U19 World Cup: Can Canada defend its title?

[Hair Canada]

The tournament starts in two days, on Saturday. Canada is the reigning U19 world champion, with the unforgettable ionic performance by RJ Barrett two years ago, arguably the best performance ever by an individual player in the history of this competition.

But what are the chances for a repeat?


CHAMPIONSHIP LOCATION, DRAWS, AND SCHEDULE

The championship will take place in Crete, Greece (June 29-July 7).

Canada is in Group B, together with hosts Australia, Latvia, and Mali. Three games in the preliminary group stage: Australia (June 29), Mali (June 30), and Latvia (July 2). Then we cross with Group A (US, Lithuania, New Zealand, and Senegal) in the round of 16 (July 3). One day break and then the quarterfinals semis, and final on the 5th, 6th, and 7th. Altogether, 7 games in 9 days. All games will be streamed on the championship website:

http://www.fiba.basketball/world/u19/2019/competition-schedule


HISTORY

So two years ago, we won it all despite not showing up with our strongest team. The AAU feud, some injuries, and some players choosing to not come due to college commitments meant that we were missing most of our best available players, including SGA, NAW, Brissett, Simi, Nembhard, Akot, Dort, Iggy, Llewellyn, and others. The fact that we won it with a star that was two years younger and a team that was mostly made of complimentary players (Wigginton was the only other border-line NBA prospect, and he didn’t even play in the quarterfinal and in the semis, our two toughest games) is therefore even more amazing. It was quite a ride and just a fantastic TEAM.

The achievement two years ago is also unique because historically Canada has been underperforming at this event. U19 championships have been going on for 40 years now (used to be every 4 years; every two years in the last decade). But prior to the 2017 championship, Canada has never won a medal. Even when we came with talented teams, we never made it past the QF. So it’s important to understand that the gold medal in 2017 was quite an aberration.


CANADIAN TEAM STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Generally, I’m not super excited about this team. RJ Barrett, though eligible, has naturally moved way past this kind of things. In addition, three of our best four players from last year’s U18 FIBA Americas championship will also not be here: Andrew Nembhard (c/o 2018), Emanuel Miller (c/o 2019), and Addison Patterson (c/o 2020). Without these players, the Canadian classes of 2019 and 2020 are okay, but certainly not spectacular and are lacking in star power. I don’t see any sure NBA prospects on this team, although two or three might eventually make it.

There are still some prospects I’m certainly interested in watching more here, Particularly QC’s Kareem Mane, AJ Lawson, Alexander-Moncrieff, and the youngster, Josh Primo. Generally, we should have a fairly good and athletic backcourt, with quite a few PGs and CGs who can create for themselves and for others (Mane, Lawson, Neath, Brown). But I also think this team is lacking in three significant ways, which might make life really hard for us in this championship.

First, unlike the versatile backcourt, the frontcourt is fairly weak, anchored by the limited Bediako brothers at the center spot. We don’t have any skilled reliable offensive presence in the paint and good opponents are likely to expose this. PFs like Tyrese Samuel and Keon Ambrose-Hylton are talented and show flashes, but are highly inconsistent and cannot be relied on for producing consistently. Might not look good against European rivals like Serbia.

Second, and perhaps most important in today’s game, this is a team without natural shooters and with a big weakness in scoring the ball from behind the arc. There’s not a single player on this team who I feel is a good consistent shooter, although there are a couple who can get hot at times. In the two exhibition games that we played prior to this championship, vs. New Zealand (easy win) and France (bad loss), we shot 7/42 (17%) from three-point range and 18/36 (50%) from the line. If we can’t shoot MUCH better in the championship (and I’m not confident that we can), it might get ugly. We probably still have enough talent to get by the weaker teams, but we’ll be exposed against teams with better defenses, talented bigs, and better outside shooting.

Finally, I’m really unsure about our defense. Our two best defensive players from last year, Nembhard and Miller will not be there this time around. And I can’t really think of anyone else who’s a lock-in defender, who takes real pride in playing defense (perhaps Brown, though I’m not even sure about him). Again, we have enough size and athleticism to make it work against weaker rivals, but I'm not sure I trust our defense against the better teams in this competition.


I'll write some more later on about the roster.

[Hair Canada]

ROSTER

I’ll try to be relatively brief here, as most of these players are known commodities to Canadian basketball fans.

AJ Lawson (6’6 SG). One of the six remaining pieces from last year and the only player who shot in double figures last year (had around 15 points a game, despite losing a couple of games with injuries). Lawson is by now a well-known commodity among Canadian basketball fans and considered the biggest talent on this team. Some expect him to lead this team similar to how Barrett took charge two years ago. I’m not quite sure he’s built for that. I’ve watched Lawson a lot over the last couple of years, and while he’s certainly talented, I’m not sure he’s ready yet to lead a team. He’s just still too inconsistent and mistake-prone. He is also a much better catch-and-shoot player than he is shooting off the dribble (probably has to do with limited core strength). So I think he’s better suited for a secondary role as a shooter and secondary creator. Hopefully, Karim Mane and Brown allow him to play more off the ball. Another thing is that I’m not sure he’s in great shape right now. Didn’t look good in the two exhibition games. Will need to really step up for us to have a chance making some noise again.

Karim Mane (6’4 CG). For me, perhaps the most intriguing player on this team, one that I’ve watched much less than most of the others. A really long combo (something like a 7’0 wingspan), with strength, explosive athleticism, and a decent handle, who sort of exploded this spring in AAU play and began to amass offers from top NCAA programs. With his elite physical tools, he could be really important for this team as a shot creator, for himself and for others. From the little I’ve seen from him, he’s not a very natural distributor and also still a fairly weak shooter, so these might limit his contribution at this stage. But he should be one of our main guys in the backcourt and he’s also the one who looked best in the exhibition games.

Jahcobi Neath (6’4 CG). Another player who’s coming back, after playing a limited role on last year’s U18 team. The Wake Forest commit is an interesting prospect with flashes of unique athleticism. Can make some elite-level plays. When he’s dialed in, Neath can be a real offensive threat. But he’s not always fully focused and engaged. Outside shooting is very inconsistent. Can make shots, but also misses badly. Also inconsistent in finishing around the basket. Can get to the rim, but often misses quite badly when he gets there. Need to be sharper. Cannot afford to sail, relying on his talent like he often did in high school.

Joel Brown (6’2 PG). The Cal commit should be our starting PG with Nembhard unavailable for this campaign. Brown is a solid PG. Nothing too flashy, but strong and shifty, with a strong handle and good court vision. His main issue is that he’s a complete non-shooter, which combined with the questionable/weak shooting of the other guards on this team could be a real issue. Hard to see how he coexists with Mane, unless the latter surprises with his outside stroke.

Damion Squire (5’11 PG). A quick PG from QC, who will likely serve as Brown’s backup and hopefully bring some energy from the bench in limited minutes. Played last year at UC Davis in the NCAA, but didn’t leave a mark (3 points a game, shooting 32% from the field in limited minutes). From what I remember from his high school days, he’s actually a decent 3-point shooter though. Also a good athlete who can play a bit above the rim despite his height. Might be one of our better threats from behind the arc, but not sure he’ll get too many chances to actually shoot it.

Josh Primo (6’5 SG; class of 2021). One of two players on this team who are from the class of 2021, together with Charles Bediako. Primo is even younger, at only 16.5 y/o. Played in the US this year, so I didn’t get to watch him much. When he played in Canada I was not that impressed and didn’t think he was a special prospect. But he seems to have made good progress in the last two years and also added some size. Not sure he’ll get many minutes behind the guys above, but he’s one of the plyers I’m looking forward to be able to watch more.

Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe (6’6 wing). The only natural wing from this group, Moncrieffe is probably one of the top-three long-term prospects on this team, together with Lawson and Mane (the only three with a realistic chance to make it to the NBA in my opinion). A long and explosive athlete, who’s made significant offensive strides over the last two years and was perhaps the best player on last year’s U17 Canadian team in the world cup. The cousin of SGA and NAW, who shall henceforth be referred to as MAM, has good defensive presence, is a good rebounder, who can slide to the four when playing small-ball, and is a real threat in transition and when given space to make straight-line drives. But he’s still a work in progress in terms of shiftiness and ball handling. In addition, his shooting stroke is still very inconsistent and unreliable, so here’s another mediocre/weak shooter on a team dying for some spacing. I think he’ll still play big minutes as our only natural wing, especially with the positive energies he brings with him.

Tyrese Samuel (6’8 PF). The Seton Hall commit is arguably our most talented player in the PF position. A high flyer with flashes of ball handling and shooting, he is, in principle, an NBA-caliber talent. Only that’s not really the case due to lack of high game IQ, and even more, a somewhat problematic approach and low motor. Despite his talent, he often looks lethargic on the court, failing to influence the game on both ends. When he does make an effort, he frequently makes the wrong play, missing easy shots, failing to make the right pass, or just coughing the ball. When he’s in a zone, he can be a deadly offensive tool, but that just doesn’t happen often enough. I still think he’ll get his chances with our lack of interior depth, but I’m just don’t think he can be counted on for consistent contribution.

Keon Ambrose-Hylton (6’8 PF). A year younger than most of the team, Hylton made some very good strides over the last year. A good lengthy athlete, who started developing a bit of an outside game (still not enough to show it in highly-competitive settings). Not as talented as Samuel, but plays harder and more consistently. Looked good in the BWB camp this spring and is trending up. But I still don’t foresee a great contribution in this tournament, as his offense and finishing touch continue to be a bit raw.

Thomas Kennedy (6’9 PF). The only player on this team who stayed home for his college career. Unfortunately, this probably indicates something about his degree of long-term talent. But at this stage, he might actually be a better player than the other two PFs. He’s probably the most skilled of this bunch and the only one who might be able to space the game a little (not a great outside shooter, but has it in his arsenal). So I think he might surprise and see big minutes despite the limited talent and just-okay athleticism.

Jaden and Charles Bediako (6’10 and 6’11 centers). The Bediako brothers, who were both part of the team last year, should rotate in the center position, with Jaden probably starting and Charles as his backup. Both are tall and long but play a very different game. Jaden is strong and heavy (and slow), while Charles is lighter on his feet and more athletic (though also still a bit awkward), but lacks significant strength. I get that this is the best we can bring at this position, but both are limited players, who can be driven off the court by smart teams with good shooting and P&R game. Jaden is too slow to switch on anyone. Charles is a bit better (and thus the better long-term prospect) but still lacks sufficient strength and mobility to contain guards. Both are also really limited offensively, Jaden because of his weak athleticism and Charles due to an undeveloped skillset and lack of strength on the interior (both can’t really shoot it from mid-range and have zero range from beyond). In short, unless Charles has made a significant leap over the last year, I think there’s a good chance that both see relatively limited minutes and we see one of our three PFs slide into the 5 for extended minutes.


tomorrow I'll write a bit about the competition and our chances for a repeat.

[Senbonzakura]

Referee's pointed to the spot... PENALTY! Oh the crowd is livid, what a questionable call from the official!

[NotMyKawhi]

no way we win again...that was a huge upset and even tho we just had a great draft for players, we don't have any top prospects in HS rn like we have in the past.

For years and years we've had at least one guy ranked, but it's not looking good. Might have to wait for Elijah FIsher

[TrueNorth31]

Thanks for the analysis it gives watching the games some context.

Games can be streamed here;

https://www.youtube.com/user/FIBAWorld/videos?view=2&sort=dd&live_view=502&shelf_id=240

In retrospect it's amazing we won it all in 2017. Looking back at that team we had one superstar surrounded by a bunch of solid Mid- low D1 role player guys ( I still think Kigab may turn into a solid pro in the right circumstance ).

https://basketball.realgm.com/national/countries/23/Canada/rosters/2017/3/U19-World-Cup

It shows the impact a star player can have on the game of basketball. Also just imagine how good we could've been ( with a little more injury luck and buy in ) - a back court of Barrett, Gilgeous Alexander, Nickeal Walker Alexander backed up by Nembhard and Dort. Shittu at 5 with Brazdeikis and Brissett at 4.

Having said all that would they have meshed? Sometimes less is more.....

[Hair Canada]

Thanks for the analysis it gives watching the games some context.

Games can be streamed here;

https://www.youtube.com/user/FIBAWorld/videos?view=2&sort=dd&live_view=502&shelf_id=240

In retrospect it's amazing we won it all in 2017. Looking back at that team we had one superstar surrounded by a bunch of solid Mid- low D1 role player guys ( I still think Kigab may turn into a solid pro in the right circumstance ).

https://basketball.realgm.com/national/countries/23/Canada/rosters/2017/3/U19-World-Cup

It shows the impact a star player can have on the game of basketball. Also just imagine how good we could've been ( with a little more injury luck and buy in ) - a back court of Barrett, Gilgeous Alexander, Nickeal Walker Alexander backed up by Nembhard and Dort. Shittu at 5 with Brazdeikis and Brissett at 4.

Having said all that would they have meshed? Sometimes less is more.....

Yes, that could have been a real Canadian dream team. But the meshing up is a real issue. Just a year earlier, playing in the U17 WC, we had a team that included Barret, Simi, Akot, Iggy, Nembhard, and some others, which seemed like it would sail to the finals against the US and give them a real challenge. Well, they didn't. They almost lost in the first round to Australia, and then dropped the quarterfinals game against a less-talented but more coordinated and collaborative Turkish team. And there were talks about some professional clashed between Barrett and Shittu (who was quite weak at that competition).

Chemistry and clear hierarchy (which I think was perhaps the most important thing in the U19 team two years ago) are huge in building winning teams. Because even in that championship the team actually looked better once Wigginton went down (missed the QF and SF) and it became clear that the ball needed to be in Barrett's hand to start the offense, with Kigab as his sidekick.

That's also the reason I'm somewhat worried about having Wiggins in the coming WC, and I sometimes think we might be better off without him. I'm just not sure what this does to team spirit and chemistry and to the hierarchy. I can actually see Murray or SGA, for example, stepping aside and deferring to Wiggins at least some of the time if he's there, although he's clearly a much worse initiator, shooter, and creator for others than they are.

[Hair Canada]

no way we win again...that was a huge upset and even tho we just had a great draft for players, we don't have any top prospects in HS rn like we have in the past.

For years and years we've had at least one guy ranked, but it's not looking good. Might have to wait for Elijah FIsher

Yes, I tend to agree on this one. Will write a more detailed prediction for the tournament tomorrow. As for guys ranked, depends on which class you're looking at. Form 2020 there are actually a couple (MAM; Patterson). From 2019, the best ones just reclassified to 2018 (Barrett, Nembhard, Lawson). So it's not really that bad if you count by year of birth.

As for Fisher, I think he's being hyped a bit too much. He might develop into something special, but in my opinion, that's not guaranteed and he still has a long way to go. That said, the 2022 and 2023 classes (and also 2024, but that's still far) look fairly good, with some depth of talent beyond Fisher, so I think we'll continue to be just fine in the future.

[mojo13]

Amazing stuff once again. This helps so much as primer prior to watching them play.


Very interested in watching Karim Mane here. Been allot of hype on him online over the past few months. He was way off my radar before that.

[Hair Canada]

THE COMPETITION

We’re in the group stage with Australia, Latvia, and Mali. Actually, it’s quite a tough draw. Australia is the Asian U18 champion from last year, Latvia finished second in Europe, and Mali won the African championship.

The Australians always play great team basketball, are tough, and are hard to beat even when they’re not the most talented. Among the names that I recognize on their roster, there’s the youngster Tamuri Wigness, who’s a lightning-quick PG, with good passing, though he lacks size. Josh Green from Arizona is eligible and would be a difference maker, but he’s not here. So their best player might be Samson Froling, a skilled lefty seven-footer, who reminds me a bit of Kelly Olynyk – not a great athlete and mostly plays under the rim, but smart, skilled, efficient, and can give us a lot of trouble. Kyle Bowen (6’8 PF), also in the front court, is another threat, both in scoring and rebounding (good outside shooting). They also have a couple of players who can shoot it fairly well from the 3-point line, including their bigs. So overall, the Australians seem to be strong where we are weak (interior play and shooting). Not overly athletic, but strong and tough. Hard to assess, but this looks like it might be a 50:50, with an edge for the Aussies.

Latvia is the silver medalist from last year’s European U18 and another tough rival. Their best player is PG Arturs Zagars, a really terrific talent, one of the best players in this championship. Very crafty and creative, an excellent shooter, and a big-plays kind of player. Creates for himself and for others. Was the best player in the semis and final game last year and almost brought Latvia the gold medal by himself. The two other best players for this team are also guards – Arturs Kurucs (also an excellent shooter; good long-term talent) and Veveris. Overall, unlike Australia, the Latvians are a smaller team with excellent guards but no significant bigs. So I think we might be better matched against them, though the guards are really top-notch and they shoot it very well.

Mali is the team I know the least about. But from the names I do know, I think they are actually less talented than Senegal, who they beat at the finals of the African championship last year. The two players I’ve watched before on this team: Oumar Ballo, a 17 y/o center with a big body, who dominated under the basket in last year’s U17 WC. If I remember correctly, I think he’ll be at Gonzaga next year. Probably too heavy for today’s NBA, but at these levels, he’s a real force and can probably give us quite a bit of trouble in the paint, though maybe Jaden Bediako can match up well against him. The other guy is Siriman Kanoute, a short PG (5’9), but really quick and a fantastic scorer, who finished last year’s African championship as the MVP with 25 points per game (and also 4 steals per game). If we can contain this duo, then probably we’re going to be fine in this game.


Beyond our group, The US is, as usual, on another level, though at this competition they are usually less unbeatable than in others. The best U19 players have just been selected in the latest draft (Zion, Garland, Cobe White, Jaxson Hayes, Tyler Hero and the likes would all be eligible for this competition). Even beyond them, this will be a completely different team than the one that won the U18 FIBA Americas last year in Ontario, which was led by the likes of Quentin Grimes, Matthew Hurt, and Cole Anthony. This time around, they are bringing some of the best younger players in the world, the likes of Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, and Scottie Barnes, who are all elite talents and some likely lottery picks two years from now. They’ll join a group of experienced and very solid (though not spectacular) college players to form a very balanced group, which I think will look better than the one that they put up two years ago. As always, any game they lose would be a major upset.

The only team who I can see perhaps challenging them is Serbia, the reigning U18 European champions. The Serbians have a very talented generation, led by the two bigs – Marko Pecarsci and Filip Petrusev. The first was the MVP of last year’s championship. Not athletic enough for the NBA, but a really crafty big, with great scoring and inside play (25 points and 11 rebounds a game, shooting 44% from the 3). Petrusev from Gonzaga is the better long-term talent (taller and more athletic) and will get to the NBA next year or the year after. Together, they are probably the best frontcourt in the championship. The Serbians also have two tall and talented guards, both around 6’6 or 6’7, who can score and distribute – Paunovic and Trifunovic and overall that’s just a team with a unique talent level. If they can put things together, they’ll be a pleasure to watch.

Other teams that I think should be good:
* The hosts, Greece. The fanatic Greek fans might certainly play a factor, as they did in the past They also have a talented small forward, can’t remember his name.
* Russia – One of the most talented Russian generations in recent years. Especially SF Nikita Mikhailovskii.
* France – always a contender with the amount of talent in this country. They won’t have any of the super-talented 2020 trio of Hayes, Maledon, and Kazalon (and of course also not Doumbouya). But I like guard Joel Ayayi from Gonzaga, who I think might break out this year, and combo-forward Kenny Baptiste, who’s a very long 6’8, with some handle and skill.
* Lithuania – always a dangerous team. No big stars this time around, but very tough, disciplined, and fundamentally sound, as always. My favorite player, there is CG Dovydas Giedratis, who’s skilled and a good shooter.
* I also wouldn’t count out the American teams – Puerto Rico and Argentina. We beat both last year, but not easily and we were a significantly better team.


CHANCES FOR A MEDAL

So what do I expect?

As I suggested earlier, I don’t think this is one of our most talented teams. Even more, the big deficiencies in shooting and interior game are likely to leave us exposed in games against smart teams that will be able to close the paint to penetrations without much fear of us punishing them in other ways.

As such, I don’t think we’ll be one of the medal contenders. The US should be on another level. Maybe also Serbia if they connect the dots. Latvia, France, Greece, and Lithuania should also be at least at our level (maybe better), with Russia, Australia, Puerto Rico, and Argentina also in the mix.

Another QF appearance seems like a realistic goal and would actually be very nice. It’s certainly not unthinkable that we lose to both Australia and Latvia in the group stage and then meet Lithuania in the round of 16, for a very tough game that could go either way. If we do make it to the QF, then I think anything beyond that would be a bonus and a nice achievement.

[Hair Canada]

The tournament starts tomorrow. The first game against Australia at 8:30AM ET. Streamed here:

http://www.fiba.basketball/world/u19/2019/videos/LIVE-Australia-v-Canada

[gundysmullet]

The tournament starts in two days, on Saturday. Canada is the reigning U19 world champion, with the unforgettable ionic performance by RJ Barrett two years ago, arguably the best performance ever by an individual player in the history of this competition.

But what are the chances for a repeat?


CHAMPIONSHIP LOCATION, DRAWS, AND SCHEDULE

The championship will take place in Crete, Greece (June 29-July 7).

Canada is in Group B, together with hosts Australia, Latvia, and Mali. Three games in the preliminary group stage: Australia (June 29), Mali (June 30), and Latvia (July 2). Then we cross with Group A (US, Lithuania, New Zealand, and Senegal) in the round of 16 (July 3). One day break and then the quarterfinals semis, and final on the 5th, 6th, and 7th. Altogether, 7 games in 9 days. All games will be streamed on the championship website:

http://www.fiba.basketball/world/u19/2019/competition-schedule


HISTORY

So two years ago, we won it all despite not showing up with our strongest team. The AAU feud, some injuries, and some players choosing to not come due to college commitments meant that we were missing most of our best available players, including SGA, NAW, Brissett, Simi, Nembhard, Akot, Dort, Iggy, Llewellyn, and others. The fact that we won it with a star that was two years younger and a team that was mostly made of complimentary players (Wigginton was the only other border-line NBA prospect, and he didn’t even play in the quarterfinal and in the semis, our two toughest games) is therefore even more amazing. It was quite a ride and just a fantastic TEAM.

The achievement two years ago is also unique because historically Canada has been underperforming at this event. U19 championships have been going on for 40 years now (used to be every 4 years; every two years in the last decade). But prior to the 2017 championship, Canada has never won a medal. Even when we came with talented teams, we never made it past the QF. So it’s important to understand that the gold medal in 2017 was quite an aberration.


CANADIAN TEAM STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Generally, I’m not super excited about this team. RJ Barrett, though eligible, has naturally moved way past this kind of things. In addition, three of our best four players from last year’s U18 FIBA Americas championship will also not be here: Andrew Nembhard (c/o 2018), Emanuel Miller (c/o 2019), and Addison Patterson (c/o 2020). Without these players, the Canadian classes of 2019 and 2020 are okay, but certainly not spectacular and are lacking in star power. I don’t see any sure NBA prospects on this team, although two or three might eventually make it.

There are still some prospects I’m certainly interested in watching more here, Particularly QC’s Kareem Mane, AJ Lawson, Alexander-Moncrieff, and the youngster, Josh Primo. Generally, we should have a fairly good and athletic backcourt, with quite a few PGs and CGs who can create for themselves and for others (Mane, Lawson, Neath, Brown). But I also think this team is lacking in three significant ways, which might make life really hard for us in this championship.

First, unlike the versatile backcourt, the frontcourt is fairly weak, anchored by the limited Bediako brothers at the center spot. We don’t have any skilled reliable offensive presence in the paint and good opponents are likely to expose this. PFs like Tyrese Samuel and Keon Ambrose-Hylton are talented and show flashes, but are highly inconsistent and cannot be relied on for producing consistently. Might not look good against European rivals like Serbia.

Second, and perhaps most important in today’s game, this is a team without natural shooters and with a big weakness in scoring the ball from behind the arc. There’s not a single player on this team who I feel is a good consistent shooter, although there are a couple who can get hot at times. In the two exhibition games that we played prior to this championship, vs. New Zealand (easy win) and France (bad loss), we shot 7/42 (17%) from three-point range and 18/36 (50%) from the line. If we can’t shoot MUCH better in the championship (and I’m not confident that we can), it might get ugly. We probably still have enough talent to get by the weaker teams, but we’ll be exposed against teams with better defenses, talented bigs, and better outside shooting.

Finally, I’m really unsure about our defense. Our two best defensive players from last year, Nembhard and Miller will not be there this time around. And I can’t really think of anyone else who’s a lock-in defender, who takes real pride in playing defense (perhaps Brown, though I’m not even sure about him). Again, we have enough size and athleticism to make it work against weaker rivals, but I'm not sure I trust our defense against the better teams in this competition.


I'll write some more later on about the roster.

This word does not mean what you think it means. Perhaps you were going for iconic?

[Hair Canada]

Naturally a typo. Don't exactly have a copy editor for these posts...

[gundysmullet]

Naturally a typo. Don't exactly have a copy editor for these posts...

Just checking

[UcanUwill]

Pumped. Hope Lithuania does well and hope Philippines get embarrassed, cant stand Gilas.

[frumble]

In what I think must be at least a mildly surprising result involving the other two teams in Canada's group, Mali is up 20 on Latvia in the 4th.

[Hair Canada]

In what I think must be at least a mildly surprising result involving the other two teams in Canada's group, Mali is up 20 on Latvia in the 4th.

Yes, I think the Latvian loss by 14 points is somewhat surprising. I see though that they came without their best player -- Arturs Zagars. Looks like they are a different team without him. Should be noted though that Mail were playing without Ballo and showed they have quite a bit of depth. Looks like a dangerous team.

In another game, Serbia looks very strong, beating China by 50.

[Hair Canada]

Starting 5: Squire at the point, Lawson, Mane, Samuel, and J. Bediako.

A decent first quarter. Samuel with a pretty strong game so far, much more active and focused than what he showed last year. Let's hope he can sustain this. C. Bediako also looked nice in his minutes -- stronger and active.

[Hair Canada]

Halftime: Canada leading Australia by 10, 46:36. A fairly good game by our group considering the jitters.

Mane with 3-3 from 3, all in pull-ups. If he has that in his arsenal consistently, then he's a star, though he still need to improve his passing. Lawson a bit too passive for my liking, but maybe he's letting the game come to him. Did make some good moves toward the end of the half.

[Hair Canada]

It was close, but we get the win, 81:76. Lawson and Mane with 23 were head and shoulders above the others. Samuel with 10 and 3 blocks also with a good game.

Will write a bit more later.

[MonkeyBallZJr]

Any reason why Nembhard is not playing? Could have been a major asset to the team.