International

USA Basketball: U18 Roster Announced

Press Release — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:58:18 -0700

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The USA Basketball Men's U18 National Team was announced today in Washington, D.C., and is a well-rounded 12-member squad that will look to defend the country's gold medal at the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship July 14-18 in Formosa, Argentina.

Named to the USA squad were: Dominic Cheek (St. Anthony H.S. / Jersey City, N.J.); JaMychal Green (St. Jude H.S. / Montgomery, Ala.); Matt Humphrey (Hales Franciscian H.S / Chicago, Ill.); Ryan Kelly (Ravenscroft H.S. / Raleigh, N.C.); Malcolm Lee (John W. North H.S. / Riverside, Calif.); Leslie McDonald (Briarcrest H.S./ Memphis, Tenn.); Mason Plumlee (Christ H.S. / Arden, N.C.); Travis Releford (Bishop Miege H.S. / Shawnee Mission, Kan.); Kemba Walker (Rice H.S. / New York, N.Y.); Maalik Wayns (Roman Catholic H.S. / Philadelphia, Pa.); David Wear (Mater Dei H.S. / Santa Ana, Calif.) and Travis Wear (Mater Dei H.S. / Santa Ana, Calif).

USA Basketball: U18 Finalists Set

Press Release — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:19:14 -0700

Following three trials sessions held at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., and featuring 18 of the nation’s top 18-and-unders, USA Basketball today announced 14 finalists for the 2008 USA Men’s U18 National Team. Headlined by four returning USA Basketball veterans, the finalists, comprised of athletes born on or after Jan. 1, 1990, will remain in Washington, D.C., to train through July 10 before departing for the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. The eventual 12-member team will be finalized by July 8.

Athlete selections were made by the USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee, chaired by Syracuse University head coach Jim Boeheim.

“I’m thrilled with the effort, with the competitiveness and with the attitude of every one of the guys who were a part of these trials. We’re down to 14 players right now and we still have two players to cut, but it’s incredibly competitive and the talent level is superb; and most importantly and most satisfying is the fact that they are so willing to learn and so willing to get better. The coaching staff – John, Anthony and myself – have meshed really well in a short time together. We have what we think is superb chemistry on the coaching staff and we are going to work to make sure it filters down to the team,” said USA and Davidson College head coach Bob McKillop.

Malcom Lee (John W. North H.S. / Riverside, CA) is the most veteran USA Basketball finalist and is one step closer to making his third USA Basketball squad. Most recently Lee helped lead the USA to a 98-78 victory over the World Select Team at the Nike Hoop Summit in April and helped force 25 World turnovers and 18 USA steals.

Lee first showcased his talent in a USA Basketball uniform at the 2007 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival, held in Colorado Springs, Colo. Also returning from the Festival are: Leslie McDonald (Briarcrest H.S. / Memphis, TN); Travis Releford (Bishop Miege H.S. / Shawnee Mission, KS) and Lance Stephenson (Abraham Lincoln H.S. / Brooklyn, NY).

Rounding out the finalists roster are USA Basketball newcomers: Dominic Cheek (St. Anthony H.S. / Jersey City, NJ); JaMychal Green (St. Jude H.S. / Montgomery, AL); Matt Humphrey (Hales Franciscian H.S. / Chicago, IL); Ryan Kelly (Ravenscroft H.S. / Raleigh, NC); Mason Plumlee (Christ H.S. / Arden, N.C.) Kemba Walker (Rice H.S. / New York, N.Y.); Maalik Wayns (Roman Catholic H.S. / Philadelphia, PA); David Wear (Mater Dei H.S. / Santa Ana, CA); Travis Wear (Mater Dei H.S. / Santa Ana, CA) and Wesley Witherspoon (Berkman H.S. / Lilburn, GA).

Virginia Commonwealth University head coach Anthony Grant and Georgetown University head coach John Thompson III are serving as assistant coaches.

Sasha Kaun Signs With CSKA Moscow

Press Release — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:27:50 -0700

LAWRENCE, Kan. After concluding his senior season at the University of Kansas with a mens basketball national championship, Sasha Kaun announced on Sunday that he has signed a three-year contract with CSKA Moscow, a professional team in Russia.

Im going to a team that is as close to an NBA team as you can find, Kaun said. Its a great organization. Last year, they had a $60 million payroll. Its a very prestigious club.

Kaun became the first Russian to win an NCAA mens basketball championship when Kansas won the title in April. The contract with the 23-year old player is signed for three years - until the end of the 2010-11 season. Kaun will be paid $1,047,042 U.S. dollars per year for the next three seasons.

CSKA always keeps an interest in all Russian basketball players, especially young ones, said CSKA CEO Andrei Vatutin. After the win in the NCAA finals, Kaun became one of the most popular players here, but I'd like to mention that we began watching him a few years ago. I am extremely happy that Russian fans will have a chance to see Sasha.

During the 2007-08 season Kaun played 40 games for Kansas (six starts), with averages of 17.7 minutes, 7.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots.

Kaun will also try out for the Russian Olympic team July 3 in Moscow. In all, 16 players will vie for 12 or 13 spots.

Serge Ibaka: NBA Draft Profile

Jeff Fox — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:04:26 -0700

Serge Ibaka

Team: C.B. L’Hospitalet

Birth Year: 1989

Position: PF/C

Height: 6’10”

Weight: 220lbs

Accolades: Congolese National Team, U-18 African Championships MVP (06).

Scouting Report: A long, athletic, young African big man.

Strengths: Tons of potential/upside – won’t turn 19-years-old until later this summer. Incredible leaper – can jump out of the gym – reportedly has a vertical over 40 inches. Great length – huge wingspan. Terrific at blocking and altering shots. Nice stroke on his jumper for a big man – even hits an occasional three-pointer. Great rebounder – really crashes the glass, especially offensively.

Weaknesses: Very inexperienced. Doesn’t even play in the top league in Spain. Needs to get bigger and stronger for the pounding of the NBA. Game is still very raw – needs lots of work. Offensive game often consists of throwing a shot up and crashing the glass after it. Horrible at drawing fouls – shot just over two free throws a game this year.

Projected 2008 Draft Range: Early second round pick.

Consensus: You don’t often get players with the potential of Ibaka in the second round. He is far from ready for the NBA, but a few more years playing in Europe and he could become a good NBA pro.

Stats: http://competiciones.feb.es/estadisticas/Jugador.aspx?i=444941&c=1588227&med=1

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Goran Dragic: NBA Draft Profile

Jeff Fox — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:02:58 -0700

Goran Dragic

Team: Union Olimpija

Birth Year: 1986

Position: PG

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 180lbs

Accolades: Adriatic League All-Star (08), Slovenian National Team (06-08), Slovenian League All-Star (06), Slovenia U-20 National Team (04, 05), Slovenian U-18 National Team (04-05).

Scouting Report: A big, quick Slovenian point guard often compared to Tony Parker.

Strengths: Good size for a point guard. Amazingly accurate shooter – over 60% from the field. Great penetrator and finisher. Athletic – hits acrobatic shots. Good at pushing the ball. Quick player. Played in the best league outside of the NBA this year, the Euroleague. Solid defender. Left handed.

Weaknesses: Needs to improve his playmaking – almost racks up as many turnovers as assists. Has to add muscle to his frame and get stronger. Has to become a more consistent outside shooting threat. Decision making isn’t what it should be for a point guard. Is already 22-years-old.

Projected 2008 Draft Range: Mid to late second round pick.

Consensus: Dragic could be a good second round pick for a team willing to keep him in Europe for another year to get stronger and work on his point guard skills.

Stats: http://www.nba.com/draft2008/profiles/GoranDragic.html

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Nathan Jawai: NBA Draft Profile

Jeff Fox — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:54:32 -0700

Nathan Jawai

Team: Cairns Taipans

Birth Year: 1986

Position: PF/C

Height: 6’9”

Weight: 271lbs

Accolades: NBL (Australian pro league) Rookie of the Year (08), NBL All-Star (08), MVP NBL All-Star Game (08), Second Team All-NBL (08), Australian U-21 Team.

Scouting Report: A dunking machine from Down Under.

Strengths: Huge wingspan – 7’4”. Reportedly was improving conditioning & losing fat leading up to draft. Great leaper. Attacks the rim. Very effective low post scorer. Finishes extremely strong – dunks everything. Good rebounder and shot-blocker. Good hands. His game has improved very quickly. Very physically strong in the low post.

Weaknesses: Has had conditioning issues in the past. Will be too short to play center in the NBA. Will be 22-years-old when the season begins. Australian pro league is good, but not the level of competition that exists in Europe. Post moves are pretty methodical – just uses his strength to back down opponent. Very inexperienced – only started playing a few years ago. Is he quick enough to cover NBA power forwards? Jump shot isn’t real smooth looking.

Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late first round pick to mid second round pick.

Consensus: Nathan Jawai isn’t ready for the NBA yet, but considering how much he has improved in the short amount of time he has been playing the sport, he could turn out to be a solid pro.

Stats: http://www.nblstats.com/players.php?playerid=11385

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Omri Casspi: NBA Draft Profile

Jeff Fox — Mon, 26 May 2008 09:52:21 -0700

Omri Casspi

Team: Maccabi Tel Aviv

Birth Year: 1988

Position: SF

Height: 6’8”

Weight: 230lbs

Accolades: Israeli U-16 National Team (03 & 04), Israeli U-18 National Team (04 & 06), Israeli U-20 National Team (07).

Scouting Report: A long, skinny, yet skilled, Israeli wingman.

Strengths: Long arms. Strong finisher – can absorb contact and still finish. Feisty/aggressive player. Moves well without the ball. Good athlete – can really run the floor well. Played more minutes as the season progressed. Competed in the top league outside of the NBA, the Euroleague, on one of the top teams in the world. Has three-point range on his jumper.

Weaknesses: Skinny – needs to bulk up. Inexperienced – didn’t consistently play big minutes this season. May have attitude/character issues. Father publicly feuded with Maccabi over son’s playing time. Needs to shoot the three for a better percentage. Needs to take better care of the ball – has as many turnovers as assists this season.

Projected 2008 Draft Range: Mid second round pick.

Consensus: Casspi will more than likely pull out of this year’s draft considering he isn’t expected to be a first round pick. His game and body still need plenty of work for the NBA, but he definitely has the potential to make it one day.

Stats: http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=JFO - Euroleague

http://www.bsl.org.il/PlayerPage.asp?PlayerNumber=11&TeamId=58&cYear=2008&lang=en – Israeli League

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Nikola Pekovic: NBA Draft Profile

Jeff Fox — Mon, 26 May 2008 09:50:23 -0700

Nikola Pekovic

Team: Partizan Igokea

Birth Year: 1986

Position: PF/C

Height: 6’11”

Weight: 235lbs

Accolades: Second Team All-Euroleague (08), Adriatic League All-Star (07/08), Serbia & Montenegro U-20 National Team, Serbia & Montenegro U-18 National Team.

Scouting Report: A European big man not afraid of mixing it up down low.

Strengths: Big, strong player. Strong finisher. Big time scorer – had nine 20-plus point games in the Euroleague this year. A winner – has won numerous league championships in Europe. Had great personal success in the world’s second biggest league, the Euroleague. Plays very physical. Solid free throw shooter. Good rebounder, especially on the offensive glass. Good hands.

Weaknesses: Not NBA-athletic. Doesn’t block many shots. Is he quick enough to cover NBA athletes? Is already 22-years-old. Limited potential.

Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late first round pick to early second round pick.

Consensus: Pekovic’s average athleticism limits his NBA potential. While he probably won’t be a star, he is big and strong enough to play in the League some day.

Stats: http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=KNN – Euroleague

http://www.adriaticbasket.com/player.php?id=702 – Adriatic League

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Alexis Ajinca: NBA Draft Profile

Jeff Fox — Mon, 26 May 2008 09:47:37 -0700

Alexis Ajinca

Team: HTV Hyères-Toulon

Birth Year: 1988

Position: PF/C

Height: 7’0”

Weight: 209lbs

Accolades: French U-16 National Team (04), French U-18 National Team (05 & 06), French U-19 National Team (07).

Scouting Report: A shot-swatting beanpole from France.

Strengths: Incredible wing span – reportedly at 7’9”. A shot-blocking/shot-altering menace. Finishes well above the rim. Good hands. Can get out and run the floor. Good athlete for his size. A good passing big man. Smart player. Good at crashing offensive glass for put-back slams. Good shooter for his size – even hit a couple of three-pointers this year. Great free throw shooter.

Weaknesses: Extremely skinny and weak. Won’t be able to establish and keep good post position on offense in the NBA. Will get backed down in the post on defense. Inexperienced – only averages about 12mpg for his team in France. Still very raw.

Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late first round pick.

Consensus: Any team drafting Ajinca will have to be patient – he’s at least a couple of years, and about 50 pounds, away from contributing. He does have considerable skill to go along with his incredible length, so he may be worth taking a chance on.

Stats: http://www.basketinfo.com/joueur.php?no_joueur=1211

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Danilo Gallinari: NBA Draft Profile

Jeff Fox — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 08:57:47 -0700

NBA Draft: Danilo Gallinari

Team: AJ Milano

Birth Year: 1988

Position: SF

Height: 6’9”

Weight: 209lbs

Accolades: Italian League All-Star (07), Italian U-16 National Team, Italian U-18 National Team, Italian National Team.

Scouting Report: A strong, highly skilled Italian prospect.

Strengths: Young but experienced – played pro since 2004. Plays in the top league outside of the NBA, the Euroleague. Despite being only 19-years-old, he is the best player on his team. Very good offensive player. Great shooting stroke. Long arms. Very good off the dribble – can go left or right and finishes strong. Great leaper. Can hit the tough shot. Shooting range extends to three-point territory. Good size and strength for a small forward. Solid defender – moves feet, blocks shots, grabs steals. Great free throw shooter and knows how to get himself to the line.

Weaknesses: Needs to improve his three-point accuracy, and get used to the deeper NBA line. Quick and strong for Europe, but is he athletic and strong enough to guard NBA small or power forwards? Still isn’t totally consistent – had a zero point Euroleague outing. Will take time to adjust to the NBA game. Still young – won’t turn 20-years-old until August.

Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery pick.

Consensus: Gallinari is a very impressive NBA prospect and should be a solid NBA pro. Whether he has as much “upside” as a prospect like Nicolas Batum is debatable, but Gallinari is definitely more NBA-ready than Batum and has the potential to be an above average NBA player.

Stats:

Italian League: http://195.56.77.208/player/?id=GAL-DAN-88&year=2007&team=1139

Euroleague: http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=KRD

NBA Draft on CollegeHoops.net

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