PORTLAND (Nike Hoop Summit) – Austin Rivers had 20 points to lead USA Basketball’s Junior National Select Team to a 92-80 win over the World Select Team at the Rose Garden over the weekend.
The 8,955 in attendance witnessed history being made as Bismack Biyombo of the Democratic Republic of Congo registered the game’s first-ever triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks.
However, that stellar performance by the 18-year-old wasn’t enough as cold shooting afflicted the world team. They shot 37.5 percent from the field for the game including a measly 14.3 percent in the first quarter.
The visitors won the battle on the boards, 41-39, but their shooting woes meant they couldn’t capitalise on their 23 offensive rebounds.
The USA, meanwhile, used their overall depth and talent to great effect, with Rivers well seconded by Anthony Davis (16 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks) and 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship gold medalist Michael Gilchrist (16 points, five rebounds and five assists).
All 10 players got on the score sheet for the home team.
“I’m a big believer in having depth, and with this particular team you have quality depth,” said USA head coach Kevin Sutton. “Having a bench where you could rotate players in freely with very little to no drop off was part of our game plan.”
Rivers said that after a slow start, he and his team-mates figured each other out.
“It’s hard to get a rhythm,” Rivers said. “I thought we actually did great for having not ever played with each other. I started out a little bit slow, and then I knocked down a couple shots and after that I just kept going. My team-mates did a good job of finding me, and I just tried to get out in the open court because Anthony (Davis), (James) McAdoo and all of those guys were working so hard getting the rebounds.”
Biyomba had no regrets afterwards, saying the world team did all it could.
“I was trying to win,” said the 18-year-old, whose future is uncertain as he left his team of Fuenlabrada in Spain in order to play in the Nike Hoop Summit. His coach Salva Maldonado had warned him that the decision would cause him to lose his place in the squad.
“We came here, we’ve been practicing for four days. It’s really hard to play like we did. We tried our best on the court, but something happened.”
Poland’s Mateusz Potnika connected from long range for the opening points of the game and the World Team led 7-4 before Gilchrist went on a personal 7-0 run that put the USA in front and never trailed again.
Down 20-12 at the end of the first quarter, the international side got within 27-24 on a three-pointer by Canada‘s Kevin Pangos.
Rivers – the son of Boston Celtics head coach Glenn ‘Doc’ Rivers – answered right back with eight straight points to help the USA re-assert their firm grip on the game, taking a 42-31 lead at the break.
Davis had a dozen points in the third period to help the USA stretch that advantage to 50-36, but he then was headed to the bench after picking up his third foul.
The world team made the most of it, reeling off six unanswered points to trim the deficit back into single-digits.
But time and again the USA showed they had answers for every one of their opponents’ rally as James McAdoo and Quinn Cook provided a timely scoring punch that helped them head into the final frame with a 66-53 advantage.
The world team got within nine in the fourth quarter but there was little they could do as Rivers had eight points in the quarter alone and seven other USA players got on the scoreboard in that period.
McAdoo – a member of the All-Tournament Five in Hamburg last summer – gave the USA their largest lead, 86-66, from the free-throw line.
Potnika was the high-man for the world team, with 17 points. Canada’s Kyle Wiltjer – who resides in Portland – added 12.
The win saw the USA improve to 11-3 in the 14-game history of the event.
Read the original article at FIBA.com.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Omorogbe Jr. Confident of Immigration BC survival
Newly promoted Kano-based Nigeria Immigration basketball club may have put all foot wrong in the Savannah conference of the DStv Premier Basketball league as it is yet to win any game losing both at home and away forcing speculation that it might not survive the heat of the big league in Nigeria but one it player, Nosa Omorogbe Junior is sure that though the club might be going through trying moment in the league but it will survive relegation at the end of the regular season.
Speaking with our correspondent recently, Omorogbe Jr. said its too early to write off the club as there are still over ten regular season games to be played as the players and coaching crew of the team have resolve to put in extra effort to make sure the club survive the tough terrain of the Nigeria DStv Premier which he described as one of the toughest in Africa.
The point guard want his teammates to see what the club is going through at the moment as its first baptism of fire in the big league after gaining promotion from the National Division-One in Kaduna last year.
The 21-year-old who played a prominent role in Immigration qualification to the Premier league has promised to put in extra effort to see that the team losing streak stopped.
Omorogbe Jr. had had stinct with such notable clubs in the Nigeria league clubs like Dodan Warriors basketball club, (2000-2003) (16ppg, 3rpg, 1.8spg, 0.2bpg, 29mpg, 5apg); Kano Pillars, Nigeria 2003-2006 (13ppg,4.1rpg,1.6spg,1.2bpg,22mpg,3apg); Dodan Warriors Nigeria 2006-2008 (19ppg,3rpg,0.8spg,0.7bpg,31mpg,3.8apg) and CSKA Sofia Bulgarian Pro A1 2008-2009 ( 9ppg,5rpg,2apg,0.4bpg,16mpg,3apg); Nigeria Customs BC 2009-2010. (21ppg,6rpg,7apg,4spg,32mpg,4.5apg).
The Nigeria Immigration team currently occupy the bottom of the table with 0-3 record in the Savannah conference of the DStv Premier League and only a concerted effort could see it survive the tough league from being relegated as it travel to Bauchi to keep a date with Yelwa Hawks basketball club of Bauchi in a week-4 pairing on Sunday.
Speaking with our correspondent recently, Omorogbe Jr. said its too early to write off the club as there are still over ten regular season games to be played as the players and coaching crew of the team have resolve to put in extra effort to make sure the club survive the tough terrain of the Nigeria DStv Premier which he described as one of the toughest in Africa.
The point guard want his teammates to see what the club is going through at the moment as its first baptism of fire in the big league after gaining promotion from the National Division-One in Kaduna last year.
The 21-year-old who played a prominent role in Immigration qualification to the Premier league has promised to put in extra effort to see that the team losing streak stopped.
Omorogbe Jr. had had stinct with such notable clubs in the Nigeria league clubs like Dodan Warriors basketball club, (2000-2003) (16ppg, 3rpg, 1.8spg, 0.2bpg, 29mpg, 5apg); Kano Pillars, Nigeria 2003-2006 (13ppg,4.1rpg,1.6spg,1.2bpg,22mpg,3apg); Dodan Warriors Nigeria 2006-2008 (19ppg,3rpg,0.8spg,0.7bpg,31mpg,3.8apg) and CSKA Sofia Bulgarian Pro A1 2008-2009 ( 9ppg,5rpg,2apg,0.4bpg,16mpg,3apg); Nigeria Customs BC 2009-2010. (21ppg,6rpg,7apg,4spg,32mpg,4.5apg).
The Nigeria Immigration team currently occupy the bottom of the table with 0-3 record in the Savannah conference of the DStv Premier League and only a concerted effort could see it survive the tough league from being relegated as it travel to Bauchi to keep a date with Yelwa Hawks basketball club of Bauchi in a week-4 pairing on Sunday.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Our goal is to improve structures - Fall, NBA Africa CEO
Former director of scouting for the Dallas Mavericks, Amadou Fall is now the CEO of NBA Africa. It is up exclusively for Fiba Africa on the objectives of the NBA in Africa with Basketball Without Borders in particular.
Why the NBA decided to settle in Africa ?
We had an experience in South Africa. Since 2003, we organized Basketball Without Borders in Johannesburg. And, for the first time we were in Dakar (Senegal). We want to develop basketball and NBA in Africa. All the people want to see sports in general and basketball in particular.
What's the goal of the NBA ?
Our goal is to improve structures. We want more basketball players. Now, our games will broadcast on the TV in Senegal for the first time. We're working with young players and coaches. We want to improve them.
The aim is to organize NBA games in Africa.
It will be preseason games?
At the beginning, yes. This year, we'll have some games in London. We're working on this project.
Which actions did you make since you settle in Africa?
We have NBA Cares since 2005. We built 30 basketball courts. Our aim is to use basketball as a positive social change.
With Adidas, and Nike, we welcomed NBAs coaches such as Triano, Carlisle, Hollins and Lance Ebanks the new GM of Phoenix and we are proud to have Masai Ujiri, who is the GM of the Nuggets.
What is the reaction of NBA franchises from Africa? Their look has changed?
They are always open with foreign players. It's usual to have European, African players in the league. Before, we had African players such as Olajuwon, 2 times NBAs champion, Dikembe Mutombo and his long career... In the last 20 years, we had at least 25 African players playing in NBA. But it's more difficult to follow a player in Africa than in Europe. We hope more young players will come in the USA when they're young and then come back in Africa.
The biggest problem in Africa is not the political situation?
Personally, I think the biggest problem is the structures. There are a lot of arenas in Africa which aren't overcast. So it's difficult to organize big events.
Courtesy: www.fiba-afrique.org
Why the NBA decided to settle in Africa ?
We had an experience in South Africa. Since 2003, we organized Basketball Without Borders in Johannesburg. And, for the first time we were in Dakar (Senegal). We want to develop basketball and NBA in Africa. All the people want to see sports in general and basketball in particular.
What's the goal of the NBA ?
Our goal is to improve structures. We want more basketball players. Now, our games will broadcast on the TV in Senegal for the first time. We're working with young players and coaches. We want to improve them.
The aim is to organize NBA games in Africa.
It will be preseason games?
At the beginning, yes. This year, we'll have some games in London. We're working on this project.
Which actions did you make since you settle in Africa?
We have NBA Cares since 2005. We built 30 basketball courts. Our aim is to use basketball as a positive social change.
With Adidas, and Nike, we welcomed NBAs coaches such as Triano, Carlisle, Hollins and Lance Ebanks the new GM of Phoenix and we are proud to have Masai Ujiri, who is the GM of the Nuggets.
What is the reaction of NBA franchises from Africa? Their look has changed?
They are always open with foreign players. It's usual to have European, African players in the league. Before, we had African players such as Olajuwon, 2 times NBAs champion, Dikembe Mutombo and his long career... In the last 20 years, we had at least 25 African players playing in NBA. But it's more difficult to follow a player in Africa than in Europe. We hope more young players will come in the USA when they're young and then come back in Africa.
The biggest problem in Africa is not the political situation?
Personally, I think the biggest problem is the structures. There are a lot of arenas in Africa which aren't overcast. So it's difficult to organize big events.
Courtesy: www.fiba-afrique.org
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