U.S. team erases memory of last year’s disappointment

The death of USA basketball has been greatly exaggerated.

The United States bounced back from last year’s sixth-place finish at the world championships by blasting Argentina, 106-73, in Saturday night’s finals of the Tournament of Americas Olympic qualifying tournament.

The victory, which included contributions from two former Kansas University head coaches (U.S. head coach Larry Brown and assistant Roy Williams) and one player — team “role player” Nick Collison — was the 10th for the United States in the tourney against no losses.

The U.S. team not only qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece, but did so in resounding fashion, exhibiting team play with a roster of NBA players.

“I don’t know if I’ve been involved with a team that played as well as this one,” said Brown, who led Kansas to the 1988 national title and has been with many USA Basketball teams since playing in the 1964 Olympics.

“Watching them play, they helped the game all over. It was pretty special. This is a team game. The hardest thing is we have so many great players that they all had to make a big sacrifice and I think they all did that. That was what was so neat. I can’t imagine anyone ever playing better than this team did.”

Brown said having former KU coach Williams, a fellow North Carolina graduate, around, made the victory even more special.

“It meant everything to me,” Brown said. “He’s the same pedigree as me and I know how proud coach (Dean) Smith was when we were both picked to coach this team. He’s a phenomenal coach, a good friend, and it was really fun being with my whole staff, that made it special.

“Pop (Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs who worked for a year for Brown at KU) won a NBA championship and all he talked about was losing in Indianapolis last year and I don’t even think he even celebrated winning the championship, so this is even more special because of him, too.”

Brown was proud that NBA players including Tracy McGrady, Tim Duncan, Jermaine O’Neal, Jason Kidd, Ray Allen and Vince Carter shared the ball the entire tourney.

“I’ve always tried to do that, Pop’s always tried to do that, Roy (Williams) and Oliver (Purnell, Clemson coach) too,” Brown said of emphasizing team play. “This is a team game. The hardest thing is we have so many great players that they all had to make a big sacrifice and I think they all did that.”

Former KU player Collison, a first-round pick of the Seattle SuperSonics, scored three points in the title game off 1-of-3 shooting.

For the tourney, the 6-foot-10 Collison hit 15 of 20 shots in eight games for 75 percent. Collison made the only two threes he attempted in averaging 4.9 points and 1.9 boards per game.

“It feels great,” Collison said. “It means a lot to be able to play in the Olympics. It’s a good accomplishment to qualify.”

Collison played for the U.S. team that suffered such a disappointing finish at the worlds last year in Indianapolis.

The difference in the Americans’ explosive offense this time and inept offense of a year ago?

“Movement. If you get too much standing, the offense just dies,” Collison said. “You have to be able to move, pass and cut. Defensively, you have to be aware of team defense. Last year, we got back-cut to death because we were hugging too much on the weak side.”

Collison — by the way — still has an outside shot at making the 12-man Olympic team. Nine players have all but been guaranteed spots. He and Richard Jefferson made the trip as developmental or “role players.”

“Karl Malone and Kobe are going to play,” Brown said, hiking the roster to 11 with one spot open. “There were some guys here who certainly deserve a lot of consideration and hopefully some guys do something this year in the NBA and hopefully it’s a carrot for them because it is an incredible honor.”

“I’m just trying to play hard,” Collison said, “but I imagine they’ll try to get Shaq, Kobe (Bryant), those guys. If they want me to play, great. But I understand if they don’t.”

Former KU coach Williams wouldn’t be shocked if Collison was ultimately asked to join the team.

“He’s a coach’s player,” said Williams. “He busts his tail regardless of his role. He was back here (with U.S. team) because his coaches have always said, ‘He’s a great team member.”’

Either way, Collison has learned a lot heading into his rookie season with the Sonics.

“Learning from the best players in the league,” he said of the experience. “The length of the guys (surprised him the most). I knew they’d be real big, real strong, but finishing at the basket is a little tougher, just because the guys are so long and athletic.

“You have to really be able to go quick and strong or use your smarts and be crafty. You can’t just glide in and lay it up like you could in college. But I’m not real surprised because I figured it would be like that. It’s an adjustment I need to make.”

Notes

  • Collison erupted for 13 points off 4-of-6 shooting in the U.S.’s 113-55 win over Virgin Islands. It was his best game of the tourney.

“It was fun, I had time to just play,” said Collison, who totaled 63 minutes in eight games. “I had time to get comfortable and play. I played pretty well, so it was a good day for me. I got a couple of open looks, got a couple good buckets, hit some free throws. It was fun to be able to play like that.”

  • On if having his college coach, Williams, around, made him more comfortable. “Yeah, I think so, just because we’re running a lot of the same stuff we did at Kansas. Coach Brown incorporates more of a college style because of the way you can defend in international play, which means more stuff that’s similar to what we did at KU. It helps me because I’m familiar with it and know what to expect.”
  • On playing for his country: “It means a lot. If you have a chance to play and they want you to play, you kind of owe it to your country to play. Every time I’ve been asked, I’ve played. My grandpa served in the military and he did a lot more when they asked him to do that for his country when they called on him. I know this is nowhere near that kind of commitment, but if they’re going to ask me to play, if they want me to play, if I can help the team, I think I should do it.”
  • McGrady on the USA’s 10-0 record: “I think we wanted to send a message to our coaches more than anything. They kept drilling that Argentina is this and that, and they kept bringing up the past. So this is really a statement game for them.”