616/lid//rid//sid/9616/tid/262/profile.html (my list using traditional surname first)
Zhao Jiwei
Luo Hanchen, Dongguan Leopards (China)
Yuan Shuai
Wu Qian, Zhejiang Golden Bulls (China)
Zhao Rui
Heng Yifeng
Li Jinglong
Gao Shang
Zhao Tianyi
Lai Junhao
Wu Quanxi
Zhou Qi

Ivory Coast: http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/team/p/eid/9616/lid//rid//sid/9616/tid/267/profile.html
Abdoul Karim Sanogo, YLB Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Alpha Toure, Generation Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Sahie Kuo, Bosco Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Cyril Adjei, Ermess Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Ousmane Toure, JCA Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Cedric Bah, Douai (France)
Amboudou-Kadirou Karaboue, Bosco Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Aboubakar Traore, SOA Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Dalen Traore, IVESTP Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Blaise Kouakou, IVESTP Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Ismael Meite, SOA Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Aziz Fofana, YLB Abidjan (Ivory Coast)

Russia: http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/team/p/eid/9616/lid//rid//sid/9616/tid/381/profile.html
Viktor Kashin, Avtodor Saratov (Russia)
Pavel Krechetov, Lokomotiv Kuban (Russia)
Maxim Voytov, Lokomotiv Kuban (Russia)
Mikhail Kulagin, Triumph Lyubertsy (Russia)
Serdar Annaev, Khimki Moscow (Russia)
Viacheslav Fedorchenko, Triumph Lyubertsy (Russia)
Alexander Gankevich, CSKA Moscow (Russia)
Stanislav Ilnitskiy, Khimki Moscow (Russia)
Yury Pershin, Spartak St. Petersburg (Russia)
Andrey Desyatnikov, Triumph Lyubertsy (Russia)
Rostislav Karenin, Khimki Moscow (Russia)
Igor Kanygin, Lokomotiv Kuban (Russia)

Here are the four teams in Group C. As long as the United States avoids finishing last, they will play the top three teams from this group in the second round.

Australia: http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/team/p/eid/9616/lid//rid//sid/9616/tid/239/profile.html
Emmett Naar, AIS (Australia)
Anthony Fisher, Ballarat (Australia)
Michael Rowley, Northern Suburbs Sydney (Australia)
Dante Exum, AIS (Australia)
Gerard Martin, AIS (Australia)
Joshua Oswald, Weribee Melbourne (Australia)
Keanu Pinder, AIS (Australia)
Felix Kalau von Hofe, AIS (Australia)
Fabijan Krslovic, Northern Suburbs Sydney (Australia)
Dane Pineau, AIS (Australia)
Jonah Bolden, City of Sydney (Australia)
Nicholas Duncan, AIS (Australia)

Brazil: http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/team/p/eid/9616/lid//rid//sid/9616/tid/250/profile.html
Arthur Fernandes da Silva, Paulistano (Brazil)
Luis Ricci Maia, Franca (Brazil)
Guilherme Martins Verardo, Pinheiros (Brazil)
Danilo Fuzaro Siqueira, Minas (Brazil)
Felipe Braga Alfredo, Pau-Lacq-Orthez (France)
Deryk Evandro Ramos, Winner Limeira (Brazil)
Humberto Luis Gomes da Silva, Pinheiros (Brazil)
Antonio Elpidio Ferreira Junior, Franca (Brazil)
Lucas Dias Silva, Pinheiros (Brazil)
Daniel Bordignon Barbieri, Caja Laboral Baskonia (Spain)
Leonardo Demetrio, Minas (Brazil)
Eduardo Campos Sommer, Winner Limeira (Brazil)

Senegal: http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/team/p/eid/9616/lid//rid//sid/9616/tid/358/profile.html
Alioune Diallo, SEEDS Academy (Senegal)
Pape Diatta, The Rock School (Florida)
Ibrahima Sankare, SEEDS Academy (Senegal)
Cheikh Bamba Diallo, SEEDS Academy (Senegal)
Khalifa Ndiaye, St. Benedict's (Tennessee)
Modou Mbaye, Real Madrid (Spain)
Khadim Fall, LeMans Sarthe (France)
Youssoupha Kane, Western Nebraska (JC)
Abdoulaye Ndoye, SEEDS Academy (Senegal)
Racine Talla, 22ft Academy (Kentucky)
Abdou Gueye, SEEDS Academy (Senegal)
Tidiane Badiane, SEEDS Academy (Senegal)

Serbia: http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/team/p/eid/9616/lid//rid//sid/9616/tid/96799/profile.html
Stefan Pot, Vojvodina (Serbia)
Jovan Novak, Vrsac (Serbia)
Milos Jankovic, Spirou Charleroi (Belgium)
Nikola Jokic, Mega Vizura (Serbia)
Dusan Kutlesic, Sloboda (Serbia)
Vasilje Micic, Mega Vizura (Serbia)
Luka Andusic, Zrenjanin (Serbia)
Nikola Milutinovic, Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)
Nikola Jankovic, Mladost Cacak (Serbia)
Mihajlo Andric, Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)
Ognjen Dobric, Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)
Doko Salic, Spars (Bosnia & Herzegovina)

Group A Teams:

Canada:
Kaza Keane, Illinois State
Duane Notice, St. Thomas More (Connecticut)
Agunwa Okolie, Harvard
Joseph De Ciman, Colorado State
Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Huntington Prep (West Virginia)
MiKyle McIntosh, 22ft Academy (Kentucky)
Trey Lyles, Arsenal Technical (Indiana)
Tyler Ennis, St. Benedict's (New Jersey)
Marko Pirovic, Thornlea Secondary (Canada)
Denzell Taylor, St. Benedict's (New Jersey)
Manroop Clair, Hawaii
Christopher Egi, St. Andrews College High School (Canada)

Croatia: http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/team/p/eid/9616/lid//rid//sid/9616/tid/2168/profile.html
Martin Junakovic, GKK Sibenik (Croatia)
Tomislav Gabric, Jolly Sibenik (Croatia)
Josip Gulam, Jolly Sibenik (Croatia)
Jakov Mustapic, Cedevita Zagreb (Croatia)
Lovro Demo, Krizevci (Croatia)
Dario Saric, Cibona Zagreb (Croatia)
Mislav Brzoja, Villanova
Antun Hrkac, Darda (Croatia)
Domagoj Bosnjak, Siroki (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Ivan Bender, Split (Croatia)
Marin Maric, La Lumiere (Indiana)
Valentin Jurkovic, Capljina (Bosnia & Herzegovina)

South Korea: http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/team/p/eid/9616/lid//rid//sid/9616/tid/313/profile.html (my list using traditional surname first)
Kang Sang-Jae, Korea University (South Korea)
Choi Jun-Yong, Yonsei University (South Korea)
Choi Seong-Mo, Korea University (South Korea)
Cheon Gi-Beom, Yonsei University (South Korea)
An Young-Jun, Kyongbock High School (South Korea)
Heo Hoon, Yongsan High School (South Korea)
Byeon Jun-Hyeong, Jemulpo High School (South Korea)
Choi Seun-Gook, Kyung Hee University (South Korea)
Kim, Jin-Yong, Whimoon High School (South Korea)
Jeon Hyun-Woo, Muryong High School (South Korea)
Park In-Tae, Yonsei University (South Korea)
Park Jung-Hyeon, Masan High School (South Korea)

Spain: http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/team/p/eid/9616/lid//rid//sid/9616/tid/362/profile.html
Borja Mendia, Loiola Indautxu (Spain)
Oriol Paul, FC Barcelona (Spain)
Edgar Vicedo, Asefa Estudiantes (Spain)
Dario Brizuela, Asefa Estudiante (Spain)
Adrian Chapela, Breogan Lugo (Spain)
Guillermo Hernangomez, Real Madrid (Spain)
Alberto Diaz, Unicaja Malaga (Spain)
Juan Sebastian Saiz, Sunrise Christian (Kansas)
Jose Ignacio Nogues, Joventut Badalona (Spain)
Josep Perez, FC Barcelona (Spain)
Javier Marin, Zaragoza (Spain)
Albert Homs, Joventut Badalona (Spain)

Group B:

Argentina: http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/team/p/eid/9616/lid//rid//sid/9616/tid/237/profile.html
Juan Valet, Hindu (Argentina)
Gaston Whelan, Hindu (Argentina)
Pedro Barral, Obras Sanitarias (Argentina)
Gabriel Deck, Quimsa (Argentina)
Rodrigo Haag, Echague Parana (Argentina)
Lucas Gonzales, Instituto Cordoba (Argentina)
Julian Morales, Penarol (Argentina)
Matias Bernardini, Sportsmen Unidos de Rosario (Argentina)
Javier Saiz, Hindu (Argentina)
Nicholas Zurschmitten, Atenas (Argentina)
Gonzalo Torres, Bahia Blanca (Argentina)
Franco Barroso, Atenas (Argentina)

Czech Republic: http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/team/p/eid/9616/lid//rid//sid/9616/tid/2612/profile.html
Matej Svoboda, Nymburk (Czech Republic)
Jiri Soula, Pardubice (Czech Republic)
Radovan Kouril, Lucentum Alicante (Spain)
Prokop Slanina, Biella (Italy)
Lukas Festr, USK Prague (Czech Republic)
Adam Pechachek, Virtus Bologna (Italy)
Jan Krivanek, USK Prague (Czech Republic)
Pavel Grunt, USK Prague (Czech Republic)
Karel Ausprunk, Lokomotiv Plzen (Czech Republic)
Petr Safarcik, USK Prague (Czech Republic)
Jan Svandrlik, Unicaja Malaga (Spain)
Martin Peterka, Pardubice (Czech Republic)

Iran: http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/team/p/eid/9616/lid//rid//sid/9616/tid/2605/profile.html
Hamed Beigiarbatsofla, Nyavaran (Iran)
Saleh Foroutannik, Azad University (Iran)
Rasoul Mozafarivanani, Esteghlal (Iran)
Sajjad Mashayekhi, Mahram (Iran)
Behnam Yakhchalidehkordi, Petrochimi Mahshahr (Iran)
Sorous Dehghani, Petrochimi (Iran)
Keyvan Riaei, Azad University (Iran)
Saeid Bagherikoudakani, Qazvin (Iran)
Vahid Dalirzahan, Azad University (Iran)
Mohammad Yazdanpanah, Bandar (Iran)
Mohammad Yousofvand, Al Badr Kong(Iran)
Hossein Rahmati, Mahram (Iran)

Lithuania: http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/team/p/eid/9616/lid//rid//sid/9616/tid/2135/profile.html
Rokas Gustys, Oak Hill Academy (Virginia)
Justas Tamulis, Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania)
Simas Raupys, Birstono (Lithuania)
Jokubas Gintvainis, Sakalai (Lithuania)
Lukas Lekavicius, Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania)
Tomas Dimsa, Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania)
Mantyvdas Staselis, Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania)
Augustinas Jankaitis, Perlas (Lithuania)
Denis Krestinin, Sakalai (Lithuania)
Marius Grigonis, Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania)
Martinas Geben, St. Maria Goretti (Maryland)
Donatas Tarolis, Gargzdai (Lithuania)

[awhom111]

Today the U19 World Championship started and the USA team opened up against Ivory Coast with an impressive defensive effort giving them an 88-29 win. Streaming seems to be a problem right now and it is unclear what outlet will be showing the next few games. Rasheed returned to the starting lineup, but had a fairly quiet day as the last player on the team to score when he knocked down a three pointer as he ended up playing 17 minutes. It was an impressive introduction for the youngsters as Justise Winslow had 14 points and 7 rebounds, Aaron Gordon had 12 points, and Jahlil Okafor had 10 points while returning star Jarnell Stokes had 12 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/2/grid/D/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html

The other game in the group turned out to be quite a good one as China and Russia battled fiercely with China holding on to the lead they held for most of the game to win 61-59. Zhou Qi, who is probably the biggest name on the Chinese team dominated the paint with 28 points, 17 rebounds, and 9 blocks and will be an interesting matchup against the post depth of the USA tomorrow. Here is the boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/1/grid/D/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html

American fans should also start paying attention to Group C, where Australia opened up its tournament with a 90-46 pasting of Senegal. Australia did not need help from their stars, but rising senior Pape Diatta had 24 points in the loss. Serbia, one of better teams in the tournament beat Brazil 65-50. Here are the two boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/1/grid/C/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/2/grid/C/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html

In Group A, the early game was a pretty exciting matchup as Spain beat Canada 81-70 even though the teams were not quite fully stocked. Missing their star, Canada's new big trio took charge as incoming ACC players Tyler Ennis and Xavier Rathan-Mayes had 20 and 17 points respectively and Trey Lyles had 17 points and 7 rebounds. In the other game, Croatia had a tougher than expected time with South Korea, but ended up rolling to a 106-89 win. Dario Saric showed off his game with a triple double of 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists and Villanova's Mislav Brzoja added 21 points and 10 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/2/grid/A/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/1/grid/A/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html

In Group B, hosts Czech Republic put up a very strong fight before succumbing to defending champions Lithuania 77-74. Iran led Argentina wire to wire and ended up winning 84-73 despite things getting a little interesting late. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/2/grid/B/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/1/grid/B/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html


Refusing to be outdone, Eurobasket Women had a couple of good games as well. The Czech Republic and Italy opened the day in the 5th through 8th place classification bracket with the Czechs winning 72-68. That left them waiting on the second game to see if they would need to win any more games to qualify for the tournaments of the next two summers and Turkey obliged them by beating Belarus 55-41. The final game ended up being the best as Sweden held a slight lead over hosts France for a majority of the game before the French shooters found their form and helped them to an 87-83 win. The Eldebrink sisters combined for 38 points and Ashley Key won the battle of naturalized players 15-11 over Isabelle Yacoubou, but it was not enough for the upset. Honorary Team ACC now faces Belarus tomorrow to determine the final European qualifier to next summer's World Championship and also one spot in the 2015 Eurobasket Women field. Spain and Serbia square off in the early semifinal and France and Turkey face one another in the second game. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8759-47-A-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8758-44-A-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8758.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8758-45-A-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8758.teamID_.html

[awhom111]

The USA U19 game got a little bit of a fight from China in their second game today before they completely clamped down and rolled to a 113-57. They got their offense clicking a little bit better and quickly neutralized China's interior threat. The result secured them a spot in the next stage as well. Rasheed Sulaimon had 9 points in 21 mintues today. The team got another balanced effort with more impressive performances from the youngsters as Aaron Gordon had 17 points and 11 rebounds, Justise Winslow had 14 points and 7 rebounds, and Jahlil Okafor had 11 points and 8 rebounds. Michael Frazier had 15 points, Jarnell Stokes had 13 points, and Marcus Smart had 11 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/3/grid/D/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html

The other game in Group D saw Russia pound the Ivory Coast 78-43. Russia will now try to get something out of their final game against the United States although a China win over Ivory Coast in the earlier game tomorrow will already send them through by the time their game tips off. A United States win coupled with an Ivory Coast win will force the three teams into a tiebreaker to see who will join the United States. Here is the boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/4/grid/D/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html

Now that the United States is through to the next round, proceedings in Group C are also of interest as the top three teams from the group will be the next three opponents for the Americans. Brazil charged out of halftime after a poor first half to take control and beat Senegal 72-56. In the second game in the group, Serbia had a relatively easy time against Australia with a 78-57 win. In the loss, incoming St. Mary's player Dane Pineau had 21 points and the star of the team, Dante Exum, had 14 points. This result eliminated Senegal creating a meaningless game for them against Serbia. Serbia takes key wins into the next stage and sets up an exciting game with the United States. Brazil and Australia now know that their game tomorrow will go a long way in their positioning for a quarterfinal spot.
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/3/grid/C/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/4/grid/C/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html

In Group A, Croatia beat Canada 79-66. Dario Saric had 14 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists as he continues to make himself the likely statistical star of the tournament with his free reign over the team. Villanova's Mislav Brzoja had 11 points and 7 rebounds. Tyler Ennish had 25 points and Trey Lyles had 22 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. In the second game, Spain beat South Korea 104-70 as a balanced effort for the team makes it unclear if the presumptive stars will have to carry the load in the big games. Ole Miss-bound Juan Sebastian Saiz had 12 points and 15 rebounds in the win. These two results push Croatia and Spain through to the next round and both teams will likely be going all out to earn another key win tomorrow. Canada and South Korea will play for the final spot tomorrow as Canada's combination of missing players and a tough draw puts their backs against the wall. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/3/grid/A/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/4/grid/A/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html

Group B continues to be an interesting one as Argentina awoke from their slumber in the second quarter against the Czech Republic to win 76-55. Iran could not repeat its performance from the day before against a resurgent Lithuania team and lost 81-40, helping Lithuania advance to the next round. Argentina could use another strong performance tomorrow against Lithuania, but they will know exactly what they need to do before their game as an Iran win over the hosts would leave the Czech Republic at the bottom of the group while a win for the home team would put the three teams in the tiebreaker scenario with a Lithuania win. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/4/grid/B/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/3/grid/B/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html


Before the semifinals of Eurobasket Women, Sweden and Belarus squared off for Europe's final spot in next year's World Championship and automatic entry into Eurobasket Women 2015. Belarus took advantage of a Swedish side that was clearly emotionally drained from the thriller of the day before and blew the game open in the fourth quarter to win 69-48. That means that Belarus, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Spain, and France will play in Turkey next summer and Turkey and Greece will join those five teams in Hungary and Romania in two years. The first semifinal saw Spain tear out of the gates and win easily 88-69 over Serbia behind 22 points and 11 rebounds from Sancho Lyttle. The second semifinal threatened to be over early too as France jumped out to an early lead over Turkey before grinding out a 57-49 win. The third place game and final will be on Sunday after the meaningless fifth and seventh place games are played on Saturday. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8759-48-A-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8760-49-A-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8760.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8760-50-A-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8760.teamID_.html

[awhom111]

The USA U19 men continued to trample their group as a particularly strong second half gave them a decisive 115-47 win over Russia. Rasheed Sulaimon found more of his scoring touch as he had 11 points in 13 minutes. It was a balanced effort as usual as Jahlil Okafor had 15 points and 7 rebounds in 15 minutes, Montrezl Harrell had 13 points, Mike Tobey had 12 points and 9 rebounds, Aaron Gordon and Michael Frazier had 12 points each, and Justise Winslow had 10 points and 8 rebounds. Mikhail Kulagin, who is probably Russia's best player right now had 19 points to lead his team. Here is the boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/6/grid/D/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html

The other game in Group D saw China beat the Ivory Coast 81-48 to move on and eliminate the Ivorians. Zhou Qi was not needed for heavy minutes, but he had an impressive 8 block in only 20 minutes. Here is the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/5/grid/D/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html

The Americans were also keeping a close eye on Group C to see how the standing would shape up in the second stage. In the first game, Australia had a suprisingly easy time with Brazil as they won 73-45. Boise State bound Nicholas Duncan had 18 points and 6 rebounds and Dante Exum had 12 points. In the other game, Serbia beat overmatched and already eliminated Senegal 80-49. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/6/grid/C/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/5/grid/C/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html

In Group A, a heavily anticipated matchup between Spain and Croatia went to Spain 86-76. Juan Sebastian Saiz, who is headed to Ole Miss, had 11 points and 8 rebounds as they continue to rely on a balanced effort to win. Dario Saric had 23 points and 14 rebounds, but also turned it over 10 times while Villanova's Mislav Brzoja continues to be a key second option with 22 points and 9 rebounds. The other game would eliminate the loser and keep the winner in the competitions and Canada did just enough with a fourth quarter surge to win 93-75. They relied on the same stars again as Tyler Ennis had 26 points, Trey Lyles had 21 points and 11 rebounds, Xavier Rathan-Mayes had 11 points, and future South Carolina player Duane Notice had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/5/grid/A/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/6/grid/A/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html

In Group B, the hosts Czech Republic beat Iran 60-50, but had to wait until the second game to see if it was enough for them to advance. Lithuania did not help the home team at all as they beat Argentina 76-66. Tomas Dimsa, probably the best player on their team, had 12 points as he still has not needed to get going for his team to win while Argentina hopes that they can get more from Gabriel Deck as they managed to squeak through. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/5/grid/B/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/6/grid/B/rid/9617/sid/9616/game.html

Now that the first round is complete, twelve teams remain in contention for the title as all the teams get a day off. The bottom four teams, South Korea, the Czech Republic, Senegal, and the Ivory Coast will now play three games against each other to rank the teams from 13th through 16th place. Spain, Croatia, and Canada from Group A join Lithuania, Argentina, and Iran from Group B to form Group E. Serbia, Australia, and Brazil from Group C join the United States, China, and Russia from Group D to form Group F. Now each team will play the three teams in the group that they have not played yet. The United States plays Brazil on Monday at 12:00pm Eastern, Australia on Tuesday at 2:15pm Eastern, and a highly anticipated game with Serbia on Wednesday at 2:15pm Eastern. Unlike most other tournaments that have a similar format, results against the fourth place teams do carry over in this round, which only has the effect of handing Iran an extra loss and might impact later tiebreakers, as the top four teams move on to the quarterfinals. Here are the standings:

Group E:
Lithuania 3-0
Spain 3-0
Croatia 2-1
Argentina 1-2
Canada 1-2
Iran 1-2

Group F:
United States 3-0
Serbia 3-0
Australia 2-1
China 2-1
Brazil 1-2
Russia 1-2


The Men's World University Games team has been announced. Rodney Hood's injury meant that there would be no Duke representation on the playing side, but the team physician is Duke's own Dr. Bytomski. Here are the final roster and accompanying article:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/worlduniversity/roster.html
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/worlduniversity/13_mwug_team.html


While Saturday's Eurobasket Women action was theoretically supposed to be meaningful, other results already rendered both of these games irrelevant. For 7th place, Sweden beat Italy 77-60 as Elisabeth Egnell had 15 points and 10 rebounds to win the battle of ex-Boston College players. For 5th place, Belarus beat the Czech Republic 64-50 behind 18 points and 7 rebounds from Yelena Leuchanka. Tomorrow's games will settle the placements of the top four. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8762-52-A-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html#TABBED_DIV_2
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8761-51-A-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html#TABBED_DIV_2

[awhom111]

The last two Eurobasket Women games were played today. Before the final, Turkey took care of business as they beat Serbia 92-71 for third place in the tournament. Quanitra Hollingsworth had 18 points and 16 rebounds in the win as she is one of a few WNBA players headed back to their teams now that the tournament is over. In the final, Spain jumped out to an early lead over hosts France, but the home team made it close again only to fall short right at the end and fall 70-69. Lindsey Harding's Galatasaray teammates did plenty of damage in the win as Alba Torrens had 20 points and Sancho Lyttle had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Ex-WNBA player Sandrine Gruda had 25 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_l6MidXnzG1w3rAvk037Pk3.gameID_8763-53-A-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasketwomen2013.com/en/cid_R8byT3QNIIkwoWJcfSbdm0.gameID_8764-54-A-1.compID_pnlxO1HYJhUh,MTfrmUO03.season_2013.roundI D_8743.teamID_.html


What else is going on in the international schedule? After today's off day, the U19 Men's World Championship gets back in action with a champion being crowned on Sunday. By that time, the World University Games will be in full swing as well. The United States is actually looking to overturn a relatively poor recent history in both events as they try to win. The U19 Women's World Championship will be later in the month with more continental championship starting in August.

[MCFinARL]

In the first game of the second round, the US men's U19 team beat Brazil 91-66. Rasheed scored 15 points on 5-9 3-point shooting in 21 minutes. Gordon had 14 and Winslow 11.

[roywhite]

In the first game of the second round, the US men's U19 team beat Brazil 91-66. Rasheed scored 15 points on 5-9 3-point shooting in 21 minutes. Gordon had 14 and Winslow 11.

Good stuff.

Here's the boxscore (http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u19/13_mu19_game_04_box.html)

These USA teams seem to have all gotten the same memo --- use depth, defensive pressure, and 3-point shooting (though, in this one, Sheed was the only US shooter hot from 3) to roll over the opposition.

[awhom111]

The USA U19s did start the next round of their World Championship campaign today in Group F play. Brazil had pretty much sleepwalked through the previous round, but they are considered to be a solid team and they battled the Americans quite toughly early in the game. It was not until the second half when the United States was able to assert its dominance from the perimeter after scoring from inside early. It is good to see Rasheed continuing to find his form as he led the team in scoring. Aaron Gordon continues to impress with 14 points and 10 rebounds, Justise Winslow had another 11 points, and Marcus Smart finally got more involved with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The team faces another interesting test against Australia tomorrow. Here is another boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/32/grid/F/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html

The other Group F games today saw Serbia beat Russia 60-46 as the Russians continue to disappoint and China beat Australia 88-79. Zhou Qi continues to control the paint as he will probably be the biggest relative unknown to put his name on the radar this tournament. He had 13 points, 17 rebounds, and 7 blocks. In the loss, Dante Exum had 20 points, future St. Mary's Gael Dane Pineau had 12 points and 15 rebounds, and future Eastern Washington player Felix Von Hofe had 12 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/31/grid/F/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/30/grid/F/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html

Here are the updated group standings:
United States 4-0
Serbia 4-0
China 3-1
Australia 2-2
Russia 1-3
Brazil 1-3

In Group E, Croatia pounded Argentina early and won 85-63. Dario Saric had 19 points and 18 rebounds and Villanova's Mislav Brzoja had 13 points and 7 rebounds. Lithuania fell behind early against Canada but fought back for an 82-76 win. Tomas Dimsa emerged when it mattered and contributed 22 points in the win. The same players led Canada again as Tyler Ennis had 28 points and 7 rebounds, Trey Lyles had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Xavier Rathan-Mayes had 10 points. The other late game saw Iran jump out to a brief lead on Spain before falling 68-59. Spain continues to struggle to get good production from the starters although their bench is proving to be quite effective. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/27/grid/E/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/29/grid/E/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/28/grid/E/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html

Here are the updated standings:
Lithuania 4-0
Spain 4-0
Croatia 3-1
Canada 1-3
Argentina 1-3
Iran 1-3

Even though the four bottom teams are now eliminated from championship contention, they are play games against one another to decide places 13 through 16. Ivory Coast managed to earn their first win as they managed to sneak past Senegal 53-51. Florida high schooler Pape Diatta did manage to have 13 points and 7 rebounds in the loss. Things continue to get tough for the hosts as they gave up a lead to South Korea and fell 96-95 in an overtime thriller. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/2/grid/X/rid/9665/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/1/grid/X/rid/9665/sid/9616/game.html


In other news, Poland made four cuts to their squad as they get closer to preparing for Eurobasket play in September. Olek Czyz was one of the four players to be cut. This does mean that he gets more time to play in the NBA Summer League as he looks to find a team for next season. Here are multiple sources covering this:
http://www.pzkosz.pl/aktualnosci/bauermann-wybral-graczy-na-pierwsze-zgrupowanie/
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/newsid/56285/arti.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_kpCqv7PxHaszD6n7Ufemf3.articleMode_on.html

[awhom111]

The USA U19 Men's team continued to roll through opponents after beating Australia 94-51. Rasheed Sulaimon had 8 points in 20 minutes. Aaron Gordon continued to lead the team as he had 15 points, Montrezl Harrell had 13 points, Jahlil Okafor had 12 points, Marcus Smart had 11 points, and Justise Winslow had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Felix Kalau Von Hofe, headed to Eastern Washington, led all scorers with 17 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/40/grid/F/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html

In the other two Group F games, Russia needed overtime to beat Brazil 82-78. Mikhail Kulagin had 21 points and 9 rebounds in the game between two rather disappointing teams so far. The other game went to Serbia as it took them a while to wear down a Chinese team missing its interior presence to win 76-50 and set up a titanic clash with the United State tomorrow. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/38/grid/F/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/39/grid/F/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html

In this group, the United States, Serbia, and China are all moving on with the winner of tomorrow's game between Australia and Russia joining them. Here are the updated standings:
United States 5-0
Serbia 5-0
China 3-2
Australia 2-3
Russia 2-3
Brazil 1-4

In Group E, Canada got back on track with a 95-57 win over Iran. Trey Lyles had 18 points, high schooler Christopher Egi had 15 points, Xavier Rathan-Mayes had 13 points, Tyler Ennis had 12 points, and Colorado State's Joseph De Ciman had 10 points. Also in this timeslot, Spain took care of business in the second half to beat Argentina 74-58. Guillermo Hernangomez, who would be considered one of the stars for Spain had a good game with 16 points and 7 rebounds. The final game of the day was quite exciting as a Croatia team left shorthanded by injuries took a large lead over Lithuania before starting to tire to let their opponents back in the game only to make a comeback late to win 91-90. Dario Saric had 14 points and 12 rebounds and Mislav Brzoja had 17 points and 9 rebounds as it will be interesting to see if he can contribute more when he returns to Villanova. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/35/grid/E/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/36/grid/E/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/37/grid/E/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html

Spain, Lithuania, and Croatia are all moving on in this group, while Canada can join them if they can beat Argentina. Here are the updated standings:
Spain 5-0
Lithuania 4-1
Croatia 4-1
Canada 2-3
Argentina 1-4
Iran 1-4


Meanwhile in the 13th through 16th place games, Senegal recorded an 88-79 win over South Korea after a strong fourth quarter. Tennessee high schooler Khalifa Ndiaye had 10 points and 7 rebounds in the win. Hosts Czech Republic bounced back and held on to a 69-59 after a great first half against Ivory Coast. These results leave all four teams tied at 1-1 going into the final two games tomorrow. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/4/grid/X/rid/9665/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/3/grid/X/rid/9665/sid/9616/game.html

[roywhite]

The USA U19 Men's team continued to roll through opponents after beating Australia 94-51. Rasheed Sulaimon had 8 points in 20 minutes. Aaron Gordon continued to lead the team as he had 15 points, Montrezl Harrell had 13 points, Jahlil Okafor had 12 points, Marcus Smart had 11 points, and Justise Winslow had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Felix Kalau Von Hofe, headed to Eastern Washington, led all scorers with 17 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/40/grid/F/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html



55-20 at half.

The 'Roos, who are normally very competitive in international competition, didn't know what hit them.

[awhom111]

55-20 at half.

The 'Roos, who are normally very competitive in international competition, didn't know what hit them.

The official nickname for Australia's Men's Basketball teams is the Boomers (slang for kangaroo). Not nearly as good as the Socceroos, but probably better than the Women's teams (the Opals), and way behind New Zealand in this category.

To be fair to them, their minutes distribution seems to indicate that they quit on the rest of the game and will be focusing completely on tomorrow. In this six games in seven days format, teams sometimes pick and choose their winnable games to move on. China basically gave up on their game against us to make sure they beat the Ivory Coast and it has already paid off for them. China and Brazil will probably both look pretty disinterested tomorrow.

Now that the University Games teams have cleared out of Colorado, the U19 Women are back in town before heading off to Europe, including Alexis Jones and Coach Katie Meier. Here is an article:
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/u19/13_wu19_features_training_camp_kicks_off.html

[MCFinARL]

Another strong game for Rasheed Sulaimon, as the US edges previously unbeaten Serbia, 71-62. Sulaimon had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals in 29 minutes of action. The box score: http://www.fibalivestats.com/matches/13883/08/29/33/63lKJayp9EJc/

[awhom111]

The USA U19 Men expected a challenge in their final game against Serbia and that is just what they got as they got everything they could handle before pulling out the 71-62 win. Billy Donovan made one change to the lineup as he replaced Marcus Smart with Justise Winslow. Rasheed Sulaimon contributed a number of key baskets as he had 15 points in a team high 29 minutes with the rest of the guards struggling. Jahlil Okafor had 16 points and Aaron Gordon had 11 points and 9 rebounds. Vasilje Micic, who I am sure DeMarcus Nelson would say is a solid opponent, had 24 points in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/48/grid/F/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html

In the key Group F game, Australia beat Russia 78-61 after building up a second half lead. Dante Exum had 20 points and 6 assists, Dane Pineau had another strong performance with 16 points and 6 rebounds as he gets ready to head to St. Mary's, and Boise State bound Nicholas Duncan had 13 points. Mikhail Kulagin had 14 points and 10 rebounds in the loss as Russia crashed out of championship contention. As was largely expected, Brazil and China played a meaningless game with Brazil winning 87-77, although Gao Shang did score 30 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/47/grid/F/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/46/grid/F/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html

In Group E, the early game was for a quarterfinal spot with Canada rolling past Argentina 78-62 behind its big trio again. Trey Lyles had 21 points and 12 rebounds, Tyler Ennis had 17 points, and Xavier Rathan-Mayes had 16 points. Croatia took care of business against Iran with an 81-60 win. Dario Saric had 27 points and 9 rebounds and Northern Illinois bound Marin Maric had 12 points and 7 rebounds. The other game did matter for final group placement and Lithuania was able to hold on to a 61-59 win over Spain to create a three-way tie at the top of the group standings. Full statistics are not available, but Maryland high schooler Martinas Geben did have a solid game. Here are the other two boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/43/grid/E/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/44/grid/E/rid/9619/sid/9616/game.html

These results created the following final group standings:

Group E:
Spain 5-1
Lithuania 5-1
Croatia 5-1
Canada 3-3
Iran 1-5
Argentina 1-5

Group F:
United States 6-0
Serbia 5-1
China 3-3
Australia 3-3
Russia 2-4
Brazil 2-4

This leaves the following quarterfinal matchups on Friday (all times Eastern Daylight):
Spain vs Australia 9:30am
Serbia vs Croatia 12:00pm
Lithuania vs China 7:15 am
United States vs Canada 2:15pm

Here are the 9th through 12th place semifinals matchups for Friday:
Iran vs Brazil 2:45 am
Argentina vs Russia 5:00am

The 13th through 16th place round concluded with a pair of good games. South Korea bested the Ivory Coast 73-67 and then the hosts Czech Republic ended the tournament on a high note with an 80-78 win over Senegal. Pape Diatta should be well prepared for a good senior year after another strong performance with 20 points as he heads back to high school. South Korea finishes in 13th with the Czech Republic in 14th. The Ivory Coast is 15th and Senegal is the 16th place team. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/6/grid/X/rid/9665/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/5/grid/X/rid/9665/sid/9616/game.html

[awhom111]

It is one of only two off days in the U19 World Championship, which I guess is a good day for the American team. Tomorrow's quarterfinals as listed below as well as both semifinals on Saturday and the first and third place games on Sunday will all be available live on ESPN3.

The only competitive international games today were the U20 Women's Championships for Europe. While this age group is generally the most prestigious in Europe, these championships do not qualify anyone for anything. The 16 top teams are in Samsun, Turkey for the A Division Championships. 9 teams are in Albena, Bulgaria to contest the B Division Championships.

Another set of championships with an off day today is the U16 Boy's Championship for Africa taking place in Madagascar. They played a number of days of games just to seed for the quarterfinals and to eliminate one team (sorry Comoros). The teams are competing for a chance to join the United States and other teams in next year's U17 World Championship set for the United Arab Emirates.

The only USA team in action today was the Men's World University Games team, which scrimmaged against whichever players from Russian team UNICS Kazan were available and won 94-60. Luke Hancock had 14 points, Doug McDermott had 13 points, Tyler Haws had 12 points, and Treveon Graham, Will Sheehy, and Aaron White each had 11 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/worlduniversity/13_mwug_exh_01_box.html

Here is ESPNU and ESPN3's schedule for the World University Games:
http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2013/07/espnu-and-espn3-first-to-carry-world-university-games-in-united-states/

It looks like we will not be able to see Tricia Liston play until the Women's Basketball team reaches the late stages of the tournament.

I will try to get some information on the teams as the tournaments get underway, but I apologize in advance if the internet is not helpful in figuring out where the players for Mongolia play. The Men's team, which has not been able to win this tournament that frequently in recent times, is likely to face a larger number of legitimate challengers than the Women's team.

[dcar1985]

For those with access to ESPN3 the USA U19 (featuring Rasheed Sulaimon and several Duke targets)
team's quarterfinal matchup w/ Canada is available to stream...game starts at 2:15 pm EST.

[awhom111]

Tricia Liston and the Women's World University Games team had their scrimmage today against Russia's team. It was a good test against a very strong team with a couple of Russia's national team players and the game was close throughout before the home team managed to pull out the 83-78 to give the United States a taste of what is to come in the later rounds of the upcoming tournament. Tricia knocked down all three of her attempts, all from the behind the arc to finish with 9 points in 11 minutes off the bench. LSU's Theresa Plaisance had 17 points to lead the team and UConn's Bria Hartley added 12 points. In the win, Anastasia Logunova, who was teammates with Jasmine Thomas, had 14 points to lead her team and Natalia Vieru, who will be one of the stars for Russia, had 12 points and 8 rebounds. Here is a picture of the boxscore:
http://images.vfl.ru/ii/1373040524/38d89a7d/2650253.jpg

The Men's World University Games team had a rude awakening in their second scrimmage against a powerhouse Russia team as they fell well behind early and lost 93-67. Luke Hancock had 18 points, Spencer Dinwiddie had 12 points, and Tyler Haws had 11 points. Sergey Karasev gave everyone a taste of why he was drafted as he had 17 points to lead his team. A number of other players with good professional experience in Russia contributed in the win as Pavel Antipov had 16 points, Andrey Zubkov had 15 points, Nikita Balashov had 11 points and 12 rebounds, and Semen Antonov had 10 points. Here is a picture of the boxscore:
http://images.vfl.ru/ii/1373051199/79eea929/2651112.jpg


The USA U19 Men's team finally needed to get serious as they started the single elimination format with their quarterfinal against Canada. Trey Lyles was announced as being out of the game beforehand, adding further to the list of players for Canada who were not playing in this game and getting us further and further from what had been considered a possible fun matchup between the two neighbors dating back to last year's U18 championship for the Americas region. Billy Donovan made more modifications to his lineup as Marcus Smart was brought back in despite a poor performance in the last game and Michael Frazier was given the start after barely appearing in the last game. For the most part these moves appeared to pay off as the team was locked in a close game at the start, but eventually won . Rasheed Sulaimon was brought off the bench in a much more limited role and had 3 points and 4 assists in 14 minutes. Marcus Smart had 14 points, Jahlil Okafor had 12 points and 8 rebounds, Michael Frazier had 12 points and 6 rebounds, Aaron Gordon had 12 points, Montrezl Harrell had 11 points and 7 rebounds, Mike Tobey had 10 points and 7 rebounds, and Elfrid Payton repaid the faith shown in him with his place in the starting lineup as he added 10 points. Xavier Rathan-Mayes had 14 points, Harvard's Agunwa Okolie stepped up with 13 points and 6 rebounds, and Tyler Ennis had 11 points in the loss. The game will be replayed on ESPNU at 7:00pm Eastern. Here is the boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/54/rid/9623/sid/9616/game.html

In the other quarterfinals, Lithuania opened things up with a fairly easy 89-58 win over China. Australia then took charge in the next game and shocked Spain 87-76 fueled by a 33 point performance by Dante Exum. The two college bound players helped out again as Dane Pineau had 13 points and 13 rebounds and Nicholas Duncan had 12 points. Spain crashed out of the tournament, having had some good games, but never really seemed to hit their full stride. The third quarterfinal was a good rivalry match, but Serbia used their superior balance and depth to beat Croatia 73-66 despite 30 points and 9 rebounds from Dario Saric. Vasilije Micic followed up a strong performance against the United States with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/53/rid/9623/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/51/rid/9623/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/52/rid/9623/sid/9616/game.html

The teams fighting for 9th place started the day's games with their semifinals. Brazil beat Iran 63-53 in the first game and then Russia beat edged past Argentina 63-59 in the second game behind 20 points and 16 rebounds from Mikhail Kulagin. Now Argentina and Iran will have a rematch for 11th place and Brazil and Russia will have a rematch for 9th place. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/49/rid/9622/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/50/rid/9622/sid/9616/game.html

Here is tomorrow's schedule (all times Eastern Daylight):
Iran vs Argentina 2:45am
Brazil vs Russia 5:00am
Spain vs Croatia 7:15am
China vs Canada 9:30am
Australia vs Serbia 12:00pm (ESPN3)
Lithuania vs United States 2:15 (ESPN3)

[MCFinARL]

Tricia Liston and the Women's World University Games team had their scrimmage today against Russia's team. It was a good test against a very strong team with a couple of Russia's national team players and the game was close throughout before the home team managed to pull out the 83-78 to give the United States a taste of what is to come in the later rounds of the upcoming tournament. Tricia knocked down all three of her attempts, all from the behind the arc to finish with 9 points in 11 minutes off the bench. LSU's Theresa Plaisance had 17 points to lead the team and UConn's Bria Hartley added 12 points. In the win, Anastasia Logunova, who was teammates with Jasmine Thomas, had 14 points to lead her team and Natalia Vieru, who will be one of the stars for Russia, had 12 points and 8 rebounds. Here is a picture of the boxscore:
http://images.vfl.ru/ii/1373040524/38d89a7d/2650253.jpg

The Men's World University Games team had a rude awakening in their second scrimmage against a powerhouse Russia team as they fell well behind early and lost 93-67. Luke Hancock had 18 points, Spencer Dinwiddie had 12 points, and Tyler Haws had 11 points. Sergey Karasev gave everyone a taste of why he was drafted as he had 17 points to lead his team. A number of other players with good professional experience in Russia contributed in the win as Pavel Antipov had 16 points, Andrey Zubkov had 15 points, Nikita Balashov had 11 points and 12 rebounds, and Semen Antonov had 10 points. Here is a picture of the boxscore:
http://images.vfl.ru/ii/1373051199/79eea929/2651112.jpg


The USA U19 Men's team finally needed to get serious as they started the single elimination format with their quarterfinal against Canada. Trey Lyles was announced as being out of the game beforehand, adding further to the list of players for Canada who were not playing in this game and getting us further and further from what had been considered a possible fun matchup between the two neighbors dating back to last year's U18 championship for the Americas region. Billy Donovan made more modifications to his lineup as Marcus Smart was brought back in despite a poor performance in the last game and Michael Frazier was given the start after barely appearing in the last game. For the most part these moves appeared to pay off as the team was locked in a close game at the start, but eventually won . Rasheed Sulaimon was brought off the bench in a much more limited role and had 3 points and 4 assists in 14 minutes. Marcus Smart had 14 points, Jahlil Okafor had 12 points and 8 rebounds, Michael Frazier had 12 points and 6 rebounds, Aaron Gordon had 12 points, Montrezl Harrell had 11 points and 7 rebounds, Mike Tobey had 10 points and 7 rebounds, and Elfrid Payton repaid the faith shown in him with his place in the starting lineup as he added 10 points. Xavier Rathan-Mayes had 14 points, Harvard's Agunwa Okolie stepped up with 13 points and 6 rebounds, and Tyler Ennis had 11 points in the loss. The game will be replayed on ESPNU at 7:00pm Eastern. Here is the boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/54/rid/9623/sid/9616/game.html

In the other quarterfinals, Lithuania opened things up with a fairly easy 89-58 win over China. Australia then took charge in the next game and shocked Spain 87-76 fueled by a 33 point performance by Dante Exum. The two college bound players helped out again as Dane Pineau had 13 points and 13 rebounds and Nicholas Duncan had 12 points. Spain crashed out of the tournament, having had some good games, but never really seemed to hit their full stride. The third quarterfinal was a good rivalry match, but Serbia used their superior balance and depth to beat Croatia 73-66 despite 30 points and 9 rebounds from Dario Saric. Vasilije Micic followed up a strong performance against the United States with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/53/rid/9623/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/51/rid/9623/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/52/rid/9623/sid/9616/game.html

The teams fighting for 9th place started the day's games with their semifinals. Brazil beat Iran 63-53 in the first game and then Russia beat edged past Argentina 63-59 in the second game behind 20 points and 16 rebounds from Mikhail Kulagin. Now Argentina and Iran will have a rematch for 11th place and Brazil and Russia will have a rematch for 9th place. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/49/rid/9622/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/50/rid/9622/sid/9616/game.html

Here is tomorrow's schedule (all times Eastern Daylight):
Iran vs Argentina 2:45am
Brazil vs Russia 5:00am
Spain vs Croatia 7:15am
China vs Canada 9:30am
Australia vs Serbia 12:00pm (ESPN3)
Lithuania vs United States 2:15 (ESPN3)

Thanks for these thorough write-ups, which are interesting as always. It sounds like the US teams are at a disadvantage in the World University Games because of differing national rules about whether professionals can be "university" players--is that the case?

In the U-19 box score it looked like both Aaron Gordon and Sulaimon played far fewer minutes than the previous game; seems plausible that Donovan would want to switch lineups when he can to avoid exhausting players who are not used to playing almost every day for more than a week.

[awhom111]

Thanks for these thorough write-ups, which are interesting as always. It sounds like the US teams are at a disadvantage in the World University Games because of differing national rules about whether professionals can be "university" players--is that the case?

In the U-19 box score it looked like both Aaron Gordon and Sulaimon played far fewer minutes than the previous game; seems plausible that Donovan would want to switch lineups when he can to avoid exhausting players who are not used to playing almost every day for more than a week.

USA Basketball does choose to limit their players to NCAA players who were at an NCAA institution last year and will be in an NCAA institution next year. This is not something that all the USA teams follow, so if the United States really wanted to trot Kyrie Irving or Mason Plumlee or Jabari Parker out there, they probably could. Here are the USA rules:
http://www.wugusa.com/summer-games/eligibility-for-event/

Most countries do not send out that strong of a team, but Russia seems to be taking this pretty seriously as hosts. On the Men's side, the United States has only won 1 out of the last 6 titles, and now appear to be behind Russia, Serbia (which beat Russia), and Lithuania in the favorites columns with other teams like Canada and Australia providing an interesting challenge.

As for your other point, it would seem unusual for Donovan to make a switch like that just in time for the first knockout games as Spain can tell everyone about how tough these games can be. I think bringing Smart back in was a good idea to get him mentally back in the game because we probably want him at his best if a game reaches crunch time since I am still not sure how reliable the other point guards are. If he has as bad of a game as he did against Serbia, we could be in some trouble. I just hope that Rasheed was not knocked out of his rhythm, because he figures to be one of the five guys out there in crunch time too. Donovan managed to keep his rotation pretty fresh in his first six games.

[awhom111]

The USA U19 Men's team was looking to move one step closer to the championship as they faced Lithuania in the semifinals. They quickly established control on their way to a 100-60 win. Rasheed Sulaimon grabbed 3 rebounds in 18 minutes. Marcus Smart had 18 points, Justise Winslow had 15 points and 9 rebounds, Aaron Gordon had 14 points, Nigel Williams-Goss had 11 points, and Montrezl Harrell had 10 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/60/rid/9626/sid/9616/game.html

The other semifinal game was quite exciting as Australia jumped out to an early lead before Serbia stormed back. Australia had a number of chances to make the game much closer, but just could not maximize their opportunities as they lost 63-58. Vasilije Micic continued to keep his team running as he had 13 points and 8 assists. In the loss, Dante Exum had 21 points, but had some critical misses. Nicholas Duncan had 12 points and 8 rebounds as he is getting ready to bring his game to Boise State, while Felix Kalau Von Hofe will be bringing his sharpshooting to Eastern Washington as he had 12 points from distance in this game. Here is the boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/59/rid/9626/sid/9616/game.html

The quarterfinal losers began the quest for 5th place. Spain and Croatia had a nice rematch and Spain won again 75-64. Juan Sebastian Saiz has shown that he might be able to contribute at Ole Miss this season as he had 16 points and 16 rebounds in the win. Dario Saric had 20 points and 9 rebounds and Mislav Brzoja had 13 points. The other game turned out to be an absolute thriller as Canada and China played three overtime periods before Canada prevailed 110-100. With other players missing, Tyler Ennis decided to take control and had 42 points and 8 rebounds. Xavier Rathan-Mayes had 15 points and 9 rebounds, high schooler Christopher Egi had 14 points and 8 rebounds, Maine bound Marko Pirovic had 12 points and 8 rebounds, and Old Dominion bound Denzell Taylor had 11 points and 8 rebounds. In the loss, Yuan Shuai had 30 points and Gao Shang had 20 points and 9 rebounds as both players played all 55 minutes. Zhou Qi had 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 blocks as well. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/57/rid/9625/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/58/rid/9625/sid/9616/game.html

The day's action started with the 11th place game, which Iran won 79-68 over a slightly disinterested Argentina team. That was followed by the 9th place game between Russia and Brazil with Russia winning 60-53 with a 19 point, 8 rebound performance from Mikhail Kulagin. That leaves Russia in 9th, Brazil in 10th, Iran in 11th, and 12th in Argentina. Here are the boxscores:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/55/rid/9624/sid/9616/game.html
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/56/rid/9624/sid/9616/game.html

Here is tomorrow's schedule:
7th Place: Croatia vs China, 7:15am
5th Place: Spain vs Canada, 9:30am
3rd Place: Australia vs Lithuania, 12:00pm, ESPN3
1st Place: Serbia vs United States, 2:15pm, ESPN3

[TruBlu]

The USA U19 Men's team was looking to move one step closer to the championship as they faced Lithuania in the semifinals. They quickly established control on their way to a 100-60 win. Rasheed Sulaimon grabbed 3 rebounds in 18 minutes. Marcus Smart had 18 points, Justise Winslow had 15 points and 9 rebounds, Aaron Gordon had 14 points, Nigel Williams-Goss had 11 points, and Montrezl Harrell had 10 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/60/rid/9626/sid/9616/game.html



Glad Rasheed got the 3 rebounds and 1 assist. Would have been goose eggs across the board otherwise . . . 0/3 fg, 0/2 ft.

As many others have stated before, thank you, awhom, for your awesome updates.

[MCFinARL]

Glad Rasheed got the 3 rebounds and 1 assist. Would have been goose eggs across the board otherwise . . . 0/3 fg, 0/2 ft.

As many others have stated before, thank you, awhom, for your awesome updates.

Watched some of this game online and it is a good example of how stat lines can be deceiving. While I was watching, Sulaimon was effective on defense and efficient in helping to move the ball around the court, including finding several of his bigger teammates when they were in position to score. (In fact, I thought he had many more assists than one, but it's possible in some of these cases the recipient of the pass dribbled before shooting--I was trying to do a lot of things at the same time.) Wouldn't want to say he was a star in this game by any means, but I thought he was a solid contributor despite the lack of scoring.

[Bob Green]

USA 82, Serbia 68 in the U19 World Championship Game.

[awhom111]

It was finally the championship game for the U19 Men as the two pre-tournament favorites squared off for the title. It took a long time for the United States to take control of the game, but they eventually did so with a 82-68 win. Rasheed Sulaimon was a key player as his early scoring made up for the struggles of the rest of the backcourt as he finished with 12 points in 27 minutes. Montrezl Harrell had 17 points, Nigel Williams-Goss had 15 points, and Marcus Smart had 11 points. Vasilije Micic ran things for his team as he had 13 points and 10 assists in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/64/rid/9628/sid/9616/game.html

The reason the final started slightly late was because of the thrilling 3rd place game. Lithuania had a lead against Australia before the Emus had a great surge and sent the game into overtime, where Lithuania seized control and won 106-100. Tomas Dimsa had 19 points and Martinas Geben, who heads back to high school in Maryland with a big recruitment, had 12 points and 9 rebounds. Dante Exum had 28 points, Dane Pineau had 20 points and 17 rebounds as he gets ready to try to become the next impact Australian at St. Mary's, and Felix Kalau Von Hofe had another good shooting night with 16 points before he heads to Eastern Washington. Here is the boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/63/rid/9628/sid/9616/game.html

The 5th place game was pretty exciting as Spain took a lead against Canada, but let their opponents back into the game multiple times before winning 72-68. Juan Sebastian Saiz heads to college after a strong 18 point, 11 rebound performance and Guillermo Hernangomez had 15 points and 6 rebounds. Trey Lyles returned for Canada and had 25 points and 17 rebounds as his recruitment is bound to get interesting now and Xavier Rathan-Mayes will be coming to the ACC after a 12 point performance. Here is the boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/62/rid/9627/sid/9616/game.html

The first game of the day was for 7th place, with both teams not taking the game all that seriously as China beat Croatia 94-80. Gao Shang continued his torrid shooting pace with 33 points and 7 rebounds. Incoming Northern Illinois player Marin Maric had 18 points in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/ct/0/gid/A/grid/61/rid/9627/sid/9616/game.html

Here are the final standings:
1. United States
2. Serbia
3. Lithuania
4. Australia
5. Spain
6. Canada
7. China
8. Croatia
9. Russia
10. Brazil
11. Iran
12. Argentina
13. South Korea
14. Czech Republic
15. Ivory Coast
16. Senegal


Also in international action today, the Africa U16 Boy's champion was crowned as Angola beat Egypt 75-66 as both teams look to head to the United Arab Emirates next year for the U17 World Championship.

A full update on World University Games action will come later in the day.

[sagegrouse]

USA 82, Serbia 68 in the U19 World Championship Game.

Thanks, Bob. Sulaimon played 27 mins. and scored 12 points. Here's the boxscore (http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/gid/A/grid/64/rid/9628/sid/9616/game.html).

sagegrouse

[BD80]

Thanks, Bob. Sulaimon played 27 mins. and scored 12 points. Here's the boxscore (http://prague2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19m/p/eid/9616/gid/A/grid/64/rid/9628/sid/9616/game.html).

sagegrouse

Now maybe Sheed can focus exclusively on recruiting :D

[TruBlu]

Watched some of this game online and it is a good example of how stat lines can be deceiving. While I was watching, Sulaimon was effective on defense and efficient in helping to move the ball around the court, including finding several of his bigger teammates when they were in position to score. (In fact, I thought he had many more assists than one, but it's possible in some of these cases the recipient of the pass dribbled before shooting--I was trying to do a lot of things at the same time.) Wouldn't want to say he was a star in this game by any means, but I thought he was a solid contributor despite the lack of scoring.

That is good to hear. Thanks for the info. I did notice that on the front page, it was stated that he had 4 assists, so perhaps the boxscore that I saw was wrong.

[roywhite]

Now maybe Sheed can focus exclusively on recruiting :D

Looks like he got the memo.

Celebrates here with two U-19 teammates and possible future Duke teammates.

champions enjoy tournament win (http://instagram.com/p/be37k9PQWX/#)

[awhom111]

The World University Games started with Men's Basketball today. The United States had one of the easiest possible openers as they faced the United Arab Emirates and cruised to a 140-46 win that might not have even been the most impressive of the day. As expected, the scoring was balanced as Sean Kilpatrick had 18 points, Aaron White had 16 points, Yogi Ferrell had 15 points and 13 assists, Doug McDermott and Will Sheehey had 15 points each, Cory Jefferson had 14 points and 11 rebounds, Treveon Graham had 13 points and 9 rebounds, Spencer Dinwiddie had 11 points and 8 assists, and Alex Kirk had 10 points and 12 rebounds. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400C01

In the two other Group C games, Australia beat the Czech Republic 85-57 and Canada beat Sweden 84-69. Australia got some help from current and former NCAA players as ex-St. Mary's player Clint Steindl had 15 points, Saint Louis player Cody Ellis had 14 points and 6 rebounds, St. Mary's graduate Mitch Young had 12 points, and New Mexico's Cameron Bairstow had 11 points and 12 rebounds. Canada's nine NCAA players were also key in their win. Baylor's Brady Heslip had 22 points, Stanford's Dwight Powell had 16 points and 9 rebounds, and Gonzaga's Kevin Pangos had 12 points. Chris Czerapowicz of Davidson had 20 points and 7 rebounds in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400C02
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400C03

In Group A, Estonia and Germany played a tense game that went into overtime before Estonia prevailed 65-59. Another game in the group went to overtime as well, but it was more high-scoring as South Korea edged past Ukraine 100-98. The last game in the group was no contest as hosts Russia obliterated Oman 117-24. Sergey Karasev is probably longing to face some NBA talent as he had 31 points in only 19 minutes and Dmitry Kulagin added 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400A01
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400A02
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400A03

In Group B, one of the tournament favorites rolled as Serbia beat Mongolia 110-56. DeMarcus Nelson's teammate Dejan Djokic had 16 points and 7 assists. Romania had an easy time with the team from Philippines, which is being represented by the team from the University of Visayas, with a 106-58 win. Mexico beat Japan 83-71 in the final game in the group. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400B03
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400B01
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400B02

In Group D, Finland, including a number of Alex Murphy's teammates from last summer, beat Chile 71-52 without needing any Murphy brothers. Brazil beat China 107-65 as California high schooler Cristiano Felicio, who is headed to Oregon, had 16 points and 7 rebounds and Brown's Rafael Maia had 10 points. Lithuania, another tournament favorite, beat Norway 94-71. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400D01
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400D02
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400D03

The official boxscores are not the greatest format, so you can also check here for the latest boxscores:
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/worlduniversity/schedule.html

I have more or less figured out most of these rosters. Where possible, I have filled in missing information from the official tournament website. Sadly, not everything is available on the internet and the situation is not helped by the weird romanization applied to some of these languages. I will spread these out over the next week. Teams listed are the ones they played with during this past season as some players already have deals with new teams for next year. I am starting with Group C, which includes the United States:

Australia:
Mitch Norton, Townsville Crocodiles (Australia)/Townsville Heat (Australia)
Jason Cadee, Adelaide 36ers (Australia)/West Adelaide Bearcats (Australia)
Igor Hadziomerovic, Boise State
Owen Odigi, Melbourne Tigers (Australia)/Dandenong Rangers (Australia)
Todd Blanchfield, Townsville Crocodiles (Australia)/Townsville Heat (Australia)
Clint Steindl, Cairns Taipans (Australia), St. Mary's
Ryan Broekhoff, Valparaiso
Andrija Dumovic, Canberra Gunners (Australia)
Cody Ellis, Saint Louis
Mitch Young, St. Mary's
Cameron Bairstow, New Mexico
Matthew Andronicos, Cairns Taipans (Australia)/Cairns Marlins (Australia)

Canada:
Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga
Brady Heslip, Baylor
Kyle Wiltjer, Kentucky
Melvim Ejim, Iowa State
Thomas Scrubb, Carleton (CIS)
Mangisto Arop, Indiana State
Daniel Mullings, New Mexico State
Philip Scrubb, Carleton (CIS)
Dwight Powell, Stanford
Jordan Bachynski, Arizona State
Murphy Burnatowski, Colgate
Owen Klassen, Acadia (CIS)

Czech Republic:
Michal Sotnar, USK Prague (Czech Republic)
Michal Mares, USK Prague (Czech Republic)
Adam Zampach, Chomutov (Czech Republic)
Krystof Vlcek, Opava (Czech Republic)
Adam Ciz, Ostrava (Czech Republic)
Viktor Cvek, USK Prague (Czech Republic)
Ondrej Peterka, Pardubice (Czech Republic)
Jiri Slavik, USK Prague (Czech Republic)
Jan Jiricek, Decin (Czech Republic)
Jakub Krakovic, Sluneta Usti Nad Labem (Czech Republic)
Martin Gniadek, Ostrava (Czech Republic)
Tomas Voslajer, Hradec (Czech Republic)

Sweden:
Charles Barton, Oregon State
Mike Joseph, Sodertalje Kings (Sweden)
Chris Czerapowicz, Davidson
Andreas Karlsson, Jamtland (Sweden)
Gustav Sundstrom, Talje Knights (Sweden)
Odin Lindell, Uppsala (Sweden)
Johan Ronstrom, Jamtland (Sweden)
Sebastian Norman, Lamar
Richard Hartman, Akropol (Sweden)
Alexander Lindqvist, Sodertalje Kings (Sweden)
Pierre Hampton, Norrkoping Dolphins (Sweden)

United Arab Emirates:
Mubarak Khalifa Ahmad
Mohamed Al Braiki
Saleh Zuwayed Khalifa
Mohamed Alfarsi Aljneibi
Khamis Zaal Alwali
Ahmed Abdulelah A Mohd
Omer Omar Alameri
Mohamed Alshaiba Al-Ali
Hamad Obaid Ghabish
Khalid Khalifa Ahmad
Rashid Ahmel Al-Ali
Qais Ahmad Al Shabebi

[Billy Dat]

Shaka Smart gave us quick opinion of each of the U19 gold medalists to ESPN's Jeff Goodman ($)

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/jeff-goodman/post/_/id/159/goodman-why-miller-will-succeed-at-butler

Smart says that Rasheed played biggest in the biggest games, and had the courage to take and make big shots in big spots, but that there were more then a few times that he struggled. Whether or not he said good and bad things about everyone and that is what Goodman chose to include, I don't know.

[moonpie23]

don't know if anyone already posted this.....but i love it...


http://blogs.newsobserver.com/dukenow/rasheed-sulaimon-duke-basketball

[WillJ]

You could put together quite a crew these days from players born to US residents playing basketball overseas:

Tony Parker
Andrew Wiggins
Kyrie Irving
Dante Exum

and we could throw in Kobe Bryant (born in Philadelphia but raised in Italy). I'm probably missing some good ones.

[awhom111]

The United States Men's World University Games Team continued in Group C action today with an easy 96-53 win over the Czech Republic. Doug McDermott had 23 points and 10 rebounds, Luke Hancock had 15 points, Cory Jefferson had 10 points and 15 rebounds, and Will Sheehey had 10 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400C04

In other Group C games, Australia got 11 points and 6 rebounds from Valparaiso's Ryan Broekhoff on their way to a 70-53 win over Sweden. Canada's NCAA players drove them to a 137-43 dismantling of the United Arab Emirates. Kyle Wiltjer had 22 points in only 14 minutes while Brady Heslip took 20 minutes to collect his 22. Dwight Powell had 21 points, Manny Arop had 14 points and 6 rebounds, and Jordan Bachynski had 12 points and 17 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400C05
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400C06

In Group A, South Korea eased past Oman 126-77. Germany relied on its experienced pros for a 78-58 win over Ukraine. Finally, Russia pounded Estonia 106-43 with Sergey Karasev delivering 25 points in 20 minutes. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400A05
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400A04
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400A06

In Group B, Romania beat Japan 77-57. Ex-UTEP player Mauricio Cheda had 17 points and 6 assists in Mexico's 108-54 win over Mongolia. Serbia beat the team from the Philippines 125-44 as DeMarcus Nelson's teammate Dejan Djokic had 12 points and 10 assists. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400B04
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400B05
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400B06

In Group D, Norway beat China 106-74. North Carolina Central's Karamo Jawara had 16 points and 8 rebounds and DII player Magnus Fivelstad6 had 10 points and 6 rebounds in the win. Brazil beat Finland 75-65 and Lithuania beat Chile 116-51. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400D04
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400D05
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400D06

Tricia Liston and Women's Team started their campaign with a big 120-32 win over Mali. Tricia had 13 points in 15 minutes. Bria Hartley had 17 points, Cassie Harberts had 14 points, Shoni Schimmel had 13 points and 9 assists, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had 12 points and 7 rebounds, and Aaryn Ellenberg had 11 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400B02

In the other Group B game, the Czech Republic beat Brazil 86-63. NAIA player Ariane Silva had 11 points in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400B01

In Group A, Russia romped 123-23 over Mongolia to delight the home fans and Sweden rolled to a 69-48 win over Poland. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400A01
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400A02

In Group C, Canada beat Japan 76-48. Canada is using more CIS athletes than NCAA ones as its star players are on their senior national team. Taiwan beat Ukraine 84-68 in the other game. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400C01
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400C02

In Group D, China beat Finland 74-62. In the loss, ex-Oakland player Henna Salomaa had 14 points and UNC player Krista Gross had 12 points and 6 rebounds. In the other game, Australia beat Hungary 79-53 as ex-Wyoming player Emma Langford had 10 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400D01
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400D02

I have compiled the rosters for the women's teams as well although as with the men, not all of the information could be found. Here are Groups A and B with C and D to follow tomorrow:

Group B:

Brazil:
Ariane Silva, Rogers State (NAIA)
Monica Nascimento, Maranhao (Brazil)
Luana Souza, Sao Jose (Brazil)
Leila Zabani, Americana (Brazil)
Ana Graciano
Andressa Arantes
Thaissa Frediani, Guarulhos (Brazil)
Leidilania Ferreira
Ingrid Vasconcellos, University of Campinas
Jennifer Sirtoli
Maila Ciciarte
Dominick Rocha, Guarulhos (Brazil)

Czech Republic:
Andrea Vackova, Kara Trutnov (Czech Republic)
Katerina Novotna, VSE Prague (Czech Republic)
Petra Zaplatova, Kara Trutnov (Czech Republic)
Lenka Bartakova, VS Prague (Czech Republic)
Andrea Ovsikova, Kara Trutnov (Czech Republic)
Barbora Kasparkova, Brno (Czech Republic)
Michaela Stara, Hradec Kralove (Czech Republic)
Karolina Elhotova, VS Prague (Czech Republic)
Klara Rosenbaumova, Hradec Kralove (Czech Republic)
Klara Pochobradska, Hradec Kralove (Czech Republic)
Pavla Svrdlikova, Valosun Brno (Czech Republic)
Alena Hanusova, Brno (Czech Republic)

Mali:
Awa Diallo, University of Law and Politics (Mali)
Aminata Keita, University of Economy and Business (Mali)
Rokiatou Diakite, University of Law and Politics (Mali)
Rokia Cisse, University of Social Sciences and Management (Mali)
Aminata Konate, University of Humanities (Mali)
Aminata Sissoko, University of Law and Politics (Mali)
Aminata Mariko, ISC Business School (Mali)
Dite Sininta Mariam, University of Law and Politics (Mali)
Aissata Tolo, University of Economy and Business (Mali)
Aissata Fomba, University of Law and Politics (Mali)
Farima Toure, University of Law and Politics (Mali)

Group A:

Mongolia:
Chimeddolgor Enkhtaivan
Bolor-Erdene Baatar
Zolzaya Gantulga
Dolgor Ichinkhorloo
Jargalan Dugarsuren
Nyamsuren Jargalsaikhan
Solongo Bayasgalan
Khulan Alimaa
Khos-Erdene Borbaatar
Tsolmon Zorigt
Enererl Ulaankhuu
Soyolmaa Chuluuntsetseg

Poland:
Milena Krzyzaniak, Konin (Poland)
Joanna Markiewicz, Olsztyn (Poland)
Ramona Cossengue Casimiro, Konin (Poland)
Claudia Trebicka, Gorzow (Poland)
Agnieszka Sniezek, Sleza Wroclow (Poland)
Marta Mankowska, Uniwersytet Warszawski (Poland)
Roksana Schmidt, Aleksandrow Lodzi (Poland)
Barbara Skowronek, Inea (Poland)
Monika Bieniek, Uniwersytet Warszawski (Poland)
Klaudia Sosnowska, Wilki Morskie Szczecin (Poland)
Agata Szczepanik, Sleza Wroclow (Poland)
Martyna Stelmach, Rybnik (Poland)

Russia:
Tatiana Grigoryeva, Rostov (Russia)
Ekatarina Fedorenkova, Dynamo Moscow (Russia)
Nadezda Mayorova, Enisey Krasnoyarsk (Russia)
Anastasia Logunova, Vologda Chevakata (Russia)
Tatiana Abrikosova, Dynamo Moscow (Russia)
Evgeniia Finogentova, Kazochka (Russia)
Anastasiya Shilova, Dynamo GUVD (Russia)
Natalia Vieru, Spartak Moscow (Russia)
Veronika Dorosheva, Dynamo Moscow (Russia)
Liubov Paskalenko, Dynamo GUVD (Russia)
Anastasia Loginova, Dynamo GUVD (Russia)
Nadezhda Grishaeva, Dynamo Moscow (Russia)

Sweden:
Pernilla Hanson, UC Irvine
Kalis Loyd, Lamar
Josefine Loob, Udominate (Sweden)
Binta Drammeh, Bamberg (Germany)
Kristina Nybom, Udominate (Sweden)
Maryam Gultekin, Canik (Turkey)
Danielle Hamilton-Carter, Georgia Tech
Martina Stalvant, Northland (Sweden)
Katarina Milenkovic, Solna Vikings (Sweden)
Salome Kabengano, Temple
Tilde Ahlin, Anderson (DII)
Louise Angel, Eos (Sweden)

[Billy Dat]

Hoops Weiss interviews George Raveling about who impressed at the U19 Worlds

http://coachgeorgeraveling.com/top-15-fiba-u19-championship-prospects/

Aside from the now-ubiquitous gushing about Okafor, here's what he said about Rasheed:

“Sulaimon probably helped himself a lot on this tournament,” Raveling said. “In my mind, he was clearly the best U.S. jump shooter. I thought he played a real good balanced game and he made his jump shot over here. I think the jury is still out on how good he can be, but he’s been a very valuable member of the team. He’s played with unbelievable confidence.”

[Reilly]

The United States Men's World University Games Team continued in Group C action today with an easy 96-53 win over the Czech Republic. ... Luke Hancock had 15 points....

Luke Hancock's basketball journey is pretty compelling: not heavily recruited out of high school ... went to prep school ... started at Geo Mason ... transferred to Louisville ... ends up as the outstanding player in the national championship game, scoring 22 in front of his father who is dying of cancer ... then continues on to Denver to try out for the US team while his dad dies ....

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9418691/father-louisville-luke-hancock-dies-cancer

[awhom111]

Tricia Liston and the Women's World University Games team had another solid performance as they beat the Czech Republic 101-61. Tricia had 14 points and 6 rebounds in 22 minutes. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had 19 points and 6 rebounds, Odyssey Sims had 13 points and 6 assists, Aaryn Ellenberg had 12 points and 6 rebounds, and Crystal Bradford had 11 points and 7 rebounds. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400B04

In the other Group B Game, Brazil beat Mali 78-51 as NAIA player Ariane Silva had 12 points and 6 rebounds. Here is the boxscore:

In Group A, hosts Russia continued rolling as they beat Poland 74-37. In the other game, Temple's Salome Kabengano had 12 points as Sweden jumped out a 30-0 second quarter lead in a 95-21 win over Mongolia. The two victors clinched spots in the semifinals. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400A03
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400A04

In Group C, Ukraine beat Canada 59-57 after a fourth quarter comeback. Rachelle Coward of Charleston Southern had 12 points in the loss. The other game in the group was also quite exciting as Taiwan edged Japan 69-64. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400C03
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400C04

In Group D, Hungary beat Finland 64-59 with a strong fourth quarter as UNC's Krista Gross fouled out. Australia rolled 94-45 over China in the other game. China and Hungary will play tomorrow with the winner joining Australia in the next round. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400D03
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400D04

Only half of the Men's teams were in action today. In Group A, Germany dismantled Oman 123-32 as Dennis Kramer of the University of San Diego had 16 points and 9 rebounds. Estonia beat Ukraine 71-52. In the day's final game, Russia took care of business against South Korea and won 113-53. Sergey Karasev decided to slow his point per minute scoring rate and pass a little bit more as he finished with 20 points and 7 assists in 21 minutes. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400A07
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400A08
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400A09

In Group B, Romania only managed an 89-72 win over Mongolia. Japan heaped more misery on the University of Visayas team sent by the Philippines with a 93-51 win. Group and possible tournament favorites Serbia beat 100-48 as DeMarcus Nelson's teammate Dejan Djokic had 15 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400B07
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400B08
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400B09

Here are some more rosters from the Women's competition:

Group C:

Canada:
Dianna Ros, McGill (CIS)
Miah-Marie Langlois, Windsor (CIS)
Korissa Williams, Windsor (CIS)
Kristjana Young, British Columbia (CIS)
Rachelle Coward, Charleston Southern
Erin Chambers, Simon Fraser (DII)
Kara Spotton, Colorado State
Lindsay Ledingham, Regina (CIS)
Taijah Campbell, Virginia Tech
Tessa Kreiger, Windsor (CIS)
Dalyce Emmerson, Saskatchewan (CIS)

Japan:
Kayoko Amano, Hitatchi Cougars (Japan)
Nao Sonoda, Denso Iris (Japan)
Mika Kurihara, Toyota Antelopes (Japan)
Yuri Ikeuchi, Hitatchi Cougars (Japan)
Minami Iju, University of Tsukuba (Japan)
Masami Honda, Waseda University (Japan)
Satomi Ochiai, Hakouh University (Japan)
Mio Shinozaki, Shoin University (Japan)
Yuka Kosuge, Nippon Sport Science University (Japan)
Yuki Kato, Senshu University (Japan)
Rina Sezaki, Takashoku University (Japan)
Mari Hashizume, Takashoku University (Japan)

Taiwan:
Chi-Fang Chang
Chien-Hui Hsu, Chunghua Telecom (Taiwan)
Ya-Hui Yang, Cathay Life (Taiwan)
Hung-Ying Huang
Hsi-Yeh Liu
Chia-Ling Chang
Hsien-Fang Lin, Taipower (Taiwan)
Ping-Jen Huang, Cathay Life (Taiwan)
Hsiang-Ting Huang
Chiao-Hui Lo
Ying-Li Huang, Cathay Life (Taiwan)
Pei-Chun Hsieh

Ukraine:
Arina Bilotserkivska
Olena Samburska, Montana (Bulgaria)
Krystyna Matsko, Tim-Scuf (Ukraine)
Anastasiia Bogdanova, Interkhim (Ukraine)
Kateryna Dorogozubova, Bacs (Hungary)
Olga Maznichenko, Pozzuoli (Ukraine)
Kateryna Rymarenko, Astana (Kazakhstan)
Olesia Malashenko, Arras (France)
Natalia Kolotovska, Interkhim (Ukraine)
Kateryna Kovalova
Alisa Nazarevych

Group D:

Australia:
Olivia Thompson, Townsville Fire (Australia)/Forestville Eagles (Australia)
Lauren Mansfield, Adelaide Lightning (Australia)/Launceston Tornadoes (Australia), Iowa State
Emma Langford, Logan Thunder (Australia)/Ipswich Force (Australia), Wyoming
Tess Lavey, Canberra Capitals (Australi)/Canberra Nationals (Australia)
Stephanie Cumming, Dandenong Rangers (Australia)/Frankston Blues (Australia)
Tess Madgen, Bulleen Boomers (Australia)/Eastern Mavericks (Australia)
Alice Kunek, Bulleen Boomeres (Australia)/Ballarat Rush (Australia)
Katie Ebzery, Sydney Flames (Australia)
Natalie Burton, West Coast Waves (Australia)/Perry Lakes Hawks (Australia), West Virginia
Marianna Tolo, Aix-en-Provence (France)
Sara Blicavs, Dandenong Rangers (Australia)/Geelong Supercats (Australia)

China:
Ren Bingjie, Beijing Normal University (China)
Wang Miqi, Beijing Normal University (China)
Liu Ningning, Beijing Normal University (China)
Guo Xiaochen, Beijing Normal University (China)
Zhao Peiyi, University of Science and Technology of Shandong (China)
Shao Ting, Beijing Normal University (China)
Wu Di, Finance and Economics University of Tianjin (China)
Zhao Xuetong, Beijing Normal University (China)
Wu Siyang, Beijing Normal University (China)
Wang Jinxian, University of Science and Technology of Shandong (China)
Feng Danlei, Beijing Normal University (China)
Gong Fangzhu, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China)

Finland:
Meral Bedretdin, Open University of Jyvaskyla (Finland)
Noora Jarvikangas, Forssan Alku (Finland)
Saara Wahlgren, Torpan Pojat (Finland)
Anni Makitalo, Catz (Finland)
Emmi Leino, Honka (Finland)
Hanna Vapamaa, Catz (Finland)
Krista Gross, UNC
Henna Salomaa, Forssan Alku (Finland), Oakland
Linda-Lotta Lehtoranta, Peli Karhut (Finland)
Laura Saarinen, Forssan Alku (Finland)
Anissa Pounds, Peli Karhut (Finland)
Sofia Pelander, Turun Riento Turku (Finland)

Hungary:
Gyorgi Agnes Ori, Gyor (Hungary)
Zsofia Varga, ZTE (Hungary)
Reka Balint, Atomeromu (Hungary)
Szandra Ambrus, ZTE (Hungary)
Bettina Baksa, Cegledi (Hungary)
Krisztina Velkey, Oral Roberts
Judit Eszter Manyoki
Tijana Krivacevic, Good Angels Kosice (Slovakia)
Anna Manty Mansare, Vasas (Hungary)
Cintia Zsofia Kobolak, Cegledi (Hungary)
Lilla Adamecz, FCSM Budapest (Hungary)
Dorina Zele, Atomeromu (Hungary)

[awhom111]

Luke Hancock's basketball journey is pretty compelling: not heavily recruited out of high school ... went to prep school ... started at Geo Mason ... transferred to Louisville ... ends up as the outstanding player in the national championship game, scoring 22 in front of his father who is dying of cancer ... then continues on to Denver to try out for the US team while his dad dies ....

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9418691/father-louisville-luke-hancock-dies-cancer

He was very appropriately chosen to be the flag bearer for the United States at the Opening Ceremony.


You could put together quite a crew these days from players born to US residents playing basketball overseas:

Tony Parker
Andrew Wiggins
Kyrie Irving
Dante Exum

and we could throw in Kobe Bryant (born in Philadelphia but raised in Italy). I'm probably missing some good ones.

Jeffery Taylor? Or did you mean someone a little bit better than that? There are a ton of these guys around the world. Apparently there were five of them on Exum's Australia team alone. Daniel Hackett is probably one of the more noteworthy ones outside of the United States. Finland has a ton of them. This is like the opposite of our soccer team discovering all of the kids born in Germany to American servicemen.

[awhom111]

Nick Horvath's national team exile has ended! New Zealand has announced a 19 player squad for their first training camp in preparation for the Oceania championship against Australia. Nick rejoins the team after two summers of not being called up after he used one summer to receive his teaching credential. He will basically need to do better than Casey Frank to continued to have a shot. It would be great to see him play in at least one more major international tournament in Spain next summer. Here is the announcement:
http://www.basketball.org.nz/tall-blacks/tall-blacks-trialists-named-2/


Tricia Liston and the United States finished off their first group stage with a 105-75 win over Brazil. Tricia had 9 points in 16 minutes. Aaryn Ellenberg had 19 points, Crystal Bradford had 12 points, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had 11 points and 6 rebounds, Jordan Hooper had 11 points and Reshanda Gray had 10 points. NAIA player Ariane Silve had 16 points in the loss. The United States moved on with that result and were joined by the Czech Republic, which beat Mali 59-44. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400B06
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400B05

In Group A, the loser of Russia-Sweden would be the next opponent for the United States and the hosts did just enough in the final quarter to win 74-68 with 14 points from Jasmine Thomas's teammate Anastasia Logunova. In the loss, Georgia Tech's Danielle Hamilton-Carter had 15 points and 9 rebounds and Lamar's Kalis Loyd had 15 points. The other game saw Poland blast Mongolia 117-44. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400A05
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400A06

In Group C, Japan managed to sneak out a 68-66 win over Ukraine in the first game. This result left the door open for Canada and their 72-67 damage-limiting loss to Taiwan was enough to see them through in the three-way tiebreaker. Rachelle Coward of Charleston Southern had 13 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400C05
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400C06

In Group D, Hungary grabbed the last spot by beating China 80-67. Australia piled more misery on Finland by beating them 95-46 as Jess Foley's teammate in the national league Olivia Thompson had 12 points and 6 rebounds. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400D05
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400D06

Here is the bracket and the group standings:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/BK/EventSummary/BKW400000

Here are the matchups for the next round on Friday:
Quarterfinals:
United States vs Sweden
Australia vs Canada
Russia vs Czech Republic
Taiwan vs Hungary

9th through 16th place:
China vs Japan
Poland vs Mali
Ukraine vs Finland
Brazil vs Mongolia

On the Men's side, the United States will continue to face tougher opposition from here on out and they had a tough time getting a lead against Sweden before winning 83-65 with Bob McKillop having the odd sensation of coaching against one of his players. Yogi Ferrell had 20 points and Treveon Graham had 14 points and 7 rebounds. The aforementioned Davidson player, Chris Czerapowicz, had 12 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400C08

The Czech Republic beat the United Arab Emirates 100-54 in another Group C encounter. In the key battle of the day, Canada beat Australia 92-83. Baylor's Brady Heslip had 18 points, New Mexico State's Daniel Mullings had 15 points and 9 rebounds, and Stanford's Dwight Powell had 10 points in the win. In the loss, New Mexico's Cameron Bairstow had 19 points and 6 rebounds and the St. Mary's duo of Clint Steindl and Mitch Young each added 14 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400C07
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400C09

The other group in action on the Men's side was Group D. Brazil beat Chile 106-40 as California high schooler Cristiano Felicio, who is headed to Oregon, had 28 points and 8 rebounds in only 19 minutes. Finland narrowly defeated Norway 60-55 as strong finishes to both halves negated poor starts. In the loss, ex-JC player Roy Emeka Nwachukwu had 12 points and 13 rebounds and ex-Manhattan player Torgrim Sommerfeldt had 12 points and 6 rebounds. In the final game, Lithuania rolled past China 129-52 as Norfolk State's Sun (Grant) Hefeng had 10 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400D07
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400D08
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400D09

Here is another group of rosters from the Men's competition.

Group A:
Estonia:
Siim Raudla, TTU (Estonia)
Jaan Puidet, TTU (Estonia)
Taavi Hamarsalu, Parnu (Estonia)
Erik Keedus, TTU (Estonia)
Kristjan Keres, TTU (Estonia)
Priidik Ulp, TTU (Estonia)
Toomas Raadik, Kalev/Cramo (Estonia)
Madis Saarmets, TTU (Estonia)
Kevin Liivamagi, Parnu (Estonia)
Kristjan Voolaid, Rapla (Estonia)
Germany:
Anthony Canty, Bremerhaven (Germany)
Till-Joshua Joenke, Ulm (Germany)
Florian Koch, Bonn (Germany)
Konstantin Klein, Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt (Germany)
Stefan Schmidt, Bayreuth (Germany)
Mathis Moenninghoff, Trier (Germany)
Dennis Kramer, University of San Diego
Peter Zeis, Bayreuth (Germany)
Ole Wendt, Hagen (Germany)
Jonas Wohlfarth-Bottermann, Bonn (Germany)
Johannes Voigtmann, Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt (Germany)
Malte Ziegenhagen, Hawaii-Pacific (DII)
Oman:
Ahmed Al Sibani
Mahmood Amabou Ali
Ahmed Al Halhali
Nouh Al Aamri
Mohamed Al Asmi
Haitham Bani Araba
Ashraf Al Yarabi
Faisal Al Jamoudi
Mohanned Al Amrani
Said Al Saadi
Hassan Al Farraji
Russia:
Maxim Grigoryev, Lokomotiv Kuban (Russia)
Victor Zaryazhko, Krasnye Krylia (Russia)
Pavel Antipov, Unics Kazan (Russia)
Sergey Karasev, Triumph Lyubertsy (Russia), Drafted 19th by Cleveland Cavaliers
Vladimir Ivlev, Nizhny Novgorod (Russia)
Dmitrii Kulagin, Krasnye Krylia (Russia)
Artem Vikhrov, Triumph Lyubertsy (Russia)
Semen Antonov, Nizhny Novgorod (Russia)
Andrey Zubkov, Lokomotiv Kuban (Russia)
Dmitriy Khvostov, Khimki Moscow (Russia)
Evgeny Valiev, Triumph Lyubertsy (Russia)
Nikita Balashov, Krasnye Krylia (Russia)
South Korea:
Lee Jae-Do, Anyang University (South Korea)
Doo Kyung-Min, Kyung Hee University (South Korea)
Heo Ung, Yonsei University (South Korea)
Park Jae-Hyun, Korea University (South Korea)
Kim Ji-Hoo, Korea University (South Korea)
Lee Hyeon-Seok, Sangmyung University (South Korea)
Bae Soo-Yone, Kyung Hee University (South Korea)
Jeon Seong-Hyen, Chung Ang University (South Korea)
Han Ho-Bin, Konkuk University (South Korea)
Jeong Hyo-Geun, Hanyang University (South Korea)
Lee Dae-Heon, Dongguk University (South Korea)
Kim Jun-Yi, Yonsei University (South Korea)
Ukraine:
Vasyl Sainiiev, Avantazh Kharkov (Ukraine)
Oleksii Pavlenko
Andrii Kyrychok
Oleksandr Dolenko, Svisloch (Belarus)
Rodion Borovskyi, Avantazh Kharkov (Ukraine)
Mykola Polyulyak, Svisloch (Belarus)
Anton Mykhailov, Avantazh Kharkov (Ukraine)
Roman Olkhovskyi, Avantazh Kharkov (Ukraine)
Viacheslav Motorchuk
Ivan Poliezhaiev, Kyiv (Ukraine)
Dmytro Marchenko
Anton Rochniak, Avantazh Kharkov (Ukraine)

[awhom111]

The Philippines has announced its final roster for the FIBA Asia Championships at the start of August as they try to put on a good show for their home fans. Here is the article:
http://www.fibaasia.net/NewsDetails.aspx?id=3521

Roster (not making up any team names):
Marcus Douthit, no club team, Providence
Junmar Fajardo, Petron Blaze Boosters (Philippines)
Japeth Aguilar, Global Port Batang Pier (Philippines), Western Kentucky
Ranidel de Ocampo, Talk 'n Text Tropang Texters (Philippines)
Marc Pingris, San Miguel Coffee Mixers (Philippines)
Gary David, Global Port Batang Pier (Philippines)
Jeff Chan, Rain or Shine Elasto Plasters (Philippines)
Larry Fonacier, Talk 'n Text Tropang Texters (Philippines)
Gabe Norwood, Rain or Shine Elasto Plasters (Philippines), George Mason
Jayson Castro, Talk 'n Text Tropang Texters (Philippines)
LA Tenorio, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (Philippines)
Jimmy Alapag, Talk 'n Text Tropang Texters (Philippines), Cal State San Bernardino (DII)


With a day off for the Women's teams, all of the Men's teams were in action in the World University Games today. The United States knew that the competition was continuing to get stronger as they faced Australia. They ended up suffering their first loss 93-84 after falling well behind in the second half. Doug McDermott had 22 points, Spencer Dinwiddie had 14 points, and Yogi Ferrell and Sean Kilpatrick had 10 points each. In the win, New Mexico's Cameron Bairstow had 22 points and 9 rebounds, St. Mary's player Mitch Young had 12 points, and Ryan Broekhoff of Valparaiso had 10 points and 12 rebounds. Now the United States faces a tough test against a Canada team that has already beaten Australia needing at least a 9 point win to stay in contention. Australia will now try to run up the score on the United Arab Emirates in case of the need to go down the list of tiebreakers. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400C11

In other Group C games, Sweden had a far tougher time than expected with the United Arab Emirates before winning 79-69. Chris Czerapowicz of Davidson had 17 points and 9 rebounds. Canada needed to come from behind to beat the Czech Republic 87-56. Gonzaga's Kevin Pangos had 17 points, New Mexico State's Daniel Mullings had 15 points, Stanford's Dwight Powell had 11 points and 6 rebounds, and Colgate's Murphy Burnatowski had 11 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400C10
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400C12

In Group A, Estonia opened the day with a 77-52 win over Oman. Germany then beat South Korea 93-69. Russia ended the day with a bit of a test against Ukraine before winning 94-43. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400A10
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400A10
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400A12

In Group B, Mongolia beat the University of Visayas team from the Philippines 92-79. Serbia beat Japan 105-64 as DeMarcus Nelson's teammate Dejan Djokic had 13 points. Romania prevailed late 76-67 over Mexico to send them and Serbia through to the quarterfinals. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400B10
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400B11
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400B12

In Group D, Norway beat Chile 62-48 with 10 points and 13 rebounds from North Carolina Central's Karamo Jawara. Lithuania had a tougher than expected time with Brazil before winning 77-69 with the high schooler from California, Cristiano Felicio, headed for Oregon contributing another strong performance with 20 points and 12 rebounds in the loss. In the final game, Finland beat China 93-64 with Lauri Toivonen of Texas Pan-American chipping in with 14 points and 7 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400D10
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400D12
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400D11

Here is another set of rosters:

Group B:

Japan:
Taito Nakahigashi, Meiji University (Japan)
Yuya Nagayoshi, Aoyama Gakuin University (Japan)
Naoki Uto, Senshu University (Japan)
Yuma Fujii, Takushoku University (Japan)
Sohei Kawakami, Waseda University (Japan)
Soichiro Fujitaka, Kansai University (Japan)
Kebin Hareyema, Tokai University (Japan)
Kengo Nomoto, Aoyama Gakuin University (Japan)
Toru Minagawa, Meiji University (Japan)
Taku Bando, University of Tsukuba (Japan)
Kosuke Hashimoto, Tokai University (Japan)
Sieji Ikaruga, Aoyama Gakuin University (Japan)

Mexico:
Fabian Jaimes, Universidad de las Americas Puebla (Mexico)
Ricardo Calatayud, Universidad Popular Autonoma de Puebla (Mexico)
Alejandro Garay, Universidad Autonoma de Juarez (Mexico)
Mauricio Cheda, Soles de Mexicali (Mexico), UTEP
Israel Nolasco, Soles de Mexicali (Mexico)
Juan Ramirez, Universidad Panamericana (Mexico)
Pablo Santana, Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua (Mexico)
Ivan Gracia, Universidad Popular Autonoma de Puebla (Mexico)
Daniel Giron, University Studies Center (Mexico)
Fernando Benitez, Guaymas (Mexico)
Jose Gutierrez, Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Mexico)
Jesus Felix, Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Mexico)

Mongolia:
Sergelen Otgonbaatar
Tsenguunbayar Gotov
Bilguun Battuvshin
Darkhantugs Batbold
Delgernyam Davaasambuu
Sanchir Tungalag
Munkhtuvshin Davaadorj, ER Falcons (Mongolia)
Dulguun Enkhbat
Ochirbat Otgonbayar
Azbayar Tseredagva
Tserenbaatar Enkhtaivan
Gansukh Avarzed

Philippines:
Rhaffy Octobre, University of Visayas (Philippines)
Vincent Mendozan, University of Visayas (Philippines)
Miko Marquez, University of Visayas (Philippines)
Alfred Codilla, University of Visayas (Philippines)
Hernal Escosio, University of Visayas (Philippines)
Angelo Babia, University of Visayas (Philippines)
John Abad, University of Visayas (Philippines)
Christian Fajardo, University of Visayas (Philippines)
Chris Perolino, University of Visayas (Philippines)
Arvie Cabanero, University of Visayas (Philippines)

Romania:
Catalin Petrisor, Craiova (Romania)
Adrian Rosu, Rovinari (Romania)
Vlad Dumitrescu, Ploiesti (Romania)
Vlad Corpodean, Miercurea Ciuc (Romania)
Iulian Orbeanu, Craiova (Romania)
Dan Ioan, Dinamo Bucharest (Romania)
Vlad Negoitescu, Ploiestu (Romania)
George Toth, Timisoara (Romania)
Alexandru Pop, Cluj Napoca (Romania)
Rolland Torok, Jaszberenyi (Hungary)
Adrian Gutoaia, Gaz Metan Medias (Romania)
Bogdan Tibirna, Oradea (Romania)

Serbia:
Dejan Djokic, Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)
Stefan Jokic, Radnicki (Serbia)
Milos Dimic, Radnicki (Serbia)
Nikola Malesevic, Rhode Island
Dorde Drenovac, Biancoblu Bologna (Italy)
Nikola Kalinic, Vojvodina (Serbia)
Stefan Zivanovic, Metalac (Serbia)
Dorde Majstorovic, Helios Domzale (Slovenia)
Dorde Gagic, Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)
Ivan Smiljanic, Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)
Nikola Markovic, Vojvodina (Serbia)
Darko Balaban, Targu Mures (Romania)

[awhom111]

Tricia Liston had 11 points in 15 minutes as the United States beat Sweden 103-72 in the quarterfinals. Odyssey Sims had 20 points, Bria Hartley had 17 points, and Crystal Bradford had 11 points and 6 rebounds. Georgia Tech's Danielle Hamilton-Carter had 17 points and 8 rebounds in the loss. Their next game is a semifinal on Saturday, which will be live on ESPNU at 1:00pm Eastern Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400301

On the flip side, the Men's team is now out of championship contention after being beat by Canada 94-85. Luke Hancock had 27 points, Doug McDermott had 17 points and 9 rebounds, and Cory Jefferson had 17 points and 7 rebounds. In the win, Brady Heslip had 20 points, Jordan Bachynski had 13 points, and Dwight Powell had 10 points and 6 rebounds. While this team was not favorites to win, this result has to be disappointing as they now fight for 9th place. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400C14

I will update the rest once all of the games are finished.

[Billy Dat]

Why haven't I seen any headlines suggesting that the absence of Rodney Hood and Quinn Cook are why the US World University games team failed to medal? :rolleyes:

[awhom111]

The USA U19 Women's Team finally got to play against another team as they opened up their exhibition tournament in the Canary Islands against Australia's U19 team. The Americans, coached by Duke alum Katie Meier, were tested early but came through late and won 71-66. Alexis Jones got the start and had 4 points in 20 minutes. With three starters from UConn, Morgan Tuck had 15 points to lead the team and Breanna Stewart had 13 points and 10 rebounds. High school star A'ja Wilson had 11 points and 9 rebounds and Kentucky-bound Linnae Harper added 11 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/u19/13_wu19_exh_01_stats.html

There is plenty of other basketball action going on around the world. The Finland U20 team probably wished that they had Alex Murphy as they started their tournament today with a big loss against Portugal. After being so close to fighting for promotion last summer, it remains to be seen whether they have enough to finish in the top three of this year's Division B standings.

Speaking of Division B, four women's teams are looking to avoid being relegated out of Division A of the U20 competition, but only one will survive. Tomorrow, Hungary will face Germany and Sweden will face Lithuania with the losers dropping down a division for next summer and the two winners squaring off for one spot in the top division next summer.

With the United States Women's University Games team already through to the semifinals, they just had to wait for the other three quarterfinals to find out who else was in medal contention. Their first opponent will be Australia, which beat Canada 72-58. Russia had to come from behind to beat the Czech Republic 74-66 as Jasmine Thomas's teammate Anastasia Logunova (not to be confused with another player who had a good game, Anastasia Loginova), had 10 points and 6 rebounds. Taiwan continued to be the suprise team of the tournament as they battered Hungary 72-41. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400302
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400303
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400304

Meanwhile in the race for 9th place, China won a rivalry game 80-74 over Japan. Ukraine beat Finland 70-51 and Poland beat Mali 82-52. Brazil beat Mongolia 94-46 as NAIA player Ariane Silva had 11 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400305
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400307
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400306
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400308

Here are the updated pairings for the next set of games:

Semifinals:
United States vs Australia
Russia vs Taiwan

5th through 8th place:
Sweden vs Canada
Czech Republic vs Hungary

9th through 12th place:
China vs Poland
Ukraine vs Brazil

13th through 16th place:
Japan vs Mali
Finland vs Mongolia


Without knowing the result of the later United States-Canada game, Australia had no choice but to try to beat the United Arab Emirates handily to help itself in the case of a USA 9 points win and did just that with a 131-43 win. Ex-St. Mary's player Clint Steindl had 21 points, Cody Ellis of Saint Louis had 17 points and 6 rebounds, and Boise State's Igor Hadziomerovic had 14 points and 6 rebounds. It later turned out that the margin in this game had no bearing on the final group result. Meanwhile, fighting for fourth place in the group, the Czech Republic edged past Sweden 65-63 to avoid getting dumped in the bottom bracket. Davidson's Chris Czerapowicz had 11 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400C13
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400C15

In Group A, Estonia seized a quarterfinal spot with a 68-61 win over South Korea. Ukraine took care of Oman 99-35 at the bottom of the group. Russia close the day with an 80-52 win over Germany with 12 points from Sergey Karasev. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400A13
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400A14
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400A15

In Group B, Mongolia secured a surprise 75-72 win over Japan. Serbia secured the top spot in the group by beating Romania 78-53. Mexico beat the Philippines 139-67 as ex-UTEP player Mauricio Cheda had 23 points and 6 assists. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400B13
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400B14
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400B15

In Group D, Lithuania rolled to a 70-51 win over Finland, China beat Chile 94-75, and Brazil beat Norway 77-47. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400D13
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400D14
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400D15

Here the brackets for the next round:

Quarterfinals (group winners listed first):
Russia vs Romania
Canada vs Brazil
Serbia vs Estonia
Lithuania vs Australia

9th though 16th place (group 3rd place listed first):
Germany vs Mongolia
United States vs Norway
Mexico vs South Korea
Finland vs Czech Republic

17th through 24th place (group 5th place listed first):
Ukraine vs Philippines
Sweden vs Chile
Japan vs Oman
China vs United Arab Emirates

Here is the final set of rosters for the World University Games (more of this fun to come next week)

Group D:
Brazil:
Cristiano Felicio, CCSE Prep (California)
Lucas Mariano, Franca (Brazil)
Rafael Alves Maia, Brown
Isaac Goncalves, Brasilia (Brazil)
Andre Silva, Bauru (Brazil)
Guilherme Deodato, Bauru (Brazil)
Leonardo Meindl, Franca (Brazil)
Matheus Dalla Barba, Winner Limeira (Brazil)
Joao Bernardi, Macae (Brazil)
Elio Corazza Neto, Paulistano (Brazil), Miami-Dade (JC)
Jefferson Campos, Suzano (Brazil)
George Chaia, Flamengo (Brazil)

Chile:
Tomas Alvarez, Los Leones (Chile)
Jonathan Nehring, Universidad de Concepcion (Chile)
Cristian Iturriaga, Universidad Catolica del Maule (Chile)
Felipe Zepeda
Gabriel Sanino, Universidad de Playa Ancha (Chile)
Jonathan Irribarra, San Luis (Chile)
Rolando Arteaga, Los Leones (Chile)
Diego Aguirre, Providencia (Chile)
Rocco Cotroneo, Universidad Nacional de Andres Bello (Chile)
Camilo Bustamante, San Luis (Chile)
Osven Ledezma, Los Leones (Chile)
Francisco Pena, Universidad Nacional de Andres Bello (Chile)

China:
Liu Zihao, Northeast Normal University (China)
Wen Hao, Zhejiang University (China)
Cui Jinming, Northeast Normal University (China)
Li Zhigang, Northeast Normal University (China)
Gao Xiangnan, Northeast Normal University (China)
Xiao Jian, Northeast Normal University (China)
Liu Lian, Northeast Normal University (China)
Sun Hefeng, Norfolk State
Zhang Hanqi, Huaqiao University (China)
Dai Huaibo, Wuhan University of Technology (China)
Wei Meng, Tianjin Polytechnic University

Finland:
Jesse Niemi, Pyrinto (Finland)
Mikael Sandberg, Salon Vilpas (Finland)
Matias Ojala, Karhu Kauhajoki (Finland)
Matti Nuutinen, Nilan Bisons (Finland)
Markus Molenius, Forssan Koripojat (Finland)
Sami Ikavalko, Forssan Koripojat (Finland)
Carl Lindbom, Pyrinto (Finland)
Juho Lehtoranta, Joensuun Kataja (Finland)
Lauri Toivonen, Texas Pan-American
Alex Vaenerberg, Salon Vilpas (Finland)
Roope Ahonen, Solna Vikings (Sweden)
Antto Nikkarinen, Kouvot (Finland)

Lithuania:
Sarunas Vasiliauskas, Pieno Zvaigzdes (Lithuania)
Vytenis Cizauskas, Valladolid (Spain)
Augustas Peciukevicius, Parnu (Estonia)
Eimantas Bendzius, Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania)
Adas Juskevicius, Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania)
Edgaras Ulanovas, Lietkabelis (Lithuania)
Vytenis Lipkevicius, Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania)
Mindaugas Kupsas, Lietkabelis (Lithuania)
Gedimantas Orelik, Rudupis (Lithuania)
Simas Buterlevicius, Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania)
Vaidas Cepukaitis, Pieno Zvaigzdes (Lithuania)
Adomas Drungilas, Lietkabelis (Lithuania)

Norway:
Magnus Midtvedt, Asker Aliens (Norway)
Fredrik Boehn, Ohlone (JC)
Anders Stien, Gimle (Norway)
Nicolay Ostbye, Barry (DII)
Karamo Jawara, North Carolina Central
Oevind Lundestad, Point Loma (DII)
Aksel Bolin, Northern Illinois
Stian Mjos, Baerum (Norway)
Magne Fivelstad, Barry (DII)
Torgrim Sommerfeldt, Baerum (Norway), Manhattan
Roy Emeka Nwachukwu, Ammerud (Norway), Seminole (JC)
Mattia Bradascio, University of Oslo (Norway)

[awhom111]

Alexis Jones and the U19 team continued their preparations with a 78-49 win over Spain. Alexis had 9 points in 27 minutes. Linnae Harper had 15 points and Bashaara Graves had 10 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.feb.es/Documentos/Archivo/Upload/130713espusau19.pdf

Tricia Liston and the United States had their semifinal today as the women's teams took center stage at the World University Games. Australia executed well on offense early and took a lead into halftime as the United States finally started to get going offensively. This carried into the second half as they took a big lead only to let the Emerging Opals right back into the game as they took a lead late. Crystal Bradford, the most unheralded and least known player on the team then scored all of the key points late and the United States pulled out a 79-78 win. Tricia had a relatively quiet 8 minutes. Odyssey Sims had 20 points and 6 rebounds, Bria Hartley had 14 points, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Theresa Plaisance had 10 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400201

In the other semifinal, Russia defeated Taiwan 69-51 as they took control in the second half. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400202

Among the four teams fighting for 5th place, the Czech Republic defeated Hungary 77-67. In the other game, things went to overtime before Sweden prevailed 75-72 over Canada. Georgia Tech's Danielle Hamilton-Carter had 22 points and 8 rebounds and Lamar's Kalis Loyd had 13 points and 9 rebounds. In the loss, Rachelle Coward of Charleston Southern had 12 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400204
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400203

Another four teams were in the bracket for 9th place, with China winning the first game 57-49 over Poland. Ukraine then beat Brazil 76-66. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400205
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400206

With four teams contending for 13th place, Japan beat Mali 109-61. Finland then beat Mongolia 84-38 as ex-Oakland player Henna Salomaa had 17 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400207
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400208

Here are the pairings for the final games:
1st Place: United States vs Russia (1:30pm Monday on ESPNU)
3rd Place: Australia vs Taiwan
5th Place: Sweden vs Czech Republic
7th Place: Canada vs Hungary
9th Place: China vs Ukraine
11th Place: Poland vs Brazil
13th Place: Japan vs Finland
15th Place: Mali vs Mongolia

[awhom111]

Alexis Jones and the U19 finished off the tournament with a 69-49 win over Canada. Alexis had 8 points in 17 minutes. Breanna Stewart had 11 points, Brianna Turner had 10 points and 7 rebounds, and Morgan Tuck had 10 points. Now the team is ready to head to Lithuania to begin the competition. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/u19/13_wu19_exh_03_stats.html

The Men's World University Games team finally got back to winning ways with a 91-51 win over Norway as they fight for 9th place. Will Sheehy had 16 points, Cory Jefferson and Aaron White each had 11 points and 7 rebounds, and Doug McDermott had 10 points. Ex-JC player Roy Emeka Nwachukwu had 10 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400306

The next opponent for the United States will be Germany, which beat Mongolia 101-68. University of San Diego player Dennis Kramer had 14 points. On the other side of the bracket, Finland beat Czech Republic 70-52 and Mexico beat South Korea 98-70. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400305
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400308
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400307

In the quarterfinals, Serbia beat Estonia 88-43. Canada then beat Brazil 88-77. Brady Heslip had 20 points, Dwight Powell had 15 points and 6 rebounds, Melvin Ejim had 12 points, and Kyle Wiltjer had 11 points. California high schooler Cristiano Felicio, who is headed to Oregon, had 10 points in the loss. Australia used a fourth quarter comeback to beat Lithuania 60-55 as Valparaiso player Ryan Broekhoff had 14 points. Russia beat Romania 78-53 in the final matchup with 22 points and 9 rebounds from Sergey Karasev. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400303
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400302
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400304
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400301

For 17th place, the Philippines decided not to compete so Ukraine passes on through to the next round. Sweden beat Chile 80-49 as Oregon State's Charles Barton had 16 points and 8 assists and Davidson's Chris Czerapowicz had 10 points. The United Arab Emirates managed a 64-62 win over China while Japan smashed Oman 123-40. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400310
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400312
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400311

Here are the matchups for the next round:
Semifinals: Russia vs Canada and Serbia vs Australia
5th Place: Romania vs Brazil and Estonia vs Lithuania
9th Place: Germany vs United States and Mexico vs Finland
13th Place: Mongolia vs Norway and South Korea vs Czech Republic
17th Place: Ukraine vs Sweden and Japan vs United Arab Emirates
21st Place: Chile vs winner of Oman and China

There is plenty of other international basketball in Europe. Spain won the U20 Women's Championship for Division A. On the other end of the tournament, Germany, Hungary, and Lithuania finished in the bottom three, so they will spend next summer in Division B. They will be replaced by Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Latvia, who finished at the top of Division B, which was a simple round robin competition between 9 teams.

[awhom111]

Tricia Liston and Team USA were fighting for the Gold Medal in the final against a Russia team that had a great amount of support from its home fans. The team started well and kept building its lead on the way to a 90-71 win as they beat the team that had beaten them in an exhibition before the World University Games. Tricia had 2 points and 3 rebounds in 6 minutes. Bria Hartley had 17 points, Crystal Bradford had 16 points, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had 15 points, and Odyssey Sims had 10 points. Jasmine Thomas's teammate Anastasia Logunova had 12 points and 7 rebounds in the loss. Hopefully the organizers figured out all of the previous issues with the physical medals. Photos from USA Basketball (caption contest time). Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400101

http://www.usab.com/photos/13_wwug_game_06_03.JPG
http://www.usab.com/photos/071513_0259.JPG

All of the final placements were also decided today. Australia defeated Taiwan 99-58 for the Bronze Medal. Sweden took 5th place with a 72-63 win over Czech Republic driven by two NCAA athletes. Georgia Tech's Danielle Hamilton-Carter had 22 points and 11 rebounds and Lamar's Kalis Loyd had 14 points and 6 rebounds. For 7th place, Hungary edged past Canada 60-55. Ukraine took 9th place with an 85-72 win over China. Poland beat Brazil 73-59 for 11th place despite NAIA player Ariane Silva putting in another strong effort with 11 points. Japan beat Finland 78-63 for 13th place to continue a disappointing tournament for UNC's Krista Gross. In 15th place, Mali managed to avoid last place by beating Mongolia 84-67. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400102
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400103
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400104
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400105
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400106
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400107
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKW400108

Here are the final standings:
1. United States
2. Russia
3. Australia
4. China
5. Sweden
6. Czech Republic
7. Hungary
8. Canada
9. Ukraine
10. China
11. Poland
12. Brazil
13. Japan
14. Finland
15. Mali
16. Mongolia

On the Men's side, the United States overcame a sluggish start to beat Germany 92-70 as they continue to at least fight for 9th place. Doug McDermott had 18 points, Luke Hancock had 16 points and 7 rebounds, Cory Jefferson had 11 points and 7 rebounds, and Will Sheehy had 10 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400205

In the semifinals, Australia surged in the second half after a horrific start to beat Serbia 65-62. New Mexico player Cameron Bairstow had 14 points and 7 rebounds. In the other semifinals, hosts Russia beat Canada 78-68 as Sergey Karasev had 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. In the loss, New Mexico State's Daniel Mullings, Iowa State's Melvin Ejim, and Baylor's Brady Heslip had 12 points each. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400202
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400201

Among the teams fighting for 5th place, Romania beat Brazil 82-75 despite 18 points and 11 rebounds from Oregon bound California high schooler Cristiano Felicio. Lithuania beat Estonia 82-61 as they shook off their disappointing loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400203
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400204

The next opponent for the United State will be Finland, which stayed in the hunt for 9th place by beating Mexico 82-70. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400206

Fighting further down the standings, Norway will play for 13th place as they beat Mongolia 83-54. JC player Fredrik Boehn had 24 points in the win. In the other game in this pod, South Korea defeated the Czech Republic in overtime 92-88. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400207
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400208

In the quest for 17th place, Sweden used a late comeback to beat Ukraine 75-73. In the win, Davidson's Chris Czerapowicz had 16 points and Oregon State's Charles Barton had 10 points. Japan beat the United Arab Emirates 79-63 in the other game. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400209
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400210

Chile avoided last place by default with the University of Visayas team representing the Philippines leaving the competition. China beat Oman 89-53 in the other game. This leaves Oman in 23rd place in the competition. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400212

Here are tomorrow's matchups:
1st: Russia vs Australia
3rd: Canada vs Serbia
5th: Romania vs Lithuania
7th: Brazil vs Estonia
9th: United States vs Finland
11th: Germany vs Mexico
13th: Norway vs Korea
15th: Mongolia vs Czech Republic
17th: Sweden vs Japan
19th: Ukraine vs United Arab Emirates
21st: Chile vs China

[awhom111]

The United States at least salvaged 9th place at the World University Games after beating Finland 97-70. Will Sheehy had 20 points, Adreian Payne had 13 points, Aaron White had 12 points and 10 rebounds, Yogi Ferrell had 11 points, and Tyler Haws had 10 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400105

In the Gold Medal Game, the hosts managed to win in front of the home fans 81-74 over Australia. Sergey Karasev had 15 points and 6 rebounds in the win. In the loss, ex-St. Mary's player Clint Steindl and New Mexico's Cameron Bairstow had 21 points each. Here is the boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400101

Serbia beat Canada 87-74 for the Bronze Medal. DeMarcus Nelson's other teammate on the roster, Ivan Smilijanic had 13 points and 8 rebounds in the win. Dwight Powell had 12 points and 8 rebounds and Daniel Mullings had 10 points and 9 rebounds in the loss. Here is teh boxscore:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400102

Further down the ladder, Lithuania took 5th place with an 87-50 win over Romania. Estonia took 7th place after beating Brazil 67-63 with a fourth quarter comeback. Young Cristiano Felicio capped off a solid tournament with 18 points and 8 rebounds as he heads to Oregon in the fall. Here are the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400103
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400104

Below the United States, Mexico beat out Germany 71-64 for 11th place. Norway held off South Korea 79-77 for 13th place. In the win, DII player Magne Fivelstad had 16 points and North Carolina Central player Karamo Jawara had 10 points and 12 rebounds. The Czech Republic won 94-80 in the 15th place game over Mongolia. Sweden beat Japan 62-50 after getting 16 points and 9 rebounds from Davidson's Chris Czerapowicz to seal 17th place. Ukraine started out on fire in the 19th place game as they ended up beating the United Arab Emirates 107-54. Chile beat China 76-72 to finish in 21st place. Here are all the boxscores:
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400106
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400107
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400108
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400109
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400110
http://kazan2013.ru/hide/en/-240/Comp/Info/ResultList/BKM400111

Here are the final standings:
1. Russia
2. Australia
3. Serbia
4. Canada
5. Lithuania
6. Romania
7. Estonia
8. Brazil
9. United States
10. Finland
11. Mexico
12. Germany
13. Norway
14. South Korea
15. Czech Republic
16. Mongolia
17. Sweden
18. Japan
19. Ukraine
20. United Arab Emirates
21. Chile
22. China
23. Oman
24. Philippines (Officially disqualified)

Next up for coverage? The U19 Women's World Championship.

[awhom111]

Nick Horvath has had to withdraw from consideration for the New Zealand national team because he would be unable to make the commitment to go through the entire summer of international play. Unfortunately it would seem that his chances of making one final major tournament appearance are starting to slip and hopefully his schedule will be clear enough next year for him to possibly get a chance to go to Spain. Here is an article explaining the factors that led to his withdrawl:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/sport/8928973/Horvath-abandons-trials

Pretty much all of the international action took place in Europe today. The U20 European Championship is a big youth competition in Europe even though it has no impact on things on a global level. Plenty of big names are involved (which turned out to be bad if you were hoping to see Livio Jean-Charles compete at his best this season). The A Division, which is taking place in Estonia, is getting down to business with quarterfinal matchups now set. Things are looking far worse on the other side of the competition as three out of four teams at the bottom will be dropped down to Division B next summer. The four teams fighting for survival are Ukraine, Georgia, the Czech Republic, and hosts Estonia, who now hope that their home fans can come through for them and push them over the edge.

Meanwhile in Romania, the next 12 teams in Europe after the first 20 are competing in Division B. Finland certainly wishes they could have Alex Murphy back on the team this summer as they performed rather poorly in the opening round. Instead of competing in the quarterfinals with a shot to move up to Division A next year, they are going to be playing in the bottom group with Luxembourg, Slovakia, and Cyprus.

The next qualifiers for next summer's World Championship will be determined at the FIBA Asia Championships coming up at the start of August. Unfortunately, distractions are again causing the focus to turn away from the basketball on the court. Lebanon, the original hosts of the tournament before safety concerns stemming from last summer, is trying to be able to field its team in the Philippines. The problem is that a dispute in the domestic league was not quite settled in proper channels, leading FIBA to consider suspending the entire federation until things are resolved to their satisfaction. It is one of a few political issues overshadowing the competition. More squads should theoretically be on their way out and I will post them as they hit official sources. The roster of 12 players was handed in by each team last Friday, three weeks before the competition because it takes so long to verify all the correct documents. That is a result of concerns from the last championship, which resulted in half of Qatar's team being disqualified from the tournament, which led to a couple of completely farcical games involving their remaining players. To editorialize for a moment, I think it would be nice for FIBA to change some of their rules slightly to allow teams like the Philippines, Dominican Republic, and Nigeria, among many prominent examples, to field stronger teams.

[awhom111]

Alexis Jones and the U19 Women's team finally got their World Championship campaign started under the supervision of Katie Meier and they opened the tournament with a 113-47 demolition of hosts Lithuania. Alexis got the start as the lineup was unchanged from their exhibitions and she finished with 6 points and 5 steals in 21 minutes. Breanna Stewart had 26 points, Morgan Tuck had 18 points and 6 assists, Bashaara Graves had 13 points and 7 rebounds, and Nia Coffey had 10 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/1/grid/D/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html

In the other Group D game, China pounded Mali 97-44. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/2/grid/D/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html

The Americans are also keeping an eye on Group C, because the top three teams in these two groups will be combined for the next round. Canada, with their one current NCAA player and seven incoming NCAA freshmen, will have to wait until tomorrow to play as Senegal forfeited today's game to hand them the official 20-0 win. The other Group C game resulted in an 81-58 win for France over the Netherlands as Valeriane Ayayi, who was just on the full French national team in Eurobasket Women, had 11 points. Here is the boxscore for the game that was actually played:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/2/grid/C/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html

Meanwhile in Group A, Brazil edged past Russia 66-63 and Serbia beat South Korea 88-79. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/1/grid/A/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/2/grid/A/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html

In Group B, Australia beat Argentina 69-48 and Spain beat Japan 84-70. In that win, UTEP's Irene Gari had 13 points and 7 assists and Kansas State bound Leticia Romero had 10 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/1/grid/B/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/2/grid/B/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html


Here are the rosters with the best information that I could find:

Group A:

Brazil:
Izabella Sangali, Americana (Brazil)
Alana Goncalo, Bradesco (Brazil)
Carla Lucchini, Divino COC Jundiai (Brazil)
Vanessa Goncalves, Santo Andre (Brazil)
Estela Arantes, Sao Jose (Brazil)
Alana Arias, Palm Beach State (JC)
Carolina Ribeiro, Sao Jose (Brazil)
Maria Carolina De Oliveira, Americana (Brazil)
Maria Claudia Teixeira, Maranhao (Brazil)
Isabela Ramona, Guarulhos (Brazil)
Leticia Viviane Rodrigues, Ourinhos (Brazil)
Martha Imoniana, Bradesco (Brazil)

South Korea (last names first):
Shin Ji-Hyun, Sun-il Girl's High School (South Korea)
Lee Seon-Young, Gwangju Speer Girl's High School (South Korea)
Kim Si-On, Sangju Girl's High School (South Korea)
Kim Lee-Seul, KEB Hana Bank (South Korea)
Ku Seul, KDB (South Korea)
You Seung-Hee, Samsung Life Blue Minx (South Korea)
Kim Min-Jeong, KB Stars (South Korea)
Kim Han-Bi, KB Stars (South Korea)
Lee Min Ji, Bundang Management (South Korea)
Choi Eun-Sil, Woori Bank Hansae (South Korea)
Park Hyemi, Sookmyung Girl's High School (South Korea)
Park Ji Su, Chongsol Middle School (South Korea)

Russia:
Ekaterina Safonova, Enisey (Russia)
Olga Novikova, Dynamo Moscow (Russia)
Natalia Grishkevich, Enisey (Russia)
Yuliya Chaykovskaya, Dynamo GUVD (Russia)
Zhanna Byazrova, Enisey (Russia)
Daria Levchenko, UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia)
Anna Shchetina, Spartak St. Petersburg (Russia)
Polina Fedorova, Gloria Moscow (Russia)
Albina Razheva, Yunost Penzevskaya (Russia)
Polina Sych, Spartak St. Petersburg (Russia)
Julia Gladkova, Spartak Moscow (Russia)
Alexandra Marchenkova, Izmaylovo Moscow (Russia)

Serbia:
Anita Bosnjak, Willebroek (Belgium)
Aleksandra Crvendakic, Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)
Jovana Vidakovic, Sabac (Serbia)
Natasa Kovacevic, Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)
Olga Stepanovic, Sabac (Serbia)
Kristina Topuzovic, Korac (Serbia)
Aleksandra Stanacev, Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)
Katarina Vuckovic, Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)
Zaklina Jankovic, Korac (Serbia)
Sanja Mandic, Korac (Serbia)
Jelena Ciric, Sabac (Serbia)
Ivana Boskovic, Vozdovac (Serbia)


Group B:

Argentina:
Micaela Sancisi, American
Maria Florencia Martinez, Union Florida (Argentina)
Victoria Llorente, Lanus (Argentina)
Maria Emilia Garcia Leon, Velez Sarzfield (Argentina)
Julieta Armesto, Lanus (Argentina)
Magali Armesto, Lanus (Argentina)
Julieta Ale, Lanus (Argentina)
Augustina Jourdheuil, Lanus (Argentina)
Sofia Chelini, Lanus (Argentina)
Mara Marchizotti, Velez Sarzfield (Argentina)
Sofia Aispura, Velez Sarzfield (Argentina)
Andrea Ledesma, Velez Sarzfield (Argentina)

Australia:
Tiana Mangakahia
Vanessa Panousis, Sydney University Flames (Australia)/Sydney Comets (Australia)
Alex Wilson, Eastern Mavericks (Australia)
Stephanie Talbot, Adelaide Lightning (Australia)
Louise Brown, AIS (Australia)
Alicia Froling, Townsville Fire (Australia)
Lauren Scherf, Dandenong Rangers (Australia)
Carley Mijovic, Dandenong Rangers (Australia)/Kilsyth Cobras (Australia)
Tahlia Tupaea, Sydney University Flames (Australia)/Penrith Panthers (Australia)
Casey Samuels, Canberra Capitals (Australia)/Hills Hornets (Australia)
Darcee Garbin, West Coast Waves (Australia)
Maddison Penn, AIS (Australia)/Norths Bears (Australia)

Japan:
Manami Fujioka, University of Tsukuba (Japan)
Akie Hayasaka, University of Tsukuba (Japan)
Yuki Kitamura, Osaka University of Human Sciences (Japan)
Mirai Tamura, Waseda University (Japan)
Misato Kuma, Hiroshima University (Japan)
Nozomi Kato, Waseda University (Japan)
Maria Kawakami, JX Sunflowers (Japan)
Miyuki Kawamura, Chanson (Japan)
Kanako Masuoka, Chanson (Japan)
Yunika Nakamura, JX Sunflowers (Japan)
Haruka Hatakenaka, Osaka University of Human Sciences (Japan)
Risa Nishioka, Osaka Toin High School (Japan)

Spain:
Leticia Romero Gonzalez, Gran Canaria (Spain)
Astou Ndour, Gran Canaria (Spain)
Yaiza Rodriguez Ortego, Siglo XXI (Spain)
Elena De Alfredo, Asefa Estudiantes (Spain)
Macarena Roldan Garcia, Las Rozas (Spain)
Irene Gari, UTEP
Marta Montoliu, Santa Rosa Lima (Spain)
Belen Arrojo, Siglo XXI (Spain)
Ariadna Pujol, Mataro (Spain)
Ana Carlota Faussurier, Arkansas
Patricia Soler, Conquero (Spain)
Yaiza Lazaro, Gernika (Spain)


Group C:

Canada:
Sarah-Jane Marois, Segep de Sainte-Foy (Canada)
Kayla Davis, St. Margerite d'Youville (Canada)
Samantha Hill, Blair Academy (New Jersey)
Shaylisha Colley, St. Edmund Campion (Canada)
Daneesha Provo, Kent School (Connecticut)
Quinn Dornstauder, Dr. Martin LeBoldus (Canada)
Jamie Weisner, Oregon State
Samantha Cooper, Lockbury Composite (Canada)
Emily Potter, Glenlawn Collegiate (Canada)
Kaylee Halvorson, University of Saskatchewan (CIS)
Emma Wolfram, South Kamloops (Canada)
Saicha Grant-Allen, Glendale Seconday (Canada)

France:
Marie-Eve Paget, Nice (France)
Marieme Badiane, Roche Vendee (France)
Lidija Turcinovic, Lattes Montpellier (France)
Olivia Epoupa, Landes (France)
Mamignan Toure, Arras (France)
Pauline Lithard, Reims (France)
Eva Marsac, Limoges (France)
Valeriane Ayayi, Landes (France)
Clarince Djaldi-Tabdi, Centre Federal (France)
Elise Fagnez, Centre Federal (France)
Aby Gaye, Centre Federal (France)
Awa Sissoko, Strasbourg Illkirch Graffenstaden (France)

Netherlands:
Britt Zappeij, CTO Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Laura Cornelius, CTO Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Janiek Van Veen, Den Helder (Netherlands)
Klaziena Guijt, , CTO Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Deborah Vos, Grasshoppers (Netherlands)
Esther Fokke, CTO Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Lisanne De Jonge, Lekdetec (Netherlands)
Isabella Slim, CTO Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Kourtney Treffers, Battipaglia (Italy)
Charlotte Van Kleef, CTO Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Emese Hof, CTO Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Elisabeth Heerschop, CTO Amsterdam (Netherlands)

Senegal:
Nassira Ba
Ndeye Siry Diagne
Mame Borso Niang Diallo
Yaya Irma Dieme
Maty Fall
Ndeye Awa Kebe
Couna Ndao
Ndeye Coumba Ndao
Adja Fatou Ndiaye
Aida Ndiaye
Mame Coumba Sy
Sokhna Fatou Dia Sylla


Group D:

China (last names first):
Xu Xin, Henan (China)
Yang Liwei, Guangdong (China)
Zhang Wanglai, Yunnan (China)
Zhang Jiahe
Gong Li
Li Meng, Shenyang (China)
Huang Zhenzhen
Huang Sijing
Hu Yaoming
Qiang Yi, Jiangsu (China)
Yang Hengyu
Zhang Liting, Bayi (China)

Lithuania:
Justina Kraujunaite, Jaunieji Talentai (Lithuania)
Austeja Sirsinaityte, Jaunieji Talentai (Lithuania)
Simona Dobrovolskyte, Aistes (Lithuania)
Akvile Vitunkaite, Jaunieji Talentai (Lithuania)
Evelina Maurite, Jaunieji Talentai (Lithuania)
Greta Tamasauskaite, Aistes (Lithuania)
Laura Zelnyte, Aistes (Lithuania)
Ieva Kazlauskaite, Ruta (Lithuania)
Roberta Mizgeryte, Fortuna (Lithuania)
Dalia Belickaite, Jaunieji Talentai (Lithuania)
Justina Matuzonyte, Aistes (Lithuania)
Daugile Sarauskaite, Jaunieji Talentai (Lithuania)

Mali:
M'Bamakan Kanoute, Real (Mali)
Mariam Kone, Real (Mali)
Hawa Traore, Commune 1 (Mali)
Mariam Maiga, Djoliba (Mali)
Penda Kone, Djoliba (Mali)
Sira Camara, Atar Kidal (Mali)
Fanta Guindo, Djoliba (Mali)
Penda Toure, Djoliba (Mali)
Madjan dite Madouba Camara, USFAS (Mali)
Aminata Traore, Djoliba (Mali)
Fatoumata Dembele, Commune 3 (Mali)
Christinie Dakouo, Djoliba (Mali)


Also starting today were Europe's U18 Boy's Championships. Division A with the top 16 teams is being played in Latvia and Divison B with the next 22 teams is in Macedonia. This may be confusing to some, but in this competition, England and Scotland have entered separate teams instead of joining forces with Wales to form a Great Britain team.

[awhom111]

Alexis Jones and the U19 Women's team had more of a challenge early in their game against China, but ended up cruising 103-56 as the result in the other game had both teams advancing to the next round. Alexis had 13 points and 5 assists in 22 minutes. Breanna Stewart had 20 points, Morgan Tuck had 18 points and 8 rebounds, A'ja Wilson had 16 points and 10 rebounds, Brianna Turner had 16 points and 7 rebounds, and Linnae Harper had 12 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/4/grid/D/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html

The other game in the group saw Lithuania win one for the home fans 84-50 over Mali. This result coupled with the United State win eliminates Mali, although the two teams will play tomorrow with the result counting for the Americans. China and Lithuania will play one another knowing that a win could be critical if they want a chance to make the quarterfinals. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/3/grid/D/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html

The three qualified teams from Group D are now also looking at Group C for the next round. Senegal made it to the tournament a day late, just in time to lose to France 77-23. Valeriane Ayayi is taking things seriously after playing for the senior national team and had 13 points and 6 rebounds in the win. In the other game, Canada squeaked out a 69-67 win over the Netherlands to move on with France while the Dutch face Senegal with the winner progressing. In the win, Oregon State's Jamie Weisner was unstoppable with 33 points and 10 rebounds and Dayton bound Saicha Grant-Allen had 10 points and 7 rebounds. A future ACC player, incoming Syracuse freshman Isabella Slim had 16 points and 8 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/4/grid/C/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/3/grid/C/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html

In Group A, Brazil beat South Korea 96-81 and Russia beat Serbia 73-51. Brazil has qualified from this group with South Korea needing a win over Russia to stay alive. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/3/grid/A/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/4/grid/A/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html

In Group B, Spain had a fast start against Argentina and coasted to a 68-32 win. Australia took a while to put away Japan before winning 96-82 to join Spain in the next round. The two teams will play for what could be critical positioning late in the tournament. Argentina and Japan will also face off for the last spot in the next round. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/3/grid/B/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/4/grid/B/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html

Unfortunately, the championships in Asia will be shrinking down to 15 teams. This is the result of Lebanon's four year suspension by FIBA as a result of issues that cropped up during their last league season. It is sad that now two of the few countries in the world where basketball is arguably the most popular sport, Lebanon and the Philippines, which benefited from safety issues in Lebanon to win the hosting rights to this tournament, have had federation issues leading to suspensions. Here are the articles on the subject:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/presRele/p/newsid/56896/presReleArti.html
http://www.fibaasia.net/NewsDetails.aspx?id=3535

FIBA Asia did try to figure out if a team could be brought in as a replacement, with rumors including teams like the United Arab Emirates and Iraq, but they decided nothing could be done in time. Here are the groups as they now stand:
A: Jordan, Taiwan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia
B: Hong Kong, Japan, Qatar
C: China, Iran, South Korea, Malaysia
D: India, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Thailand

Hopefully the FIBA officials have more time to figure some other things out now, like getting out official rosters for the tournament now that we are less than two weeks away from the opener.

[awhom111]

Alexis Jones and the U19 Women's team finished off the first stage of the tournament with a 103-26 destruction of Mali. Alexis had 11 points in 22 minutes. Breanna Stewart had 17 points and 7 rebounds, A'ja Wilson had 11 points and 12 rebounds, Brianna Turner had 11 points and 8 rebounds, Linnae Harper, who was used to fill in among the starting lineup, had 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 steals, and Bashaara Graves had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/6/grid/D/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html

In the other Group D game, China beat Lithuania 78-65 in a game that could be critical in the next round. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/5/grid/D/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html

The three surviving teams join three Group C teams. The Netherlands took the last spot by beating Senegal 84-51. Incoming Syracuse player Isabella Slim had 15 points and 8 rebounds in the win. France rebounded from a terrible start against Canada to win 65-60 to position themselves well for the next stage. In the loss, Oregon State's Jamie Weisner had 14 points and Utah pound Emily Potter and Connecticut high schooler Daneesha Provo had 10 points each. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/6/grid/C/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/5/grid/C/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html

In Group A, Brazil beat Serbia 80-66 in the first game leaving Serbia waiting for the second game. The result of the second game meant that both teams were moving on as Russia beat South Korea 89-78 to joing them. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/5/grid/A/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/6/grid/A/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html

In Group B, Japan took the final spot in the next round with a 76-68 win over Argentina despite 12 points and 9 assists from American University's Micaela Sancisi. The other game was also critical for placement and Spain took control in the second half to beat Australia 81-63. Future Kansas State player Leticia Romero had 11 points and 6 steals in the win. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/5/grid/B/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/6/grid/B/rid/9604/sid/9603/game.html

The tournament takes a break tomorrow. All teams will play on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. South Korea, Argentina, Senegal, and Mali will each play one another to determine the order of teams between 13th and 16the place. Teams in the new groups E and F will play the three teams in the group that they have not played with results from the first round carrying over. The United States will player the Netherlands on Monday, Canada on Tuesday, and France on Wednesday. Here are the current standings:

Group E:
Spain 3-0
Brazil 3-0
Russia 2-1
Australia 2-1
Japan 1-2
Serbia 1-2

Group F:
United States 3-0
France 3-0
Canada 2-1
China 2-1
Netherlands 1-2
Lithuania 1-2

[awhom111]

With the day off in the only intercontinental competition going on right now, all focus was on European youth competitions. While Divisions A and B are still a long way from being decided at the U18 level, the C Division that includes many of the smallest countries in Europe crowned a champion yesterday when San Marino beat Moldova 103-100 in overtime in the final in Andorra. One player scored 50 points for Moldova on only 28 field goal attempts, but he was outdone by a player from San Marino who managed 54 points. Meanwhile at the U20 level, all the champions were crowned. In Division B, Poland beat Great Britain 83-71 in the final. Those two teams along with Hungary, who survived a late comeback attempt by Belgium 70-69 in the third place game, are now set to move up to the A Division next summer. They will be taking the place of Estonia and Georgia, who lost yesterday despite Estonia's home court advantage, and Ukraine, which lost today to the Czech Republic to condemn them to the lower division next year. Italy beat Latvia 67-60 in the final as both teams made somewhat surprising runs to reach this level. A number of NCAA players and current and future NBA draft prospects had solid tournaments.

FIBA Asia has finally managed to update a number of rosters for their upcoming championship so I will list the ones I have. In most cases, the naturalized player is pretty clear. Where applicable, I use the family name first convention.

Bahrain:
Mohamed Ebrahim
Hussain Al-Tawash, Al Ahli (Oman)
Mohamed Kawaid
Bader Malabes, Muharraq (Bahrain)
Ahmed Ismaeel
Ali Abdulredha
Yunes Kawaid
Subah Azzam
C.J. Giles, Muharraq (Bahrain), Oregon State
Abdul-Rahman Mubarak
Ahmed Akbar
Ahmed Aman

China:
Han Shuo, Bayi Rockets (China)
Liu Wei, Shanghai Sharks (China)
Chen Jianghua, Guangdong Tigers (China)/Jiangsu (China)
Wang Shipeng, Guangdong Tigers (China)
Liu Xiaoyu, Liaoning (China)
Sun Yue, Beijing (China), NBA (2008-2009)
Li Muhao, Dongguan Leopards (China)
Yi Jianlian, Guangdong Tigers (China), NBA (2007-2012)
Zhang Bo, Bayi Rockets (China)
Wang Zhelin, Fujian Sturgeons (China)
Li Xiaoyu, Liaoning (China)
Zhou Peng, Guangdong Tigers (China)

Taiwan:
Tseng Wen-Ting, Shanghai Sharks (China)
Quincy Davis, Pure Youth (Taiwan), Tulane
Lee Hsueh-Lin, Beijing Ducks (China)
Tien Lei, Dacin Tigers (Taiwan)
Chen Shih-Chieh, Pure Youth (Taiwan)
Hung Chih-Shan, Dongguan Leopards (China)
Chou Po-Chen, Yulon Dinos (Taiwan)
Yang Chin-Ming, Shanxi Dragons (China)
Lin Chih-Chieh, Zhejiang Lions (China)
Lu Cheng-Ju, Yulon Dinos (Taiwan)
Tsai Wen-Cheng, Pure Youth (Taiwan)
Doug Creighton, Pure Youth (Taiwan), Madonna (NAIA)

Hong Kong:
Fong Shing Yee
Wong Chun Wai
Chan Siu Wing
Lee Ki
Duncan Reid
Lau Tung Leung
Li Kim Wong
Lau Tsz Lai
Szeto Wai Kit
Lam Man Chun
Poon Chi Ho

Iran:
Mohammad Jamshidi, Azad (Iran)
Aren Davoudi, Zanjan (Iran)
Javad Davari, Foolad Mahan (Iran)
Mahdi Kamrani, Mahram (Iran)
Saman Veisi, Foolad Mahan (Iran)
Oshin Sahakian, Foolad Mahan (Iran)
Hamed Afagh, Petrochimi (Iran)
Hamed Sohrabnejad, Petrochimi (Iran)
Asghar Kardoust, Champville (Lebanon)
Rouzbeh Arghavan, Petrochimi (Iran)
Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, Mahram (Iran)
Hamed Haddadi, Phoenix Suns

India:
Sambhaji Kadam
Narender Kumar Grewal
Pratham Singh
Vinay Kaushik
Arjun Singh
Vishesh Bhriguvanshi
Amritpal Singh
Joginder Singh
Satnam Singh Bhamara
Amjyot Singh
Yadwinder Singh
Rikin Shantilal Pethani

Japan:
Keijuro Matsui, Toyota Alvark (Japan), Columbia
Daiki Tanaka, Tokai University (Japan)
Makoto Hiejima, Aishin Seahorses (Japan)
Atsuya Ota, Hamamatsu Higashi Mikawa Phoenix (Japan)
Yuta Watanabe, Jinsei Gakuen High School (Japan)
Takahiro Kurihara, Toshiba Thunders (Japan)
Kosuke Takeuchi, Toyota Alvark (Japan)
Ryota Sakurai, Levanga Hokkaido (Japan)
J.R. Henderson, Aishin Seahorses (Japan), UCLA
Naoto Tsuji, Toshiba Thunders (Japan)
Kosuke Kanamaru, Panasonic Osaka (Japan)
Sean Hinkley, Toyota Alvark (Japan), Miramar (JC)

Jordan:
Fadel Al Najjar, Ittihad Schools (Jordan)
Ahmad Hekmet Aldwairi, Al Riyadi (Jordan)
Hani Alfaraj, Ittihad Schools (Jordan)
Ahmed Alhamarsheh, Applied Science University (Jordan)
Abdallah Abuqura, Applied Science University (Jordan)
Khaldoon Abu Ruqayah, Ittihad Schools (Jordan)
Wesam Al Sous, Applied Science University (Jordan)
Mahmoud Nzar Abdeen, Ittihad Schools (Jordan)
Mohammad Shahar Hussein, Applied Science University (Jordan)
Jimmy Baxter, Guaiqueries de Margarita (Venezuela), South Florida
Ali Jamal Zaghab, Al Riyadi (Jordan)

Kazakhstan:
Timur Sultanov, Tobol (Kazakhstan)
Jerry Johnson, Astana Tigers (Kazakhstan), Rider
Rustam Murzagaliyev, Astana Tigers (Kazakhstan)
Mikhail Yevstigneyev, Barsy Atyrau (Kazakhstan)
Vitaliy Lapchenko, Kaspiy Aktay (Kazakhstan)
Nikolay Bazhin
Konstantin Dvirnyy, Tobol (Kazakhstan)
Anton Ponomarev, Astana Tigers (Kazakhstan)
Dmitriy Klimov, Astana Tigers (Kazakhstan)
Rustam Yargaliyev, Astana Tigers (Kazakhstan)
Leonid Bondarovich, Barsy Atyrau (Kazakhstan)
Alexander Zhigulin, FC Barcelona (Spain)

South Korea:
Kim Min-Goo, Kyong Hee University (South Korea)
Kim Sun-Hyung, Seoul SK Knights (South Korea)
Yang Dong-Geun, Ulsan Mobis Phoebus (South Korea)
Kim Ta-Seul, Anyang (South Korea)
Moon Seong-Gon, Korea University (South Korea)
Yun Ho-Young, Wonju Dongbu Promy (South Korea)
Cho Sung-Min, Busan KT Sonicboom (South Korea)
Kim Joo-Sung, Wonju Dongbu Promy (South Korea)
Kim Jong-Kyu, Kyung Hee University (South Korea)
Choi Jun-Yong, Yonsei University (South Korea)
Eric Sandrin, Wonju Dongbu Promy (South Korea), Seattle Pacific (DII)
Lee Jong-Hyun, Anyang (South Korea)

Malaysia:
Heng Soo Eng
Ng Sing Tee
Wong Wee Seng
Choo Wei Hong
Ooi Ban Sin, KL Dragons (Malaysia)
Tong Wen Keong
Gan Hong Hoong
Keuk Tian Yuan, KL Dragons (Malaysia)
Ivan Yeo
Wong Ching Yong
Ng Kiat Kee
Foong Min Joe

Qatar:
Mansour Atif Elhadaray, Al Arabi (Qatar)
Jarvis Hayes, Ironi Ashkelon (Israel), Georgia
Saad Abdulrahman Ali, Al Sadd (Qatar)
Daoud Musa Daoud, Al Sadd (Qatar)
Khalid Sulman Abdi, Al Sadd (Qatar)
Ali Turki Ali, Al Jaysh (Qatar)
Yasseen Ismail Musa, Al Rayyan (Qatar)
Erfan Ali Saeed, Al Rayyan (Qatar)
Mohammad Seleem Abdulla, Al Shamal (Qatar)
Mohd Yousuf Mohammed, Al Jaysh (Qatar)
Malek Salem Abdulla, Al Rayyan (Qatar)
Baker Ahmad Mohammed, Al Jaysh (Qatar)

Saudi Arabia:
Mohammed Almarwani
Mustafa Alhwsawi
Mohammed Abujabal
Jaber Kabe
Marzouq Almuwallad
Ayman Almuwallad
Mohammed Alsager
Fahad Belal
Nassir Abo Jalas
Mathna Almarwani
Turki Almuhanna
Ahmed Almukhtar

[awhom111]

Alexis Jones and the U19 team started the next stage with their Group F game against the Netherlands and continued to exert their dominance on their way to a 102-42 win to qualify for the quarterfinals. Alexis had 12 points and 5 rebounds in 25 minutes. A'ja Wilson had 20 points, Morgan Tuck had 18 points, Breanna Stewart had 10 points and 6 rebounds, and Bashaara Graves had 10 points as the team returned to its preferred starting lineup. Incoming Syracuse player Isabella Slim had a difficult time as she got a taste of what the top young NCAA talent can do. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/32/grid/F/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html

In other Group F games, China beat Canada 79-64. Emily Wolfram, who is headed to Gonzaga, had 14 points and 8 rebounds in the loss. France beat Lithuania 65-53 to also seal a spot in the quarterfinals. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/30/grid/F/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/31/grid/F/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html

In Group E, Australia beat Russia 96-72. Brazil then held off a strong charge from Japan to win 70-66 to clinch a quarterfinal spot. Spain then finished off the day with a 73-55 win over Serbia to become the fourth team to clinch a quarterfinal slot. Future Kansas State player Leticia Romero had 11 points in the win. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/27/grid/E/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/28/grid/E/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/29/grid/E/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html

Here are the updated standings of teams fighting for the quarterfinals:

Group E:
Spain 4-0
Brazil 4-0
Australia 3-1
Russia 2-2
Japan 1-3
Serbia 1-3

Group F:
United State 4-0
France 4-0
China 3-1
Canada 2-2
Netherlands 1-3
Lithuania 1-3

The bottom four teams started their mini-group to rank the teams. Mali got their first win by beating Senegal 47-29 and then South Korea got its first win by beating Argentina 87-60. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/1/grid/X/rid/9671/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/2/grid/X/rid/9671/sid/9603/game.html

[awhom111]

Alexis Jones and the U19 team had a little bit more of a challenge against Canada but still took care of business with an 88-54 win. Alexis led the team with 17 points and 7 assists in 19 minutes. Breanna Stewart had 14 points, Morgan Tuck had 13 points, Bashaara Graves had 10 points and 6 rebounds, and Linnae Harper had 10 points. In the loss, Oregon State's Jamie Weisner had 14 points and 7 rebounds and incoming Fairfield freshman Samantha Cooper had 10 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/40/grid/F/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html

In other Group F action, France eased past China 62-43 with 13 points from senior national team player Valeriane Ayayi. Their win coupled with the American win sets up a game to determine the group winner tomorrow. The Netherlands survived a tough test against hosts Lithuania as future Syracuse player Isabella Slim had 18 points in a 72-65 win. Now the Dutch must at least avoid defeat against China to have a shot at the quarterfinals. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/39/grid/F/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/38/grid/F/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html

In Group E, Australia muddied up the picture at the top of the group with a 69-51 win over Brazil and qualified for the quarterfinals. Japan kept their hopes alive with an 87-67 win over Serbia. Spain then completed a comeback against Russia to win 80-72 as future Kansas State player Leticia Romero had 14 points. That sets up the Spain-Brazil game as they key to the top of the group. Japan and Russia will play to determine the final quarterfinal slot from the group and get the chance to play the winner of the game between the United States and France. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/36/grid/E/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/35/grid/E/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/37/grid/E/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html

Here are the updated standings for the two groups:

Group E:
Spain 5-0
Australia 4-1
Brazil 4-1
Russia 2-3
Japan 2-3
Serbia 1-4

Group F:
United States 5-0
France 5-0
China 3-2
Canada 2-3
Netherlands 2-3
Lithuania 1-4

The four teams at the bottom still are working on their final rankings in the tournament. South Korea beat Senegal 97-64 and Argentina beat Mali 70-51. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/3/grid/X/rid/9671/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/4/grid/X/rid/9671/sid/9603/game.html

[awhom111]

Alexis Jones and the U19 team knew that they would be facing their toughest test today against France as the two teams played for positioning in the bracket for the quarterfinals. The game was close throughout with the United States leading most of the time and they made a couple key plays down the stretch to hold on to a 69-63 win. Alexis had 9 points and 5 assists in 32 minutes. Breanna Stewart had 22 points and 6 rebounds and Morgan Tuck had 16 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/48/grid/F/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html

In other Group F games, China sealed their quarterfinal spot and eliminated the Netherlands with a 73-61 win. Canada then beat Lithuania 68-47 although the result did not matter with incoming Utah freshman Emily Potter providing 15 points and 8 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/46/grid/F/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/47/grid/F/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html

In Group E, Australia started the day by taking care of business against Serbia to win 89-53. The next game would determine the last quarterfinalist from the group and Japan took charge in the second half to beat Russia 88-78. Spain then clinched the top spot in the group with a 71-62 win over Brazil. UTEP's Irene Gari had 19 points and future Kansas State player Leticia Romero had 13 points in the win. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/43/grid/E/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/44/grid/E/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/45/grid/E/rid/9606/sid/9603/game.html

Here are the final standings as things finished up in a rather orderly manner that avoids the need for any tiebreakers:

Group E:
Spain 6-0
Australia 5-1
Brazil 4-2
Japan 3-3
Russia 2-4
Serbia 1-5

Group F:
United States 6-0
France 5-1
China 4-2
Canada 3-3
Netherlands 2-4
Lithuania 1-5

As a result, here are the quarterfinal matchups for Friday:
Spain vs Canada
Brazil vs France
Australia vs China
Japan vs United States

Here are the matchups for the teams fighting for 9th place:
Serbia vs Netherlands
Russia vs Lithuania

Fighting to stay out of the cellar, Argentina beat Senegal 62-40 as American University's Micaela Sancisi had 10 points and 6 rebounds. In the other game, South Korea grabbed 13th place by beating Mali 76-57. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/5/grid/X/rid/9671/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/6/grid/X/rid/9671/sid/9603/game.html

Here are the rankings at the bottom of the standings:
13th: South Korea
14th: Argentina
15th: Mali
16th: Senegal

[awhom111]

China has already had to make three changes to their roster due to injury. Here are the players that remain on the roster:

Liu Xiaoyu, Liaoning (China)
Chen Jianghua, Guangdong Tigers (China)/Jiangsu (China)
Wang Shipeng, Guangdong Tigers (China)
Sun Yue, Beijing (China), NBA (2008-2009)
Li Xiaoyu, Liaoning (China)
Yi Jianlian, Guangdong Tigers (China), NBA (2007-2012)
Zhang Bo, Bayi Rockets (China)
Wang Zhelin, Fujian Sturgeons (China)
Zhou Peng, Guangdong Tigers (China)

These three players were added:
Guo Ailun, Liaoning (China)
Zhu Fangyu, Guangdong Tigers (China)
Wang Zhizhi, Bayi Rockets (China), NBA (2001-2005)

There is still no official roster listed for Thailand and it is the only team in the Asia Championship in that boat.

Frustratingly, FIBA has an article about Mali's national team, which has evidently already named 11 players for their team in the upcoming championships in Africa, but did not actually list the players. It will be interesting to see if Mali does only go with 11 players and leaves a spot open on their roster.

It was a quiet day in terms of competitive games with only Europe's U18 B Division in action. Most European senior teams are in training now. The teams competing at Eurobasket still have a little time, but the teams who did not qualify for this tournament have less time. Those teams have a chance at a spot in Eurobasket 2015 if they can navigate the special qualifying round being held in early August.

[awhom111]

Alexis Jones and the U19 team had to get right back in rhythm as they faced the single elimination stages starting with their quarterfinal against Japan. They found their defensive intensity and then got their offense going on their way to a 108-67 win. Alexis had 7 points in 15 minutes. A'ja Wilson was unstoppable inside and finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds in only 16 minutes. Bashaara Graves had 13 points and 8 rebounds, Linnae Harper had 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, and Morgan Tuck, Nia Coffey, and Kelsey Plum all had 11 points apiece. With the win, the United States will now have their next two games on ESPN3, starting with their semifinal tomorrow at 1:15pm Eastern. A win would see them play in the final on Sunday in the same timeslot. The other semifinal and the third place game will also be one ESPN3 at 11:00am Eastern on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/A/grid/54/rid/9610/sid/9603/game.html

The United States will be facing Australia in the semifinal after the Gems (honestly a terrible nickname) beat China 74-65. On the other side of the bracket, Spain won their quarterfinal with a fourth quarter comeback against Canada for an 80-62 final margin. UTEP's Irene Gari had 20 points and incoming Kansas State freshmen Leticia Romero had 15 points and 11 assists in the win. In the loss, Gonzaga bound Emma Wolfram had 13 points and 6 rebounds and future Fairfield freshman Samantha Cooper had 12 points. Spain will face France, which stifled Brazil 51-39 as the team leaned on its experience. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/A/grid/53/rid/9610/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/A/grid/51/rid/9610/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/A/grid/52/rid/9610/sid/9603/game.html

Teams were also still fighting for 9th place. The Netherlands stays in that hunt after they edged past Serbia 66-65 with 10 points and 7 rebounds from Isabella Slim, who is headed to Syracuse. Russia defeated hosts Lithuania 82-68 in the other game. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/A/grid/50/rid/9609/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/A/grid/49/rid/9609/sid/9603/game.html

This leaves the following matchups tomorrow:

Semifinals:
Spain vs France
Australia vs United States

5th Place:
Canada vs Brazil
China vs Japan

9th Place:
Russia vs Netherlands

11th Place:
Lithuania vs Serbia


In other news, Great Britain has named their preliminary squad for Eurobasket. One-time Duke player Eric Boateng is on the list as he is one of several players on the list who played in the Olympics last year. Luol Deng was likely going to sit out this tournament anyway, but his illness at the end of the season has given him another reason to not be a part of the team. Yet again, several big name players are absent from the list. Here is the article:
http://www.gbbasketball.com/news/3063.php#.UfKrljfCOjd

Thailand has their squad listed on the FIBA Asia site, so barring more injuries, we should be set for the start in one week unless FIBA finds more faults with any of the teams and disqualifies a bunch of players as they did during the last tournament.

Here is the list:
Chanachon Klahan, Thailand Slammers (Thailand)
Attaporn Lertmalaiporn
Wattana Suttisin
Danai Kongkum, Thailand Slammers (Thailand)
Wutipong Dasom, Thailand Slammers (Thailand)
Anasawee Klaewnarong
Darongpan Apiromvilaichai, Thailand Slammers (Thailand)
Darunpong Apiromvilaichai
Sukhdave Ghogar, Thailand Slammers (Thailand)
Kannawat Lertlaokul, Thailand Slammers (Thailand)
Kannut Samerjai, Thailand Slammers (Thailand)
Wacharapong Tongsri, Thailand Slammers (Thailand)

[awhom111]

A little bonus coverage as the COCABA Championship started in El Salvador today. Why is this relatively minor tournament of any interest? Technically it is the first step in the Olympic qualifying process. The four teams will play a round robin with teams looking to move on to next year's Centrobasket (which confusingly includes both Central American and Caribbean teams). Then teams there will be trying to advance to the FIBA Americas tournament in 2015 and then on to the Olympics in 2016.

Mexico is probably the favorite here, although they are no real threat to qualify for any big tournaments. They beat Costa Rica 82-45 with 17 points and 9 rebounds from ex-Fresno State player Hector Hernandez and 16 points from ex-Western Kentucky player Orlando Mendez. In the loss, ex-Jackson State player Kay Martinez had 11 points.

In the other game, the hosts held off Honduras 67-61. Ex-Colorado State player Ronnie Aguilar had 10 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 blocks in the win while current Northeastern player Marco Banegas-Flores had 20 points and 7 rebounds in the loss.

Mexico is the only one of these teams that will also be playing in this year's FIBA Americas Championship.

[awhom111]

Alexis Jones and the U19 team moved one step closer to a gold medal. They fell behind early in the game against Australia, but took control starting the second quarter on the way to a 77-54 win. Alexis had 6 points and 5 assists in 23 minutes as Breanna Stewart was the star of the game with 23 points and 8 rebounds. Now they will play in the final on Sunday at 1:15pm Eastern on ESPN3. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/A/grid/60/rid/9613/sid/9603/game.html

The opponent for the Americans in the final will be France again as they prevailed 62-58 in a scrappy game with Spain despite a 27 point and 10 rebounds performance from Spanish star Astou Ndour. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/A/grid/59/rid/9613/sid/9603/game.html

Teams were still fighting for 5th place. In the first game in this bracket, Brazil beat Canada 70-63. In the loss, Oregon State's Jamie Weisner had 30 points and Gonzaga bound Emma Wolfram had 11 points and 10 rebounds. China beat Japan 70-49 in the other game. Here are the boxscores:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/A/grid/57/rid/9612/sid/9603/game.html
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/A/grid/58/rid/9612/sid/9603/game.html

In the 9th place game, Russia edged past the Netherlands 83-80. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/A/grid/56/rid/9611/sid/9603/game.html

For 11th place, Serbia pounded hosts Lithuania 84-36. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/A/grid/55/rid/9611/sid/9603/game.html

Here are the matchups tomorrow:
7th place: Canada vs Japan
5th place: Brazil vs China
3rd place: Spain vs Australia
1st place: France vs United States

It was also the second day of the COCABA tournament. Mexico rolled again as they beat Honduras 90-46. In the win, ex-Western Kentucky player Orlando Mendez-Valdez had 16 points, ex-Wyoming player Francisco Cruz had 11 points and 6 rebounds, and ex-JC player Pedro Meza had 10 points. Ex-High Point player Jerry Echenique had 15 points and 7 rebounds in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=A&n=3&r=9769&t=ZXSEXGVNUC

Hosts El Salvador won the other game 52-46 over Costa Rica after a fourth quarter comeback. In the win, ex-Colorado State player Ronnie Aguilar had 15 points and 17 rebounds and Jose Araujo, who plays in college in Canada, had 11 points. Ex-Jackson State player Kay Martinez had 13 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=A&n=4&r=9769&t=ZXSEXGVNUC

[chrishoke]

Alexis and USA win the gold. :D

[awhom111]

Alexis Jones and the U19 team were looking to win the championship and they knew that they could not take France lightly. Knowing that it might by hard to score, the team turned up the defensive intensity and rolled to a 61-28 win. Alexis had 9 points in 26 minutes. Breanna Stewart led the team with 16 points and 9 rebounds. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/gid/A/grid/64/rid/9615/sid/9603/game.html

Australia won the bronze medal after completing a big second half comeback against Spain for a 73-68 win. Leticia Romero, who is heading to Kansas State after a solid tournament, had 16 points and UTEP's Irene Gari had 10 points in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/A/grid/63/rid/9615/sid/9603/game.html

For 5th place, China narrowly defeated Brazil 68-65. JC player Alana Arias had 10 points in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/A/grid/62/rid/9614/sid/9603/game.html

For 7th place, Canada beat Japan 75-64. In the win, Oregon State's Jamie Weisner finished her strong tournament with 20 points and 16 rebounds, incoming Arizona State player Quinn Dornstauder had 14 points and 8 rebounds, and future Gonzaga player Emma Wolfram had 12 points and 8 rebounds. Here is the boxscore:
http://lithuania2013.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/13/fu19w/p/eid/9603/ct/0/gid/A/grid/61/rid/9614/sid/9603/game.html

Here are the final standings in the tournament:
1. United States
2. France
3. Australia
4. Spain
5. China
6. Brazil
7. Canada
8. Japan
9. Russia
10. Netherlands
11. Serbia
12. Lithuania
13. South Korea
14. Argentina
15. Mali
16. Senegal

Here are some pictures:
http://www.usab.com/photos/13_wu19_gold_gallery_32.JPG
http://www.usab.com/photos/13_wu19_gold_gallery_30.JPG

Also in Europe today, the U18 champions were crowned on the boy's side. Turkey beat Croatia 81-74 in the Division A title game in Latvia. On the other end of the spectrum, Bulgaria and Slovenia already knew they would be relegated to next year's B Division. They were joined by Ukraine, which lost to Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the B Division, Montenegro snuck past Poland 64-63 in Macedonia. Both teams had already secured spot in next summer's A Divison tournament and were joined by Belgium, which smashed the host 70-45. Now these teams will be working towards the next set of World U19 championships.

COCABA finished up its tournament today. In the first game, Costa Rica pulled out a 62-59 win over Honduras as the two teams fought to avoid the bottom of the standings. Ex-Jackson State player Kay Martinez had 14 points and 7 rebounds. In the loss, Northeastern's Marco Banegas-Flores had 15 points and 7 rebounds and ex-High Point player Jerry Echenique had 14 points and 7 rebounds. Mexico finished the tournament undefeated after getting a little bit of a tougher task against hosts El Salvador. They won by a final of 60-47 as the team will probably now add some reinforcements ahead of its FIBA Americas start. Ex-Western Kentucky player Orlando Mendez-Valdez had 18 points and 9 rebounds in the win while ex-New Hampshire player James Valladares had 20 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=A&n=5&r=9769&t=ZXSEXGVNUC.
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=A&n=6&r=9769&t=ZXSEXGVNUC

[awhom111]

I spied a few changes in the FIBA Asia rosters for the tournament that starts tonight. Again, the top three teams here will qualify for next year's World Championship.

For Bahrain, Mohamed Alderazi is there instead of Ali Abdulredha.

Yik Lun Chan has been added to Hong Kong's team after their previous list had 11 players.

Jordan also started with 11 players and added Mohammad Hamdan Hadrab.

For Malaysia, they were unfortunately forced to bring in Mak Lok San after Ng Kiat Kee, also known as Jacky Ng, died while on the bench in one of their exhibition games. Here is a news article about the incident:
http://www.malaysiaedition.net/shock-as-national-cager-jacky-ng-kiat-kee-dies-in-china/

[awhom111]

Today the South American Women's Championship started in Argentina with five spots up for grabs in the upcoming FIBA Americas championship. In the opener, Colombia pounded Peru 64-31. JC player Maria Plasencia had 10 points in the loss. Venezuela beat Uruguay 67-46 in the next game with 13 points and 11 rebounds from ex-JC player Ivaney Marquez and 12 points and 12 rebounds frpm incoming JC player Daniela Wallen. Brazil beat Chile 80-63 in the third game. Damiris Dantas, who was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx in 2012, had 22 points and 14 rebounds in the win while ex-WNBA player Ziomara Morrison had 13 points and 9 rebounds in the loss. The hosts won the last game 83-34 over Paraguay. Here are the boxscores that are available:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/fnabox.asp?g=B&n=1&r=9674&t=FKVXIBACSJ
http://www.fibaamericas.com/fnabox.asp?g=A&n=1&r=9674&t=FKVXIBACSJ
http://www.fibaamericas.com/fnabox.asp?g=B&n=2&r=9674&t=FKVXIBACSJ

[awhom111]

It was a busy day of international basketball as the action in the Philippines started while it was still Wednesday night in the United States. In Group A, Taiwan edged past Jordan 91-87 in what could be a critical result. Taiwan's naturalized player, former Tulane player Quincy Davis had 18 points and 11 rebounds while Jordan's naturalized player, ex-South Florida player Jimmy Baxter had 30 points and 6 rebounds. In the other game, the hosts got in gear and beat Saudi Arabia 78-66 as their naturalized player, ex-Providence player Marcus Douthit had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138103949.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138174927.PDF

The removal of Lebanon from the competition left three teams in Group B, meaning that all of them will qualify and leaving the games in this round for positioning towards the quarterfinals. The one game on the opening day was quite a good one as Qatar managed to win 75-74 in a game that was close throughout. Ex-Georgia player Jarvis Hayes, who is the naturalized player for Qatar had 20 points and 6 rebounds while ex-UCLA player J.R. Henderson, who is the naturalized player for Japan under the name JR Sakuragi, had 13 points and 8 rebounds. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013813356.PDF

Group C actually started the whole tournament and Iran came out blazing as they outscored Malaysia 42-3 in the opening quarter before letting up a bit only to outscore them 33-2 in the third period on their way to a 115-25 win. Hamed Haddadi had 21 points and 8 rebounds in only 13 minutes. South Korea showed their result against China was no fluke as they beat them 63-59 in a pretty surprising result even in this group with three strong teams. Yi Jianlian had 23 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013731222015.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013815172.PDF

In Group D, the first game was quite a thriller as Bahrain prevailed in overtime 82-80 over India with 13 points and 14 rebounds from their naturalized player C.J. Giles. The other game saw Kazakhstan beat Thailand 81-67 with 15 points and 8 assists from their naturalized player Jerry Johnson who was formerly at Rider. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013818754.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201381102157.PDF

13 European teams that have not qualified for this year's Eurobasket have opted to compete in the extra qualifying round for Eurobasket 2015. The team that survives this tournament will win an automatic berth to that tournament, skipping next summer's qualifiers when more of the tougher European teams are competing. In Group A of this competition, Bulgaria earned a solid 84-68 win at Romania. In Group B, the Netherlands survived Estonia 74-71 at home as ex-Richmond player Josh Duinker had 13 points and 8 rebounds, ex-UC Riverside player Sean Cunningham had 12 points, and ex-JC player Jeroen van der List had 10 points. In Group C, Switzerland pounded Denmark 78-37 at home as Clint Capela, who was teammates with Shelden Williams this season, had 10 points and 11 rebounds. In the other game Austria played a wild one at home and beat Luxembourg 111-77 with ex-Oklahoma player Jason Detrick providing 10 points. In Group D, Belarus prevailed 79-75 at home over Hungary as ex-Radford player Artsiom Parakhouski had 14 points and 7 rebounds and ex-JC player Siarhei Charykau had 12 points. Ex-Alabama A&M player Obie Trotter had 10 points in the loss.

Also starting today were Europe's U16 Girl's Championships. The 16 teams in Division A in Bulgaria are both looking to avoid relegation to Division B and to earn spots in the next World U17 Championship, which the United States along with a handful of other teams, played for last month. The 17 teams in Division B in Portugal are fighting for one of three berths in next year's U16 A Division.

[awhom111]

Today's Women's South American Championship games started with Brazil blasting Peru 116-37 as Damiris Dantas had 14 points and 6 rebounds. The next game went to overtime as Venezuela beat Paraguay 93-86. In the win, DII player Roselis Silva had 28 points and 7 rebounds, incoming JC player Daniela Wallen had 27 points and 10 rebounds, and ex-JC player Ivaney Marquez had 11 points and 7 rebounds to offset a 52 point effort from Monique Currie's teammate from this season Paola Ferrari. Chile beat Colombia 74-53 as ex-WNBA player Ziomara Morrison had 21 points and 17 rebounds and ex-DII player Javiera Novion had 13 points. In the final game of the day, hosts Argentina beat Uruguay 113-43. Argentina and Venezuela are moving on from their group. The other group will be decided tomorrow. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=A&n=3&r=9674&t=FKVXIBACSJ
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=B&n=3&r=9674&t=FKVXIBACSJ
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=A&n=4&r=9674&t=FKVXIBACSJ
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=B&n=4&r=9674&t=FKVXIBACSJ

[awhom111]

The FIBA Asia Championship rolled on into its second day. In Group A, Taiwan took care of business with a 90-67 win over Saudi Arabia with 14 points and 10 rebounds from Quincy Davis and 16 points from ex-NAIA player Douglas Creighton. The Philippines woke up in the second half to beat Jordan 77-71. Marcus Douthit had 11 points and 9 rebounds in the win while Jimmy Baxter had 14 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. Now Jordan and Saudi Arabia will face off for the last spot in the next stage. Taiwan and the Philippines are both moving on, but will each look to win to solidify an eventual quarterfinal spot with international relations between the two countries also playing a part in the storyline. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013820533.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138274833.PDF

All three group B teams already have safe passage into the next round, but are still playing for the quarterfinals. Japan beat Hong Kong 76-59. J.R. Henderson (or JR Sakuragi) had 10 points and 12 rebounds in the win, while Duncan Reid, who played college basketball in Canada, had 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138222826.PDF

In Group C, China took its turn to beat Malaysia and did so 113-22 even while resting Yi Jianlian. Wang Zhizhi had 17 points in the win. Iran beat South Korea 76-65 in the other game with 30 points and 13 rebounds from Hamed Haddadi. Barring any unusual circumstances, Malaysia should lose to South Korea tomorrow and be eliminated, leaving room for the other three teams to move on in this tough group that might have the three favorites for the whole tournament. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201381215319.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138252229.PDF

In Group D, Bahrain was involved in another overtime game as Kazakhstan beat them 79-76. Jerry Johnson had 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists in the win while C.J. Giles had 12 points and 12 rebounds in the loss. In the other game, India beat Thailand 89-65. This group probably is the most unclear right now, although Kazakhstan is already though and Thailand will be the eliminated team if they lose to Bahrain. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138265322.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201382111112.PDF

[awhom111]

The group stage was finished in the South American Women's Championship so the last four teams in the FIBA Americas tournament have been decided. In the first game, Brazil beat Colombia 90-35 after outscoring them 29-0 in the first quarter. Damiris Dantas continued to take control without some of the bigger names on the team and had 11 points and 9 rebounds in the win. Paraguay beat Uruguay 81-55 in the next game. Chile clinched their spot in the next round by beating Peru 96-44 as Ziomara Morrison used her experience at a high level to provide 38 points and 15 rebounds. JC player Maria Plasencia had 10 points in the loss. Hosts Argentina won their group by beating Venezuela 97-58 as both teams are moving on. DII player Roselis Silva was the only player in double figures in the loss as she had 11 points and 6 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=A&n=5&r=9674&t=FKVXIBACSJ
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=B&n=5&r=9674&t=FKVXIBACSJ
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=A&n=6&r=9674&t=FKVXIBACSJ
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=B&n=6&r=9674&t=FKVXIBACSJ

Here are the pairings for the semifinals:
Brazil vs Venezuela
Argentina vs Chile

Here are the pairings for 5th place as these teams were eliminated from playing the FIBA Americas championship:
Colombia vs Uruguay
Paraguay vs Peru

[awhom111]

The first stage finished in the FIBA Asia Championship. In Group A, the Philippines and Taiwan squared off with the next round already firmly in the minds of both teams. The game swung back and forth before Taiwan took the lead late and won 84-79. Marcus Douthit had 16 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. The last qualifier from this group was Jordan, which beat Saudi Arabia 63-47 with 15 points from Jimmy Baxter. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138375433.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138392233.PDF

The final Group B game went to Qatar as they beat Hong Kong 87-64 thanks to 25 points from Jarvis Hayes. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013833816.PDF

In Group C, South Korea took it relatively easy on a Malaysia team that had to cope with the toughest group in the tournament after having to deal with the death of a teammate and won 80-58. Eric Sandrin, the ex-DII player who occupies the naturalized player slot although he is half Korean (PSA: if you have a kid who is pretty decent at basketball, make sure they get all the passports and dual citizenships available to them before they turn 16), who also goes by his Korean name Lee Seung-Jun, had 18 points and 9 rebounds in the win. In the other game, Iran had a surprisingly easy time with presumed favorites China, who were again without Yi Jianlian, and won 70-51 to top the group. Hamed Haddadi had 15 points and 7 rebounds in the win. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201382222524.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138345013.PDF

In Group D, Kazakhstan won the group by beating India 80-67 with 16 points and 6 assists from Jerry Johnson. Thailand was eliminated from the group by losing 86-62 to Bahrain. C.J. Giles had 18 points and 18 rebounds in the win. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138311752.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138382955.PDF

After this round, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Thailand were eliminated from championship contention. The three teams left from Group A join the three teams from Group B to form Group E. The three remaining teams in Groups C and D combine to form Group F. Here are the standings for the next round with the top 4 teams in each group moving on to the quarterfinals:

Group E:
Qatar 2-0
Taiwan 2-0
Japan 1-1
Philippines 1-1
Jordan 0-2
Hong Kong 0-2

Group F:
Iran 2-0
Kazakhstan 2-0
Bahrain 1-1
South Korea 1-1
India 0-2
China 0-2

[awhom111]

The Women's South American Championships continued with the two semifinals in the two later timeslots. Brazil broke the game open in the second half as they beat Venezuela 76-41. Damiris Dantas continued her strong tournament with 16 points and 10 rebounds. As expected, Brazil will meet Argentina in the final after the hosts beat Chile 68-58. In the loss, Ziomara Morrison had 21 points and 11 rebounds and ex-DII player Javiera Novion had 11 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=15&n=A&r=9676&t=FKVXIBACSJ
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=16&n=A&r=9676&t=FKVXIBACSJ

The other four teams were still fighting for 5th place and Colombia used a big run in the final period to beat Uruguay 66-52. In the other game, Paraguay beat Peru 82-47. Ex-NAIA player Tamara Insfran had 10 points in the win. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=13&n=A&r=9675&t=FKVXIBACSJ
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=14&n=A&r=9675&t=FKVXIBACSJ

Here are tomorrow's matchups for the final day of the tournament:
1st: Brazil vs Argentina
3rd: Venezuela vs Chile
5th: Colombia vs Paraguay
7th: Uruguay vs Peru

[awhom111]

It was another round of games in the extra qualifiers for Eurobasket 2015 as teams fight for one automatic berth in the tournament. In Group A, Bulgaria beat Iceland 88-59 although ex-DIII player Jakob Sigurdarson had 19 points. In Group B, Portugal earned a key win on the road by holding off Estonia 72-66. In the win, ex-DII player Carlos Andrade had 16 points and ex-Nevada player Joao Santos had 14 points. In Group C, Austria won 80-72 at Denmark. Ex-Oklahoma player Jason Detrick had 18 points in the win while ex-JC player Nicolai Iversen had 12 points and 9 rebounds in the loss. The other game in the group saw Switzerland win 75-57 in Luxembourg as Shelden Williams's old teammate Clint Capela had 12 points and 9 rebounds in the win. In Group D, Hungary cruised at home 75-43 over Slovakia. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-A-2-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-B-2-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-C-4-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-C-3-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-D-2-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html

[awhom111]

The Women's South American Championship concluded today. Favorites Brazil beat hosts Argentina 67-58 for the title after building a lead in the second half. Damiris Dantas finished a strong tournament with 18 points and 11 rebounds in the win. Now the team may bring in another big name or two as they and the other South American teams now prepare for the teams from the rest of the Americas. Here is the boxscores:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=20&n=A&r=9677&t=FKVXIBACSJ

Chile beat Venezuela 74-56 for 3rd place. DII player Roselis Silva had 16 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=19&n=A&r=9677&t=FKVXIBACSJ

For 5th place, Paraguay used an enormous fourth quarter surge to beat Colombia 75-67. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=18&n=A&r=9677&t=FKVXIBACSJ

In the 7th place game, Uruguay beat Peru 61-49. In the loss, JC player Maria Plasencia had 15 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/box.asp?g=17&n=A&r=9677&t=FKVXIBACSJ

Another tournament started as the Boy's U17 tournament got underway in Uruguay for South American teams. Three teams from the tournament will move on to the U18 tournament for the whole Americas region next year which will determine the teams in the 2015 U19 World Championship. The international calendar never stops for most teams that are not the United States.

[awhom111]

Marty Pocius and Lithuania had their first exhibition game in their preparation for Eurobasket as they played Belgium and won 86-61 with the two teams also set to square off tomorrow in a different city in Lithuania. Marty got the start in his first competitive action in months and had 4 points in 16 minutes. Donatas Motiejunas had 19 points to lead all scorers as he took advantage of other frontcourt absences. In the loss, Axel Hervelle, who was drafted in the second round in 2005 by the Denver Nuggets before his rights were later traded to the Houston Rockets, had 14 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.musukrepsinis.lt/public/files/20130805-Lithuania-Belgium.pdf


It was the start of the second stage of the FIBA Asia tournament today. In the new Group E, Qatar beat Jordan 75-61 to clinch their spot in the quarterfinals. Jarvis Hayes had 15 points in the win while Jimmy Baxter had 12 points in the loss. The next game in the group also advanced a team to a quarterfinal spot as Taiwan beat Hong Kong 94-55. They did not even need much help from their naturalized player as they got 11 points and 7 rebounds from Douglas Creighton. In the final game of the group, the Philippines beat Japan 90-71. Marcus Douthit had 19 points and 10 rebounds in the win while J.R. Henderson/JR Sakuragi had 19 points and 13 rebounds in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201384213649.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138513412.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138573433.PDF

In the new Group F, Iran continued its domination by pounding India 102-58 with 12 points and 7 rebounds from Hamed Haddadi. China continued to struggle without its star player as they took a while to overcome Kazakhstan 73-67. Wang Zhizhi had 12 points and 6 rebounds in the win while Jerry Johnson had 13 points and 6 assists. In the final game of the day, South Korea handled a Bahrain team without its naturalized player 96-51. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201384235411.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138551338.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013859752.PDF

Here are the standings for the two groups:

Group E:
Taiwan 3-0
Qatar 3-0
Philippines 2-1
Japan 1-2
Jordan 0-3
Hong Kong 0-3

Group F:
Iran 3-0
South Korea 2-1
Kazakhstan 2-1
China 1-2
Bahrain 1-2
India 0-3

The teams that were already eliminated were still competing for 13th place. Saudi Arabia was already moving on as they benefited from Lebanon's absence. Thailand beat Malaysia 71-56 to set up a meeting with the Saudis for 13th place while Malaysia finishes a tough tournament in 15th place. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138551059.PDF

[awhom111]

The picture is becoming a little more clear at the FIBA Asia tournament. In Group E, Jordan blasted Hong Kong 80-54. Taiwan then held off a tough challenge from Japan to remain undefeated with a 79-76 win. J.R. Henderson/JR Sakurargi had 10 points and 12 rebounds in the loss. The hosts have assured themselves of a spot in the next round after beating Qatar 80-70. In the win, Marcus Douthit had 19 points and 14 rebounds and ex-Western Kentucky player Japeth Aguilar had 14 points and 7 rebounds. Jarvis Hayes had 17 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. The winner of tomorrow's game between Jordan and Japan will take the final place in the quarterfinals from this group. A Taiwan win over Qatar in the second game would give them first place in the group and the Philippines would finish second. A Jordan win combined with a Philippines win over already eliminated Hong Kong would create a three way tie at the top of the group. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201385212552.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138622934.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138675314.PDF

In Group F, Iran took control in the second half to beat a Bahrain side without its naturalized player 75-56. China beat India 79-45 in the next game with Wang Zhizhi providing 13 points in only 9 minutes. South Korea beat Kazakhstan 71-47 in the final game of the day although Jerry Johnson did have 15 points in the loss. If Kazakstan upsets Iran tomorrow, then the group situation is simple as they would advance alongside the winner of the China-Bahrain game. A China win there, the most likely result, given that the lack of C.J. Giles is more likely to be a big deal than the lack of Yi Jianlian, would put China in third and Kazakhstan in fourth regardless of the Iran result. Wins by Kazakhstan and Bahrain would create a three way tie for third place in the group. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201385235131.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138644357.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013869199.PDF

Here are the updated standings:

Group E:
Taiwan 4-0
Philippines 3-1
Qatar 3-1
Jordan 1-3
Japan 1-3
Hong Kong 0-4

Group F:
Iran 4-0
South Korea 3-1
China 2-2
Kazakhstan 2-2
Bahrain 1-3
India 0-4

In the 13th place game, Saudi Arabia beat Thailand 93-80. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138652354.PDF

I will write up Marty Pocius's second game against Belgium when I find stats, but they did win again and Marty was starting again.

[awhom111]

Marty Pocius and Lithuania won their second exhibition against Belgium 66-53. Marty had 7 points in 18 minutes. Jonas Valanciunas was available for the first time and had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.musukrepsinis.lt/public/files/20130806_1915_LTU-BEL_gal.pdf

Jordan beat Japan to qualify for the quarterfinals in the first game of the day with the massive time difference between the United States and the Philippines. The rest of the games are still to come in the overnight and morning hours on this side of the Pacific.

[awhom111]

The quarterfinal matchups are now set in Asia as things now get very serious in the quest for automatic berths to the World Championships. In Group E, the final qualifier was determined in the first game of the day as Jordan beat Japan 65-56 behind 16 points and 6 rebounds from Jimmy Baxter. The next game in the group would help determine the matchups for the next game as Qatar managed to hand Taiwan their first defeat 71-68. Jarvis Hayes had 13 points and 7 rebounds in the win to help balance out a 23 point, 8 rebound performance by Quincy Davis. This left the door open for the Philippines to clinch the top spot and the most favorable matchup if they could beat Hong Kong. They seemed to be tight at the start of the game, but eventually completed the 67-55 win in front of the home fans to give themselves the best shot to keep their tournament going. In the win, Marcus Douthit had 13 points and 8 rebounds and ex-George Mason player Gabe Norwood had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Duncan Reid had 12 points and 19 rebounds in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201386214315.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138731739.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138772912.PDF

In Group F, Kazakhstan felt reasonably safe about the results in the rest of the group and did not feel they could defeat an Iran team with nothing to play for so they tanked their way to an 85-53 loss. Hamed Haddadi had 16 points and 9 rebounds. China was back to full strength in the game that did have meaning for the group and their new look lineup took care of Bahrain 88-66. Yi Jianlian had 12 points and 6 rebounds and Wang Zhizhi added 11 points and 6 rebounds. South Korea and India ended the day with a meaningless game with the Koreans rolling to an easy 95-54 win. Eric Sandrin, also known by his Korean name Lee Seung-Jun had 10 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138702916.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138743937.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013879835.PDF

Here are the final standings:

Group E:
Philippines 4-1
Taiwan 4-1
Qatar 4-1
Jordan 2-3
Japan 1-4
Hong Kong 0-5

Group F:
Iran 5-0
South Korea 4-1
China 3-2
Kazakhstan 2-3
Bahrain 1-4
India 0-5

This leaves the following quarterfinal matchups:
Iran vs Jordan
Taiwan vs China
Philippines vs Kazakhstan
South Korea vs Qatar

A win in those quarterfinal games means that only one more win out of two games is needed to make it to the World Championships. Fighting for 9th place, Bahrain will play Hong Kong and Japan will play India.


The extra qualifying round for Eurobasket 2015 continued today as teams continue to fight hard for that solitary berth in the main tournament. In Group A, Iceland won 72-64 in Romania as ex-Maryland player Haukur Palsson exploded for 24 points and ex-DII player Jakob Sigurdarson had 15 points. In Group B, the Netherlands held off Portugal 59-57 on the road. In the win, ex-Portland player Robin Smeulders had 19 points and 7 rebounds and ex-Richmond player Josh Duinker had 11 points and 8 rebounds while ex-Nevada player Joao Santos had 10 points in the loss. In Group C, Denmark won 73-62 in Luxembourg as ex-JC player Nicolai Iversen had 15 points. In the other game in the group, Switzerland took care of business at home by beating Austria 69-63 as Clint Capela continues to impress with the possibility of playing his way into next year's NBA Draft as he had 13 points and 9 rebounds in the win. In Group D, Slovakia won 97-85 at home over Slovakia with ex-Radford player Artsiom Parakhouski scoring 22 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-A-3-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-B-3-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-C-6-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-C-5-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-D-3-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html


New Zealand has named a 12 player squad to face Australia for the one spot in the World Championships available for Oceania on the women's side. The list includes two teammates of Jess Foley's from this past season. The two teams will each play one game on their home soil as the scores from both games will be combined to determine the winner in the battle between these Tall Ferns and the Opals. Team nicknames for the national team are common in Oceania. Here is the roster:
http://www.basketball.org.nz/tall-ferns/new-blood-in-tall-ferns/

Stella Beck, Hutt Valley-Porirua Flyers (New Zealand)
Jess Bygate, Dickinson State (NAIA), Nelson Sparks (New Zealand)
Micaela Cocks, Townsville Fire (Australia)/Sandringham Sabres (Australia), Oregon
Megan Craig, Albany
Penina Davidson, Auckland Hawks (New Zealand)
Antonia Edmondson, West Coast Waves (Australia)/Willetton Tigers (Australia)
Kate Fielding, West Cost Waves (Australia)/Cockburn Cougars (Australia)
Samara Gallagher, Otago Gold Rush (New Zealand)
Jordan Hunter, Southeast Missouri State/Auckland Hawks (New Zealand)
Casey Lockwood, Townsville Fire (Australia)/Wanneroo Wolves (Australia), Princeton
Kalani Purcell, Waikato Wizards (New Zealand)
Lisa Wallbutton, West Coast Waves (Australia)/Willetton Tigers (Australia)

[awhom111]

Today is relatively quiet by international standards with the most high stakes competition taking a day off. In Europe, there is always some kind of tournament going on, and today is no exception with both Division A and Division B of the U16 Boy's Championships are underway in Ukraine and Bosnia respectively. As usual teams in Division B are fighting for spots in next year's Division A, with the top three teams getting to move up. Division A has an added incentive this year with spots in next summer's U17 World Championship in the United Arab Emirates, which the United States has already qualified for, on the line.

Tomorrow, the four European qualifiers to the 2014 U17 Girl's World Championships in Slovakia will be decided (the United States has already qualified for that as well. The winners of these four quarterfinals will each clinch a spot:
Spain vs France
Hungary vs Croatia
Czech Republic vs Latvia
Russia vs Italy

[awhom111]

It was a key day of international competition starting with the FIBA Asia Championships in Manila. The first quarterfinal of the day featured Iran and Jordan with Iran rolling as predicted 94-50 to continue their status as tournament favorites. Hamed Haddadi had 20 points and 8 rebounds in the win while Jimmy Baxter had 13 points in the loss. The next game featured a rivalry game with Taiwan and China squaring off. After China took the lead in the first half to possibly show signs that they were back to their best, Taiwan came out firing after the break and blazed their way to a 96-78 win to stun the entire continent of basketball observers. Quincy Davis had 26 points and 10 rebounds in the win while Yi Jianlian had 22 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. The home crowd was ready for the third game, with the hosts battling Kazakhstan and they took care of business with an easy 88-58 win. Japeth Aguilar had 11 points and 9 rebounds and Gabe Norwood had 10 points. The final team moving on to the semifinals is South Korea, which handled Qatar 79-52. Eric Sandrin/Lee Seung-Jun had 12 points in the win while Jarvis Hayes had 10 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201389286.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138973656.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013897356.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138992035.PDF

Before all of the day's big games were played, teams were fighting for 9th place. Hong Kong beat Bahrain in the first game 87-79 as Duncan Reid continued his sudden surge in play with 20 points and 7 rebounds. Japan came back in the second half to beat India 73-64 as J.R. Henderson/JR Sakuragi had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201388212518.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201388233025.PDF

Those results set up the following schedule for Saturday:
11th Place: Bahrain vs India
9th Place: Hong Kong vs Japan

5th Place:
Jordan vs China
Kazakhstan vs Qatar

Semifinals:
Iran vs Taiwan
Philippines vs South Korea

Stepping back from all of this for a moment, China's loss at this stage is likely to have an effect on the international play everywhere else this summer. That is because China is likely a favorite to receive one of four wildcards to the World Championships that are handed out to teams that fail to qualify through their continental tournament. The most teams that any continent can get into wildcards is three. Europe is presumably the favorite to get three of the wildcards depending on which teams qualify through Eurobasket. This result should put the teams in the Americas on alert as there was a solid chance that one of them could have received the fourth berth had Asia had a less attractive candidate than China. With a pretty solid field in the FIBA Americas tournament, a big name could easily slip up and fall outside the top four. If an Argentina, Brazil, or Canada cannot qualify, would they be in contention for a wild card and possibly limit the European wildcard entries to two? The larger African teams will also be looking to avoid upsets in their tournament as their wildcard chances have fallen sharply.

Speaking of basketball in the Americas, two teams met in an exhibition with an interesting occurrence. Canada beat Jamaica as both teams prepare for competition later in the month with Dylan Ennis suiting up for Jamaica against the country of his birth. This could get interesting for any future matchups between the two teams, since his brother Tyler looks set to play for Canada in the future after representing them well on the youth level.


It was judgment day in Bulgaria, with four U16 Girl's teams clinching berths to the 2014 U17 World Championship. Those teams ended up being Spain, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Italy.

[awhom111]

The critical semifinals in the FIBA Asia Championship were today with two teams looking to join the four teams already qualified to the World Championships next summer. Iran overcame an early deficit to beat Taiwan 79-60 to grab one spot. Hamed Haddadi had 17 points and 14 rebounds in the win while Quincy Davis had 16 points in the loss. The hosts were up next against South Korea and they seized the lead in the second half to win 86-79 and send the Philippines into a frenzy as one of the few countries in the world where basketball is the biggest sport makes their return to the world stage. Ex-DII player Jimmy Alapag had 14 points in the win while Eric Sandrin/Lee Seung-Jun had 10 points in the loss. Now South Korea and Taiwan will face one another for the final spot for next summer. Iran will be favored in the final with their advantage in talent, but the home fans are likely to have something to say before the day is done. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201381043459.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138107534.PDF

The quarterfinal losers were still fighting for 5th place. China avoided further shame by holding off Jordan 79-76. Wang Zhizhi had 33 points and 7 rebounds in only 23 minutes and Yi Jianlian had 18 points in the win. In the loss, Jimmy Baxter had 13 points and 8 assists. In the other game, Qatar beat Kazakhstan 72-67. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138102220.PDF
http://www.sportingpulse.com/round_info.cgi?a=MATCH&fixture=397170215&c=0-9744-142982-267562-0&pool=1001

In the 9th place game, Japan beat Hong Kong 79-50. In the win, Yuta Watanabe, the young hope for the team given the start in a lineup shuffle, who is planning to head to Connecticut after this tournament to attend St. Thomas More, had 13 points and Sean Hinkley, who left JC to play professionally in Japan and also goes by his Japanese name Hiroshi Ichioka, had 10 points and 8 rebounds. Duncan Reid had 18 points and 13 rebounds in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201389232359.PDF

For 11th place, India beat Bahrain 75-65. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138921350.PDF

Here are the matchups for the final day of games:
7th Place: Jordan vs Kazakhstan
5th Place: Qatar vs China
3rd Place: Taiwan vs South Korea
1st Place: Philippines vs Iran

Qualifiers continued in Europe for the 2015 Eurobasket tournament as things are starting to get clearer in this first round. In Group A, Romania held on to a 77-74 win at Bulgaria. In Group B, Estonia, which has been hit by multiple injuries, managed a 64-63 win over the Netherlands at home. In the loss, ex-Richmond player Josh Duinker had 12 points and ex-Portland player Robin Smeulders had 10 points and 7 rebounds. In Group C, Austria won big in Luxembourg 98-65 as ex-Oklahoma player Jason Detrick had 11 points. In the other game, Switzerland kept their lead at the top of the group with a 66-65 win Denmark as ex-JC player Nicolai Iversen had 11 points in the loss. In Group D, Belarus narrowly edged Hungary 65-63 on the road as ex-Radford player Artsiom Parakhouski had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-A-4-4.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-B-4-4.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-C-8-4.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-C-7-4.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-D-4-4.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html

Australia has named their roster for the Men's Oceania Championship. This team is named the Boomers. Both they and New Zealand will be getting automatic bids to the World Championships, but they will still play this two game series. Here is the article:
http://www.basketball.net.au/index.php?id=302&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=3027&tx_ttnews[backPid]=1&cHash=bdea074587

David Andersen, Fenerbahce Ulker (Turkey), NBA (2009-2011)
Cameron Bairstow, New Mexico
David Barlow, Murcia (Spain), Metro State (DII)
Ryan Broekhoff, Valparaiso
Matthew Dellavedova, St. Mary's
Dante Exum, AIS
Adam Gibson, Adelaide 36ers (Australia)/Forestville Eagles (Australia)
Joe Ingles, FC Barcelona (Spain)
Patty Mills, San Antonio Spurs, St. Mary's
Luke Nevill, Townsville Crocodiles (Australia)/Kalamunda Eastern Suns (Australia), Utah
Anthony Petrie, Adelaide 36ers (Australia)/North Adelaide Rockets (Australia)
Ben Simmons, Monteverde Academy (Florida)

[awhom111]

Back on Saturday, the South American U17 Boy's Championship was decided as Argentina defeated Uruguay to win the title over the hosts. Those two countries, along with Brazil, which defeated Colombia for third place, now will participate in next summer's U18 championships with Canada and the United States as teams look to qualify for the 2015 U19 World Championship. The teams from 5th through 9th were Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, and Bolivia.

Canada beat Jamaica again, although it was a close game even with Jamaica probably being a little weaker than they will be by the time tournament play rolls around. Dylan Ennis may want to rethink his Twitter handle now that he has opted to represent Jamaica internationally. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.basketball.ca/files/2013_JDIC___Game_2___Box_Score.pdf

Eric Boateng and Great Britain had their first exhibition game against a Puerto Rico B team and had a tough time before winning 61-55. Unfortunately, Luol Deng is one of many absences from the team as they try to at least compete in the upcoming Eurobasket tournament. Eric got the start and had 3 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes. In the win, ex-Duquesne player Kieron Achara had 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 blocks, ex-LIU player Kyle Johnson had 11 points, and ex-Villanova player Andrew Sullivan had 10 points. In the loss, ex-Oregon player Carlos Emory had 12 points and ex-Florida International player Gabriel Belardo had 11 points

The FIBA Asia Championship concluded today. The Philippines stayed in the game with their home fans trying to carry them to the title, but Iran's superior talent, with the Smart Gilas playing without their naturalized player after he had been impacted by multiple injuries, won out in the second half as they continued to assert themselves as an Asian power with an 85-71 win. Hamed Haddadi perhaps solidified his position as the top player in Asia with 29 points and 16 rebounds in the win while Jimmy Alapag had 13 points in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201381172157.PDF

The 3rd place game was also a critical one with a spot in the World Championships on the line and South Korea took control with a 75-57 win over Taiwan. Quincy Davis had 12 points and 8 rebounds in the loss. None of the Asian teams are expected to be particularly strong next year, even if China is added as a wild card, but they look to represent their continent well. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120138114416.PDF

For 5th place, China eventually overcame Qatar 96-85 as Jarvis Hayes did not play in the final game for his newly adopted country. Wang Zhizhi had 13 points and 11 rebounds as he showed that he is not ready to bid farewell to the international stage and Yi Jianlian had 12 points as it remains unclear whether he will have an NBA future. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201381114255.PDF

In 7th place, Jordan beat Kazakhstan 88-59 as Jimmy Baxter had 12 points and 8 assists. Jordan will hope to have their two stars back the next time they fight for an international tournament as it would have been pretty difficult to expect their best without two of the best players in Asia. Kazakhstan will look to continue to build on their advantage of having some of their players tested against the powerhouse teams of Eastern Europe during the club season. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201381102141.PDF

Here were the final rankings for the tournament:
1. Iran
2. Philippines
3. South Korea
4. Taiwan
5. China
6. Qatar
7. Jordan
8. Kazakhstan
9. Japan
10. Hong Kong
11. India
12. Bahrain
13. Saudi Arabia
14. Thailand
15. Malaysia

The U16 Girl's Championships have both been decided in Europe now. Although the four qualifiers for next summer's U17 World Championship were decided on Friday, the teams continued playing over the weekend and Spain edged the Czech Republic for the title with Hungary beating Italy for third. On the other side of the tournament, Lithuania heaped more misery on hosts Bulgaria although both teams were already relegated to Division B next summer. They will be joined by the Netherlands, who suffered a tough loss to rivals Belgium. Taking their place will be Serbia, which beat hosts Portugal, who also advance, and Denmark, which beat Finland for the final spot.

Australia has named the roster for the Women's Oceania Championship as the Opals face the Tall Ferns for one spot in Turkey next summer. Obviously the active WNBA players are not able to participate while in the middle of their season, but this team should expect to take care of the Tall Ferns and earn their spot. Here is the article:
http://www.basketball.net.au/index.php?id=302&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=3028&tx_ttnews[backPid]=1&cHash=4b058ba077

Natalie Burton, West Coast Waves (Australia)/Perry Lakes Hawks (Australia), West Virginia
Cayla Francis, Aix en Provence (France)/Cairns Dolphins (Australia)
Laura Hodges, Adelaide Lightning (Australia), WNBA (2006)
Natalie Hurst, Gyor (Hungary)/Gladstone Power (Australia)
Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm
Tess Madgen, Bulleen Boomers (Australia)/Eastern Mavericks (Australia)
Jennifer Screen, Adelaide Lightning (Australia)
Belinda Snell, Polkowice (Poland), WNBA (2005-2007 and 2009-2011)
Marianna Tolo, Aix en Provence (France)
Kristen Veal, Logan Thunder (Australia), WNBA (2001-2002)
Kelly Wilson, Bendigo Spirit (Australia)/Knox Raiders (Australia)
Hanna Zavecz, Sopron (Hungary)/Wyoming

[awhom111]

Marty Pocius and Lithuania continued Eurobasket preparations with the first of two games at home against Sweden as they took control of the game in the second quarter and rolled to a 97-68 win. Marty came off the bench this time and had 7 points in 23 minutes. Jonas Valanciunas had 14 points and 8 rebounds and 2007 Dallas Mavericks second round pick Renaldas Seibutis had 10 points. Ex-Davidson player Kenny Grant had 13 points to lead his team in the loss.

In Puerto Rico, a couple of draws for upcoming events in the Americas were made today. The U17 Girl's Centrobasket, which is the tournament that will be part of the start of qualification for the 2015 U19 Women's Championship, had its eight teams drawn. Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Honduras will be Group A, while Mexico, the Bahamas, the US Virgin Islands, and hosts El Salvador are in Group B.

The groups for the upcoming Women's FIBA Americas Championship were also decided. Group B will be a group of death with Brazil, Argentina, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and hosts Mexico. Group A has Cuba, Canada, Chile, Venezuela, and Jamaica. The top three teams will join the United States and other countries in Turkey for the next World Championship.

New Zealand has named the 12 man roster for the Tall Blacks, completing the picture for Wednesday's start to the Oceania championship:
http://www.basketball.org.nz/tall-blacks/ngatai-keeps-tall-blacks-spot/
Jordan Ngatai, Sierra (JC)
Everard Bartlett, Perth Wildcats (Australia)/Hawke's Bay Hawks (New Zealand)
Izayah Mauriohooho Le’afa, Wellington Saints (New Zealand)
Mika Vukona, New Zealand Breakers (Australia)/Nelson Giants (New Zealand)
Jarrod Kenny, Hawke's Bay Hawks (New Zealand)
Corey Webster, New Zealand Breakers (Australia)/Wellington Saints (New Zealand), Lambuth (NAIA)
BJ Anthony, Magdeburg (Germany)/Otago Nuggets (New Zealand)
Tom Abercrombie, New Zealand Breakers (Australia), Washington State
Reuben Te Rangi, New Zealand Breakers (Australia)/Southland Sharks (New Zealand)
Casey Frank, Wellington Saints (New Zealand), Northern Arizona
Jack Salt, Rangers (New Zealand)
Alex Pledger, New Zealand Breakers (Australia), Belmont Abbey (DII)

France wins the contest for first team to name a Eurobasket roster, doing so more than three weeks before the tournament starts. Here are French and English news items about the team:
Nicholas Batum, Portland Trailblazers
Antoine Diot, Paris-Levallois (France)
Johan Petro, Atlanta Hawks
Charles Kahudi, Le Mans Sarthe (France)
Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
Florent Pietrus, Valencia (Spain)
Nando De Colo, San Antonio Spurs
Boris Diaw, San Antonio Spurs
Alexis Ajinca, Strasbourg (France), NBA (2008-2011)
Mickael Gelabale, Minnesota Timberwolves
Joffrey Lauvergne, Partizan Belgrade (Serbia), Drafted 55th by Memphis Grizzlies in 2013, rights traded to Denver Nuggets
Thomas Huertel, Caja Laboral Baskonia (Spain)

[awhom111]

I finally found a boxscore from Marty's game yesterday:
http://www.musukrepsinis.lt/public/files/20130812-LIETUVA-SVEDIJA.pdf
I had forgotten to mention that Linus Kleiza had 18 points to lead all scorers

We are finally getting to the stage where Eurobasket 2015 qualifiers are headed towards the next round.

In Group A, Bulgaria is the first team to win their group and clinch a spot in the semifinals after they managed to hang on to an 81-79 at Iceland. Ex-DIII player Jakob Sigurdarson had 12 points in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-A-5-5.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html

Group B is a little bit confusing because the Netherlands appears to have broken the rules and fielded two naturalized players earlier in the qualifiers (cue another rant from me about the eligibility rules for FIBA, especially in light of the qualification to the World Championships by the Philippines). If all current results stand, then the Netherlands can move on by simply beating Portugal at home in the next game. Estonia avoided elimination for now with an 85-64 win in Portugal. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-B-5-5.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html

In Group C, Austria will host Switzerland in the final game needing at least a six point win to move on or else the Swiss will take the spot. In today's games, Switzerland beat Luxembourg 77-59 at home as Clint Capela had 14 points and 8 rebounds. Austria also won at home to set up the final game as they beat Denmark 86-66 after coming alive in the second half to stave off elimination. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-C-9-5.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-C-10-5.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html

In Group D, the final day will be simple as the winner of the game between Belarus and Slovakia in Minsk will move on. That is due to the fact that Slovakia beat Hungary 79-67. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-D-5-5.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html

[awhom111]

Marty Pocius and Lithuania pounded Sweden again 95-64. Marty had 10 points in 12 minutes off the bench. Jonas Valanciunas had 21 points and 8 rebounds. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.musukrepsinis.lt/public/files/201300814-LIETUVA-SVEDIJA.pdf

There was plenty of competitive basketball today as well, starting in New Zealand, which was hosting the first leg of both FIBA Oceania Championships. The Tall Ferns welcomed the Opals in the first game, but despite a good effort, could not win against the heavily favored Australians and lost 66-50, which would mean they would need to do spectacularly well in Canberra this weekend to qualify for the World Championships. Lauren Jackson was finally able to return to competitive action and showed everyone what they were missing with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Citizenship issues struck the New Zealand team, as I am bound to feel ranty again soon.

The two men's teams closed out the night although both teams already knew they were qualifying for the World Championships. The Tall Blacks used the home court advantage to lead heading into the break, but the Boomers took care of business in the second half to bring a 70-59 win back home. Unfortunately, the close margin prevented us from seeing more of the two young stars on the team, Dante Exum and Ben Simmons. Patty Mills had 20 points in the win, ex-NBA player David Andersen had 12 points and 7 rebounds, and St. Mary's graduate Matthew Dellavedova had 11 points. In the loss, ex-NAIA player Corey Webster had 14 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6589/ct/0/gid/1/grid/1/rid/9653/sid/6589/game.html

In Europe, we are one step closer to qualifying some teams for the 2014 World U17 Boy's Championship. Wins in the quarterfinals will seal trips to the United Arab Emirates next summer while a loss in the next game would mean two wins are needed to get to 5th place to earn the last spot from Europe. Teams that did not make it to this stage are just busy fighting relegation to Division B next summer. Here are the pairings:
Greece vs France
Turkey vs Italy
Croatia vs Spain
Serbia vs Germany

Another tournament that started today was the U17 Boy's Centrobasket. These eight teams are playing in Puerto Rico for three spots in next summer's FIBA Americas U18 tournament as they attempt to qualify for the 2015 U19 World Championships. Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, and the Bahamas are in Group A while the Dominican Republic, Mexico, El Salvador, and the British Virgin Islands are in Group B.

[Mcluhan]

Call me crazy, but if you haven't started an international b-ball blog, you totally should!

[awhom111]

Call me crazy, but if you haven't started an international b-ball blog, you totally should!

I sometime think I should, but that would be a lot more work and commitment.

Plus, in theory I have a built-in audience here (assuming people actually read my posts, been known to slip stuff in an attempt to elicit a response).

[awhom111]

Eric Boateng and Great Britain hit the road for the next set of practices and exhibitions as they headed to Helsinki to play Finland. The game was close through the first half, but the home team surged out of the break and took a large lead before winning 88-66. Eric led the team with 13 points and 9 rebounds as he hit 9 of 10 free throws in 24 minutes. The same players were key again as ex-Villanova player Andrew Sullivan had 10 points and 9 rebounds and ex-LIU player Kyle Johnson had 12 points while rising phenom point guard Devon Van Oostrum had 12 points. In the win, Petteri Koponen, a unique case of a first round pick that has yet to be signed in the NBA after he was picked 30th by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2007 before subsequent trades landed his rights with the Dallas Mavericks, had 14 points and ex-UNC Greensboro player Mikko Koivisto had 12 points. Finland is still hoping to have Erik Murphy available before the tournament starts.

The boxscores are now available for both of yesterday's FIBA Oceania tournament. Among other things Nick Horvath missed by not being able to join the team were two chances to perform the Haka before games.
Men's:
http://www.sportingpulse.com/round_info.cgi?a=MATCH&fixture=398195156&c=1-3621-0-271122-0&pool=-1
Women's:
http://www.sportingpulse.com/round_info.cgi?a=MATCH&fixture=398195580&c=1-3621-0-271123-0&pool=-1

FIBA Europe has made a ruling on two games in which the Netherlands inadvertently fielded two naturalized players at the same time, awarding two 20-0 forfeit win to their opponents in those games. This changes the picture in qualifying for their group unless they win an appeal of some kind, suddenly eliminating them from contention and pushing Estonia forward in their quest for Eurobasket 2015. It seems like there is a nationality/citizenship/eligibility matter everyday in basketball now and will likely stay that way through the international calendar. Here is the ruling:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_kFXfIOeXHlsnHUTnR72dF2.articleMode_on.html

We have covered nearly every youth championship in Europe now with the last ones starting today. The top 16 U18 Women's teams started play in Croatia in Division A play. Although this tournament has no globally oriented prize, teams must stay out of the bottom 3 if they wish to play in this division next summer, which will be the tournament that determines 2015 U19 World Championship. 3 teams from Division B will join the fight next summer after they play their way through this year's Division B championship of 18 teams being contested in Hungary.

[awhom111]

We almost have a clear picture of the Eurobasket 2015 qualifiers pending a Netherlands appeal of their forfeits, which could be a very interesting piece of case law for FIBA if the Dutch are successful. A number of other national federations are going to watch the situation closely because it could open up a large number of options for countries.

In Group A, the game was meaningless, but Iceland went ahead and beat Romania 77-71 in front of their home fans. Ex-DIII player Jakub Sigurdarson finished his strong tournament with 23 points and ex-Maryland player Haukar Palsson had 14 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-A-6-6.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html

In Group B, the Netherlands beat Portugal 71-53. This means that they could move on if their appeal is granted before the next stage. Estonia would move on if that were not the case. In this game, ex-Richmond player Josh Duinker had 13 points and 9 rebounds and ex-Portland player Robin Smeulders had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-B-6-6.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html

The key clash in Group C went to overtime as Austria tried to use its home fans to help them to a big enough victory to move on past Switzerland, but a 97-96 win was just not enough to turn the tiebreaker in their favor. Ex-Oklahoma player Jason Detrick had 15 points in the win while Clint Capela will continue to get a chance to show what he can do as he had 11 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. Denmark beat Luxembourg 97-58 in a game that was meaningless for both teams. Ex-JC player Nicolai Iversen had 17 points and 7 rebounds and Fairleigh Dickinson's Mathias Seilund had 11 points in the win. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-C-11-6.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-C-12-6.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html

In Group D, the winner in the game between Belarus and Slovakia would move on and Belarus blasted out of the gates on their home floor to a 114-73 win. Ex-JC player Siarhei Charykau had 10 points in the win. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9490-D-6-6.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_.html

Now there are only four teams left in the hunt for the third spot in Eurobasket 2015 after hosts Ukraine, and Spain, which by being hosts, are already participating in the World Championships. Six more teams will qualify by qualifying for the World Championships this summer (unless Ukraine finishes in the top six or finishes seventh, but below Spain, in which case only five will make it, got all that?). The rest of the teams will play next summer in an extended qualifying campaign. Back to these four teams, the next two rounds will be home and home series as Bulgaria faces Switzerland in one semifinal and Belarus and Estonia face off in the other series (barring appeals).

Four more qualifiers for the next U17 Boy's World Championships were determined after Greece, Italy, Spain, and Serbia won their quarterfinals in the U16 Boy's European Championship. That leaves France, Turkey, Croatia, and Germany to fight over the last spot from the continent with the enticing trip to the United Arab Emirates on the line. On the other side of the A Division competition four teams are now trying to turn their campaign around and be the last team to avoid relegation. The losers of the Sweden-Belgium and Latvia-Montenegro games will definitely be playing in B Division next summer while the winners will play for the last spot in next year's A Division.

On a happier note, four teams in Division B still have a chance at the three promotion spots for next summer's European U16 Championships. The winners of the Bosnia-Slovenia and Finland-Denmark games will clinch their spots while the losers will play one another for the final spot.

In the Americas, the field is almost set for next year's U18 Championship. The winner of the game between Mexico and Puerto Rico and winner of the game between the Dominican Republic and US Virgin Islands will definitely be there with the losers of those two games facing off for the last spot alongside the United States, Canada, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil.

[awhom111]

Marty Pocius and Lithuania had their first real test in an exhibition game as they headed to Macedonia to face their sudden basketball rivals. The game was tense throughout with Lithuania making a comeback through the second half to win 62-50. Marty had a quiet 8 minutes off the bench. Linus Kleiza had 14 points and 6 rebounds to lead the team. Bo McCalebb, the naturalized player for Macedonia who starred at the University of New Orleans, had 10 points and 6 assists in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.musukrepsinis.lt/public/files/20130817-MKD-LTU.pdf

An intriguing exhibition matchup took place on Crete today. Greece played Florida State, which on their foreign tour this summer, so we are getting a little preseason scouting of an ACC foe. Greece eventually went on to win the game 87-75 and they will play Great Britain tomorrow. In the win, Giorgios Printezis, who was originally drafted in the second round in 2007 with five subsequent trades moving his rights to the Oklahoma City Thunder, had 15 points and 7 rebounds, ex-Saint Louis player Ian Vougioukas had 14 points, and ex-Miami of Ohio player Michael Bramos had 12 points. Here is the boxscore, since it may be of interest:
http://www.galanissportsdata.com/basketball/online/onlinegamegsd.asp?game=36&pop_up_1=1

The U16 Boy's Championship in Europe are almost coming to a close. Tomorrow, France and Croatia will square off for the final European spot in the 2014 U17 World Championship. The two games that determined the first two relegated teams in Division A were both extremely close with Sweden and Montenegro being the two teams to drop down a division. Belgium and Latvia will play one another for the survival spot. In Division B, Bosnia and Denmark won their semifinals to earn promotion to Divison A next summer. Finland and Slovenia will play for the other spot.

There is only spot in next year's U18 Men's tournament for the Americas. Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic won in the semifinals, so they will be there. Mexico and the US Virgin Islands will play one another for the final spot in that 8 team field.

[timmy c]

Looks like we'll be following Nolan Smith in Croitia next year. He's one of most likeable Duke players ever, IMO. I hope he finds huge success and garners more attention from the NBA.

http://sports.chronicleblogs.com/2013/08/18/nolan-smith-signs-contract-with-croatian-team/

[roywhite]

Looks like we'll be following Nolan Smith in Croitia next year. He's one of most likeable Duke players ever, IMO. I hope he finds huge success and garners more attention from the NBA.

http://sports.chronicleblogs.com/2013/08/18/nolan-smith-signs-contract-with-croatian-team/

Saw that and was going to post the info. I wonder if the legal troubles of Curtis Malone, married to Nolan's mom, have something to do with the change of scene. I doubt there's much coverage about it in Croatia.

Good luck, Nolan. Hope to see you succeed in hoops, and maybe make it back to the Duke basketball staff in the future.

Here's another link about Nolan's signing and the team in Croatia

http://www.blazersedge.com/2013/8/18/4633794/former-blazers-g-nolan-smith-signs-with-croatias-cedevita-zagreb

[awhom111]

Eric Boateng and Great Britain played at Greece in their next exhibition and fell 95-62. Eric had 10 points in 15 minutes as he was limited by first half foul trouble with coach Joe Prunty following American conventions instead of the more internationally accepted practices of letting players pick up a third foul before being benched for the first half. Ex-Duquesne player Kieron Achara had 15 points to lead the team. In the win, ex-Saint Louis player Ian Vougioukas had 12 points, ex-NBA player Antonis Fotsis had 11 points, and ex-NBA player Vassilis Spanoulis had 10 points and 8 assists. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.galanissportsdata.com/basketball/online/onlinegamegsd.asp?game=37&pop_up_1=1

We now have our next qualifier for the 2014 World Championship for Women as the second leg of the FIBA Oceania Championships were held in Australia. The Opals brought home a decent sized lead from the first game, but the Tall Ferns did take an early lead before the home team took control of the game in the second half and made sure that they won the game and the overall championship with an 84-66 final margin in this one. Lauren Jackson had 21 points and 7 rebounds as she continues her return to action and ex-WNBA player Belinda Snell had 17 points. Ex-Oregon player Micaela Cocks, who was teammates with Jess Foley this past season, had 25 points and 9 rebounds in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.sportingpulse.com/round_info.cgi?a=MATCH&fixture=398915624&c=0-3621-0-271123-0&pool=-1

The FIBA Oceania Men's Championship may have not had any impact on qualification, but the two teams were still playing for a trophy. The Boomers took home a lead after a late surge in the first game, but the Tall Blacks made the second game interesting before the home team surged early in the second half to seal the series with a 76-63 win. In the win, Patty Mills had 21 points. In the loss, ex-NAIA player Corey Webster had 16 points, Casey Frank, the ex-Northern Arizona player who was the beneficiary of Nick Horvath's withdrawl, leaving him with no competition for the naturalized player spot, had 11 points, and ex-Washington State player Tom Abercrombie had 10 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6589/ct/0/gid/2/grid/1/rid/9653/sid/6589/game.html

The two European U16 Boy's Championships were finished today. Division A ended in exciting fashion with Spain edging Serbia 65-63 after overtime. France won the critical 5th place game by stunning a Croatia team that had been considered one of the most gifted groups to every come through that country as they had rolled over their early opponents before stumbling in the knockout stages. France is the final qualifier from Europe for the 2014 U17 Boy's World Championship. Belgium lost the 13th place game so they drop down to the B Division of next year's U16 tournament. Speaking of Divison B, Finland won the 3rd place game decisively to claim the final spot in next year's Division A tournament.

The Centrobasket U17 Boy's Championship concluded today. Mexico held off the US Virgin Islands to grab the last spot for the next FIBA Americas U18 Men's Championship in 2014. The Dominican Republic then disappointed the home fans by pounding Puerto Rico.

Some of the squad lists for the upcoming FIBA Africa Championship are out now, but I will probably wait until the games start on Tuesday to start posting the details.

[awhom111]

The next continent to start their championship was Africa as teams fight for three spots in the World Championship in the Ivory Coast.

The first game of the day was a Group C encounter between Mozambique and the Central African Republic won by Mozambique 70-66 after they established their lead at the start of the second half. The Portuguese speaking theme was heavy in this group as the final game of the day was between Angola and Cape Verde with the Angolans taking the 75-50 win as they look to be the top team in this group. Ex-Northeastern player Vinny Lima had 10 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/9642/ct/0/gid/1/grid/C/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/2/grid/C/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html

Group A was the other group in action today. The second game of the day was a good one as Egypt came back to tie the score with Senegal only to fall 72-70 at the buzzer. In the win, ex-Georgia Tech and SMU player Mouhammad Faye had 20 points and ex-Furman player Maleye Ndoye had 11 points. In the loss, DII player Assem Marei had 16 points and 9 rebounds. The hosts were up next and they were able to build their lead in the final quarter as they beat Algeria 64-47. In the win, ex-Rutgers player Mamadou Lamizana had 13 points and 6 rebounds and ex-Providence player Jonathan Kale had 11 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/1/grid/A/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/2/grid/A/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html

As near as I can tell, these are the rosters for the groups that started today. The information is far from complete, but I found what I could:

Group A:

Algeria:
Omar Belliche, NAHD (Algeria)
Mustapha Adrar
Abdelhalim Kaouane, Constantine (Algeria)
Abdellah Hamdini, Petroliers (Algeria)
Zaki Guermat, NAHD (Algeria)
Mohamed Harat, Rabat (Morocco)
Nabil Saidi, Petroliers (Algeria)
Abdesslem Dekkiche, Petroliers (Algeria)
Fathi Oukerimi
Hocine Gaham, Petroliers (Algeria)
Mehdi Cheriet, Boulezac (France), San Diego State
Sedik Touati, Petroliers (Algeria)

Egypt:
Mouhanad El Sabagh, Al Ittihad (Egypt)
Aboukhadra Ibrahim, Al Ahly (Egypt)
Kamal Haytham, Al Ittihad (Egypt)
Wael Badr, Sporting (Egypt)
Anas Osama, Zamalek (Egypt)
Ibrahim El Gammal, Al Ahly (Egypt)
Mohamed Ellethi Alian, Sporting (Egypt)
Sheriff Mohamed Talaat Abd Alla
Youssef Shousha, Sporting (Egypt)
Ahmed Hesham Al Medawi Baraka, Sporting (Egypt)
Rami Ibrahim, Al Ittihad (Egypt)
Assem Marei, Minnesota State Mankato (DII)

Ivory Coast:
Charles Abouo, Penas Huesca (Spain), BYU
Mouloukou Diabate, Nancy (France)
Issife Soumahoro, Fos Ouest (France)
Pape-Philippe Amagou, Chorale Roanne (France)
Kinidinnin Konate
Mamadou Lamizana, Yulon (Taiwan), Rutgers
Ismael N'Diaye, Boncourt (Switzerland), Florida International
Mickael Toti, Cognac (France)
Jonathan Kale, Coruna (Spain), Providence
Louri Frejus Zerbo, Limoges (France)
Guy Edi, Gonzaga
Mohamed Kone, Foolad Mahan (Iran), Valparaiso

Senegal:
El Hadji Malick Ndiaye
Louis Adams, South Carolina State
Ibrahima Thomas, Al Sadd (Qatar), Cincinnati
Mamadou Ndoye, UGB (Senegal)
Mohamed Diop, UGB (Senegal)
Maleye Ndoye, Paris-Levallois (France), Furman
Ibrahima Mbengue, UGB (Senegal)
Mouhammad Faye, Ikaros (Greece), SMU
Pape Malick Gadiaga, DUC (Senegal)
Hamady Ndiaye, Tianjin (China), Rutgers and NBA (2010-2012)
Saer Sene, Fuenlabrada (Spain), NBA (2006-2009)
Abdou Badji, Neuchatel (Switzerland)

Group C:

Angola:
Olimpio Cipriano, Libolo (Angola)
Armando Costa, Primeiro de Agosto (Angola)
Carlos Morais, Petro Atletico (Angola)
Valdelicio Joaquim, Hawaii
Hermenegildo Dos Santos, Primeiro de Agosto (Angola)
Leonel Paulo, Petro Atletico (Angola)
Joaquim Gomes, Primeiro de Agosto (Angola), Valparaiso
Reggie Moore, Primeiro de Agosto (Angola), Oral Roberts
Felizardo Ambrosio, Primeiro de Agosto (Angola)
Carlos Almeida, Primeiro de Agosto (Angola)
Milton Barros
Eduardo Mingas

Cape Verde:
Dimitry Joseph Akanda Coronel, Maine
Shane Michael De Rosa
Avey Oliver, Hohenlimburg (Germany), Indiana (PA) (DII)
Braima Queta Freire, Fisica (Portugal)
Mario Ildo Correia, Promade (Angola), Bryant
Flavio Aguinaldo Marcos Gomes, Angra (Portugal)
Kenneti Michael Soares Mendes
Aldevino Manuel Silva Lima, club unknown, Northeastern
Walter Samuel Tavares Da Veiga, Gran Canaria (Spain)
Brian Eric Rudolph, club unknown, Loyola (MD)
Kevin Oliveira Coronel
Rodrigo Nuno Mascarenhas

Central African Republic:
Anthony Gouzy
Tony White, Barsy Atyrau (Kazakhstan), College of Charleston
Michael Makongo, APOEL Nicosia (Cyprus)
William Kossangue, Lucon (France), Campbell
Johan Grebongo
Alban Yabanda
Christian Siris
Maxiant Mombollet, Tourcoing (France), Citadel
Martial Gotagny, Chateauroux (France)
Max Kouguere, Le Havre (France)
Jose Ngoko-Molombe
Jimmy Djimrabaye, Gravelines (France)

Mozambique:
Fernando Mandlate
Samora Mucavel
David Canavete
Sivio Letela
Augusto Matos
Ermelindo Novela
Stelio Nuaila
Custodio Muchate
Octavio Magolico
Pio Da Silva Matos
Armando Baptista
Edson Monjane

[timmy c]

Saw that and was going to post the info. I wonder if the legal troubles of Curtis Malone, married to Nolan's mom, have something to do with the change of scene. I doubt there's much coverage about it in Croatia.

Good luck, Nolan. Hope to see you succeed in hoops, and maybe make it back to the Duke basketball staff in the future.

Here's another link about Nolan's signing and the team in Croatia

http://www.blazersedge.com/2013/8/18/4633794/former-blazers-g-nolan-smith-signs-with-croatias-cedevita-zagreb

I doubt Nolan ran to Croatia to avoid answering questions about his step-dad. The NBA travel schedule is a pretty constant change of scenery. If given the choice, he might want to stay close to support his mom.

I'd guess that the one-year offer was an opportunity to play major minutes and get paid. I hope he dazzles!

[awhom111]

Lithuania is carrying more than 12 players in their squad right now so they have been resting a few players for each exhibition. Marty Pocius was one of the odd men out today as they hosted Finland and survived a late scare to hang on to a 78-76 win. Finland still does not have Erik Murphy available, which probably prevents them from being at their absolute strongest for this tournament, where it will be harder for them to sneak up on teams the way they have in the recent past. In the win, Linus Kleiza had 17 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 11 rebounds. In the loss, Petteri Koponen, who was taken with the last pick of the first round in 2007 by the Philadelphia 76ers before a pair of trades moved his rights to the Dallas Mavericks, had 20 points and 7 assists, ex-Valparaiso player Shawn Huff had 14 points and 7 rebounds, and ex-Tuukka Kotti had 11 points and 7 rebounds. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.musukrepsinis.lt/public/files/20130821-LTU-FIN.pdf

A couple loose ends to tie up before recapping the day's competitive games. It appears that ESPN3 has all of Spain's home exhibition games listed over the next two weeks. That could be a good chance to get a look at a few current, future, or former NBA players in action as well as Eric Boateng.

Some squads are being announced for the upcoming FIBA Americas tournament. I am not sure whether I will sprinkle a few in over the next week or just give them all at the start of the tournament, so stay tuned.

The other two groups in the FIBA Africa Championship started their games today. In Group B, Rwanda exploded in the second half for an 80-61 win over Burkina Faso. In the win, ex-Boise State player Kenneth Gasana had 22 points and 6 rebounds and ABA player Cameroun Bradley had 19 points. Group B also close the day with Tunisia narrowly edging Morocco 56-54. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/1/grid/B/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/2/grid/B/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html

Cameroon showed its strength in the Group D opener with a 74-43 pasting of Congo. Ex-UCLA player Alfred Aboya had 16 points and 6 rebounds and ex-UNLV player Gaston Essengue had 14 points and 9 rebounds in the win. The other game saw Nigeria, with a squad of ten American-born players, take on a Mali team that only had ten total players. They eventually managed a 74-59 win as Ike Diogu had 19 points and 7 rebounds, Al-Farouq Aminu had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Alade Aminu had 12 points and 6 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/1/grid/D/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/2/grid/D/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html

Here is my best effort at the remaining rosters:

Group B:

Burkina Faso:
Moussa Ouattara, Kain (Belgium)
Jean Paul Bayala
Derek Leotis Durham, Trappes (France), Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Kogdoub Woouga Herve Yameogo
Mohamed Traore
Wendpagnangde Samuel Ouedraogo, Bluefield State (DII)
Emmanuel Pooda
Joris Ambroise Bruno Bado, Cognac (France)
Ali Kader Ismael Tapsoda, Texas Tech
Bienvenue Stephane Rachid Nissao
Gilles Saalim Diendere
Mamadou Savadogo

Morocco:
Reda Ali Harras, Wydad (Morocco)
Reda Rhalimi, RSB (Morocco), St. Mary's
Abderrahim Najah
Zakaria El Masbahi
Mustapha Khalfi, Plaza Casablanca (Morocco)
Mohamed Hjira Maghreb de Fes (Morocco)
Youssef Zangui
Abdelhakim Zouita RSB (Morocco)
Soufiane Nadim
Soufiane Kourodou
Abdelali Lahrichi
Younes Idrissi, Sitra (Bahrain), Iona

Rwanda:
Olivier Shyaka, Kigali (Rwanda)
Patrice Twagirayezu
Thierry Suku Suku, CSK (Rwanda)
Lionel Hakizimana
Aristide Mugabe, Espoir (Rwanda)
Aboubakar Barame, Espoir (Rwanda)
Hamza Ruhezamihigo, Jaguars (Canada), Concordia (NAIA)
Cameroun Bradley, Michiana Monarcs (ABA)
Kenneth Gasana, Plazza Casablanca (Morocco), Boise State
Daniel Rugamba, CSK (Rwanda), North Seattle (JC)
Kami Kabangu, Espoir (Rwanda)

Tunisia:
Radhouane Slimani
Ziyed Chennoufi, Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia)
Nizar Knioua, Stade Nabeulien (Tunisia)
Mourad El Mabrouk, Club Africain (Tunisia)
Marouan Kechrid, Club Africain (Tunisia)
Mohamed Hadidane, Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia)
Omar Mouhli, Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia)
Mokhtar Ghayaza, Rades (Tunisia)
Macram Ben Romdhane, Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia)
Amine Rzig
Lassaad Chouaya
Salah Mejri, Monbus Blusens (Spain)

Group D:

Cameroon:
Gilles Clement Pitard Gedeon, Le Havre (France)
Aldo Curti, Gravelines (France)
Alexis Wangmene, Austin Toros (D League), Texas
Yves Mekongo, club unknown, La Salle
Christian Bayang, Chabab Rif Al Hoceima (Morocco)
Jeremy Nzeulie, Nanterre (France)
Edmond Steve Mondou Missi, Harvard
Frank Herve Tchoubaye Bakala
Brice Vounang, club unknown, University of San Diego
Luc Richard Mbah a Boute, Milwaukee Bucks, UCLA
Alfred Aboya, Genclik Bursa (Turkey), UCLA
Gaston Essengue, Quilmes (Argentina), UNLV

Congo:
Kris Morlende, Blois (France)
Japhie Nguia
Leo Okemba, Le Portel (France)
Jean Felix Moupegnou, Quimper (France), Alabama
Romaric Kondzy
Bertrand Boukinda Dibessa, Mazembe (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Giovan Oniangue, Paris-Levallois (France)
Medhie Karl Lunick Mouesse
Karl Niamamoukoko, Asefa Estudiantes (Spain)
Rodel Ongoundou
Exoce Garnett Louoni Gampourou

Mali:
Modibo Niakite, club unknown, Cleveland State
Mahamadou Kante
Abdrahamane Maiga
Ibrahim Saounera, Rueil (France)
Ibrahima Cherif Haidara
Namory Boundy
Boubacar Fadiala Sidibe
Hassana Toure
Mohamed Tangara, Libolo (Angola), Arizona
Nouha Diakite, club unknown, Louisville

Nigeria (NBA experience not included due to number of players who came through American basketball system):
Ben Uzoh, Springfield Armor (D League), Tulsa
Stan Okoye, VMI
Ike Diogu, Guangdong Tigers (China)/Ponce Lions (Puerto Rico), Arizona State
Al-Farouq Aminu, New Orleans Hornets, Wake Forest
Jamal Olasewere, LIU
Derrick Obasohan, Cholet (France), UT Arlington
Gani Lawal, Virtus Roma (Italy)/Guangzhou (China), Georgia Tech
Richard Oruche, Guaiqueries de Margarita (Venezuela), Illinois-Springfield (DII)
Andy Ogide, Ourense (Spain), Colorado State
Stanley Gumut, Mark Mentors (Nigeria)
Alade Aminu, Pinar Karsiyaka (Turkey), Georgia Tech
Olumide Oyedeji, Tochigi Brex (Japan)

[awhom111]

Marty Pocius and Lithuania continued their exhibition tournament at home against Russia and rolled to an 82-51 win. Marty seems more and more likely to make the final roster after one of the players that was his competition was cut. In this game he had 8 points in 21 minutes. Jonas Valanciunas had 17 points and 8 rebounds and Donatas Motiejunas had 11 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.musukrepsinis.lt/public/files/20130822-LTU-RUS.pdf
Here is the full game from the Lithuanian network that broadcast the game courtesy of their YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI_f17Wofgc

The day of games in the FIBA Africa Championship started with a Group A game between Cape Verde and the Central African Republic with Cape Verde winning 90-82. In the win, Maine's Dmitry Akanda-Coronel had 17 points and ex-Northeastern player Vinny Lima had 15 points. In the loss, ex-Campbell player William Kossangue had 12 points. The last game of the day was close for a while before Angola took control and won 91-73. Their naturalized player, ex-Oral Roberts player Reggie Moore, had 10 points in the win. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/3/grid/C/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/4/grid/C/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html

The two Group C games were in the middle timeslots. Algeria rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Egypt 67-63. Ex-San Diego State player Mehdi Cheriet had 23 points in the win while DII player Assem Marei had 14 points and 7 rebounds in the loss. The other game saw the hosts come alive in the second half to beat Senegal 74-46 in front of the Ivorian fans. Ex-BYU player Charles Abouo had 15 points and ex-Providence player Jonathan Kale had 10 points in the win. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/3/grid/A/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/4/grid/A/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html

It was the first leg of both semifinals in the early qualification for the 2015 Eurobasket tournament. Belarus held on at home for a 76-70 win over Estonia as ex-Wake Forest player Mikita Meshcharakou had 15 points and 6 rebounds and ex-Radford player Artsiom Parakhouski had 13 points and 8 rebounds. In the other semifinal, Bulgaria built a big second half lead to win 92-71 at home and put themselves in a good position as the next round for all these teams comes this weekend. In the win, ex-DII player Veselin Veselinov had 12 points while Clint Capela continued his own productive summer with 18 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9488-2-A-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9488.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9488-1-A-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9486.teamID_368.html

Bosnia and Herzegovina has named its 12 man squad for the Eurobasket tournament that is now less than two weeks away:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_Rgm-tq9kHb6P-YSf,gcbG3.articleMode_on.html
Nemanja Gordic, Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)
Muhamed Passalic, Aris Salonika (Greece)
Zach Wright, Spartak St. Petersburg (Russia), Central Missouri (DII)
Nihad Dedovic, Alba Berlin (Germany)
Marko Sutalo, Siroki Brijeg (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Dalibor Persic, Siroki Brijeg (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Ante Masic, Cedevita Zagreb (Croatia)
Mirza Teletovic, Brooklyn Nets
Edin Bavcic, KAOD (Greece), Drafted 56th in 2006 by the Toronto Raptors, rights traded to Philadelphia 76ers and now held by New Orleans Pelicans
Elmedin Kikanovic, Enisey Krasnoyarsk (Russia)
Nedzad Sinanovic, Valladolid (Spain), Drafted 54th in 2003 by the Portland Trailblazers
Andrija Stipanovic, Vanoli Cremona (Italy)

[awhom111]

Marty Pocius and Lithuania finished their exhibition tournament at home against the Czech Republic and completed the three games as the lone undefeated team with a 69-55. Marty returned to the starting lineup and had 5 points in 18 minutes. Jonas Valanciunas continued his strong summer with 23 points and 8 rebounds. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.musukrepsinis.lt/public/files/20130823-CZE-LTU.pdf

Eric Boateng and Great Britain went to Poland to play in a tournament and faced Sweden in the first game. The Swedes were finally able to draw on the full power of their squad with their two NBA player joining and won 85-68. Eric continues to be a primary offensive option for the team as he led them with 14 points in 22 minutes. The same players continue to help him out as well as ex-LIU player Kyle Johnson had 13 points and ex-Duquesne player Kieron Achara had 11 points and 6 rebounds. Jeffery Taylor had 33 points and Jonas Jerebko had 19 points in the win. Here is an article with the scoring for both teams:
http://www.pzkosz.pl/aktualnosci/szwedzi-ogrywaja-wielka-brytanie-w-lublinie/

Today's FIBA Africa tournament action started in Group B, where Morocco opened the day with an 87-57 win over Rwanda. In the loss, ex-Boise State player Kenneth Gassana had 22 points and ABA player Cameroun Bradley had 15 points and 7 rebounds. In the next game, Tunisia dismantled Burkina Faso 100-45. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/3/grid/B/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/4/grid/B/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html

The first Group D game of the day ended up being relatively close compared to the other games as Nigeria beat Congo 93-75. The three biggest stars were critical again in the win as Alade Aminu had 23 points and 9 rebounds, Ike Diogu had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Al-Farouq Aminu had 15 points while VMI graduate Stan Okoye added 14 points. The final game of the day was also a blowout as Cameroon blasted Mali 89-35 with Luc Richard Mbah a Boute providing 16 points and 7 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/3/grid/D/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/4/grid/D/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html

The COCABA Women's tournament started today in El Salvador. This is the first stage of Olympic qualifying in the Americas as these teams look to play in next summer's Centrobasket tournament which will then qualify teams for the 2015 FIBA Americas tournament. In the first game, Mexico took care of Costa Rica and won 80-52. Ex-Oral Roberts player Abril Garcia had 32 points and 13 rebounds to lead her team and ex-Oklahoma State player Brisa Silva added 14 points. The hosts broke their game against Honduras wide open in the fourth quarter as they won 82-55.

Speaking of the Americas, here are the squads for four of the ten teams in the upcoming FIBA Americas tournament:

Brazil: http://www.cbb.com.br/PortalCBB/Noticias/Show/11653
Alex Ribeiro Garcia, Brasilia (Brazil), NBA (2003-2005)
Arthur Silva, Brasilia (Brazil)
Caio Torres, Flamengo (Brazil)
Cristiano Felicio, CCSE Prep (California)
Guilherme Giovannoni, Brasilia (Brazil)
J.P. Batista, Le Mans Sarthe (France), Gonzaga
Larry Taylor, Bauru (Brazil), Missouri Western (DII)
Marcelo Huertas, FC Barcelona (Spain), Coppell High School (Texas)
Raul Neto, Lagun Aro (Spain), Drafted 47th in 2013 by Atlanta Hawks, rights traded to Utah Jazz
Rafael Luz, Monbus Blusens (Spain)
Rafael Hettsheimeir, Real Madrid (Spain)
Vitor Benite, Flamengo (Brazil)

Uruguay: http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=11-3376-0-0-0&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=25143069
Marcos Cabot, Defensor (Uruguay)
Bruno Fitipaldo, Malvin (Uruguay)
Emilio Taboada, Universo Goiania (Brazil)
Mathias Calfani, Malvin (Uruguay)
Nicolas Mazzarino, Cantu (Italy)
Sebastian Vazquez, Defensor (Uruguay)
Leandro Garcia Morales, Aguada (Uruguay), Texas A&M
Reque Newsome, Malvin (Uruguay)/Bambuqueros (Colombia), Southern Indiana (DII)
Federico Bavosi, Union Atletica (Uruguay)
Kiril Wachsmann, Melilla (Spain), Iona
Sebastian Izaguirre, Defensor (Uruguay)
Esteban Batista, Anadolu Efes (Turkey), NBA (2005-2007)

Argentina: http://cabb.com.ar/noticia_ficha.php?id=7201
Luis Scola, Phoenix Suns
Juan Fernandez, Brescia (Italy), Temple
Marcos Mata, Penarol de Mar del Plata (Argentina)
Facundo Campazzo, Penarol de Mar del Plata (Argentina)
Nicolas Laprovittola, Lanus (Argentina)
Juan Gutierrez, Obras Sanitarias (Argentina)
Adrian Boccia, Lanus (Argentina)
Pablo Espinoza, Macae (Brazil)
Marcos Delia, Boca Juniors (Argentina)
Matias Bortolin, Arkadia (Austria)
Leonardo Mainoldi, Fuenlabrada (Spain)
Selem Safar, Penarol de Mar del Plata (Argentina)

Paraguay: http://www.cpb.com.py/new/viaja-la-seleccion-premundialista/
Carlos Vallejos
Federico Mellone, Cerro Porteno (Paraguay)
Ramon Sanchez, Cerro Porteno (Paraguay)
Alejandro Peralta, Sol de America (Paraguay)
Diego Bareiro
Jose Fabio, Obera (Argentina)
Edison Ortiz
Mario Gonzalez
Adolfo Lopez, Sol de America (Paraguay)
Luis Fernando Dose, La Union (Argentina)
Luis Ljubetic, Sol de America (Paraguay)

[awhom111]

Eric Boateng and Great Britain continued their exhibition tournament against hosts Poland and had a difficult time again as they lost 85-66. Eric had 9 points in 23 minutes and Kieron Achara continues to lead the team as he had 11 points in this game. Marcin Gortat appears to be fully healthy, meaning that he and Poland are pretty much at full strength as he had 14 points and 6 rebounds. Their naturalized player, ex-Washington State player Thomas Kelati had 18 points and ex-Mississippi State player Michal Ignerski had 16 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.plk.pl/internalfiles/fckfiles/file/dokumenty/statystyki/pol-gbr.pdf

The first game in the FIBA Africa Chsmpionship today was in Group C between Mozambique and Cape Verde with Cape Verde prevailing 65-53. Maine's Dmitry Akanda-Coronel had 18 points and ex-Loyola (Maryland) player Brian Rudolph had 13 points. In the day's final game, Angola nearly gave away the game before coming back to beat the Central African Republic 85-80. Naturalized player Reggie Moore had 18 points and 6 rebounds in the win while ex-College of Charleston player Tony White had 17 points and ex-Campbell player William Kossangue had 15 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/5/grid/C/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/6/grid/C/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html

The Group A game between Senegal and Algeria was one of big runs with Senegal holding on right at the end to win 62-57. In the win, ex-Furman player Maleye Ndoye had 14 points and ex-SMU player Mouhammad Faye had 13 points. Ex-San Diego State player Mehdi Cheriet had 14 points and 9 rebounds. In the next game, hosts Ivory Coast beat Egypt 69-62. Ex-Rutgers player Mamadou Lamizana had 18 points in the win while DII player Assem Marei had 25 points and 19 rebounds to keep his team close. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/5/grid/A/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/6/grid/A/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html

Here are the standings for these two groups after this first stage (all teams participate in the knockout round):

Group A:
Ivory Coast 3-0
Senegal 2-1
Algeria 1-2
Egypt 0-3

Group C:
Angola 3-0
Cape Verde 2-1
Mozambique 1-2
Central African Republic 0-3

It was the second day of the COCABA Women's Championship in El Salvador. Mexico won another game easily as they beat Honduras 89-56. Ex-Buffalo player Maria Orozco had 14 points and 8 rebounds and ex-Oral Roberts player Abril Garcia and ex-Oklahoma State player Brisa Silva had 13 points each. The hosts won the second game 71-57 over Costa Rica. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaamericas.com/fnabox.asp?g=A&n=6&r=9788&t=WLTZMIZWPG
http://www.fibaamericas.com/fnabox.asp?g=A&n=5&r=9788&t=WLTZMIZWPG

[awhom111]

Today's FIBA Africa Championship action stated in Group B, where Morocco beat Burkina Faso 84-63. In the win, ex-Iona player Younes Idrissi had 16 points and ex-St. Mary's player Reda Rhalimi had 12 points. The other game in this group was in the third time slot as defending champions Tunisia needed overtime to overcome Rwanda 83-81. Ex-Boise State player Kenneth Gasana had 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists and ex-NAIA player Hamza Ruhezamihigo had 19 points and 6 assists in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/5/grid/B/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/6/grid/B/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html

Group D action included Congo's 87-77 win over Mali. Ex-Alabama player Jean Felix Moupegnou had 17 points in the win while ex-Cleveland State player Modibo Niakite had 22 points and 7 rebounds and ex-Arizona player Mohamed Tangara had 11 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. The final game of this stage was expected to be a good one with Nigeria and Cameroon battling for the top spot in the group and it came down to the wire before Nigeria won 91-84. Ike Diogu had 25 points and 15 rebounds, Alade Aminu had 22 points and 6 rebounds, Al-Farouq Aminu had 12 points and 9 assists, and Ben Uzoh had 12 points. Luc Richard Mbah a Boute had 18 points and Gaston Essengue had 10 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/5/grid/D/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/6/grid/D/rid/9760/sid/9642/game.html

Here are the final group standings for these two:

Group B:
Tunisia 3-0
Morocco 2-1
Rwanda 1-2
Burkina Faso 0-3

Group D:
Nigeria 3-0
Cameroon 2-1
Congo 1-2
Mali 0-3

Here are the matchups for the next round as all 16 teams now enter the knockout rounds. Group A teams will play Group B teams and Group C teams will play Group D teams:

Monday:
Morocco (2nd B) vs Algeria (3rd A)
Cameroon (2nd D) vs Mozambique (3rd C)
Ivory Coast (1st A) vs Burkina Faso (4th B)
Angola (1st C) vs Mali (4th D)

Tuesday:
Tunisia (1st B) vs Egypt (4th A)
Cape Verde (2nd C) vs Congo (3rd D)
Senegal (2nd A) vs Rwanda (3rd B)
Nigeria (1st D) vs Central African Republic (4th C)

We now have the two teams that will square off for the single spot for Eurobasket 2015. Bulgaria made sure of their spot in the final after winning decisively in Switzerland 87-67 to win the series 179-138 overall. Ex-DII player Veselin Veselinov had 11 points in the win while Clint Capela finished his summer with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 steals in the loss. Estonia overturned their first leg deficit with a 79-61 win at home over Belarus to win 149-137 overall. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9488-1-B-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9488.teamID_.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9488-2-B-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9488.teamID_.html

The two Women's U18 Championships in Europe were finished today. These competitions do not qualify anyone for a spot in an intercontinental championship, but only Division A teams will be able to attempt to qualify for the 2015 U19 Women's Championship. Spain beat France to win this year's Division A. Hosts Croatia needed help from the home fans to survive Slovakia and keep their spot in the top division for next summer. Belarus and England had already been relegated after losing yesterday and will join the Slovaks in next year's Division B. Poland won Division B after beating Belgium and the two teams will be joined by Lithuania in next year's Division A.

The COCABA Women's Championship finished today. Costa Rica avoided finishing last by exploding in the final quarter to beat Honduras 76-49. In the final game, Mexico built their lead after a slow start to beat hosts El Salvador 75-58 and win the tournament. Ex-Oklahoma State player Brisa Silva had 13 points, ex-DII player Monica Garcia had 12 points and 7 assists, and ex-Buffalo player Maria Orozco had 12 points.

[awhom111]

It was the first day of the knockout stage of FIBA Africas Championship today. The first game of the day was quite exciting as Morocco needed overtime to overcome Algeria 86-61. Ex-Iona player Younes Idrissi had 14 points and 13 rebounds in the win while ex-San Diego State player Mehdi Cheriet had 12 points and 7 rebounds in the loss. Cameroon dominated the final three quarters of their game to beat Mozambique 75-42. Ex-UNLV player Gaston Essengue had 13 points and 6 rebounds and Luc Richard Mbah a Boute had 11 points and 7 rebounds. The hosts Ivory Coast took the third game 100-60 over Burkina Faso. In the win, ex-Valparaiso player Mohamed Kone had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Gonzaga's Guy Landry Edi had 13 points, ex-BYU player Charles Abouo had 12 points, and ex-FIU player Ismael N'Diaye had 10 points. Texas Tech's Ali Kader Ismael Tapsoda had 13 points and 7 rebounds in the loss. Angola had an easy game in the final time slot as they blasted Mali 82-36. Ex-Cleveland State player Modibo Niakite had 14 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/28/rid/9761/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/26/rid/9761/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/25/rid/9761/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/27/rid/9761/sid/9642/game.html

Here are the all important quarterfinal matchups so far as the losers are eliminated from World Championship contention while the winners fight for one of three spots:
Ivory Coast vs Cameroon
Angola vs Morocco

The latest team to announce its roster for the FIBA Americas Tournament that starts on Friday is Canada. I have left off the NBA experience that I would normally include since so many of the players have come through the NCAA system that many names will be familiar

Canada: http://www.basketball.ca/senior-men-s-national-team-announced-p154970
Jermaine Anderson, Braunschweig (Germany), Fordham
Joel Anthony, Miami Heat, UNLV
Junior Cadougan, Marquette
Aaron Doornekamp, No Club, Carleton (CIS)
Brady Heslip, Baylor
Cory Joseph, San Antonio Spurs, Texas
Devoe Joseph, Khimik (Ukraine), Oregon
Levon Kendall, Monbus Blusens (Spain), Pitt
Andrew Nicholson, Orlando Magic, St. Bonaventure's
Andy Rautins, Tulsa 66ers (D League), Syracuse
Jevohn Shepherd, CSM Bucharest (Romania), Michigan
Tristan Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers (Texas)

Slovenia has named their squad as the hosts look forward to utilizing their home court advantage with a strong squad. Poland has trimmed their squad to 12, although it may not be the final one.

Slovenia:
http://www.kzs.si/novica-dogodek/article/junaki-prezivljajo-zadnji-prost-dan-pred-eurobasketom/
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_BfbcUKZgI02erTTvImlPU0.articleMode_on.html
Uros Slokar, Gran Canaria (Spain), NBA (2006-2007)
Jaka Lakovic, Avellino (Italy)
Nebojsa Joksimovic, Igokea (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Edo Muric, Krka Novo Mesto (Slovenia)
Jaka Blazic, Union Olimpija (Slovenia)
Bostjan Nachbar, Brose (Germany), NBA (2002-2008)
Goran Dragic, Phoenix Suns
Domen Lorbek, Krka Novo Mesto (Slovenia)
Gasper Vidmar, Besiktas (Turkey)
Mirza Begic, Real Madrid (Spain)
Jure Balazic, Erdemir (Turkey)
Zoran Dragic, Unicaja Malaga (Spain)

Poland:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_Fh4kWo3cIaI1UcHeDUUe92.articleMode_on.html
Marcin Gortat, Phoenix Suns
Maciej Lampe, Caja Laboral Baskonia (Spain), NBA (2003-2006)
Lukasz Koszarek, Stelmet Zielona Gora (Poland)
Krzysztof Szubarga, Anwil (Poland)
Przemyslaw Zamojski, Asseco Prokom Gdynia (Poland), Independence (JC)
Michal Chylinski, Turow (Poland)
Mateusz Ponitka, Asseco Prokom Gdynia (Poland)
Thomas Kelati, Valencia (Spain), Washington State
Adam Waczyński, Trefl Sopot (Poland)
Michal Ignerski, Sassari (Italy), Mississippi State
Przemyslaw Karnowski, Gonzaga
Adam Hrycaniuk, Valencia (Spain), Cincinnati

[awhom111]

Just realized that I had posted this in the wrong thread:

Marty Pocius and Lithuania next headed to Greece to play in another exhibition tournament and faced Italy in the opener, winning 79-63. Marty had 1 points in 13 minutes. Linus Kleiza had 18 points to lead all scorers. Marco Belinelli had 15 points in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.musukrepsinis.lt/public/files/20130828-LTU-ITA.pdf

Here are the ESPN press releases on their FIBA Americas and Eurobasket coverage. You should be in good shape with ESPN3 and if you get ESPN Deportes, you will get a few extra events on TV:
http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2013/08/espns-multi-platform-coverage-of-2013-fiba-americas-championship-eurobasket/
http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2013/08/espn-deportes-fiba-americas/

The other set of Round of 16 games in the FIBA Africa championship was played today. The day started with Egypt stunning defending champions Tunisia 77-67. Cape Verde needed a late surge to burst past Congo for a 67-60 win. In the win, Maine's Dmitriy Coronel had 15 points and 9 rebounds and ex-Bryant player Mario Correia had 14 points while ex-Alabama player Jean Felix Moupegnou had 13 points in the loss. Senegal finally seized control in the second half to beat Rwanda 67-57. Ex-Furman player Maleye Ndoye had 13 points in the win while ex-Boise State player Kenneth Gassana had 12 points in the loss. Nigeria closed the day by firing away on offense in a 112-75 win over the Central African Republic. VMI's Stan Okoye had 29 points, Ike Diogu had 22 points and 8 rebounds, LIU's Jamal Olasewere had 14 points, Ben Uzoh had 13 points, and Gani Lawal had 11 points and 6 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/29/rid/9761/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/30/rid/9761/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/32/rid/9761/sid/9642/game.html

Here are all of the quarterfinal matchups:
Angola vs Morocco
Egypt vs Cape Verde
Ivory Coast vs Cameroon
Nigeria vs Senegal

Here are the single games for 9th through 16th place:
15th place: Mali vs Burkina Faso
13th place: Congo vs Central African Republic
11th place: Algeria vs Mozambique
9th place: Tunisia vs Rwanda

Finland has announced its squad for Eurobasket. Erik Murphy did not end up being able to join, so no Murphys for Finland this year.
http://www.basket.fi/uutiset/etusivun_uutiset2/?x33156=19093713
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_vYPoe0qBJCk6-eiu8-WdA0.articleMode_on.html
Mikko Koivisto, Nilan Bisons (Finland), UNC Greensboro
Antti Nikkila, Tampereen Pyrinto (Finland), Valparaiso
Kimmo Muurinen, Nilan Bisons (Finland), Arkansas-Little Rock
Shawn Huff, Capo D'Orlando (Italy), Valparaiso
Gerald Lee, Buducnost (Montenegro), Old Dominion
Sasu Salin, Union Olimpija (Slovenia)
Tuukka Kotti, Vanoli Cremona (Italy), Providence
Petteri Koponen, Khimki Moscow (Russia), Drafted 30th by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2007, rights later traded to the Dallas Mavericks
Samuel Haanpaa, Lapuan Korikobrat (Finland)
Hanno Mottola, Torpan Pojat (Finland), Utah and NBA (2000-2002)
Roope Ahonen, Solna Vikings (Sweden)
Teemu Rannikko, Union Olimpija (Finland)

The hosts of the FIBA Americas Championships for Women, Mexico, have gone ahead and announced their squad for the tournament which is still a little ways off:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/newsid/68415/arti.html
Maria Morales
Nadia Bibbs, club unknown, Northwestern
Sofia Moreno
Abril Garcia, club unknown, Oral Roberts
Carolina Rebolledo, Universidad de las Americas (Mexico)
Brisa Silva, Pully (Switzerland), Oklahoma State
Maylene Ornelas, club unknown, Southern Idaho (JC)
Monica Garcia, club unknown, Northwest Nazarene (DII)
Rosaura Guardiola, Universidad de las Americas (Mexico)
Myriam Lara
Frida Gonzalez
Diana Orozco, club unknown, Buffalo

[awhom111]

Marty Pocius and Lithuania played the second game of the their exhibition tournament against hosts Greece and suffered an 80-62 loss. Marty had 11 points in 23 minutes. In the win, Georgios Printezis, who was originally drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round in 2007 before five trades moved his rights to the Oklahoma City Thunder, had 23 points and ex-NBA player Vassilis Spanoulis had 12 points and 7 assists. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.musukrepsinis.lt/public/files/20130828-LTU-GRE.jpg

Eric Boateng and Great Britain put up a good fight in the first of two games they are playing in Spain, but lost 80-67. Eric had 9 points and 9 rebounds in 24 minutes. Ex-LIU player Kyle Johnson led the team with 15 points. Ricky Rubio led Spain with 14 points and Rudy Fernandez had 12 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.feb.es/Documentos/Archivo/Upload/ESPAÑA%20-%20GRAN%20BRETAÑA%20MUR.pdf

The FIBA Africa championship had a busy day today with 8 games. The first of the quarterfinal games saw Angola ease past Morocco 95-73. Ex-Iona player Younes Idrissi had 17 points and 7 rebounds. The second quarterfinal was quite exciting with Egypt making a second half comeback and then holding on to a 74-73 win. Ex-Loyola (Maryland) player Brian Rudolph had 19 points and 8 rebounds and ex-Bryant player Mario Correia had 18 points in the loss. The hosts took the court in the third game and finished the game with a solid final quarter to beat Cameroon 71-59. Ex-UNLV player Gaston Essengue had 11 points in the loss. The final game of the day was as exciting as any of the other games as Senegal managed to hold on to a 64-63 win over Nigeria as neither team managed to score a point over the final two minutes after Senegal had taken the lead. In the win, ex-SMU player Mouhammad Faye had 12 points and ex-Furman player Maleye Ndoye had 10 points. In the loss, Alade Aminu had 18 points, Ike Diogu had 14 points and 10 rebounds, Ben Uzoh had 12 points and 7 rebounds, and Al-Farouq Aminu had 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists. These results mean there will be surprise inclusions and exclusions from Africa in the World Championship. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/38/rid/9763/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/39/rid/9763/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/37/rid/9763/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/40/rid/9763/sid/9642/game.html

It ended up being quite a thriller when teams fought to avoid last place as the two teams went to overtime before Mali emerged with a 71-70 win over Burkina Faso. In the win, ex-Cleveland State player Modibo Niakite had 20 points and 6 rebounds and ex-Arizona player Mohamed Tangara had 17 points. Former Wisconsin-Milwaukee player Derek Durham had 18 points in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/33/rid/9762/sid/9642/game.html

The game of 13th place was also a good one as the Central African Republic held off Congo 64-63. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/34/rid/9762/sid/9642/game.html

Mozambique beat Algeria 78-56 for 11th place. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/35/rid/9762/sid/9642/game.html

Tunisia grabbed at least some consolation by beat Rwanda 76-54 with a strong second half. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/36/rid/9762/sid/9642/game.html

Here are the two semifinal matchups with both games on Friday:
Ivory Coast vs Angola
Egypt vs Senegal

Here the two Thursday games as the quarterfinal losers fight for 5th place:
Cameroon vs Morocco
Cape Verde vs Nigeria

I missed out on this FIBA Americas squad earlier:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/news/p/nid/68414/article.html
We should have most of them by tomorrow since the tournament starts on Friday.

Puerto Rico:
Carlos Arroyo, Galatasaray (Turkey), Florida International and NBA (2001-2011)
Jose Barea, Minnesota Timberwolves, Northeastern
Andres Rodriguez, Monbus Blusens (Spain)/Arecibo Captains (Puerto Rico), American
Ramon Clemente, Ironi Nahariya (Israel)/Mayaguez Indians (Puerto Rico), Wichita State
John Holland, Cajasol Sevilla (Spain), Boston University
Larry Ayuso, Guaynabo Mets (Puerto Rico), USC
Luis Villafane, Santurce Crabbers (Puerto Rico), Niagara
Richard Chaney, Oberwart (Austria)/San German Athletics (Puerto Rico), Troy
Alex Galindo, Malvin (Uruguay)/Santurce Crabbers (Puerto Rico), Florida International
Ricky Sanchez, Libertad (Argentina)/Santurce Crabbers (Puerto Rico), IMG Academy (Florida) and drafted 35th in 2005 by Portland Trailblazers with rights held by Miami Heat after four trades
Daniel Santiago, Boca Juniors (Argentina)/Guaynabo Mets (Puerto Rico), Saint Vincent (NAIA) and NBA (2001-2005)
Renaldo Balkman, Guaiqueries (Venezuela)/Guayama Wizards (Puerto Rico), South Carolina and NBA (2006-2012)

[awhom111]

Marty Pocius and Lithuania had the final game of the exhibition tournament in Greece and finished with a 94-73 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina. Marty had 4 points and 7 rebounds in 19 minutes. Linus Kleiza and Jonas Valanciunas each had 14 points, Donatas Motiejunas had 11 points and 6 rebounds, and ex-Arizona player Robertas Javtokas, who was drafted in the second round in 2001 by the San Antonio Spurs, had 10 points. In the loss, ex-DII player Zach Wright, who occupies the team's naturalized player slot had 22 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.musukrepsinis.lt/public/files/20130829-LTU-BIH.jpg

Great Britain did not put up as much of a fight in the second game against Spain as they fell 100-46. Eric Boateng grabbed 7 rebounds in 11 minutes as no Great Britain players reached double figures. In the win, Marc Gasol had 17 points, Sergio Llull had 14 points, Ricky Rubio had 11 points and 6 assists, Rudy Fernandez had 11 points, and Victor Claver had 10 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.feb.es/Documentos/Archivo/Upload/ESPAÑA%20-%20G%20BRETAÑA%20ZARAGOZA.pdf

We are closer to figuring out which team is the next to qualify for Eurobasket 2015. Bulgaria won the first leg of the final at home 58-55 against Estonia, which should set up an interesting second game on Sunday. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9489-3-A-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9489.teamID_.html

Teams were still fighting for 5th place in Africa today as the semifinals will be tomorrow. Cameroon held off Morocco 79-76 in the first game. In the win, ex-UNLV player Gaston Essengue had 18 points and 7 rebounds and ex-UCLA player Alfred Aboya had 10 points while ex-Iona player Younes Idrissi had 15 points in the loss. Nigeria continued their hangover from their loss the previous day and fell 79-76 to Cape Verde. In the win, ex-Bryant player Mario Correia had 16 points, ex-Loyola (Maryland) player Brian Rudolph had 15 points and 8 assists, and ex-Northeastern player Vinny Lima had 11 points. In the loss, Ike Diogu had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Al-Farouq Aminu had 13 points, and Ben Uzoh had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/41/rid/9764/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/42/rid/9764/sid/9642/game.html

Here is the ESPN3 schedule for the FIBA Americas Tournament starting tomorrow (all times Eastern):
11:30am: Jamaica vs Canada
2:00pm: Argentina vs Paraguay
5:30pm: Puerto Rico vs Brazil
8:00pm: Venezuela vs Mexico

I have a lot of squads to catch up on with multiple tournaments on the way.

Sweden:
http://iof1.idrottonline.se/SvenskaBasketbollforbundet/Nyheter/NyheterfranSBBF/JonathanSkjoldebrandsistiniEM-truppen/
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.pageID_AXRXeztSGYwzJz7M p6B6d3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.c oid_k2k7nesAGUkrYVPTT0-jP1.articleMode_on.html
Anton Gaddefors, Sundsvall Dragons (Sweden)
Viktor Gaddefors, Bologna (Italy)
Kenny Grant, Nancy (France), Davidson
Ludvig Hakanson, FC Barcelona (Spain)
Jonas Jerebko, Detroit Pistons
Joakim Kjellbom, Norrkoping Dolphins (Sweden), Northern Arizona
Brice Massamba, Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia), UNLV
Thomas Massamba, Lukoil Academik (Bulgaria)
Dino Pita, Sodertalje Kings (Sweden)
Erik Rush, Cimberio Varese (Italy), Montana State
Jonathan Skjoldebrand, Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel)
Jeffery Taylor, Charlotte Bobcats, Vanderbilt

Greece:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_qXQoCvyJG7EspEEgzS3LD3.articleMode_on.html
Vassilis Spanoulis, Olympiakos (Greece), NBA (2006-2007)
Kostas Sloukas, Olympiakos (Greece)
Kostas Papanikolaou, Olympiakos (Greece), Drafted 48th by the New York Knicks in 2012 with rights currently traded to the Houston Rockets
Georgios Printezis, Olympiakos (Greece), Drafted 58th by the San Antonio Spurs in 2007 with rights currently trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder
Stratos Perperoglou, Olympiakos (Greece)
Antonis Fotsis, Emporio Armani Milan (Italy), NBA (2001-2002)
Nikos Zisis, Bilbao (Spain)
Kostas Kaimakoglou, Unics Kazan (Russia)
Michael Bramos, Panathinaikos (Greece), Miami of Ohio
Loukas Mavrokefalides, FC Barcelona (Spain), Drafted 57th in 2006 by the Minnesota Timberwolves
Ioannis Bourousis, Emporio Armani Milan (Italy)
Vassilis Kavvadas, Panionios (Greece)

Russia:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_EYGZNu2aITMkuzbvdpgCr1.articleMode_on.html
Alexey Shved, Minnesota Timberwolves
Sergey Monya, Khimki Moscow (Russia), NBA (2005-2006)
Sergey Karasev, Triumph Lyubertsy (Russia), Drafted 19th in 2013 by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Evgeny Voronov, CSKA Moscow (Russia)
Vitaliy Fridzon, Khimki Moscow (Russia)
Dmitry Sokolov, CSKA Moscow (Russia)
Semen Antonov, Nizhny Novgorod (Russia)
Dmitry Khvostov, Khimki Moscow (Russia)
Evgeny Valiev, Triumph Lyubertsy (Russia)
Anton Ponkrashov, CSKA Moscow (Russia)
Dmitry Kulagin, Krasnye Krylia (Russia)
Alexey Savrasenko, Lokomotiv Kuban (Russia)

Dominican Republic:
Edgar Sosa, Valladolid (Spain)/Santurce Crabbers (Puerto Rico)/Leones de Santo Domingo (Dominican Republi , Louisville
Elpidio Fortuna, Ponce Lions (Puerto Rico)/Leones de Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic)
Juan Coronado, Guayama Wizards (Puerto Rico)
Ricardo Greer, Strasbourg (France), Pitt
Edward Santana, Gaiteros (Venezuela)/Caneros de la Romana (Dominican Republic)
Francisco Garcia, Houston Rockets, Louisville
James Feldeine, Fuenlabrada (Spain), Quinnipiac
Eloy Vargas, Caneros de la Romana (Dominican Republic), Kentucky
Karl Towns, St. Joseph's (New Jersey)
Eulis Baez, Gran Canaria (Spain), Western Illinois
Ronald Ramon, Limeira (Brazil), Pitt
Jack Michael Martinez, Guaros (Venezuela)/Arecibo Captains (Puerto Rico), Artesia High School (California)

Jamaica:
Dylan Ennis, Villanova
Adrian Uter, Maccabi Rishon (Israel)/Humacao Chiefs (Puerto Rico), Hofstra
Patrick Ewing Jr, Valladolid (Spain), Georgetown and NBA (2011)
Garfield Blair, Heartland Eagles (ABA), Stetson
Weyinmi Rose, Monterrey (Mexico)/Mayaguez Indians (Puerto Rico), Providence
Akeem Scott, Quintana Roo (Mexico)/Guaiqueries (Venezuela), High Point
Durand Scott, Miami
Jerome Jordan, Los Angeles Defenders (D League)/Talk n Text Tropang Texters (Philippines), Tulsa and NBA (2011-2012)
Christopher Walker, club unknown, Cedarville (DII)
Adrian Forbes, club unknown, Auburn
Samardo Samuels, Reno Bighorns (D League)/Hapoel Jerusalem (Israel), Louisville and NBA (2010-2013)
Vashil Fernandez, Valparaiso

Mexico:
Paul Stoll, Maccabi Haifa (Israel), Texas Pan American
Jorge Gutierrez, Canton Charge (D League), Cal
Pedro Meza, Guasave (Mexico), Arizona Western (JC)
Orlando Mendez, Xalapa (Mexico), Western Kentucky
Jovan Harris, Quintana Roo (Mexico), USF
Roman Martinez, Mexicali (Mexico), New Mexico
Jesus Gonzalez, Navolato (Mexico)
Noe Alonzo, Quintana Roo (Mexico), Grand Canyon (DII)
Gustavo Ayon, Milwaukee Bucks
Hector Hernandez, Guaymas (Mexico), Fresno State
Lorenzo Mata, Xalapa (Mexico)/Quebradillas Pirates (Puerto Rico), UCLA
Fernando Benitez, Guaymas (Mexico)

Venezuela:
Miguel Marriaga, Marinos (Venezuela)
Gregory Vargas, Marinos (Venezuela)
Heissler Guillent, Guaros (Venezuela)
Donta Smith, Maccabi Haifa (Israel), Southeastern Illinois (JC) and NBA (2004-2006)
David Cubillan, Trotamundos (Venezuela), Marquette
Nestor Colmenares, Cocodrilos (Venezuela), Campbellsville (NAIA)
Jose Vargas, Marinos (Venezuela)
Luis Bethlemy, Veracruz (Mexico)/Cocodrilos (Venezuela)
Hector Romero, Trotamundos (Venezuela), New Orleans
Axiers Sucre, Marinos (Venezuela)
Rafael Perez, Guaiqueries (Venezuela)
Windi Graterol, Arecibo Captains (Puerto Rico)/Cocodrilos (Venezuela)

[awhom111]

It was the semifinals of the FIBA Africa Championship today. Egypt continued their run through the knockout stages after holding off Senegal 70-63 behind 22 points and 17 rebounds from DII player Assem Marei. In the loss, ex-Furman player Maleye Ndoye had 12 points. The Ivory Coast looked for their home fans to spur them on against Angola and they put up a fight, but Angola built up a lead in the second half to win 66-59. Naturalized player Reggie Moore had 13 points in the win. These results mean that Angola and Egypt have qualified for the World Championship next year and will also square off tomorrow for the title. Ivory Coast and Senegal will play in the other game tomorrow as the winner will get the continent's final spot in the World Championship. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/44/rid/9764/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/43/rid/9764/sid/9642/game.html

In the 5th place game, Cameroon beat Cape Verde 74-53. In the win, ex-UNLV player Gaston Essengue had 19 points and 7 rebounds and Luc Richard Mbah a Boute had 13 points. In the loss, ex-Loyola (Maryland) player Brian Rudolph had 15 points and ex-Northeastern player Vinny Lima had 12 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/46/rid/9765/sid/9642/game.html

Nigeria recovered for 7th place as they beat Morocco 105-87. Ike Diogu had 31 points and 10 rebounds, Stan Okoye had 20 points, Alade Aminu had 16 points, Ben Uzoh had 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists, and Gani Lawal had 10 points. Ex-Iona player Younes Idrissi finished his strong tournament with 37 points in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/ct/0/gid/A/grid/45/rid/9765/sid/9642/game.html

The FIBA Americas Tournament started today as Canada and Jamaica opened proceedings in Venezuela in a Group A encounter. Canada took control of the game on their way to an 85-64 win. In the win, Cory Joseph had 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists, Brady Heslip continued his strong international summer with 17 points, ex-Pitt player Levon Kendall had 13 points and 7 rebounds, and Tristan Thompson had 11 points and 12 rebounds. In the loss, ex-Hofstra player Adrian Uter had 16 points and 8 rebounds, ex-Tulsa player Jerome Jordan had 12 points and 8 rebounds, and Durand Scott had 12 points. Group B took the stage next as Argentina eased past Paraguay 95-70. It was back to Group A for the third game, which was the first good game of the day with Puerto Rico retaking the lead late and hanging on to a 72-65 win. Renaldo Balkman had 24 points and 8 rebounds, ex-Boston University player John Holland had 15 points and 9 rebounds, and J.J. Barea had 12 points and 7 rebounds. In the loss, Marcelo Huertas who spent a year of high school in Texas, had 16 points. The hosts took the floor in the final game, but Mexico played quite well and maintained their lead for a 65-56 win. Gustavo Ayon had 22 points and 18 rebounds, ex-Cal player Jorge Gutierrez had 17 points, and ex-Fresno State player Hector Hernandez had 11 points and 7 rebounds. In the loss, Donta Smith, who went from Junior College straight to the NBA and was just recently naturalized in time to compete here, had 10 points and 7 rebounds in his debut. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=2&r=9645
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=1&r=9645
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=1&r=9645
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=2&r=9645

Here is tomorrow's schedule as games continue to be on ESPN3:
11:30am: Uruguay vs Jamaica
2:00pm: Canada vs Puerto Rico
5:30pm: Dominican Republic vs Argentina
8:00pm: Paraguay vs Venezuela

As expected Marty Pocius made the team for Lithuania as they head to Eurobasket in less than a week.
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_PlrMp4crHYYy1v52I5w521.articleMode_on.html

Tomas Delininkaitis, Cherkasy (Ukraine)
Robertas Javtokas, Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania), Arizona and drafted 55th in 2001 by the San Antonio Spurs
Mantas Kalnietis, Lokomotiv Kuban (Russia)
Linas Kleiza, Toronto Raptors, Missouri
Mindaugas Kuzminskas, Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania)
Darjus Lavrinovic, Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania)
Ksistof Lavrinovic, Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania)
Jonas Maciulis, Panathinaikos (Greece)
Donatas Motiejunas, Houston Rockets
Martynas Pocius, Real Madrid (Spain), Duke
Renaldas Seibutis, Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania), Drafted 50th in 2007 by Dallas Mavericks
Jonas Valanciunas, Toronto Raptors

Here are four more Eurobasket squads as Belgium had to make one change:

Czech Republic:
http://www.cbf.cz/eurobasket-2013/cesky-tym-eurobasket-2013.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_4alAQgJ3GY2,A7Tr3HMpf1.articleMode_on.html
Tomas Satoransky, Cajasol Sevilla, Drafted 32nd in 2012 by the Washington Wizards
Jiri Welsch, Nymburk (Czech Republic), NBA (2002-2006)
Jakub Kudlacek, Cantu (Italy)
Vojtech Hruban, Nymburk (Czech Republic)
Pavel Pumprla, Monbus Blusens (Spain)
David Jelinek, Caja Laboral Baskonia (Spain)
Lubos Barton, Braunschweig (Germany), Valparaiso
Jan Vesely, Washington Wizards
Ondrej Balvin, Cajasol Sevilla (Spain)
Petr Benda, Nymburk (Czech Republic)
Pavel Houska, Nymburk (Czech Republic)
Kamil Svrdlik, Prostejov (Czech Republic), Fairleigh Dickinson

Germany:
http://www.basketball-bund.de/news/teams/a-herren/bundestrainer-frank-menz-legt-em-kader-fest-129993
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_Xbom9gdHI,6Jz3a3Zqnrg3.articleMode_on.html
Niels Giffey, UConn
Per Günther, Ulm (Germany)
Philip Zwiener, Bremerhaven (Germany)
Heiko Schaffartzik, Alba Berlin (Germany)
Karsten Tadda, Brose (Germany)
Lucca Staiger, Ludwigsburg (Germany), Iowa State
Tibor Pleiss, Caja Laboral Baskonia (Spain), Drafted 31st in 2010 by New Jersey Nets with rights later traded to Oklahoma City Thunder
Robin Benzing, Bayern Munich (Germany)
Bastian Doreth, Trier (Germany)
Andreas Seiferth, Trier (Germany)
Maik Zirbes, Brose (Germany)
Alex King, Wurzburg (Germany)

Montenegro:
http://www.kscg.me/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2356&catid=40&Itemid=122
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_2zWkEhuGGSgEAr8lItpWU0.articleMode_on.html
Tyrese Rice, Bayern Munich (Germany), Boston College
Nikola Ivanovic, Buducnost (Montenegro)
Suad Sehovic, Khimik (Ukraine)
Bojan Bakic, Metalac (Serbia)
Aleksa Popovic, Buducnost (Montenegro)
Sead Sehovic, Szolnoki Olaj (Hungary)
Marko Popovic, Buducnost (Montenegro)
Vladimir Dasic, Metalac (Serbia)
Milko Bjelica, Caja Laboral Baskonia (Spain)
Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic, USC
Blagota Sekulic, Canarias (Spain)
Bojan Dubljevic, Valencia (Spain), Drafted 59th in 2013 by the Minnesota Timberwolves

Belgium:
Christophe Beghin, Spirou Charleroi (Belgium)
Sacha Massot, Spirou Charleroi (Belgium)
Yannick Driesen, Antwerp Giants (Belgium)
Axel Hervelle, Bilbao (Spain), Drafted 52nd in 2005 by the Denver Nuggets with rights later traded to the Houston Rockets
Roel Moors, Antwerp Giants (Belgium)
Wen Mukubu, Liege (Belgium), UAB
Guy Muya, Mons Hainaut (Belgium)
Jean Marc Mwema, Antwerp Giants (Belgium)
Jonathan Tabu, Cantu (Italy)
Sam Van Rossom, Zaragoza (Spain)
Maxime De Zeeuw, Antwerp Giants (Belgium)
Quentin Serron, Oostende (Belgium)

[awhom111]

The first game of the day in the FIBA Africa Championship would determine the last qualifier from the continent for the World Championship. Ivory Coast had their fans with them, but Senegal held onto their lead late for the 57-56 win. This left only the title game to be played and Egypt managed to lead for a quarter, but the stronger Angola team established control and won 57-40. Naturalized player Reggie Moore had 11 points and 6 rebounds in the win. Egypt ends up qualifying for the World Championship despite having a losing record, which either is an argument for or against this particular format. None of the three qualified teams are likely to make that much of an impact next summer. Some of the teams would probably considered wild card candidates in other years, but the likely strength of other teams that missed qualification in their continental tournaments probably means that the Nigeria's of the world will not be in Spain next summer. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/gid/A/grid/48/rid/9765/sid/9642/game.html
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/p/eid/6241/gid/A/grid/47/rid/9765/sid/9642/game.html

The day of games in the FIBA Americas Championship started with a Group A game between Uruguay and Jamaica with Uruguay pulling the upset with a 68-66 win. In the win, ex-NBA player Esteban Batista had 22 points and 14 rebounds and ex-Texas A&M player Leandro Garcia Morales had 20 points. In the loss, ex-Louisville player Samardo Samuels had 19 points and 6 rebounds, ex-High Point player Akeem Scott had 18 points, and ex-Providence player Weyinmi Rose had 15 points. Group A action continued in the next timeslot as Puerto Rico pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Canada 83-67. Carlos Arroyo had 20 points, ex-USC player Larry Ayuso had 19 points, Renaldo Balkman had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and J.J. Barea had 11 points. In the loss, Andrew Nicholson had 21 points and 7 rebounds and Tristan Thompson had 20 points and 9 rebounds. In the first Group B game, the Dominican Republic had a suprisingly easy time against Argentina in a 91-72 win. Ex-Quinnipiac player James Feldeine had 21 points and brief California high schooler Jack Michael Martinez had 12 points and 14 rebounds. Luis Scola had 13 points and 7 rebounds in the loss. In the final game, Venezuela did just enough to avoid being upset by Paraguay in front of the home fans with a 75-70 win. Naturalized player Donta Smith had 14 points in the win. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=3&r=9645
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=4&r=9645
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=3&r=9645
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=4&r=9645

Here is tomorrow's ESPN3 schedule:
11:30am: Brazil vs Canada
2:00pm: Mexico vs Paraguay
5:30pm: Venezuela vs Dominican Republic
8:00pm: Puerto Rico vs Uruguay

We must be getting close to finishing with these squads for Eurobasket. Turkey has finished theirs and I will go ahead and list what Croatia has right now, assuming they do not make any changes tomorrow.

Turkey:
http://www.tbf.org.tr/detay/2013/08/30/a-milli-takımımızın-slovenya-kadrosu-belli-oldu
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_c4u23Lg1GeM2,3NS0MJ6I1.articleMode_on.html
Dogus Balbay, Anadolu Efes (Turkey), Texas
Sinan Guler, Anadolu Efes (Turkey), Carroll (NAIA)
Kerem Gonlum, Anadolu Efes (Turkey)
Semih Erden, Anadolu Efes (Turkey), NBA (2010-2012)
Serhat Cetin, Besiktas (Turkey)
Oguz Savas, Fenerbahce Ulker (Turkey)
Omer Onan, Fenerbahce Ulker (Turkey)
Emir Preldzic, Fenerbahce Ulker (Turkey), Drafted 57th in 2009 by the Phoenix Suns with rights eventually traded to the Washington Wizards
Ender Arslan, Galatasaray (Turkey)
Omer Faruk Asık, Houston Rockets
Ersan Ilyasova, Milwaukee Bucks
Hidayet Turkoglu, Orlando Magic

Croatia:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_g3mnOd9ZGTgp-D94kVjr83.articleMode_on.html
Roko Ukic, Panathinaikos (Greece), NBA (2008-2010)
Ante Delas, Zadar (Croatia)
Dontaye Draper, Real Madrid (Spain), College of Charleston
Bojan Bogdanovic, Fenerbahce Ulker (Turkey), Drafted 31st in 2011 by the Miami Heat with rights eventually traded to the Brooklyn Nets
Krunoslav Simon, Unicaja Malaga (Spain)
Damjan Rudez, Zaragoza (Spain)
Dario Saric, Cibona Zagreb (Croatia)
Luka Zoric, Unicaja Malaga (Spain)
Luksa Andric, Cedevita Zagren (Croatia)
Mario Delas, Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania)
Damir Markota, Besiktas (Turkey), NBA (2006-2007)
Ante Tomic, FC Barcelona (Spain), Drafted 44th in 2008 by the Utah Jazz

[awhom111]

We now have our third qualifier to the Eurobasket 2015 tournament. Estonia trailed Bulgaria as they headed home for the second leg of the final. They took a big lead early in the game and held on for a 61-49 win for this game to win the series 116-107 overall. They join Spain and Ukraine in the 2015 tournament. Six more teams will join them in a few weeks after this Eurobasket tournament unless The Czar Mike Fratello guides Ukraine to a World Championship qualification spot. Here is the boxscore:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.gameID_9489-3-B-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundI D_9489.teamID_.html

Today's FIBA Americas Championship action started in Group A with Canada having a surprisingly easy time with Brazil in a 91-62 win. Cory Joseph had 28 points and 9 rebounds, ex-Fordham player Jermaine Anderson had 14 points, Andrew Nicholson had 13 points, and ex-Syracuse player Andy Rautins had 12 points. Ex-NBA player Alex Ribeiro Garcia had 10 points in the loss. The next game was in Group B, with Mexico pounding Paraguay 87-65. In the win, ex-Western Kentucky player Orlando Mendez had 17 points, Gustavo Ayon had 14 points, ex-Cal player Jorge Gutierrez and ex-Texas Pan American player Paul Stoll had 11 points each, and ex-USF player Jovan Harris had 10 points. The other Group B game saw Venezuela nearly give up a big lead to the Dominican Republic before holding on to a 70-65 win with the chance to have a solid tournament in front of the home fans. In the win, naturalized player Donta Smith had 19 points and 7 rebounds and ex-Marquette player David Cubillan had 12 points. In the loss, ex-Quinnipiac player James Feldeine had 19 points and Francisco Garcia had 12 points. It was back to Group A for the final game of the day as Puerto Rico eased past Uruguay 93-69. Carlos Arroyo had 19 points and 8 assists, ex-FIU player Alex Galindo had 19 points, Renaldo Balkman had 18 points and 8 rebounds, and ex-NAIA player Daniel Santiago had 10 points. Ex-Texas A&M player Leandro Garcia Morales had 17 points in the win. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=5&r=9645
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=5&r=9645
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=6&r=9645
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=&n=6&r=9645

Here is tomorrow's ESPN3 FIBA Americas schedule:
11:30am: Dominican Republic vs Mexico
2:00pm: Jamaica vs Puerto Rico
5:30pm: Uruguay vs Brazil
8:00pm: Argentina vs Venezuela

Marty Pocius and Lithuania had one final exhibition game against Georgia. They thought it would be easy after jumping out to an early lead, but the game was sent into overtime before they prevailed 88-83. Marty had 6 points in 16 minutes. Linus Kleiza had 18 points, Renaldas Seibutis had 15 points, and Jonas Valanciunas had 10 points and 10 rebounds. In the loss, Viktor Sanikidze, who was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round in 2004 and then traded to the San Antonio Spurs on draft day, had 28 points and 9 rebounds.
http://www.musukrepsinis.lt/public/files/20130901-Lithuania-Georgia.pdf

As expected Eric Boateng made the Great Britain team for Eurobasket as absences in the frontcourt should give him a key role on the team.
http://www.gbbasketball.com/news/3101.php#.UiOaaUBfZ8Ehttp://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_lvXOHdRVJq2yJ4z7pM1gQ2.articleMode_on.html
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_lvXOHdRVJq2yJ4z7pM1gQ2.articleMode_on.html
Drew Sullivan, Leicester Riders (Great Britain), Villanova
Ogooluwa Adegboye, Etha Engomis (Cyprus), St. Bonaventure's
Kieron Achara, Kavala (Greece), Duquesne
Eric Boateng, Braunschweig (Germany), Arizona State
Alasdair Fraser, Maine
Andrew Lawrence, College of Charleston
Myles Hesson, Ulm (Germany)
Kyle Johnson, Sutor Montegranaro (Italy), LIU
Gareth Murray, Glasgow Rocks (Great Britain), Kalamazoo Valley (JC)
Daniel Clark, Asefa Estudiantes (Spain)
Justin Robinson, Uppsala (Sweden), Rider
Devon Van Oostrum, Caceres (Spain)

We are getting closer to having all the Eurobasket squads now:

Latvia:
http://basket.lv/viriesu_izlase/31082013-bagatskis_eiropas_cempionata_janospele_ta
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_dsoxE1UaGUseQqBxyU-0e0.articleMode_on.html
Martins Meiers, Ventspils (Latvia)
Andrejs Selakovs, Melilla (Spain)
Kaspars Berzins, VEF Riga (Latvia)
Rolands Freimanis, Sutor Montegranaro (Italy)
Mareks Mejeris, Clavijo (Spain)
Janis Strelnieks, Spartak St. Petersburg (Russia)
Dairis Bertans, VEF Riga (Latvia)
Armands Skele, Kalev/Cramo (Estonia)
Janis Blums, Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania)
Kristaps Janicenoks, VEF Riga (Latvia)
Janis Berzins, Valmiera (Latvia)
Rihards Kuksiks, Budivelnyk (Ukraine), Arizona State

Israel:
http://www.ibba.one.co.il/General/Article.aspx?id=222134&siteId=6
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_v6hP1j0EJ5kQljPaT04td3.articleMode_on.html
Lior Eliyahu, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel), Drafted 44th in 2006 by Orlando Magic with rights eventually traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves
Yaniv Green, Galil Gilboa (Israel)
Yotam Halperin, Bayern Munich (Germany), Drafted 53rd in 2006 by the Seattle Supersonics
Nitzan Hanochi, Maccabi Rishon (Israel)
Elishay Kadir, Hapoel Jerusalem (Israel)
Ido Kozikaro, Maccabi Haifa (Israel)
Raviv Limonad, Hapoel Jerusalem (Israel)
Afik Nissim, Hapoel Eilat (Israel)
Yogev Ohayon, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
Guy Pnini, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
Alexander Tyus, Cantu (Italy), Florida
Omri Casspi, Cleveland Cavaliers

[awhom111]

With only one day of this first stage of the FIBA Americas Tournament, things should be getting more clear, but there is still plenty left to be decided as this has become an incredibly competitive tournament. Only the last place team will be eliminated from each group with the remaining eight teams playing four more games to complete the round robin. The top four teams in the standings after the round robin stage will earn spots in the World Championship. The day started off in Group B with Mexico moving to 3-0 with a surprisingly easy 85-60 win over the Dominican Republic. Ex-Western Kentucky player Orlando Mendez had 26 points, Gustavo Ayon had 16 points and 8 rebounds, ex-Cal player Jorge Gutierrez had 16 points and 6 rebounds, and ex-DII player Noe Alonzo had 15 points in the win. In the loss, ex-California high schooler Jack Michael Martinez had 16 points and 7 rebounds, Francisco Garcia had 14 points, and ex-Western Illinois player Eulis Baez had 11 points and 6 rebounds. The next game was in Group A, with Puerto Rico needing to come back late to beat Jamaica 88-82. In the win, J.J. Barea had 24 points, Renaldo Balkman had 20 points and 9 rebounds, ex-USC player Larry Ayuso had 17 points, and ex-Boston University player John Holland had 11 points. In the loss, Samardo Samuels had 24 points and 6 rebounds, ex-Providence player Weyinmi Rose had 18 points, Durand Scott had 12 points, and ex-Tulsa player Jerome Jordan had 10 points and 9 rebounds. Uruguay stunned Brazil in the next game 79-73 as ex-NBA player Esteban Batista had 22 points and 13 rebounds and ex-Texas A&M player Leandro Garcia Morales had 16 points and 6 rebounds. In the loss, naturalized ex-DII player Larry Taylor had 10 points and 6 rebounds. Argentina mounted a big fourth quarter comeback against Venezuela to send the home fans away in a bad mood with a 77-71 win including 10 points and 12 rebounds from Luis Scola. Naturalized player Donta Smith continues his key performances for the team as he had 11 points and 13 rebounds in the loss. Here is the boxscores:
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=7&r=9645
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=7&r=9645
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=8&r=9645
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=8&r=9645

Going into the last day of games in these groups, two games will determine the final spots. The first game of the day will determine the last qualifier from Group B as Paraguay and the Dominican Republic square off. The final game of the day will determine the final Group A qualifier as Brazil fights for its tournament life against Jamaica. Canada and Uruguay play a Group A game with the winner finishing second behind Puerto Rico and the loser finishing third. This game's result will definitely carry over to the next round, so both teams will be doing their best to put themselves in a good spot for the World Championships. In Group B, the winner of the Mexico-Argentina game will win the group as already-qualified Venezuela will be watching closely to see how the standings shape up for the next round.

Here is the ESPN3 schedule tomorrow:
11:30am: Paraguay vs Dominican Republic
2:00pm: Canada vs Uruguay
5:30pm: Mexico vs Argentina
7:50pm: Brazil vs Jamaica

We should be almost done with squads as everything should be settled tomorrow.

Italy:
http://www.fip.it/News.asp?IDNews=6248
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_vAHduruoG2QXfNcZ-Lw823.articleMode_on.html
Pietro Aradori, Cantu (Italy)
Marco Belinelli, Chicago Bulls
Andrea Cinciarini, Reggio Emilia (Italy)
Marco Cusin, Cantu (Italy)
Luigi Datome, Virtus Roma (Italy)
Travis Diener, Sassari (Italy), Marquette and NBA (2005-2010)
Alessandro Gentile, Emporio Armani Milan (Italy)
Daniele Magro, Umana Reyer Venezia (Italy)
Nicolò Melli, Emporio Armani Milan (Italy)
Giuseppe Poeta, Bologna (Italy)
Guido Rosselli, Umana Reyer Venezia (Italy)
Luca Vitali, Vanoli Cremona (Italy)

Serbia:
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_gmpFudPdIncubv7SQS5dS1.articleMode_on.html
Nenad Krstic, CSKA Moscow (Russia), NBA (2004-2011)
Nemanja Krstic, Mega Vizura (Serbia)
Bogdan Bogdanovic, Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)
Nemanja Bjelica, Caja Laboral Baskonia (Spain), Drafted 35th in 2010 by the Washington Wizards with rights later traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves
Stefan Markovic, Valencia (Spain)
Danilo Andjusic, Bologna (Italy)
Rasko Katic, Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)
Vladimir Stimac, Banvit (Turkey)
Vasilje Micic, Mega Vizura (Serbia)
Nemanja Nedovic, Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania), Drafted 30th in 2013 by the Phoenix Suns with rights later traded to the Golden State Warriors
Djordje Gagic, Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)
Nikola Kalinic, Vojvodina (Serbia)

[awhom111]

It was the final day of the group stage of the FIBA Americas tournament. The loser of the first Group B game would be the first team eliminated. The Dominican Republic blasted out of the gates and the game was so settled that even the lights no longer wanted to watch as a power outage ended up causing the next game to be moved to the end of the day. Paraguay did not even want to play the remaining minutes of the game when the lights came back on so the game finishes at 83-54 and the boxscore looks a little weird. In the win, high schooler Karl Towns, headed to Kentucky to play for current national team coach Orlando Antigua and past national team coach John Calipari, had 16 points. With the second game moved back, the third game would help settle things at the top of Group B. Argentina avoided being upset and beat Mexico 98-78 with 25 points from Luis Scola. In the loss, ex-Fresno State player Hector Hernandez had 21 points and 6 rebounds, Gustavo Ayon had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and ex-Western Kentucky player Orlando Mendez had 13 points. The next game was for the final spot in Group A. Brazil looked like they could be spared blushes after taking an early second half lead but then Jamaica came back in the final quarter for a 78-76 win to dump one of the pre-tournament favorites out with their fourth loss in four games. Brazil will need to regroup for 2016, when they know that they will be hosting the Olympics, but now they have to think about a wild card for the World Championships, which they could certainly be one of the teams under consideration. In the win, Samardo Samuels had 21 points and 8 rebounds, ex-Providence player Weyinmi Rose had 16 points, and Durand Scott had 14 points. In the loss, ex-NBA player Alex Ribeiro Garcia had 11 points. Canada and Uruguay finally got to play their game late at night with Canada rolling to a 93-67 win. They were led by their key NBA trio as Andrew Nicholson had 18 points, Cory Joseph had 17 points and 7 assists, and Tristan Thompson had 14 points and 7 rebounds with Levon Kendall adding 13 points and 6 rebounds. Ex-NBA player Esteban Batista had 10 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=9&r=9645
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=10&r=9645
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=10&r=9645
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=9&r=9645

That concludes this stage with a day off tomorrow, so I will post the schedule for Thursday in tomorrow's update. The teams that move on to the next stage are below with their records so far in the round robin with their current overall ranking listed first. Each team will play the four teams in the other group to make an eight team round robin with the top four teams moving on and qualifying for the next World Championship.

Group A:
1. Puerto Rico 3-0
2. Canada 2-1
7. Uruguay 1-2
8. Jamaica 0-3

Group B:
3. Mexico 2-1
4. Argentina 2-1
5. Dominican Republic 1-2
6. Venezuela 1-2

Tomorrow, the Eurobasket tournament starts. All games should be on ESPN3 with 12 games a day in the first stage as four tip off during each time slot. Here is tomorrow's schedule (all times Eastern, of games listed, first one is Group A, second is Group B, third is Group C, and fourth is Group D):
8:30am:
Israel vs Great Britain
Latvia vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Georgia vs Poland
Turkey vs Finland

11:45am:
Belgium vs Ukraine
Macedonia vs Montenegro
Spain vs Croatia
Sweden vs Greece

2:00pm:
France vs Germany
Serbia vs Lithuania
Czech Republic vs Slovenia
Russia vs Italy

In theory, all of the Eurobasket squads should be in now, but articles have been hard to find for some of them. Spain appears to not have made any changes to their overall roster, so the 12 that they named a while back seem to have held on to their places. Turkey had to make a replacement with Omer Onan injured, so they brought in Birkan Batuk of Anadolu Efes as a replacement.

Ukraine:
http://ukrbasket.net/ufb/209035824/majk-fratello-nazvav-sklad-zbirnoyi-na-yevrobasketi-2013/
http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_2nlmwZ4LJz-7HKdxYZpMe1.articleMode_on.html
Dmytro Zabirchenko, Azovmash (Ukraine)
Ihor Zaytsev, Azovmash (Ukraine)
Dmitro Gliebov, Donetsk (Ukraine)
Maksym Pustozvonov, Donetsk (Ukraine)
Viacheslav Krautsov, Detroit Pistons)
Sergii Gladyr, Fuenlabrada (Spain), Drafted 49th in 2009 by the Atlanta Hawks
Artem Pustoviy, Khimik (Ukraine)
Oleksander Mishula, Dnipro (Ukraine)
Oleksander Lypovyy, Donetsk (Ukraine)
Eugene Jeter, Shandong (China), Portland and NBA (2009-2010)
Kyryll Natyazhko, Azovmash (Ukraine), Arizona
Maksym Korniyenko, Dnipro (Ukraine)

Macedonia:
http://www.basketball.org.mk/?ItemID=D1655693404EE74EAF43EE1255427123
Aleksandar Kostoski, Kumanovo (Macedonia)
Vlado Ilievski, Cedevita Zagreb (Croatia)
Darko Sokolov, Feni Industries (Macedonia)
Bo McCalebb, Fenerbahce Ulker (Turkey), New Orleans
Vojdan Stojanovski, Donetsk (Ukraine)
Damjan Stojanovski, MZT (Macedonia)
Vladimir Brckov, Feni Industries (Macedonia)
Todor Gechevski, MZT (Macedonia)
Pero Antic, Olympiakos (Greece), Archbishop Carroll (Washington D.C.)
Stojan Gjuroski, Louisiana Tech
Gjorgji Chekovski, MZT (Macedonia)
Predrag Samardziski, Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)

Spain:
Pablo Aguilar, Zaragoza (Spain)
Rudy Fernandez, Real Madrid (Spain), NBA (2008-2012)
Sergio Rodriguez, Real Madrid (Spain), NBA (2006-2010)
Xavier Rey, Gran Canaria (Spain)
Jose Calderon, Detroit Pistons
Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves
Victor Claver, Portland Trailblazers
Fernando San Emeterio, Caja Laboral Baskonia (Spain)
Sergio Llull, Real Madrid (Spain), Drafted 34th in 2009 by the Denver Nuggets and later traded to the Houston Rockets
Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
German Gabriel, Asefa Estudiantes (Spain)
Alex Mumbru, Bilbao (Spain)

Georgia:
Nika Metreveli, Omegna (Italy)
Otar Pkhakadze, Fairmont State (DII)
Duda Sanadze, University of San Diego
Beka Burjanadze, Cajasol Sevilla (Spain)
George Tsintsadze Budivelnyk (Ukraine)
Giorgi Shermadini, Olympiakos (Greece)
Ricky Hickman, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel), UNC Greensboro
Manuchar Markoishvili, Galatasaray (Turkey)
Levan Patsatsia, Sokhumi (Georgia), Troy
Viktor Sanikidze, Montepaschi Siena (Italy), Drafted 42nd in 2004 by Atlanta Hawks and later traded to the San Antonio Spurs
Besik Lezhava, Armia (Georgia)
Nikoloz Tskitishvili, Champville (Lebanon), NBA (2002-2006)

[awhom111]

Eurobasket started today in Slovenia with Eric Boateng and Great Britain starting the day against Israel in a Group A clash. Great Britain took the lead early only fall behind in the second half before forcing overtime and using the momentum to secure a 75-71. Eric, who had been a key figure on the team in the exhibition games, got the start but struggled so much with foul trouble that he was limited to 7 minutes of action. In the win, Kyle Johnson had 22 points and 6 rebounds and Kieron Achara had 18 points and 13 rebounds. Omri Casspi had 13 points and 11 rebounds in the loss with former NBA draft picks Yotam Halperin and Lior Eliyahu contributing 12 points and 11 points and 14 rebounds respectively. In the second Group A game, Ukraine had a great comeback against Belgium capped off by a three-point play by naturalized player Pooh Jeter with three seconds left to complete a 58-57 win. Former NBA draft pick Sergii Gladyr had 11 points and 7 rebounds in the win. Germany jumped out to a big lead on France in the final game of the day, but France fought hard for the rest of the game before surrendering for good late and losing 80-74. In the win, UConn's Niels Giffey and ex-Iowa State player Lucca Staiger had 14 points each and former draft pick Tibor Pleiss had 11 points and 7 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-A-2-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-A-1-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-A-3-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html

Group B play started with Latvia beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 86-75. Ex-Arizona State player Rihards Kuksiks had 13 points in the win while ex-DII player Zach Wright, who is occupying the naturalized player slot, had 12 points and 8 rebounds in the loss. A wild game ended in controversial fashion as Montenegro edged out Macedonia 77-76. Ex-Boston College player Tyrese Rice, who is in the naturalized player spot for Montenegro, hit the final two free throws as he had 16 points in the win. His counterpart, ex-New Orleans player Bo McCalebb had 23 points in the loss, as no foul was called on his final drive and no defensive goaltending was ruled on the team's follow-up effort. Marty Pocius and Lithuania were up in the final game of the day with a titanic clash against Serbia. Despite keeping the games close at some points, they trailed the entire time on their way to a 63-56 loss. Marty was fairly quiet in his 12 minutes off the bench. In the win, Nenad Krstic had 20 points and 9 rebounds, Nemanja Nedovic had 14 points as he gets ready to head to the Golden State Warriors, and former draft pick Nemanja Bjelica had 13 points and 8 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-B-1-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-B-3-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-B-2-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID.html

Group C started with Georgia flexing their muscle against against Poland in a fairly suprising 84-67 win with former draft pick Viktor Sanikidze pouring in 23 points and grabbing 6 rebounds. In the loss, Marcin Gortat had 12 points and 8 rebounds and ex-NBA player Maciej Lampe and ex-JC player Przemyslaw Zamojski had 10 points each. Spain wasted no time in the second game was they jumped on Croatia and rolled to a 68-40 win. Rudy Fernandez had 15 points and 8 rebounds, Marc Gasol had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Jose Calderon had 13 points. Bojan Bogdanovic, who was slated to sign with the NBA after being drafted a couple years ago, but did not end up sealing the deal, had 12 points and 7 rebounds in the loss. Slovenia needed the home crowd to push them over the line as they barely managed to hang on to a 62-60 win over a tough Czech Republic team that fought far harder than expected. In the loss, Jan Vesely had 17 points and 7 rebounds and Tomas Satoransky, who was also drafted by the Washington Wizards, had 12 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-C-1-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-C-3-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-C-2-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html


In Group D, Finland started the day by stunning Turkey 61-55 as they led the game wire to wire. Petteri Koponen, a rare case of a first round pick who has yet to sign with the NBA, had 12 points and 9 rebounds in the win. Greece shook off a sluggish start to pound Sweden 79-51. Ex-NBA player Vassilis Spanoulis had 13 points in the win while Jeffery Taylor had 16 points in the loss. Italy took a substantial lead in the final game of the day only to see Russia rush back to make things interesting late before falling 76-69. Luigi Datome, who is on his way to the Detroit Pistons, had 25 points and 8 rebounds and Marco Belinelli added 16 points. In the loss, Alexey Shved had 17 points and ex-NBA player Sergey Monya had 13 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-D-1-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-D-2-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-D-3-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html

There are plenty more games on ESPN3 tomorrow:

Here is tomorrow's Eurobasket schedule (games in time slot in alphabetical group order A-D):
8:30am:
Ukraine vs Israel
Montenegro vs Latvia
Croatia vs Georgia
Finland vs Sweden

11:45am:
Germany vs Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Serbia
Poland vs Czech Republic
Italy vs Turkey

3:00pm:
Great Britain vs France
Lithuania vs Macedonia
Slovenia vs Spain
Greece vs Russia

Here is tomorrow's FIBA Americas schedule:
11:30am: Jamaica vs Dominican Republic
2:00pm: Canada vs Mexico
5:30pm: Puerto Rico vs Argentina
8:00pm: Uruguay vs Venezuela

[awhom111]

Group A Eurobasket action started with Ukraine earning a second straight win after they beat Israel 74-67. In the win, former Hawks draft pick Sergii Gladyr had 17 points, Viacheslav Kravtsov had 15 points and 8 rebounds, and ex-Arizona player Kyryl Natyazhko had 10 points. Germany spent most of their game against Belgium on the comeback trail as they sent the game into overtime but just could never get the lead as they fell 77-73. In the win, former draft pick Axel Hervelle had 11 points and 9 rebounds and ex-UAB player Wen Mukubu had 10 points while former draft pick Tibor Pleiss had 10 points and 9 rebounds. Eric Boateng and Great Britain put up a decent fight against France, but ended up falling 88-65. Eric had 6 points in 18 minutes as he was plagued with foul trouble again. There were plenty of NBA names on the winning side as Nicholas Batum had 17 points, Tony Parker had 16 points, Mickael Gelabale and Nando De Colo had 11 points each, and Alexis Ajinca had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-A-4-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-A-5-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-A-6-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html

Here are the current group standings with the top three teams advancing:
Ukraine 2-0
France 1-1
Belgium 1-1
Germany 1-1
Great Britain 1-1
Israel 0-2

The first Group B game of the day turned out to be a real thriller that was close throughout before Latvia did just enough to edge out Montenegro 73-72. Tyrese did everything that he could in the losing effort with 24 points. In the next game Serbia took care of business with a 77-67 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nemanja Nedovic had 11 points and 6 assists as he readies himself for the NBA and Nenad Krstic had 10 points in the win. In the loss, Mirza Teletovic had 16 points. Marty Pocius and Lithuania closed out the day by bouncing back from their opening loss with a 75-67 win over Macedonia. Marty had 4 points in 16 minutes. Jonas Valanciunas had 11 points and 7 rebounds and Donatas Motiejunas had 11 points. In the loss, Pero Antic, who briefly attended high school in Washington D.C. and recently signed with the Atlanta Hawks, had 12 points and 8 rebounds and Bo McCalebb had 11 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-B-5-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-B-4-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-B-6-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html

Here are the standings:
Serbia 2-0
Latvia 2-0
Lithuania 1-1
Montenegro 1-1
Macedonia 0-2
Bosnia and Herzegovina 0-2

Group C also started with a thriller as Georgia continued to surprise people by giving Croatia a stiff test before the more highly regarded team pulled out a 77-76 win. In the win, naturalized player Dontaye Draper, who went to the College of Charleston, had 16 points, former draft pick Bojan Bogdanovic had 15 points, and ex-NBA player Damir Markota had 10 points. Georgia got help from their naturalized player as ex-UNC Greensboro player Ricky Hickman had 20 points while former draft pick Viktor Sanikidze added 15 points and 7 rebounds. the next game was quite exciting as well with the Czech Republic completing a comeback to beat Poland 69-68. Jan Vesely had 23 points and 14 rebounds and former Wizards draft pick Tomas Satoransky and ex-Valparaiso player Lubos Barton had 10 points each in the win. In the loss, ex-Mississippi State player Michal Ignerski had 17 points, ex-NBA player Maciej Lampe had 14 points and 7 rebounds, and ex-Washington State player Thomas Kelati, who is occupying the naturalized player slot, had 10 points and 6 rebounds. Slovenia spent most of the game fighting back against Spain, but once they took the lead, they were buoyed by the home fans and finished it off 78-69. Goran Dragic had 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists with his brother Zoran adding 12 points and ex-NBA player Bostjan Nachbar contributing 14 points. In the loss, Marc Gasol had 17 points and 7 rebounds and Jose Calderon had 14 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-C-5-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-C-4-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-C-6-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html

Here are the standings:
Slovenia 2-0
Spain 1-1
Georgia 1-1
Czech Republic 1-1
Croatia 1-1
Poland 0-2

Finland exploded in the second quarter of their Group D clash with Sweden to win 81-60 and move to 2-0. In the win, ex-Old Dominion player Gerald Lee had 14 points, ex-UALR player Kimmo Murinen had 12 points, ex-Valparaiso player Shawn Huff had 10 points and 6 rebounds, and former draft pick Petteri Koponen had 10 points and 6 assists. In the loss, Jeffery Taylor had 19 points and 6 rebounds and Jonas Jerebko had 12 points. Italy picked up another win as they beat a disappointing Turkey side 90-75 getting 17 points from Marco Belinelli. In the loss, Hedo Turkoglu and Omer Asik had 12 points each and Ersan Ilyasova had 11 points and 6 rebounds. Greece took a little while to get going against Russia but ended up with an 80-71 win. Ex-NBA player Vassilis Spanoulis had 11 points, former Timberwolves draft pick Loukas Mavrokefalidis had 10 points and 6 rebounds, and former draft pick Kostas Papanikolaou had 10 points. In the loss, Alexey Shved had 17 points and Sergey Karasev had 10 points and 7 rebounds as he gains some important experience as he gets ready to head to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-D-4-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-D-5-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-D-6-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html

Here are the standings:
Greece 2-0
Finland 2-0
Italy 2-0
Russia 0-2
Turkey 0-2
Sweden 0-2

It was the start of the second stage of the FIBA Americas championship with the two fourth place teams from the first stage opening the day. The Dominican Republic took control of the game on their way to a 78-60 win. In the win, ex-Quinnipiac player James Feldeine had 22 points and former California high schooler Jack Michael Martinez had 13 points and 6 rebounds. In the loss, ex-High Point player Akeem Scott had 21 points and 8 rebounds and Durand Scott had 14 points and 6 rebounds. The next game was close for a while before Canada pulled away from Mexico to win 89-67 as the two second place teams squared off. Brady Heslip, who should be an interesting player to watch at Baylor next year, led the team with 21 points, Andy Rautins had 19 points, Cory Joseph had 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, and Andrew Nicholson had 13 points. In the loss, ex-Western Kentucky player Orlando Mendez had 23 points, Gustavo Ayon had 19 points and 11 rebounds, ex-New Mexico player Roman Martinez had 11 points, and ex-Cal player Jorge Gutierrez had 10 points and 7 rebounds. Puerto Rico took control in the second half of the game between the first place teams and beat Argentina 94-80 to put the World Championships in sight. In the win, Renaldo Balkman had 23 points and 6 rebounds, Carlos Arroyo had 19 points, J.J. Barea had 13 points, ex-FIU player Alex Galindo had 12 points, and ex-Boston University player John Holland had 10 points. Luis Scola had 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists in the loss. Venezuela held off Uruguay 70-64 in the final game of third place teams as ex-NBA player Esteban Batista had 17 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=X&n=16&r=9796
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=X&n=14&r=9796
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=X&n=13&r=9796
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=X&n=15&r=9796

Here are the standings through four games:
Puerto Rico 4-0
Canada 3-1
Dominican Republic 2-2
Venezuela 2-2
Argentina 2-2
Mexico 2-2
Uruguay 1-3
Jamaica 0-4

Here is tomorrow's Eurobasket schedule with only two groups in action:
8:30am:
Germany vs Ukraine
Montenegro vs Bosnia and Herzegovina

11:45am:
Belgium vs Great Britain
Latvia vs Lithuania

3:00pm:
France vs Israel
Macedonia vs Serbia

Here is tomorrow's FIBA Americas schedule:
11:30am: Argentina vs Jamaica
2:00pm: Mexico vs Uruguay
5:30pm: Venezuela vs Canada
8:00pm: Dominican Republic vs Puerto Rico

[awhom111]

Group A was one of two in action today in Eurobasket and Ukraine picked up another win by holding off Germany 88-83. Former Hawks pick Sergii Gladyr had another good game with 25 points, Pooh Jeter contributed 19 points and 6 assists from the naturalized player slot, and ex-Arizona player Kyryl Natyazhko had 16 points while UConn's Niels Giffey had 16 points in the loss. Eric Boateng and Great Britain faced off against Belgium in the next game and the close game experience gained by Belgium gave them the edge in the second half as they won 76-71. Eric had 2 points in 3 minutes off the bench as his lack of impact in the past two games limited his role. Ex-Duquesne player Kieron Achara had 12 points and College of Charleston's Andrew Lawrence had 11 points. In the win, ex-UAB player Wen Mukubu had 13 points and former draft pick Axel Hervelle had 10 points and 10 rebounds. The day finished with France taking Israel's best shot before rolling to an 82-63 win. A lot of NBA relevant names were involved as Alexis Ajinca had 13 points and 6 rebounds, Tony Parker had 12 points and 7 assists, and Johan Petro had 10 points in the win while Omri Casspi and Lior Eliyahu had 14 points each in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-A-7-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-A-9-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-A-8-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html

Here are the standings:
Ukraine 3-0
France 2-1
Belgium 2-1
Germany 1-2
Great Britain 1-2
Israel 0-3

Group B started with another good game as Bosnia and Herzegovina made a big fourth quarter comeback to beat Montenegro 76-70. Mirza Teletovic had 18 points and 11 rebounds in the win as recent Timberwolves draft pick Bojan Dubljevic had 16 points and 6 rebounds and Tyrese Rice had 13 points. Marty Pocius and Lithuania had another tough test against Latvia and held on to a 67-59 win as the two countries were also coincidentally facing one another in soccer today as well. Marty had a relatively quiet 20 minutes as Jonas Valanciunas led the team with 11 points and 10 rebounds as part of a balanced attack. Ex-Arizona State player Rihards Kuksiks had 13 points in the loss. Macedonia knew that they needed a win to help their chances of advancing and came out with the needed intensity to beat Serbia 89-75. Bo McCalebb had 27 points and Pero Antic had 16 points and 14 rebounds in the win. In the loss, former draft pick Nemanja Bjelica had 13 points and 8 rebounds and Nemanja Nedovic had 11 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-B-7-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-B-9-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-B-8-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html

Here are the standings:
Lithuania 2-1
Latvia 2-1
Serbia 2-1
Macedonia 1-2
Montenegro 1-2
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-2

Argentina had a pretty quick turnaround after yesterday's loss and they again faded as the game wore on and were shocked by Samardo Samuels-less Jamaica 81-75 as the upsets show no sign of stopping. Ex-Providence player Weyinmi Rose continues to be critical for Jamaica as he had 24 points and 6 rebounds, ex-High Point player Akeem Scott had 12 points, ex-Tulsa player Jerome Jordan had 11 points, ex-Hofstra player Adrian Uter had 11 points and 12 rebounds, and ex-Stetson player Garfield Blair had 10 points and 7 rebounds. Mexico spotted Uruguay seven points before going on a big run and coasting to an 87-73 win. In the win, Gustavo Ayon had 17 points, former Texas Pan-American player Paul Stoll had 16 points and 6 assists, ex-Fresno State player Hector Hernandez had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and ex-USF player Jovan Harris had 12 points. Esteban Batista continues to be the best player for Uruguay as he contributed another 25 points and 19 rebounds. Venezuela had the support of the home fans as they managed to grind out a 64-59 win over Canada. In the win, ex-NAIA player Nestor Colmenares had 13 points and ex-Marquette player David Cubillan had 12 points. In the loss, Cory Joseph had 14 points and Tristan Thompson had 12 points and 20 rebounds. The final game of the day saw the Dominican Republic take charge in the final quarter to win 99-84 over Puerto Rico to further crowd the standings. Many of the same names contributed again for each team as Jack Michael Martinez had 21 points and 11 rebounds, Francisco Garcia had 18 points and 6 rebounds, Eulis Baez had 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, and James Feldeine had 17 points. In the loss, Carlos Arroyo had 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, John Holland had 16 points, Renaldo Balkman had 12 points and 7 rebounds, and J.J. Barea had 12 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=X&n=4&r=9796
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=X&n=3&r=9796
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=X&n=2&r=9796
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=X&n=1&r=9796

Here are the standings with plenty to play for in the final two days of games:
Puerto Rico 4-1
Canada 3-2
Dominican Republic 3-2
Mexico 3-2
Venezuela 3-2
Argentina 2-3
Jamaica 1-4
Uruguay 1-4

Here is tomorrow's Eurobasket schedule with only two groups in action:
8:30am:
Spain vs Czech Republic
Russia vs Sweden

11:45am:
Croatia vs Poland
Italy vs Finland

3:00pm:
Georgia vs Slovenia
Turkey vs Greece

Here is tomorrow's FIBA Americas schedule:
11:30am: Jamaica vs Mexico
2:00pm: Uruguay vs Argentina
5:30pm: Canada vs Dominican Republic
8:00pm: Puerto Rico vs Venezuela

[awhom111]

Group C Eurobasket action started with Spain smothering the Czech Republic 60-39. Rudy Fernandez had 14 points and 8 rebounds and Ricky Rubio had 10 points. Croatia had to hold off a late surge by Poland to win the next game 74-70. In the win, former draft pick Bojan Bogdanovic had 23 points and 6 rebounds and ex-NBA player Roko Ukic had 10 points and 6 assists. In the loss, ex-Mississippi State player Michal Ignerski had 22 points and 12 rebounds and Marcin Gortat had 14 points. Slovenia needed help from the home fans again as they had to keep Georgia at bay in their 72-68 win. Goran Dragic had 11 points in the win while in the loss, ex-UNC Greensboro player Ricky Hickman had 19 points and 7 rebounds and former draft pick Viktor Sanikidze had 17 points and 13 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-C-8-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-C-7-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-C-9-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html

Here are the standings:
Slovenia 3-0
Spain 2-1
Croatia 2-1
Georgia 1-2
Czech Republic 1-2
Poland 0-3

A battle between a pair of winless teams in Group D gave Sweden their first win after they built up lead in the final quarter against a poor Russia team for an 81-62 final margin. In the win, Jeffery Taylor had 25 points and 6 rebounds, Jonas Jerebko had 22 points and 13 rebounds, and ex-Davidson player Kenny Grant had 11 points as Alexey Shved had 15 points in the loss. Two undeated teams were next with Italy stifling Finland 62-44 with 10 points and 8 rebounds from Luigi Datome as he heads to the Detroit Pistons this season. Greece was the latest team to heap misery on Turkey after beating them 84-61. Former draft pick Kotas Papanikolaou had 11 points in the win while Ersan Ilyasova had 13 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-D-8-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-D-7-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-D-9-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html

Here are the standings:
Greece 3-0
Italy 3-0
Finland 2-1
Sweden 1-2
Russia 0-3
Turkey 0-3

Mexico opened the day in FIBA Americas action against a suddenly tough Jamaica team, and pulled away in the final quarter for a 100-89 win. Lots of the same players who have had strong tournaments contributed in this game again as Hector Hernandez had 25 points, Orlando Mendez had 22 points and 7 assists, Gustavo Ayon had 19 points, and Paul Stoll had 15 points in the win. In the loss, Jerome Jordan had 24 points and 6 rebounds, Akeem Scott had 17 points, and Patrick Ewing Jr. had 17 points as he had his first strong performance after struggling with injuries all tournament long. Argentina knew that it had to get serious to stay in the tournament and they beat Uruguay 89-63. Luis Scola had 17 points in the win while Esteban Batista had 10 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. The Dominican Republic beat Canada 81-74 as things get interesting heading into the final day. In the win, James Feldeine had 20 points, Francisco Garcia had 17 points, Eloy Vargas had 11 points, and Eulis Baez had 11 points. In the loss, Andrew Nicholson had 29 points, Tristan Thompson had 14 points and 6 rebounds, Cory Joseph had 13 points, and Brady Heslip had 12 points. Venezuela looked like they were going to win to set up the most interesting final day possible, but Puerto Rico knew the World Championships were in sight and made the late comeback to force overtime and then win 87-86 to clinch their spot next summer. J.J. Barea had 30 points and 6 assists, Renaldo Balkman had 26 points and 12 rebounds, and IMG Academy product and former draft pick Ricky Sanchez had 10 points and 8 rebounds. Donta Smith had 26 points and 13 rebounds in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=X&n=8&r=9796
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=X&n=7&r=9796
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=X&n=6&r=9796
http://www.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=X&n=5&r=9796

Here are the standings going into the final day:
Puerto Rico 5-1
Dominican Republic 4-2
Mexico 4-2
Canada 3-3
Argentina 3-3
Venezuela 3-3
Jamaica 1-5
Uruguay 1-5

The Dominican Republic can clinch a World Championship spot by beating already eliminated Uruguay in the first game. The loser of the second game between Argentina and Canada will be eliminated with the winner waiting for more results. Mexico can qualify in the third game with a win over Puerto Rico and then Venezuela will know if what it has to do when the final game against already eliminated Jamaica rolls around.

Here is tomorrow's Eurobasket schedule with all four groups playing again for the last two days:
8:30am:
Great Britain vs Germany
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Macedonia
Poland vs Spain
Finland vs Russia

11:45am:
Ukraine vs France
Serbia vs Latvia
Czech Republic vs Georgia
Greece vs Italy

3:00pm:
Israel vs Belgium
Lithuania vs Montenegro
Slovenia vs Croatia
Sweden vs Turkey

Here is tomorrow's FIBA Americas schedule:
11:30am: Dominican Republic vs Uruguay
2:00pm: Argentina vs Canada
5:30pm: Mexico vs Puerto Rico
8:00pm: Venezuela vs Jamaica

[awhom111]

Eric Boateng and Great Britain opened today's Group A Eurobasket action against Germany and managed an 81-74 win to give them a chance to continue in the tournament. Eric had 2 points in 5 minutes as Andrew Lawrence had 23 points to lead the team and Kieron Achara had 11 points. Former draft pick Tibor Pleiss had 20 points and 14 rebounds in the loss. In the next game, France did just enough in the final quarter to beat Ukraine 77-71 as Mike Fratello's team was trying to create a massive upset. Tony Parker had 28 points to refuse to let his team lose, Boris Diaw had 15 points, and Mickael Gelabale had 10 points. Pooh Jeter had 20 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. Israel finally managed their first win as they stomped Belgium 87-69 with a number of NBA draft picks involved on each side. In the win, Yotam Halperin had 14 points and Lior Eliyahu had 13 points and 6 assists while Axel Hervelle had 13 points and 7 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-A-11-4.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-A-10-4.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-A-12-4.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html

Here are the standings:
France 3-1
Ukraine 3-1
Belgium 2-2
Great Britain 2-2
Germany 1-3
Israel 1-3

Great Britain will move on if they can beat Ukraine and if that happens, Ukraine will be biting their nails until the end of the day. Germany is already eliminated and Israel will join them if Ukraine wins the first game. If already qualified France beats Belgium, Ukraine will definitely move on. In that case the third team will be Great Britain if they beat Ukraine, Israel if they beat Germany and Ukraine wins, and Belgium if Germany beats Israel and Ukraine wins. If Belgium beats France those two teams will move on along with the winner of the first game. France will still have motivation to win the game to improve their situation for the next round by starting undefeated.

In Group B, Bosnia and Herzegovina is suddenly making a late surge as they beat Macedonia 62-54 with a fourth quarter comeback. Mirza Teletovic had 22 points and 7 rebounds in the win as Bo McCalebb had 19 points and 6 rebounds and Pero Antic had 17 points and 7 rebounds in the loss. Serbia bounced back from a loss by earning a key 80-71 win over Latvia as Nenad Krstic had 25 points and Nemanja Bjelica had 11 points. Marty Pocius did not play as Lithuania played Montenegro and the game was forced into overtime before Lithuania won 77-70. Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Linus Kleiza had 10 points. In the loss, Tyrese Rice had 19 points, including the game-tying three pointer, and Bojan Dubljevic, who was just picked in the second round by the Minnesota Timberwolves, had 14 points and 6 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-B-10-4.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-B-12-4.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-B-11-4.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html

Here are the standings:
Lithuania 3-1
Serbia 3-1
Latvia 2-2
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-2
Macedonia 1-3
Montenegro 1-3

Latvia and Macedonia will play first, so Lithuania and Bosnia and Herzegovina will know what they need to do to advance by the time they play. Serbia and Montenegro will play a completely meaningless game at the end of the day as Serbia is the only team qualified while Montenegro has already been eliminated.

In Group C, Spain blasted Poland 89-53 as Marc Gasol had 15 points and 6 rebounds, Ricky Rubio had 15 points, Rudy Fernandez had 13 points, and Sergio Rodriguez had 11 points. In the loss, ex-JC player Przemyslaw Zamojski had 11 points and ex-NBA player Maciej Lampe had 10 points. The Czech Republic beat Georgia 95-79 in the next game. Jan Vesely had 27 points and 10 rebounds and Tomas Satoransky had 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists in the win while Viktor Sanikidze had 10 points in the loss. The final game in this group also went to overtime as Slovenia and Croatia did battle before Croatia silenced the home fans with a 76-74 win. In the win, former draft pick Bojan Bogdanovic had 24 points and 7 rebounds, former Jazz draft pick Ante Tomic had 11 points and 15 rebounds, and ex-NBA player Roko Ukic had 10 points. Goran Dragic had 23 points and 8 rebounds in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-C-10-4.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-C-12-4.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-C-11-4.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html

Here are the standings:
Spain 3-1
Slovenia 3-1
Croatia 3-1
Czech Republic 2-2
Georgia 1-3
Poland 0-4

Spain and Georgia will open the day with a completely meaningless game with Spain through and Georgia eliminated. Croatia and the Czech Republic will play for a spot in the next round. Slovenia will know if it is through by the time they play the final game against elminated Poland, but are virtually through to the next round. Slovenia would prefer a Czech win because they would then enter the next stage with a better record.

In Group D, Finland had to comeback twice to force an extra five minutes and prevailed 86-83 after the second overtime to heap more misery on Russia. In the win, ex-Valparaiso player Shawn Huff had 20 points, ex-Providence player Tuukka Kotti had 12 points and 10 rebounds, legendary ex-Utah player Hanno Mottola had 12 points, and former first round pick Petteri Koponen had 11 points and 11 assists. Alexey Shved had 25 points and 6 assists in the loss. A big game between two undefeated teams went to Italy as they held off Greece for an 81-72 win. Marco Belinelli had 23 points and 7 rebounds and Luigi Datome had 19 points in the win while Kostas Papanikolaou had 11 points in the loss. Turkey finally got a win by beating Sweden 87-74 with the only effect being that both teams ended up eliminated. In the win, Ersan Ilyasova had 21 points and former draft pick Emir Preldzic had 11 points and 10 assists. In the loss, Jeffery Taylor had 18 points, Jonas Jerebko had 17 points, and ex-Davidson player Kenny Gregory had 14 points as their star duo could certainly use more help in the future. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-D-10-4.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-D-11-4.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-D-12-4.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html

Here are the standings:
Italy 4-0
Greece 3-1
Finland 3-1
Turkey 1-3
Sweden 1-3
Russia 0-4

Tomorrow, Greece and Finland will play for second place in a game that will also count in the next round so both teams will be playing hard. Italy and Sweden will be a meaningless game with Italy already qualifying and with their record at the start of the next stage all decided. Turkey and Russia are only playing for pride.

Here is tomorrow's Eurobasket schedule for the final day of this stage:

8:30am:
Great Britain vs Ukraine
Latvia vs Macedonia
Georgia vs Spain
Greece vs Finland

11:45am:
Germany vs Israel
Lithuania vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia vs Czech Republic
Italy vs Sweden

3:00pm:
Belgium vs France
Montenegro vs Serbia
Slovenia vs Poland
Turkey vs Russia

It was the final day of the critical round robin stage of the FIBA Americas tournament. The Dominican Republic opened the day knowing that a win would keep them in the tournament and give them a spot in the World Championships. Uruguay was already eliminated, but was not willing to simply hand them the game, but the Dominicans eventually built a lead and won 86-78 to claim their place in Spain next summer. In the win, Jack Michael Martinez had 17 points and 10 rebounds, James Feldeine had 14 points, Eloy Vargas and Eulis Baez had 13 points and 7 rebounds each, and Francisco Garcia had 13 points. In the loss, Esteban Batista had 21 points and 13 rebounds and Leandro Garcia Morales had 16 points to conclude strong individual tournaments. Argentina and Canada were playing next with the loser knowing that they would be out of the tournament. Canada had the early lead, but Argentina made the comeback against the talented but young Canada squad to win 73-67. Luis Scola led his team with 28 points and 7 rebounds while Cory Joseph had 19 points and Andrew Nicholson had 17 points in the loss. This result impacted the other teams as Argentina's tiebreaker advantage meant that they and Mexico would move on and take the last two automatic bids from the continent for the World Championships. Mexico played next against Puerto Rico with both teams already qualified, so they did not show their full decks and Mexico won 66-59. In the win, ex-DII player Noe Alonzo had 13 points and ex-Fresno State player Hector Hernandez had 12 points. In the loss, Larry Ayuso had 17 points, John Holland had 11 points and 6 rebounds, and Daniel Santiago had 11 points. Venezuela still wanted to put on a show for the home fans in the final game and took care of business in the fourth quarter for a 95-85 win. In the win, ex-New Orleans player Hector Romero had 23 points, Donta Smith had 20 points as he looks to continue to contribute as a naturalized player, and ex-Marquette player David Cubillan had 13 points. In the loss, Patrick Ewing Jr. had 16 points, Weyinmi Rose and Akeem Scott had 14 points each, Jerome Jordan had 13 points and 6 rebounds, and Durand Scott had 13 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://www2.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=X&n=11&r=9796
http://www2.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=X&n=10&r=9796
http://www2.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=X&n=9&r=9796
http://www2.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=X&n=12&r=9796

Here are the final standings for this stage:
Mexico 5-2
Dominican Republic 5-2
Puerto Rico 5-2
Argentina 4-3
Venezuela 4-3
Canada 3-4
Uruguay 1-6
Jamaica 1-6

The tournament has been interesting already with plenty more to go in the final three games. There are certainly wild card candidates in this group as disappointing Brazil is likely to get some consideration ahead of hosting the 2016 Olympics. The young talent of Canada also makes them an interesting possibility as FIBA looks to grow the game in more lucrative markets. We will have a clearer idea of other contenders after Eurobasket is over, but Turkey and Russia are certainly going to be considered.

[awhom111]

Eric Boateng and Great Britain had a simple task in their game against Ukraine, knowing that a win would have them advance while a loss would end their tournament. After a poor second quarter, they were not able to make a comeback and fell 87-68. Eric had 1 point in 7 minutes as his tournament ends in individual disappointment after he was a significant contributor in the exhibition games. Kieron Achara had 12 points and Andrew Lawrence had 10 points. In the win, Kyryl Natyazhko had 11 points and Pooh Jeter had 10 points. The next Group A game was a chance for Israel to keep themselves in the tournament against already eliminated Germany, but they could not do so, falling behind in the second half and losing 80-76. In the win, ex-Iowa State player Lucca Staiger had 15 points and Tibor Pleiss had 14 points and 14 rebounds. In the loss, Omri Casspi had 22 points and 13 rebounds, Lior Eliyahu had 16 points and 11 rebounds as he looks to go the NBA again, and Yotam Halperin had 16 points. Belgium jumped out to an early lead on France with both teams knowing that the game would count for the next round as France woke up in the second half and won 82-65. Tony Parker had 20 points and 6 assists against the country of his birth, recent second round pick Joffrey Lauvergne had 14 points and 6 rebounds, Mickael Gelabale had 13 points, and Boris Diaw had 12 points. Axel Hervelle had 13 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-A-13-5.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-A-15-5.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-A-14-5.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html

Here are the final standings:
France 4-1
Ukraine 4-1
Belgium 2-3
Great Britain 2-3
Germany 2-3
Israel 1-4

In Group B, Latvia took care of business to grab a spot in the next round by beating Macedonia 76-66. Pero Antic gets ready for his NBA debut as he had 16 points in the loss. Marty Pocius and Lithuania entered the next game against Bosnia and Herzegovina knowing that they would need to avoid a big loss to move on to the next round. They had to trim the margin late and then endured Bosnia and Herzegovina fouling them to extend the game even though they were the team in the lead, a basketball oddity never seen in the United States, losing only 78-72 to move on. Marty was placed in the starting lineup and had 14 points in 30 minutes and Linus Kleiza had 20 points and 10 rebounds, with both players delivering in the clutch and also scaring everyone at the free throw line. Mirza Teletovic had 31 points and 7 rebounds as he looks to have a better sophomore season in the NBA. Montenegro seized the lead in the fourth quarter to beat Serbia 83-76 in a meaningless game. Tyrese Rice had 12 points to complete his first experience as a naturalized player and Bojan Dubljevic had 11 points. Nemanja Bjelica had 11 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-B-14-5.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-B-13-5.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-B-15-5.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html

Here are the final standings:
Serbia 3-2
Latvia 3-2
Lithuania 3-2
Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-2
Montenegro 2-3
Macedonia 1-4

In Group C, Spain and Georgia played in a game that had no meaning for either team and Spain rolled to an 83-59 win. Ricky Rubio had 16 points, getting help from the Real Madrid trio as Sergio Rodriguez had 15 points and Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Llull had 11 points each. The next game had plenty of meaning as Croatia and the Czech Republic were trying to play themselves into the next round. Croatia, as expected, ended up winning 70-53. Players selected in past NBA drafts were active in the win as Ante Tomic had 12 points and 9 rebounds and Bojan Bogdanovic had 11 points. Jan Vesely had 11 points and 11 rebounds in the loss as a strong individual tournament may improve his confidence in the future. Slovenia wanted to at least entertain the home fans in Celje for a final time, but Poland wanted to salvage a win and did so 71-61. In the loss, Thomas Kelati had 21 points to produce out of the naturalized player slot and Marcin Gortat had 19 points and 12 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-C-14-5.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-C-15-5.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-C-13-5.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html

Here are the final standings:
Spain 4-1
Croatia 4-1
Slovenia 3-2
Czech Republic 2-3
Georgia 1-4
Poland 1-4

In Group D, Greece and Finland played a game for second place in the group with both teams already knowing that the result would carry on to the next round. Finland showed that they will continue to be a team to watch as they won 86-77. Petteri Koponen had 29 points, ex-UALR player Kimmo Murinen had 15 points, ex-Providence player Tuukka Kotti had 14 points and 6 rebounds, and ex-Valparaiso player Shawn Huff had 13 points. In the loss, Vassilis Spanoulis returned from several days of rest with 17 points and former Timberwolves draft pick Loukas Mavrokefalidis had 10 points and 7 rebounds. In the next game, neither team had anything to play for, but Italy went ahead and beat Sweden 82-79. Jeffery Taylor had 28 points and 7 rebounds and Jonas Jerebko had 21 points and 8 rebounds as both players finished with strong individual tournaments. Turkey and Russia played for pride or perhaps the chance to avoid being labeled the biggest disappointment of the tournament and Russia won 89-77. Sergey Karasev had 25 points in his first real chance to break out as he gets ready to head to the NBA while Ersan Ilyasova had 13 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-D-13-5.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-D-15-5.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8732-D-14-5.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8732.teamID_.html

Here are the final standings:
Italy 5-0
Finland 4-1
Greece 3-2
Sweden 1-4
Turkey 1-4
Russia 1-4

Here are the standings at the start of the next stage. Games start on Wednesday with each team playing the three teams that they have not played yet. The top four teams in each group will move on to the quarterfinals.

Group E (combination of groups A and B):
France 2-0
Serbia 2-0
Lithuania 1-1
Ukraine 1-1
Latvia 0-2
Belgium 0-2

Group F (combination of groups C and D):
Italy 2-0
Spain 1-1
Slovenia 1-1
Finland 1-1
Croatia 1-1
Greece 0-2

Tomorrow, the only games scheduled are the two FIBA Americas semifinals. Both games will be ESPN3 with Mexico and Argentina squaring off at 5:30pm Eastern and the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico in the late game at 8:00pm.

[awhom111]

The first semifinal in the FIBA Americas tournament saw Mexico jump out to an early lead only for Argentina to pull in front in the second half before Mexico completed an impressive comeback for a 76-70 win. Who would have thought that Mexico would have an easier path to qualify for the basketball World Cup than the soccer one? Gustavo Ayon had 24 points and 12 rebounds in the win, outdueling Luis Scola, who had 18 points and 7 rebounds. Here is the boxscore:
http://www2.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=38&n=A&r=9797

In the second semifinal, Puerto Rico established a lead on their way to a 79-67 win over the Dominican Republic. Carlos Arroyo had 20 points, J.J. Barea had 16 points and 8 assists, Renaldo Balkman had 13 points and 14 rebounds, and Ricky Sanchez had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Eulis Baez had 12 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. Here is the boxscore:
http://www2.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=37&n=A&r=9797

The third place game between Argentina and the Dominican Republic will be at 5:30pm and the final between Mexico and Puerto Rico will be at 8:00pm. The games will be live on ESPN3 with the final tape-delayed on ESPN2.

Here is tomorrow's ESPN3 Eurobasket schedule as Group E play starts:
8:30am: Ukraine vs Latvia
11:45am: Serbia vs Belgium
3:00pm: France vs Lithuania

[awhom111]

The championship game of the FIBA Americas tournament was tonight and it ended up being quite exciting with Mexico battling back in the fourth quarter to edge out Puerto Rico 91-89 to become the improbable champions of the Americas. In the win, Jovan Harris had 23 points, Gustavo Ayon had 20 points and 16 rebounds, ex-UCLA player Lorenzo Mata had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Jorge Gutierrez had 11 points. In the loss, Carlos Arroyo had 23 points, J.J. Barea had 20 points, Renaldo Balkman had 14 points, and John Holland had 10 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://www2.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=40&n=A&r=9798

The third place game was played first and it was high-scoring with Argentina beating the Dominican Republic 103-93. Luis Scola had 23 points and 9 rebounds in the win. In the loss, ex-Louisville player Edgar Sosa had 20 points as he continues to fight to regain his preinjury form, Jack Michael Martinez had 17 points and 18 rebounds, and James Feldeine had 14 points. Here is the boxscore:
http://www2.caracas2013.com/box.asp?g=39&n=A&r=9798

So an unpredictable and thrilling FIBA Americas tournament is over. Three teams, Canada, Venezuela, and Brazil join an increasingly crowded field of teams that want a wild card berth. Obviously not all of the teams will be able to be accomodated, so it will remain to be seen whether there will be six or more teams from the Americas in the final field of twenty four.

After a day off, Eurobasket moved on to the next stage of play with games in Group E. This group is made up of the top three teams from Group A and Group B. Each team will play the three teams that they have not played yet to complete a round robin for this stage. The top four teams will move on to the all important quarterfinals, where possibly even the seventh place team can secure World Championship berths.

The first game of the day was between Latvia and Ukraine, with Latvia winning 85-51 with Ukraine no longer being able to sneak up on anyone. Rihards Kuksiks had 13 points in the win while Sergii Gladyr had 12 points in the loss. Belgium gave Serbia all they could handle in the next game before falling 76-69. Nenad Krstic had 17 points in the win while Wen Mukubu had 16 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. Marty Pocius and Lithuania faced France in the final game of the day, winning 76-62 to complete a sweep for the former Group B teams against their Group A opponents. Marty had 7 points in 13 minutes, drawing key defensive assignments on Tony Parker. Renaldas Seibutis had 15 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and 6 rebounds, and Linus Kleiza had 11 points and 7 rebounds. In the loss, Nando De Colo had 12 points, Tony Parker had 11 points, and Alexis Ajinca had 10 points and 6 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-E-2-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8731.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-E-3-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8731.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-E-1-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8731.teamID_.html

Here are the latest standings in the group:
Serbia 3-0
Lithuania 2-1
France 2-1
Latvia 1-2
Ukraine 1-2
Belgium 0-3

Here is tomorrow's ESPN3 Eurobasket schedule as Group F play starts:
8:30am: Croatia vs Finland
11:45am: Greece vs Spain
3:00pm: Italy vs Slovenia

The FIBA Americas final will be shown on ESPN2 at 8:00pm. I guess it is too late if you were attempting to avoid spoilers.

[awhom111]

Group F play started today as the teams from Group C play the teams from Group D. Finland was surprisingly strong in the first stage, but fell a bit down to earth as Croatia seems to be finding a bit of form to go along with their talent as they rolled 88-63. In the win, Bojan Bogdanovic had 15 points, Ante Tomic had 11 points and 7 rebounds, and Roko Ukic had 11 points while Shawn Huff had 10 points in the loss. Greece tried to climb back into the group, but faced a tough test against Spain, and they controlled the second and fourth quarters to record a critical 79-75 win. Vassilis Spanoulis had 20 points and Georgios Printezis had 10 points in the win. In the loss, Marc Gasol and Rudy Fernandez had 20 points each, but just did not get enough help. In the final game of the day, Slovenia used the home crowd to take a lead against Italy and maintain it for an 84-77 win. Goran Dragic had 22 points and 6 assists with his brother Zoran providing 15 points and 11 rebounds and Bostjan Nachbar adding 13 points and 6 rebounds. In the loss, Luigi Datome had 16 points and 6 rebounds and Marco Belinelli had 11 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-F-2-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8731.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-F-1-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-F-3-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html

Here are the standings:
Italy 2-1
Slovenia 2-1
Croatia 2-1
Spain 1-2
Greece 1-2
Finland 1-2

Here is tomorrow's ESPN3 Eurobasket schedule as Group E is back in the spotlight:
8:30am: Belgium vs Lithuania
11:45am: Serbia vs Ukraine
3:00pm: Latvia vs France

Now that the Men's tournament is done in the Americas, attention will shift to the Women's tournament held in Mexico as teams scramble for spots in the World Championships in Turkey next summer. Argentina is the latest team to name their squad:
http://www.cabb.com.ar/noticia_ficha.php?id=7244
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/newsid/69183/arti.html

Agostina Burani, Geas (Italy)
Diana Cabrera, Union Florida (Argentina)
Nadia Flores, Lanus (Argentina)
Melisa Gretter, Union Florida (Argentina)
Cecilia Lineira, Ibaziabal (Spain)
Natacha Perez, Lanus (Argentina)
Paula Reggiardo, Lima Horta (Spain)
Macarena Rosset, Velez Sarsfeld (Argentina)
Carolina Sanchez, Petroleros Mendoza (Argentina)
Ornella Santana, Berazategui (Argentina)
Sthefany Thomas, Gimle (Norway)/Warrandyte Venom (Australia), Clemson
Gisela Vega, Zaragoza (Spain)

[awhom111]

Group E resumed play with Marty Pocius and Lithuania facing Belgium and they rolled to an 86-67 win. Marty had 2 points in 15 minutes. Donatas Motiejunas had 13 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Axel Hervelle had 10 points and 8 rebounds in the loss. Ukraine stunned Serbia in the next game 82-75 as Pooh Jeter made key plays in the final quarter on his way to 20 points. In the loss, Nemanja Bjelica had 22 points and 10 rebounds and Nenad Krstic had 17 points. France exploded offensively against Latvia, but had trouble stopping their opponents in the second round before holding on to a 102-91 win. Alexis Ajinca had 25 points, Tony Parker had 23 points, Nicholas Batum had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists, and Boris Diaw had 16 points and 9 rebounds. Rihards Kuksiks had 11 points in the loss. That result means that Lithuania, Serbia, and France all advance to the next round. Latvia must win in the first game on Sunday against eliminated Belgium to stay alive and they will then await the result of Ukraine's game with Lithuania in the second slot. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-E-5-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8731.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-E-6-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-E-4-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8731.teamID_.html

Here are the standings:
Lithuania 3-1
France 3-1
Serbia 3-1
Ukraine 2-2
Latvia 1-3
Belgium 0-4

Here is tomorrow's ESPN3 Eurobasket schedule as Group F is back in the spotlight:
8:30am: Italy vs Croatia
11:45am: Finland vs Spain
3:00pm: Greece vs Slovenia

[awhom111]

Group F was back in the Eurobasket spotlight starting with Croatia and Italy with Croatia taking the lead in the third quarter and winning 76-68. In the win, Bojan Bogdanovic had 18 points, Roko Ukic had 13 points, and ex-College of Charleston player Dontaye Draper, who is occupying the naturalized player slot, had 12 points as Croatia will be moving on to the quarterfinals. Luigi Datome had 24 points and 7 rebounds in the loss. Spain pounded Finland 82-56 in the next game as Jose Calderon had 23 points and Victor Claver had 12 points and 7 rebounds. In the loss, Petteri Koponen had 17 points and Gerald Lee had 12 points and 6 rebounds. In the final game of the day, the hosts jumped out to an early lead, but Greece did put up a little fight before Slovenia finished a 73-65 win. Goran Dragic had 28 points with more help from his brother as Zoran had 11 points to complete a 3-0 day for former Group C teams. Vassilis Spanoulis had 21 points and 8 rebounds in the loss. Slovenia joins Croatia in the next round, with the winner of the Spain-Italy games automatically joining them. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-F-6-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8731.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-F-4-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8731.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-F-5-2.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8731.teamID_.html

Here are the standings:
Slovenia 3-1
Croatia 3-1
Spain 2-2
Italy 2-2
Greece 1-3
Finland 1-3

Here is tomorrow's ESPN3 Eurobasket schedule as Group E play concludes:
8:30am: Belgium vs Latvia
11:45am: Lithuania vs Ukraine
3:00pm: France vs Serbia

[awhom111]

Group E of Eurobasket is over now. The first game ended up deciding the final qualifier as Latvia was frustrated by a Belgium team that knew that it was already playing its last game and fell 60-56. In the win, Wen Mukubu had 13 points and Axel Hervelle had 10 points and 7 rebounds. That result meant that Ukraine was heading to the quarterfinals as they gave Lithuania a solid fight before falling 70-63. Marty Pocius had 6 points in 13 minutes. Linus Kleiza had 15 points and Donatas Motiejunas had 10 points. In the loss, Sergii Gladyr had 18 points and Pooh Jeter had 10 points and 8 assists. In the final game, Serbia led most of the way as they beat France 77-65. In the win, Nenad Krstic had 19 points and Nemanja Nedovic. France's contingent of experienced players led their attack as Nicholas Batum had 12 points and 7 rebounds, Boris Diaw, Alexis Ajinca, and Nando De Colo each had 12 points, and Tony Parker had 10 points.
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-E-9-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8731.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-E-8-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-E-7-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8731.teamID_.html

Here are the standings:
Serbia 4-1
Lithuania 4-1
France 3-2
Ukraine 2-3
Belgium 1-4
Latvia 1-4

Quarterfinal matchups will be determined after tomorrow's games.

Here is tomorrow's ESPN3 Eurobasket schedule as Group F play concludes:
8:30am: Greece vs Croatia
11:45am: Spain vs Italy
3:00pm: Slovenia vs Finland

[awhom111]

Group F's final day in Eurobasket ended up being quite thrilling. Croatia and Greece squared off first with Croatia looking to win the group and Greece trying to stay alive while shorthanded. The game went into double overtime before Croatia prevailed 92-88. In the win, Bojan Bogdanovic had 22 points, Ante Tomic had 15 points and 12 rebounds, Roko Ukic had 14 points, and Dontaye Draper had 13 points. In the loss, Vassilis Spanoulis had 18 points as Greece is the latest team to join the wild card hopefuls in a last ditch effort to secure a spot in Spain. With Greece eliminated, Spain and Italy were both in the next round already, but still had placement to play for with the loser knowing that they would have to face Serbia and the winner drawing Lithuania. Italy jumped out to an early lead, but had to mount a comeback to send the game into overtime, where they secured the 86-81 win. In the win, Marco Belinelli had 16 points and 8 rebounds and Luigi Datome had 11 points. It was a two man show in the loss as Marc Gasol had 32 points and 10 rebounds and Sergio Rodriguez had 18 points and 6 assists. These results left the final game meaningless, so both teams put on a bit of a show as Finland unleashed a barrage of three pointers on their way to a 92-76 win over Slovenia. In the win, Gerald Lee had 17 points and 6 rebounds, Mikko Koivisto had 16 points, and Petteri Koponen had 14 points and 6 assists. In the loss, Bostjan Nachbar had 15 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-F-8-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8731.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-F-7-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8731.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8731-F-9-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8731.teamID_.html

Here are the standings:
Croatia 4-1
Slovenia 3-2
Italy 3-2
Spain 2-3
Finland 2-3
Greece 1-4

Quarterfinal matchups are below as the first two matchups will be played on Wednesday and the last two on Thursday. The losers of the first two games will play on Thursday and the losers of the last two games will play on Friday along with the two semifinals. The six highest ranked teams that are not Spain will be punching tickets to the World Championships.
Serbia vs Spain
Slovenia vs France
Croatia vs Ukraine
Lithuania vs Italy

[awhom111]

Here are tomorrow's Eurobasket quarterfinal start times with all games on ESPN3:
11:30am: Spain vs Serbia
3:00pm: France vs Slovenia

The women's championships for both Africa and the Americas start later this week. A couple more teams have released rosters, which should save me a headache later when trying to scramble for 22 rosters with plenty of players largely unknown to the wider basketball world. Please note that there is a team called Boston College in Chile.
Chile:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/newsid/69352/arti.html
Barbara Cousino, Boston College (Chile)
Milena Koljanin, Boston College (Chile)
Jennifer Fuentes, Boston College (Chile)
Francisca Rojas, Boston College (Chile)
Marisol Gamboa, Boston College (Chile)
Sendy Basaez, Iquique (Chile)
Paola Naranjo, Quilpe (Chile)
Javiera Morales, Sergio Seppi (Chile)
Valentina Aragonese, Ancona (Italy)
Ziomara Morrison, Rivas Ecopolis (Spain), WNBA (2012)
Tatiana Gomez, Hondarribia-Irun (Spain)/Lombos Quinta (Portugal)
Catalina de la Quintana, Sokol Nusle (Czech Republic)

Angola:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/newsid/69388/arti.html
Catarina Camufal, InterClube (Angola)
Astrida Vicente, InterClube (Angola)
Nguendula Filipe, InterClube (Angola)
Nadir Manuel, InterClube (Angola)
Sonia Guadalupe, InterClube (Angola)
Fineza Eusebio, Primeiro de Agosto (Angola)
Nacissela Mauricio, Primeiro de Agosto (Angola)
Luisa Tomas, InterClube (Angola)
Clarisse Mpaka
Whitney Miguel, Leon Tregor (France)
Madalena Felix, Primeiro de Agosto (Angola)
Felizarda Jorge, Primeiro de Agosto (Angola)

[awhom111]

The first Eurobasket quarterfinal was between Group E winner Serbia and Group F fourth place team Spain. Despite the inconsistent form that led to three first round losses, Spain came out firing on all cylinders in this game and rolled to a 90-60 win. Sergio Rodriguez had 22 points and Rudy Fernandez had 19 points. This result means that all of the quarter-finalists now know that the seventh place team in the tournament will also qualify for next year's World Championship. Serbia now has to quickly pick itself up off the mat with another chance to seal that bid tomorrow. The second game was a much scrappier affair, but France led most of the second half on their way to a 72-62 win over Slovenia to be the first team from Europe to qualify on merit for the World Championship. In the win, Tony Parker had 27 points, Nicholas Batum had 14 points, and Boris Diaw had 10 points and 6 rebounds. In the loss, Goran Dragic had 18 points and 6 assists, his brother Zoran had 12 points, and Bostjan Nachbar had 10 points. Slovenia will now hope that the home fans rally for them as they face a tough test against Serbia to take the quickest path to the World Championship. France and Spain will be an interesting game with both teams less than full strength, but still with plenty of experience. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8733-79-A-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8733.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8733-82-A-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html

Here is tomorrow's ESPN3 Schedule:
8:30am: Serbia vs SloveniaO (Playoffs for 5th place)
11:45am: Ukraine vs Croatia (Quarterfinal)
3:00pm: Italy vs Lithuania (Quarterfinal)

We also have a couple more squad lists from Africa. I am going with what the article lists as clubs in cases where I can find no confirming information.

Algeria:
http://www.fibaafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4160%3Aafrobasket-women-2013-alg-les-douze-algeriennes-sont-connues&catid=121%3Aaccueil&Itemid=369&lang=en
Rachida Belaidi, Petroliers (Algeria)
Nadia Iswi, Petroliers (Algeria)
Nesrine Taibi, Petroliers (Algeria)
Ikbel Chennaf, Petroliers (Algeria)
Amina Boukerma, Petroliers (Algeria)
Chahinez Boushaki, Petroliers (Algeria)
Saidani Sofia, HBM (Algeria)
Lylia Refes, HT Annaba (Algeria)
Nesrine Meribout, HS Annaba (Algeria)
Meriam Medhoui, Olympic Alger (Algeria)
Samia Boudjrima, Olympic Alger (Algeria)
Ouahiba Aissani, Aubervilliers (France)

Mali:
http://www.fibaafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4159%3Aafrobasket-women-2013--mli--la-liste-des-aigles-dames-devoilee&catid=121%3Aaccueil&Itemid=369&lang=en
Nagnouma Coulibaly, Mondeville (France)
Djene Diawara, Charleville (France)
Fatoumata Bagayoko, Stade Malien (Mali)
Nassira Traore, Stade Malien (Mali)
Aissata Maiga, Gulf Coast State (JC)
Meiya Tirera, Sfax (Tunisia)
Kankou Coulibaly, Stade Malien (Mali)
Awa Diallo, Charnay (France)
Ouleymatou Coulibaly, Seminole State (JC)
Fanta Charles Guindo, Djoliba (Mali)
Aminata Sissoko, Djoliba (Mali)
Farima Toure, Stade Malien (Mali)

[awhom111]

One of the better assists you will ever see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP2_BovnfBc

[awhom111]

The first Eurobasket game of the day was the start of the playoffs for fifth place. The winner between Serbia and Slovenia would qualify for the World Championships with the losers still needing a win on Saturday. Slovenia jumped out to a lead in front of the home fans and kept it going for a 92-74 win. Goran Dragic had 15 points but was outdone by his brother Zoran, who had 23 points and 9 rebounds. In the loss, Nenad Krstic had 16 points. Ukraine put up a good fight in the first quarterfinal of the day, but Croatia grabbed the lead and won 84-72 to seal their own World Championship bid. Bojan Bogdanovic had 14 points and Damir Markota had 12 points. In the loss, Pooh Jeter had 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, Viacheslav Kravtsov had 15 points, Sergii Gladyr had 13 points and 9 rebounds, and Kyryl Natyazkho had 10 points. Marty Pocius and Lithuania got to work in the second semifinal, taking an early lead on Italy before their opponents tightened things up, but they re-established their lead late to win 81-77. The the question is whether Marty and Coach K will get to face one another again next summer. Marty had 11 points in 20 minutes and Renaldas Seibutis had 17 points and 6 rebounds. In the loss, Marco Belinelli had 22 points and Luigi Datome had 10 points. Italy has a very quick turnaround as they face Mike Fratello and Ukraine tomorrow for a spot in the World Championships. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8734-83-A-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8733-81-A-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8733-80-A-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html

Here is tomorrow's ESPN3 Schedule:
8:30am: Ukraine vs Italy (Playoffs for 5th place)
11:45am: Croatia vs Lithuania (Semifinal)
3:00pm: France vs Spain (Semifinal)

Here are two more FIBA Americas Squads as I hope to get the remaining nine African rosters tomorrow and the five rosters from the Americas on Saturday.

Canada:
http://www.basketball.ca/senior-women-s-fiba-americas-roster-announced-p155114
Krista Phillips, Dandenong Rangers (Australia), Michigan
Kia Nurse, St. Thomas More High School (Canada)
Shona Thorburn, Aix en Provence (France), Utah and WNBA (2006-2007)
Courtnay Pilypaitis, Vermont (Coaching), Vermont
Kim Smith, Tarbes (France), Utah and WNBA (2006-2008)
Miranda Ayim, Orduspor (Turkey), Pepperdine and WNBA (2011)
Justine Colley, St. Mary's (CIS)
Natalie Achonwa, Notre Dame
Lizanne Murphy, Aix en Provence (France), Hofstra
Tamara Tatham, Halle (Germany), UMass
Kendel Ross, club unknown, Dayton
Kalisha Keane, club unknown, Michigan State

Brazil:
http://www.cbb.com.br/PortalCBB/Noticias/Show/11759
Adriana Moises Pinto, Recife (Brazil), WNBA (2001-2002)
Karla Cristina Martins da Costa, Americana (Brazil)
Patricia de Oliveira Ferreira, Maranhao (Brazil)
Patricia Teixeira Ribeiro, Sao Jose (Brazil)
Taina Mayara da Paixao, Sao Jose (Brazil)
Joice dos Santos Coelho, Guarulhos (Brazil)
Tatiane Pacheco Nascimento, Sao Jose (Brazil)
Clarissa Cristina dos Santos, Americana (Brazil)
Damiris Dantas do Amaral, Maranhao (Brazil)
Nadia Gomes Colhado, Sao Jose (Brazil)
Fabiana Caetano de Souza, Americana (Brazil)
Debora Fernandes da Costa, Americana (Brazil)

[awhom111]

Today's Eurobasket action started with a game that would award the winner a World Championship berth. Ukraine had a critical run at the start of the fourth quarter to play spoiler with a 66-58 win over Italy. Pooh Jeter had 20 points for Mike Fratello's bunch as Luigi Datome had 11 points in the loss. This sets up a 7th place game that will probably place the loser into the wildcard discussion. Marty Pocius and Lithuania broke open their semifinal game against Croatia in the second half on their way to a 77-62 win. Marty was mostly involved on the defensive end in his 17 minutes. Linus Kleiza had 22 points and 11 rebounds. Bojan Bogdanovic had 15 points in the loss. Their opponent will be France, after they prevailed in overtime 75-72 over Spain after being stifled in the first half. Tony Parker did not have as much help as in past games, so he did everything for his team with 32 points and 6 rebounds. In the loss, Marc Gasol had 19 points and 9 rebounds, Rudy Fernandez had 17 points, and Sergio Rodriguez had 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8734-84-A-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8735-86-A-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8735-85-A-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html

Here is tomorrow's ESPN3 Schedule:
11:30am: Serbia vs Italy (7th place)
3:00pm: Slovenia vs Ukraine (5th place)

Today was the start of the FIBA Africa Women's Championships as two teams look to make the trip to Turkey next summer for the World Championships. The first game was in Group A, where Senegal pounded Egypt 100-69. In the win, ex-Purdue player Aya Traore had 14 points and NAIA player Oumoul Thiam had 13 points. Group B play started with Mali beating Cape Verde 73-62 as ex-Fordham player Jade Leitao had 26 points in the loss. The next game was also in Group B as Cameroon beat Kenya 69-31. In the win, former Louisiana-Monroe player Priscilla Mbiandja had 11 points and ex-Arizona player Amina Njonkou had 10 points. I do not have a full boxscore for the Group B game where Angola beat Nigeria 60-46, but apparently ex-Florida player Ndidi Madu had 10 points in the loss. Returning to Group A, Ivory Coast beat Algeria 56-48. the final Group B game was moved to the off day as Zimbabwe managed to not arrive in Mozambique in time to face the hosts despite having a shorter journey than the other teams. Here are the boxscores that I do have:
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Egypt&teamnameb=Senegal&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-20&time=09:30:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=A&GameName=2
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Mali&teamnameb=Cape%20Verde&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-20&time=11:45:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=B&GameName=2
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Cameroon&teamnameb=Kenya&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-20&time=14:00:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=B&GameName=3
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Cote%20d-Ivoire&teamnameb=Algeria&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-20&time=19:30:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=A&GameName=3

Here are the seven FIBA Africa Women's rosters to the best of my ability with the last two hopefully being available at some point when they finally take the court:

Senegal:
Oumoul Khairy Thiam, Southern Nazarene (NAIA)
Aya Traore, Elizabeth (Ukraine), Purdue
Oumoul Sarr, Girona (Spain)
Fatou Dieng, Perpignan (France)
Diodio Diouf, Helios (Switzerland)
Ndeye Sene, CS Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Astou Traore, Cadi (Spain)
Maimouna Diarra, Saint Louis (Senegal)
Marie Sy, Lyon (France)
Ndeye Ndiaye, club unknown, Southern Nazarene (NAIA)
Aminata Diop, Charleville (France), Georgetown
Jeanne Senghor, Nice (France)

Egypt:
Sara Aly Zakaria Aly
Menatalla Mohamed Mahmoud Awad
May Hussein Mohamed Hussein Helwa, Alexandria Sporting Club (Egypt)
Shaza Abdelhakam Sallem Gaballah
Danah Walid Jaber Mohammed Salameh
Aliaa Mahmoud Mohamed Gamal
Dina Amr
Reem Osama
Dina Sallem Ahmed Sherif
Engy Afify
Hagar Amer, Alexandria Sporting Club (Egypt)
Nourallah Adel Hassan Aly Mostafa, Alexandria Sporting Club (Egypt)

Ivory Coast:
Fatoumata Kone, Abidjan BC (Ivory Coast)
Saran Camara, CS Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Mamiky Cisse, Abidjan BC (Ivory Coast)
Fatou Diabate, Abidjan BC (Ivory Coast)
Kariata Diaby
Salimata Berte, Abidjan BC (Ivory Coast)
Kani Kouyate, CS Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Aichata Diomande, Abidjan BC (Ivory Coast)
Edjime Djedjemel, CS Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Massarami Meite, Charnay (France)
Awa Meite
Minata Fofana, CS Abidjan (Ivory Coast)

Cape Verde:
Jade Kathleen Leitao, club unknown, Fordham
Vandell Lushea Andrade, Rhode Island College (DIII)
Mireille Rocha Coronel, Academica Sao Vincente (Cape Verde)
Djenifer Margaret Mendes Varela Monteiro, Sporting (Portugal)
Aurea Patricia Cardoso Mendes, Vagos (Portugal)
Juvelina Carvalho Bento, Santiago (Cape Verde)
Lorreta Sofia Almeida Rocha, Southern New Hampshire (DII)
Aylin Helena Gomes Pires, Santiago (Cape Verde)
Ornela Patricia Livramento
Crispina Ines Andrade Correia, Primeiro de Agosto (Angola), Auburn

Nigeria:
Helen Kehinde Ogunjimi, First Bank (Nigeria), Columbia College (NAIA)
Upe Atosu, First Deepwater (Nigeria)
Justine Ngoze Udenze, Gimle (Norway), Central Connecticut
Nekachi Akashili, First Deepwater (Nigeria)
Grace Nwakaego Okonkwo, First Bank (Nigeria)
Magdalene Ukato, First Deepwater (Nigeria)
Joyce Eziaku Ekworomadu, club unknown, Texas State
Ndidi Awele Madu, Al Qazeres (Spain), Florida
Rashidat Odun Sadiq, First Bank (Nigeria), Oklahoma State
Priscilla Chioma Udeaja, First Deepwater (Nigeria)
Toluwani Oluwaseunfunmi Omotola, Liberty

Cameroon:
Marie Kevine Tsoungui Sibekono, INJS (Cameroon)
Priscilla Laure Mbiandja, club unknown, Louisiana-Monroe
Astride Siloise Gano Njiogap, INJA (Cameroon)
Amina Njonkou, Aviles (Spain), Arizona
Olivia Fortune Yowou Ouako, Nobless (Cameroon)
Ramses Diane Lonlack Nimpa, club unknown, Memphis
Alina Nicole Senken Jamen, club unknown, Austin Peay
Hermine Ngueko Guotue, INJS (Cameroon)
Edith Laure Kameni Tosom, INJS (Cameroon)
Florence Valerie Avebe, club unknown, UMass
Catherine Ghane Yenou, INJS (Cameroon)
Francoise Sylvie Tchouatcha Tafen, club unknown, Pitt

Kenya:
Grace Wanjiku Wango'Ndu, Strathmore University (Kenya)
Emma Nyaboke Nyakweba, US International University (Kenya)
Angela Thella Awuor Okoth, Eagle Wings (Kenya)
Betty Samba Mjomba, Eagle Wings (Kenya)
Hilda Join Hindasi Luvandwa, US International University (Kenya)
Brenda Angeshi Jumba, Ports Authority (Kenya)
Susan Akinyi Odhiambo, Eagle Wings (Kenya)
Silalei Agalo Shani, Eagle Wings (Kenya), Messiah (DIII)
Rose Atieno Ouma, Al Naser (United Arab Emirates), Wayland Baptist (NAIA)
Belinda Aluoch Okoth
Vilma Achieng Owino, Eagle Wings (Kenya)
Purity Auma, APR Kigali (Rwanda)

[awhom111]

Our final qualifier into next summer's World Championship has been decided after the 7th place game at Eurobasket. Serbia jumped out to an early lead on Italy and held on to it for a 76-64 win. Nenad Krstic had 17 points, Nemanja Bjelica had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Nemanja Nedovic had 12 points. Luigi Datome had 19 points to finish a strong tournament that should help him get ready to join the NBA. Slovenia had struggled in meaningless games, but they overcame a slow start to win 69-63 over Ukraine in the 5th place game to give the home fans something to cheer about. Goran Dragic had 19 points and 7 rebounds in the win while Pooh Jeter finished his first international tournament with 12 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8736-87-A-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8737-88-A-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html

Here is tomorrow's ESPN3 Schedule:
11:30am: Croatia vs Spain (3rd place)
3:00pm: Lithuania vs France (1st place)

To review, here are the other 18 teams that will join the United States and Spain next summer. 4 more teams will be added in November to complete the field. Serbia, Ukraine, Slovenia, Croatia, France, and Lithuania qualified from Europe. The Dominican Republic, Argentina, Puerto Rico, and Mexico qualified from the Americas. Senegal, Egypt, and Angola qualified from Africa. South Korea, the Philippines, and Iran qualified from Asia. Australia and New Zealand take up the two spots from Oceania.

Here are the two missing FIBA Africa Women's Championship squads:

Mozambique:
Valerdina Manhonga, Desportivo Maputo (Mozambique)
Deolinda Ngulela, Desportivo Maputo (Mozambique), Augusta State (DII)
Ana Flavia Joao De Azinheira, A Politechnica (Mozambique)
Anabela Cossa, Desportivo Maputo (Mozambique)
Clarisse Machanguana, Desportivo Maputo (Mozambique), Old Dominion and WNBA (1999-2002)
Catia Halar, Desportivo Maputo (Mozambique)
Filomena Micato, Desportivo Maputo (Mozambique)
Leia Dongue, Desportivo Maputo (Mozambique)
Rute Muianga, Desportivo Maputo (Mozambique)
Cecilia Henriques, A Politechnica (Mozambique)
Odelia Mafanela, Desportivo Maputo (Mozambique)
Deolinda Gimo, Primeira de Agosto (Angola)

Zimbabwe:
Fadzai Mabasa, Jewel (Zimbabwe)
Margaret Magwaro, Varsity Leopards (Zimbabwe)
Resina Chisale, Varsity Leopards (Zimbabwe)
Geraldine Tsitsi Chibonda, Giants (Zimbabwe)
Serina Chareka, Jewel (Zimbabwe)
Margaret Kanyimo, Raiderz (Zimbabwe)
Cleopatra Yzrai Manda, Lakers (Zimbabwe)
Dorcas Marondera, Jewel (Zimbabwe)
Sharon Chamwaruna, Jewel (Zimbabwe)
Pretty Tinarwo, Highlanders (Zimbabwe)
Patience Chinhoyi, Jewel (Zimbabwe)

The first game today was in Group B as Nigeria beat Kenya 74-49. In the win, ex-Florida player Ndidi Madu had 17 points and 8 rebounds and Liberty's Tolu Omotola had 12 points. Ex-DIII player Silalei Shani had 17 points and 7 rebounds. The next Group B game was the third game as Cameroon came back late to beat Mali 67-64. In the win, former Louisiana-Monroe player Priscilla Mbiandja had 19 points, ex-Memphis player Ramses Lonlack-Nimpa had 14 points, and ex-Arizona player Aminu Njonkou and ex-Austin Peay player Nicole Jamen had 10 points each. The final Group B game was in the fourth timeslot and Angola beat Cape Verde 76-51. In the loss, ex-Fordham player Jade Leitao had 20 points and DIII player Vandell Andrade had 10 points and 6 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Nigeria&teamnameb=Kenya&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-21&time=10:00:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=B&GameName=5
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Mali&teamnameb=Cameroon&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-21&time=14:30:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=B&GameName=6
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Cape%20Verde&teamnameb=Angola&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-21&time=16:45:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=B&GameName=4

The first Group A game was in the second timeslot as Algeria beat a Zimbabwe team that finally arrived 73-66. Hosts Mozambique finally got to take the floor in front of their home fans and rolled to a 105-53 win over Egypt in the fifth game of the day. Ex-Old Dominion and WNBA player Clarisse Machanguana had 17 points in the win. The late game was a snoozer as Senegal ground out a 50-35 over Ivory Coast. Here are the boxscores:
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Zimbabwe&teamnameb=Algeria&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-21&time=12:15:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=A&GameName=5
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Egypt&teamnameb=Mozambique&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-21&time=19:00:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=A&GameName=4
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Senegal&teamnameb=Cote%20d-Ivoire&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-21&time=21:15:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=A&GameName=6

FIBA Americas Women's Championship play started with the two Group A games. Venezuela had a fourth quarter comeback to beat Chile 77-74. Ex-JC player Ivaney Marquez had 19 points, JC player Daniela Wallen had 16 points, DII player Roselis Silva had 14 points and 6 assists, and JC player Cleyder Blanco had 11 points. That balanced effort offset a monster 30 point, 18 rebounds performance from ex-WNBA player Ziomara Morrison. Cuba beat Jamaica 75-52 as recent St. John's graduate Shenneika Smith had 12 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=1&r=9782
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=2&r=9782

In Group B play, Brazil rolled to a 91-54 win over Puerto Rico as ex-WNBA player Adriana Pinto had 15 points and 7 assists. In the loss, ex-Texas player Carla Cortijo had 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, but turned it over 11 times with Sandra Garcia of Wake Forest adding 11 points. Argentina controlled the fourth quarter to beat hosts Mexico 67-53. Ex-Oklahoma State player Brisa Silva had 17 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=1&r=9782
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=2&r=9782

Here are the remaining FIBA Americas Women's Championship squads, except for the Dominican Republic, which I will include tomorrow.

Cuba:
Francy Grechin Ochoa Izquierdo, Camaguey (Cuba)
Ineidis Casanova Gonzalez, Santiago (Cuba)
Anisleidy Galindo Martinez, Pinar del Rio (Cuba)
Oyanaisy Gelis Gonzalez, Santiago (Cuba)
Arlenys Romero Moinelo, Pinar del Rio (Cuba)
Yamara Amargo Delgado, Sancti Spiritus (Cuba)
Arlety Povea Chacon, Pinar del Rio (Cuba)
Marlen Georgina Cepeda Valle, Sancti Spiritus (Cuba)
Clenia Noblet Salazar, Guantanamo (Cuba)
Taimy Fernandez Martinez, Pinar del Rio (Cuba)
Leidys Oquendo Valdes, Camaguey (Cuba)
Suchitel Avila Cosanas, Capitalinas (Cuba)

Jamaica:
Simone Edwards, Pecs (Hungary), Iowa and WNBA (2000-2005)
Thova Gardner, GIE Matrix (Women's Universal Basketball Association)
Shenneika Smith, St. John's
Tarita Gordon, club unknown, East Tennessee State
Sasha Dixon, Homestead Cougars (Jamaica)
Rhona McKenzie, Riva (Switzerland)
Christina Mitchell, Liberty (Track and Field)
Angelee Latouche, club unknown, George Mason
Monique Salmon, club unknown, Baruch (DIII)
Vanessa Giden, Hapoel Petah-Tikva (Israel), Hofstra
Ladonna Lamonth, Walgrovians (Jamaica)
Tajay Ashmeade, Ferrol (Spain), Seton Hall

Puerto Rico:
Stephanie Rosado, Fortuna (Lithuania), IPFW
Ashley Prim, St. Joseph's
Jazmine Sepulveda, Chieti (Italy), South Florida
Angelica Bermudez, Ponce Lionesses (Puerto Rico), Kean (DIII)
Carla Cortijo, Carolina Giants (Puerto Rico), Texas
Kiara Quinones-Noa, Carolina Giants (Puerto Rico)
Paolo Crespo
Sandra Garcia, Wake Forest
Angiely Morales, Carolina Giants (Puerto Rico)
Carrie Ojeda, Eastern Washington
Marie Placido, Quebradillas Pirates (Puerto Rico)
Kirstina Rosario, San German Athletics (Puerto Rico), Morgan State

Venezuela:
Maria Felix Requena Acevedo, Guarico Guerreras (Venezuela)
Roselis Carolina Silva Serrano, Arkansas Tech (DII)
Yosimar Corrales, Guarico Guerreras (Venezuela)
Ivaney Marquez, Carabobo (Venezuela), Grayson County (JC)
Daniela Andreina Wallen Morillo, Independence (JC)
Lusiana Ortega, Cojedes Llaneras (Venezuela)
Amanda Torres, Yaracuyanas (Venezuela)
Cleyder Oderlin Blanco Pinango, Weatherford (JC)
Mayerling Nohemi Landaeta Silva
Waleska Alejandra Perez Abreu, Weatherford (JC)
Siuly Jose Marcano Diazgranados, Tachira Aurinegras (Venezuela)

[awhom111]

Eurobasket action started with the game for bronze as Spain built a lead and took care of Croatia 92-66. Sergio Llull had 21 points, Marc Gasol had 17 points and 8 rebounds, and Victor Claver had 16 points and 6 rebounds. Bojan Bogdanovic kept his team in the game, finishing with 22 points, and Roko Ukic had 12 points. Marty Pocius and Lithuania were up next in the final against France, holding the early lead, but France battled back on their way to an 80-66 win. Marty had 3 points in 17 minutes. Linus Kleiza had 20 points and Renaldas Seibutis had 10 points. In the win, Nicholas Batum had 17 points and 6 rebounds, Boris Diaw had 15 points and 6 rebounds, and Tony Parker had 12 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8738-89-A-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html
http://www.eurobasket2013.org/en/cid_8Xfg3jZMG1QuJnp6pnUWd3.gameID_8739-90-A-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2013.roundI D_8722.teamID_.html

The rescheduled FIBA Africa Women's Tournament game took place today and Zimbabwe probably wishes they could have avoided showing up to this one as well as Mozambique absolutely pounded them in front of the home fans for a 117-28 win. In the win, Clarisse Machanguana had 14 points and ex-DII player Deolinda Ngulela had 13 points and 13 assists. Here is the boxscore:
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Mozambique&teamnameb=Zimbabwe&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-23&time=18:00:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=A&GameName=1

Here is the Dominican Republic squad for the FIBA Americas Women's Tournament:
Marlem Caceres
Johanna Morton
Jennifer Estrella, Mauricio Baez (Dominican Republic)
Andreina Paniagua, Mauricio Baez (Dominican Republic)
Lily Abreu, club unknown, Arkansas Tech (DII)
Genesis Evangelista
Eyandra Molina, club unknown, NC Central
Marian Soto
Escarlin Mosquete
Melissa Santos, Mauricio Baez (Dominican Republic)
Sugeiry Monsac, Maccabi Tel Kabir (Israel), Robert Morris

The first game of the day had Canada making their debut in Group A with a dominant 75-37 win over Jamaica. Ex-Utah player Kim Smith had 15 points in the win while ex-Iowa player Simone Edwards had 12 points in the loss. Cuba pounded Chile 85-59 in the second Group A game despite another big Ziomara Morrison performance as she had 24 points and 11 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=3&r=9782
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=4&r=9782

Group B play started with Puerto Rico making a big comeback to knock off Argentina 85-79. In the win, ex-South Florida player Jazmine Sepulveda had 24 points, 16 rebounds, and 8 assists, Wake Forest's Sandra Garcia had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and ex-Texas player Carla Cortijo had 12 points and 6 assists. Brazil closed the day by dismantling the Dominican Republic 107-43. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=3&r=9782
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=4&r=9782

[awhom111]

In today's FIBA Africa Women's Tournament action, Group A started with the second timeslot as Senegal handed Zimbabwe another loss by a 123-45 margin. NAIA player Oumoul Thiam had 18 points and ex-Purdue player Aya Traore had 16 points in the win. Ivory Coast used a strong start to beat Egypt 72-54 in the fourth timeslot. The hosts then took the floor in the next timeslot and beat Algeria 67-34 as Clarisse Machanguana had 11 points and 6 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Zimbabwe&teamnameb=Senegal&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-23&time=12:15:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=A&GameName=9
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Egypt&teamnameb=Cote%20d-Ivoire&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-23&time=16:45:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=A&GameName=8
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Mozambique&teamnameb=Algeria&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-23&time=19:00:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=A&GameName=7

Here are the standings with two games to play:
Mozambique 3-0
Senegal 3-0
Ivory Coast 2-1
Algeria 1-2
Egypt 0-3
Zimbabwe 0-3

Group B opened the day as Cameroon eased past Cape Verde 62-39. Ex-Arizona player Amine Njonkou had 10 points in the win while DIII player Vashell Andrade had 12 points and 10 rebounds. In the third timeslot Angola managed to grind out a 45-39 win over Kenya. Ex-NAIA player Rose Ouma had 11 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. The day's final game had Mali pounding Nigeria 78-45 as ex-NAIA player Sarah Ogoke had 14 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Cape%20Verde&teamnameb=Cameroon&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-23&time=10:00:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=B&GameName=8
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Angola&teamnameb=Kenya&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-23&time=14:30:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=B&GameName=7
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Nigeria&teamnameb=Mali&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-23&time=21:15:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=B&GameName=9

Here are the standings before the final two games:
Cameroon 3-0
Angola 3-0
Mali 2-1
Nigeria 1-2
Cape Verde 0-3
Kenya 0-3

In FIBA Americas Women's Tournament Group A action, Cuba recorded another win by holding off Venezuela 82-72. JC player Cleyder Blanco had 19 points and 10 rebounds, ex-JC player Ivaney Marquez had 15 points and 7 rebounds, and JC player Daniela Wallen had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Canada beat Chile easily 93-51. Ex-Utah player Shonna Thorburn had 15 points, ex-Utah player Kim Smith had 11 points and 6 rebounds, and ex-Michigan player Krista Phillips had 10 points as Ziomara Morrison was held in relative check with 16 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=5&r=9782
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=6&r=9782

The first Group B game was a solid 67-44 win for Argentina over the Dominican Republic. The final game had Puerto Rico beating hosts Mexico 78-60. Carla Cortijo had 15 points and 7 rebounds, Jazmine Sepulveda had 11 points and 9 rebounds, and Ashley Prim had 11 points. In the loss, ex-Vermont player Alexis Castro had 22 points and 15 rebounds and Brisa Silva had 14 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=5&r=9782
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=6&r=9782

[Edouble]

One of the better assists you will ever see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP2_BovnfBc

He walked.

[awhom111]

Group A started FIBA Africa Women's Tournament action today as Egypt heaped more pain on Zimbabwe with an 85-55 win. In the third timeslot, Senegal smothered Algeria 102-22 as NAIA player Oumoul Thiam had 12 points. In the fifth timeslot, the hosts remained undefeated with a 56-41 win over Ivory Coast as ex-DII player Neolinda Ngulela had 15 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Egypt&teamnameb=Zimbabwe&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-24&time=10:00:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=A&GameName=12
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Algeria&teamnameb=Senegal&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-24&time=14:30:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=A&GameName=11
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Cote%20d-Ivoire&teamnameb=Mozambique&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-24&time=19:00:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=A&GameName=10

The Egypt-Algeria game will determine the final quarterfinalist from this group. Here are the standings heading into the final day:
Senegal 4-0
Mozambique 4-0
Ivory Coast 2-2
Egypt 1-3
Algeriia 1-3
Zimbabwe 0-4

Group B action started in the second timeslot as Mali beat Kenya 63-42. In the fourth timeslot, Angola just edged out Cameroon 48-44. Ex-Austin Peay player Nicole Jamen had 17 points in the loss. In the final game of the day, Nigeria needed a fourth quarter comeback to beat Cape Verde 60-55. Sarah Ogoke had 10 points in the win while Vandell Andrade had 18 points and 9 rebounds and Jade Leitao had 11 points in the loss. Here are the boxscores:
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Kenya&teamnameb=Mali&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-24&time=12:15:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=B&GameName=11
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Cameroon&teamnameb=Angola&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-24&time=16:45:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=B&GameName=10
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Cape%20Verde&teamnameb=Nigeria&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-24&time=21:15:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=B&GameName=12

The quarterfinalists are set for this group with a little bit of seeding to resolve in the final day. Here are the standings:
Angola 4-0
Mali 3-1
Cameroon 3-1
Nigeria 2-2
Cape Verde 0-4
Kenya 0-4

FIBA America's Women's Tournament Group A play started with Chile shaking off a sluggish start to beat Jamaica 74-56 behind Ziomara Morrison's 20 points and 9 rebounds. In the loss, recent St. John's graduate Shenneika Smith had 14 points, ex-Hofstra player Vanessa Gidden had 12 points and 6 rebounds, and Simone Edwards had 11 points and 6 rebounds. Canada remained undefeated by beating Venezuela 89-45. In the win, ex-Dayton player Kendel Ross had 16 points, Kim Smith had 12 points and 6 rebounds, and Notre Dame's Natalie Achonwa had 12 points. JC player Waleska Perez had 13 points in the loss. Canada and Cuba are in the semifinals and will play tomorrow for seeding, Here are the boxscores:
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=7&r=9782
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=8&r=9782

In Group B, Brazil won a key matchup with Argentina 69-60. The Dominican Republic beat Mexico 84-77 in the final game to eliminate the hosts. Ex-Robert Morris player Sugeiry Monsac had 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists in the win. In the loss, Alexis Castro had 25 points and 11 rebounds Brisa Silva had 20 points. Things will stretch into the final day to determine who will join Brazil in the semifinals. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=7&r=9782
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=8&r=9782

[awhom111]

A Group A matchup started the day in the FIBA Africa Women's Championship as Ivory Coast sent Zimbabwe home winless by defeating them 66-50. The next game was also in Group A with the winner taking the final quarterfinal spot and it was Egypt beating out Algeria 72-62. The two remaining unbeaten teams played in the fifth timeslot with Mozambique using the home fans to propel them to a 77-61 win over Senegal. In the win, Neolinda Ngulela had 21 points and Clarisse Machanguana had 16 points and 9 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Cote%20d-Ivoire&teamnameb=Zimbabwe&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-25&time=10:00:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=A&GameName=14
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Algeria&teamnameb=Egypt&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-25&time=12:15:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=A&GameName=15
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Mozambique&teamnameb=Senegal&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-25&time=19:00:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=A&GameName=13

Here are the final standings:
Mozambique 5-0
Senegal 4-1
Ivory Coast 3-2
Egypt 2-3
Algeria 1-4
Zimbabwe 0-5

The first Group B game of the day in the third timeslot ended up being a thriller as both teams looked for their first win, going into overtime before Kenya edged out Cape Verde 64-63. Ex-DIII player Silalei Shani had 15 points and 13 rebounds in the win. In the loss, Vandell Andrade had 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 steals, Jade Leitao had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and DII player Lorreta Rocha had 12 points and 7 rebounds. In the fourth timeslot, Cameroon made a late comeback to beat Nigeria 71-65. In the win, Priscilla Mbiandja had 14 points, Amina Njonkou had 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Ramses Lonlack-Nimpa had 13 points and 9 assists. In the loss, Ndidi Madu had 15 points and Sarah Ogoke and ex-NAIA player Helen Ogunjimi had 10 points each. Angola needed overtime to seal group supremacy with a 67-66 win over Mali. Here are the boxscores:
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Kenya&teamnameb=Cape%20Verde&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-25&time=14:30:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=B&GameName=15
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Cameroon&teamnameb=Nigeria&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-25&time=16:45:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=B&GameName=14
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Angola&teamnameb=Mali&OfficialName=Preliminary%20Round&date=2013-09-25&time=21:15:00&roundid=9800&GroupName=B&GameName=13

Here are the final standings:
Angola 5-0
Cameroon 4-1
Mali 3-2
Nigeria 2-3
Kenya 1-4
Cape Verde 0-5

The teams left in the tournament will day a day off and then square off in the following matchups (the winners of the first two pairings will play one semifinal and the other two winners will play the other semifinal with semifinal winners qualifying for the World Championship):
Nigeria vs Mozambique
Ivory Coast vs Cameroon
Egypt vs Angola
Mali vs Senegal

In the FIBA Americas Women's Tournament, Group A action started with a meaningless game that Jamaica won 81-61 over Venezuela. In the win, Simone Edwards had 16 points and 7 rebounds, Angelee Latouche had 16 points, and Vanessa Gidden had 13 points and 8 rebounds. In the loss, Daniela Wallen had 15 points, Ivaney Marquez had 11 points, and Roselis Silva had 10 points. In the game with more at stake, Canada won the group by defending relentlessly and beating Cuba 53-40. Ex-UMass player Tamara Tatham led her team with 17 points and 9 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=9&r=9782
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=A&n=10&r=9782

Here are the final standings:
Canada 4-0
Cuba 3-1
Chile 1-3
Jamaica 1-3
Venezuela 1-3

Group B's critical game came first with Puerto Rico jumping out to an early lead and beating the Dominican Republic 84-59 to claim the second semifinal spot from the group. In the win, Carla Cortijo had 18 points and 9 rebounds and Jazmine Sepulveda had 15 points. Brazil decided not to ease up at all, rolling past Mexico 97-45 and leaving the home fans disappointed with their team winless in a virtual group of death in the tournament. In the loss, Brisa Silva had 12 points and Alexis Castro had 10 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=9&r=9782
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=B&n=10&r=9782

Here are the final standings:
Brazil 4-0
Puerto Rico 3-1
Argentina 2-2
Dominican Republic 1-3
Mexico 0-4

On Friday, Canada will play Puerto Rico and Brazil will play Cuba with the winners earning spots in the World Championship. The winner of the third place game will also join them.

[awhom111]

Congrats to Lindsey Harding, who is one of the players set to participate in a Team USA mini-camp next week:
http://www.usab.com/womens/national/roster.html

We thought that we would know who the final participants for Spain 2014 would be by the end of November, but FIBA has pushed that date back. This is likely due in part to the stronger than usual candidate pool of wildcard teams. Here is the press release:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/presRele/p/newsid/69874/presReleArti.html

With all senior national team play taking a rest today, there are a couple of youth tournaments going on. In Australia, New Zealand is battling the host team in a three game series on both the boy's and girl's sides to determine the spot up for grabs in the two 2014 U17 World Championships. Unsurprisingly, Australia won both Game 1s.

The FIBA Asia U16 Boy's Championship has been going on for a couple days in Iran as the continent looks to send three teams to Dubai next year. Two teams dropped out of the tournament, so nobody will be eliminated from Groups C and D of the tournament. Groups A and B will have to eliminate two teams at the close of group play tomorrow.

[awhom111]

FIBA Africa Women's Tournament play continued after a day off. The eliminated teams were still fighting for 9th place starting with Cape Verde's 65-45 win over Algeria with a 21 point performance from Jade Leitao. Kenya then beat Zimbabwe 63-52 in the other game. Here are the boxscores:
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Cape%20Verde&teamnameb=Algeria&OfficialName=Semi-Final%20Round&date=2013-09-27&time=12:00:00&roundid=9805&GroupName=31&GameName=A
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Zimbabwe&teamnameb=Kenya&OfficialName=Semi-Final%20Round&date=2013-09-27&time=14:15:00&roundid=9805&GroupName=32&GameName=A

The first quarterfinal saw Cameroon take control against the Ivory Coast for a 62-48 win as Amina Njonkou had 13 points. Angola dominated the next game, pounding Egypt 84-49. Hosts Mozambique had one of the trickiest matchups in this round, but managed to hold off Nigeria 77-74. Clarisse Machanguana had 17 points and 8 rebounds in the win while Sarah Ogoke had 25 points, ex-Texas State player Joyce Ekworomadu had 13 points, and Ndidi Madu had 10 points and 12 rebounds in the loss. Senegal closed the day with a 67-44 win over Mali. Oumoul Thiam had 13 points and Aya Traore had 12 points in the win. Tomorrow's semifinal winners will qualify for the World Championship. Here are the boxscores:
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Cote%20d-Ivoire&teamnameb=Cameroon&OfficialName=Quarter%20Final%20Round&date=2013-09-27&time=13:30:00&roundid=9802&GroupName=38&GameName=A
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Egypt&teamnameb=Angola&OfficialName=Quarter%20Final%20Round&date=2013-09-27&time=15:45:00&roundid=9802&GroupName=36&GameName=A
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Egypt&teamnameb=Angola&OfficialName=Quarter%20Final%20Round&date=2013-09-27&time=15:45:00&roundid=9802&GroupName=36&GameName=A
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Mali&teamnameb=Senegal&OfficialName=Quarter%20Final%20Round&date=2013-09-27&time=20:15:00&roundid=9802&GroupName=37&GameName=A

Here are tomorrow's matchups:
11th Place: Algeria vs Zimbabwe
9th Place: Cape Verde vs Kenya

5th Place:
Nigeria vs Ivory Coast
Egypt vs Mali

Semifinals:
Mozambique vs Cameroon
Angola vs Senegal

The two FIBA Americas Women's Tournament semifinals would give two teams bids to the World Championships. Canada took the first bid with a solid 73-48 win over Puerto Rico. In the win, Kim Smith had 14 points and 11 rebounds, Natalie Achonwa had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Tamara Tatham had 10 points and 7 rebounds. Carla Cortijo had 22 points in the loss. In the second game, Cuba jumped out to a huge lead on Brazil only to nearly give it all away before hanging on to a shocking 72-68 win. Adriana Pinto had 15 points and 7 assists in the loss as Brazil certainly could have used a full strength team for the tournament as they will now have to defeat Puerto Rico again to earn their spot in next summer's tournament. Cuba and Canada will have a rematch in the final. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=21&n=A&r=9807
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=22&n=A&r=9807

Australia will be looking for sweeps in both Oceania U17 Championships after two more wins over New Zealand on Friday. Meanwhile in Iran, Hong Kong and Thailand are the first two teams eliminated from the FIBA Asia U16 Boy's Tournament as 12 teams fight for 3 spots in Dubai next summer.

[awhom111]

The day's FIBA Africa Women's Tournament action started as teams determined their final placments at the bottom of the standings. Algeria beat Zimbabwe 74-59 to at least capture 11th place. Cape Verde then jumped all over Kenya 63-41 for 9th place as Vandell Andrade had 12 points. Here are the boxscores:
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Algeria&teamnameb=Zimbabwe&OfficialName=Final%20Round&date=2013-09-28&time=10:00:00&roundid=9806&GroupName=33&GameName=A
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Cape%20Verde&teamnameb=Kenya&OfficialName=Final%20Round&date=2013-09-28&time=12:15:00&roundid=9806&GroupName=34&GameName=A

The next teams to play were the ones fighting for 5th place. Nigeria beat Ivory Coast 62-53 in the first game. Mali then beat Egypt 67-54 as JC player Ouleymatou Coulibaly had 11 points and 12 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Nigeria&teamnameb=Cote%20d-Ivoire&OfficialName=Semi-Final%20Round&date=2013-09-28&time=14:30:00&roundid=9803&GroupName=39&GameName=A
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Egypt&teamnameb=Mali&OfficialName=Semi-Final%20Round&date=2013-09-28&time=16:45:00&roundid=9803&GroupName=40&GameName=A

The hosts were the first team looking to qualify for the World Championships and they needed the encouragement of the fans to make a big comeback to beat Cameroon 61-57. Clarisse Machanguana had 13 points in the win while Ramses Lonlack-Nimpa had 18 points and 6 steals and Nicole Jamen had 12 points in the loss. Mozambique was joined by Angola, which also needed to make a comeback to sneak past Senegal 46-43. Here are the boxscores:
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Mozambique&teamnameb=Cameroon&OfficialName=Semi-Final%20Round&date=2013-09-28&time=18:00:00&roundid=9803&GroupName=41&GameName=A
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Angola&teamnameb=Senegal&OfficialName=Semi-Final%20Round&date=2013-09-28&time=20:15:00&roundid=9803&GroupName=42&GameName=A

Here are tomorrow's matchups:
7th Place: Ivory Coast vs Egypt
5th Place: Nigeria vs Mali
3rd Place: Cameroon vs Senegal
1st Place: Mozambique vs Angola

In the FIBA Americas Women's Tournament, Brazil managed to salvage 3rd place and the last World Championship berth despite struggling early against Puerto Rico. Adriana Pinto had 11 points in the 66-56 win. In the loss, Jazmine Sepulveda had 21 points and 8 rebounds, Ashley Prim had 11 points, and Carla Cortijo had 10 points. In the final, Cuba followed the same formula from their last game, jumping out to a big lead on Canada before hanging on for dear life to a 79-71 win. In the loss, Tamara Tatham had 25 points and 8 rebounds and ex-Pepperdine player Miranda Ayim had 13 points and 6 rebounds. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=23&n=A&r=9808
http://www.xalapa2013.com/box.asp?g=24&n=A&r=9808

[awhom111]

Today was the final day of the FIBA Africa Women's Tournament. Things started with the 5th place game as Mali controlled the second half to beat Nigeria 57-50. Ex-Texas State player Joyce Ekworomadu had 10 points in the loss. Ivory Coast also controlled the second half as they beat Egypt 61-43 in the 7th place game. In the 3rd place game, Senegal prevailed in a close encounter as the just edged past Cameroon 56-53 getting 11 points from Oumoul Thiam. In the loss, Priscilla Mbiandja had 13 points and 6 steals, Amina Njonkou had 11 points and 7 rebounds, and Nicole Jamen had 11 points and 6 rebounds. The final game was quite exciting as the hosts came back in the fourth quarter to force overtime before Angola managed the 64-61 win over Mozambique. Here are the boxscores:
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Nigeria&teamnameb=Mali&OfficialName=Final%20Round&date=2013-09-29&time=11:00:00&roundid=9804&GroupName=44&GameName=A
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Cote%20d-Ivoire&teamnameb=Egypt&OfficialName=Final%20Round&date=2013-09-29&time=13:30:00&roundid=9804&GroupName=43&GameName=A
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Cameroon&teamnameb=Senegal&OfficialName=Final%20Round&date=2013-09-29&time=15:30:00&roundid=9804&GroupName=45&GameName=A
http://maputo2013.fibaafrica.com/index.php/access-other?teamnamea=Mozambique&teamnameb=Angola&OfficialName=Final%20Round&date=2013-09-29&time=18:30:00&roundid=9804&GroupName=46&GameName=A

[awhom111]

We are approaching the end of international calendar for the year.

Three more teams have punched tickets to Dubai next summer for the U17 Boy's World Championship. China got their bid and ended up winning the FIBA Asia U16 Boy's Championship over a Philippines program that continues to re-announce its presence on the international stage. The third place game in Asia went to Japan, so they too will be in the United Arab Emirates next summer.

[awhom111]

http://www.usab.com/photos/13_wnt_mini-camp_gallery_100413_30_geno.JPG
http://www.usab.com/photos/13_wnt_mini-camp_gallery_100413_01_group.JPG

[awhom111]

There are a handful of other international tournaments left for this year. Egypt and Mali cruised in the semifinals of the Africa U16 Girl's Championship in Mozambique, so both teams are set for the 2014 U17 Girl's World Championship in Slovakia.

[awhom111]

The final qualifying tournament for one of the 2014 World Championships started today as the FIBA Asia Women's tournament started in Bangkok.

The tournament follows an interesting format with the 12 teams divided into two divisions with only the top level competing . In Level II, the Phillipines opened the tournament with an 87-57 win over Hong Kong. Next, Malaysia broke the game open late to beat Indonesia 61-49. The final game had hosts Thailand take the lead early on Uzbekistan to win 60-41. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013102713353.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201310273528.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013102784613.PDF

Level I contains the stronger teams competing for the World Championship slots. Squads are below (last names first for countries that traditionally list names in that format). Japan won the first game 94-59 over Kazakhstan with 12 points from ex-WNBA player Yuko Oga. Taiwan pounded India 85-57 in the next game. The final game was the one that was supposed to be the good one as South Korea escaped with a 72-70 win over China. Ex-WNBA player Nan Chen had 10 points in the loss.
Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013102745346.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201310276328.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120131027111057.PDF

China:
Qiu Siyue, Guangdong Dolphins (China)
Li Meng, Shenyang Lions (China)
Chen Xiaojia, Jiangsu Phoenix (China)
Ji Yanyan, Heilongjiang Chenneng (China)
Zhao Shuang, Shenyang Lions (China)
Cheng Feng, Lianoning Leopards (China)
Lu Wen, Bayi Kylins (China)
Liu Jiachen, Heilongjiang Chenneng (China)
Gao Song, Heilongjiang Chenneng (China)
Menrang Sun, Bayi Kylins (China)
Huang Hongpin, Guangdong Dolphins (China)
Chen Nan, Bayi Kylins (China), WNBA (2009)

Taiwan:
Chen Yi-Feng, Cathay Life (Taiwan)
Huang Fan-Shen, Cathay Life (Taiwan)
Chang Ning, Cathay Life (Taiwan)
Wu Yi-Ting, Cathay Life (Taiwan)
Lin Chi-Wen, Taipower (Taiwan)
Chen Yu-Chun
Tsai Pei-Chen, Taiyuan (Taiwan)
Cheng Hui-Yun, Cathay Life (Taiwan)
Huang Ping-Chen, Cathay Life (Taiwan)
Yang Ya-Hui, Cathay Life (Taiwan)
Huang Ying-Li, Cathay Life (Taiwan)
Liu Chun-Yi, Cathay Life (Taiwan)

India:
Rajapriyadarshini Rajaganapathi
Kokila Subramani, Indian Railways (India)
Geethu Anna Jose, Indian Railways (India)
Anitha Pauldurai, Indian Railways (India)
Manisha Satyajit Dange, Maharashtra (India)
Sharanjeet Kaur, Chhatishgarh (India)
Raspreet Sidhu, Delhi (India)
Shireen Vijay Limaye, Maharashtra (India)
Jeena Skaria, Kerala (India)
Stephy Nixon, Kerala (India)
Prashanti Singh, Delhi (India)
Smruthi Radhakrishnan, Indian Railways (India)

Japan:
Kumiko Oba, Denso Iris (Japan)
Kana Motoyama, Chanson Magic (Japan)
Yuka Mamiya, JX Sunflowers (Japan)
Chika Sakuragi, Mitsubishi Koalas (Japan)
Michiko Miyamoto, Mitsubishi Koalas (Japan)
Emi Kudeken, Toyota Antelopes (Japan)
Ramu Tokashiki, JX Sunflowers (Japan)
Arisa Fujiwara, Denso Iris (Japan)
Asami Yoshida, JX Sunflowers (Japan)
Yuko Oga, JX Sunflowers (Japan), WNBA (2008)
Yuki Miyazawa, JX Sunflowers (Japan), Queens (DII)
Asako O

Kazakhstan:
Rufina Gavriluk, Astana Tigers (Kazakhstan)
Lyudmila Sedova, Irtysh Pavlodar (Kazakhstan)
Nina Mashtakova, Astana Tigers (Kazakhstan)
Yelena Dots, Astana Tigers (Kazakhstan)
Maria Protsenko, Astana Tigers (Kazakhstan)
Anastassiya Alishauskaite, Astana Tigers (Kazakhstan)
Yuliya Demidenko, Irtysh Pavlodar (Kazakhstan)
Oxana Ivanova, Astana Tigers (Kazakhstan)
Zhuldys Baidussenova, Irtysh Pavlodar (Kazakhstan)
Anna Vinokurova, Irtysh Pavlodar (Kazakhstan)
Oxsana Ossipenko, Irtysh Pavlodar (Kazakhstan)
Nadezhda Kondrakova, Irtysh Pavlodar (Kazakhstan)

South Korea:
Lee Seung-Ah, Woori Hansae (South Korea)
Lee Mi-Sun, Samsung Bichumi (South Korea)
Kim Dan-Bi, Shinhan Bank S-Birds (South Korea)
Lee Youn-Hoa, KDB Life Winnus (South Korea)
Kwak Joo-Yeong, Shinhan Bank S-Birds (South Korea)
Yang Ji-Hee, Woori Hansae (South Korea)
Beon Yeon-Ha, KB Stars (South Korea)
Lim Yung-Hui, Woori Hansae (South Korea)
Park Hye-Jin, Woori Hansae (South Korea)
Kim Jung-Eun, Shinsegae One FX (South Korea)
Kang Young-Suk, KDB Life Winnus (South Korea)
Sin Jung-Ja, KDB Life Winnus (South Korea)

[awhom111]

Day 2 of the FIBA Asia Women's Championship:

Level I:
South Korea started the day with an easy 109-62 win over India. China rolled past Kazakhstan 103-62 in the next game. Japan finished the day by beating Taiwan 69-57. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013102844926.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201310287425.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120131028103752.PDF

Level II:
Indonesia opened up the second day with a 79-45 win over Hong Kong. The Philippines took control late to beat Uzbekistan 62-55. The hosts Thailand managed to hold off Malaysia 60-56. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013102812033.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013102844918.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013102885035.PDF

[awhom111]

Day 3 in Thailand:

Level I:
China beat India handily 97-36. Taiwan then handled Kazakhstan 87-57 after a close first quarter. The key game of the day came last as Japan prevailed in overtime 78-71 over South Korea. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201310294528.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013102963759.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013102911035.PDF

Level II:
Malaysia opened the day by beating Hong Kong 73-38. Indonesia then beat Uzbekistan 71-60. The Philippines then beat the hosts 65-59 to close the day. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013102905728.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013102924453.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013102985759.PDF

[awhom111]

The picture is getting clearer in the FIBA Asia Women's Championship. In Level I, South Korea beat Kazakhstan 92-56. Japan then beat India 81-40 and got 10 points from ex-DII player Yuki Miyazawa. China beat Taiwan 85-63 as Chen Nan had 17 points and 7 rebounds. The China-Japan game tomorrow will help settle things at the top as South Korea and Taiwan are ready to join them in the semifinals. Kazakhstan and India are preparing to fight for their position in future Level I tournaments. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013103045759.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201310307840.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120131030104031.PDF

In Level II, Uzbekistan started the day by beating Hong Kong 70-62 by controlling the second half. Malaysia held off the Philippines 60-56 with ex-UC Irvine player Melissa Jacob scoring 17 points in the loss. The hosts Thailand beat Indonesia 75-61 in the final game. Teams are still jostling for the key positions at the top of the standings. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013103013417.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201310302427.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013103084116.PDF

[awhom111]

The first round is over in the FIBA Asia Women's championship.

In Level I, India and Kazakhstan went to overtime with India prevailing 65-62. Both team knew they would be competing to try to stay in the upper level, so they were just playing for placement. Japan finished the first stage undefeated by beating China 62-55. Chen Nan had 16 points in the loss. South Korea dropped the final game 63-58 to Taiwan, but did not affect any of the semifinal matchups by doing so. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013103152025.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120131031701.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120131031104224.PDF

Here are the final standings:
Japan 5-0
China 3-2
South Korea 3-2
Taiwan 3-2
India 1-4
Kazakhstan 0-5

In Level II, Malaysia beat Uzbekistan 63-41 in the first game to improve their chances of grabbing a playoff place. The next game saw Indonesia beat the Philippines 60-54 despite 11 points and 8 rebounds from Melissa Jacob. That left the door open for hosts Thailand, who beat Hong Kong 70-59 to top the group. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013103103832.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201310313018.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013103184511.PDF

Here are the final standings:
Thailand 4-1
Malaysia 4-1
Indonesia 3-2
Philippines 3-2
Uzbekistan 1-4
Hong Kong 0-5

That sets up these matchups on Saturday:

Semifinals (winners plus third place qualify for World Championship):
China vs South Korea
Japan vs Taiwan

Playoffs (winners play in Level I in next tournament):
India vs Malaysia
Kazakhstan vs Thailand

[awhom111]

We are slightly closer to finding out which 4 teams will be the final ones to join the other 20 next summer in Spain as our coach and Team USA look to continue to try to extend their international dominance. They will be chosen from 15 wildcard applicants: Nigeria, Brazil, Canada, Venezuela, China, Qatar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Poland, Russia, and Turkey. Not all 4 teams can be from Europe. Details are here:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/news/p/nid/70292/article.html

I will probably do a more detailed handicapping of each nation's chances at some point, but here are some rough groupings:
Pretty much no chance: Qatar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, Israel
Unlikely to have a chance: Nigeria, Poland
Outsiders: Canada, Venezuela, Germany
Contenders: Brazil, Greece, Italy, Russia, Turkey
Near lock: China

[awhom111]

There is only one more spot to fight for in the World Championship for Women. First in Thailand, there were two playoff games to decide the final two teams that will play in Level I of the next FIBA Asia Championship. India keeps it spot after it beat Malaysia 74-59. The hosts were up next and knocked Kazakhstan out of their spot with a 67-53 win. In the first semifinal, South Korea mounted a late comeback to beat China again 71-66 to clinch their spot in Turkey next summer. Chen Nan had 23 points and 7 rebounds in the loss. Japan won the other semifinal 74-56 over Taiwan as Yuko Oga had 15 points. Along with the championship game, China and Taiwan will square off for one spot in the World Championship. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201311252214.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201311265752.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120131129229.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF012013112103914.PDF

[awhom111]

Now all of the berths in the 2014 World Championship for Women are decided. China beat Taiwan 61-53 for third place to clinch their spot. Japan eased to a 65-43 win over South Korea to win the title. Here are the boxscores:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF0120131136326.PDF
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201311393920.PDF

Joining Geno Auriemma and the United States along with hosts Turkey are Australia, Cuba, Canada, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Japan, South Korea, China, Spain, France, Serbia, Belarus, and the Czech Republic.

[awhom111]

As promised, a little handicap of the 15 wild card applicants for next summer's World Championship. Numbers after the country name signify current world ranking:

Nigeria (18)
Why: The team has some emerging talent. The country is big and would be a part of the continued growth of the sport in Africa.
Why Not: The team is still adjusting to international basketball and is formed almost exclusively of players who have spent their entire childhoods in the United States. Their federation has had a lot of trouble organizing the team in the past, creating question marks about what quality of team they would be able to field in any given year.
Odds: 5%

Brazil (10)
Why: The country is large and growing economically with a solid basketball tradition. The team has a number of big name players. It would be important to have the Olympic hosts at this tournament as well to prepare them.
Why Not: If the team is only as strong as the one they fielded this summer, it would be a disaster in the tournament. With no Olympic berth on the line for the team, how motivated would they be?
Odds: 65%

Canada (25)
Why: With the golden generation of youngsters coming through, the country could soon put itself on the international basketball map. The country is certainly prosperous with a fair sized population and plenty of potential for basketball interest.
Why Not: Are the younger players ready to shine on this stage? If chosen, would the team be at full strength?
Odds: 10%

Venezuela (28)
Why: A very loyal helper to FIBA. Hosts of a number of recent events.
Why Not: The team is not all that strong with heavy reliance on a couple of key players.
Odds: 3%

China (12)
Why: The population and economy along with interest in basketball make them the closest thing to a lock for a wild card.
Why Not: At the end of the day, their team is not that great and they were exposed pretty badly this past summer.
Odds: 80%

Qatar (42)
Why: Why not? There are no really good reasons outside of cash. That was once said about some other sports-related Qatar thing.
Why Not: The team is not very good. They have a history of not following the rules, leading to their 2011 debacle.
Odds: 1%

Bosnia and Herzegovina (57)
Why: They have some solid players and made a decent showing at Eurobasket.
Why Not: The country is not that big and there are no real critical star players that absolutely need to be a part of the tournament.
Odds: 1%

Finland (39)
Why: They have been a recent surprise team in Europe and have some decent young players.
Why Not: The country is not that big and there are no real critical star players that absolutely need to be a part of the tournament.
Odds: 1%

Germany (14)
Why: A large prosperous country considered an important battleground in the growth of basketball in Europe.
Why Not: Even at full strength, the team is not that great. Basketball is still in its infancy in this country compared to how far it hopes to reach.
Odds: 15%

Greece (5)
Why: A team with lots of basketball tradition. In theory, their current team should be very strong.
Why Not: Likely to be missing a lot of players who could improve the team. Not the most economically attractive candidate.
Odds: 55%

Israel (37)
Why: The country does have a strong tradition of club basketball.
Why Not: The country is not that big and there are no real critical star players that absolutely need to be a part of the tournament.
Odds: 1%

Italy (21)
Why: Country is starting to recapture its basketball tradition. Nearly qualified in the summer while missing some injured players. Plenty of economic potential
Why Not: May not be able to bring its strongest team. Not a lot of recent history.
Odds: 40%

Poland (40)
Why: Fairly decent sized country at least creates some economic reasons. Potential storyline if they play the United States
Why Not: The team is not very good even though they have a couple of solid players.
Odds: 3%

Russia (6)
Why: Strong performance in the last Olympics. Large country and economy. Historical support of basketball.
Why Not: Team was a complete disaster this summer. Unlikely to be able to field a team at its full potential next summer.
Odds: 60%

Turkey (7)
Why: Strong performance in the last World Championship. Good support of basketball in a big country with an emerging economy.
Why Not: Team might not be very good if summer was an indicator.
Odds: 60%

[awhom111]

To put a bow on this international year, South Korea beat Taiwan for third place in the FIBA Asia U16 Girls Championship, joining China and Japan in qualifying for next year's U17 Girl's World Championship.