FIBA U-19 World Championship 2011

Jimmy Chitwood

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in case any of you might be missing it (and since it's not been aired on any American television that i'm aware of, who can blame you?), the FIBA U-19 World Basketball Championship is going on right now. here's a run-down of what's gone on thus far ...

16 teams from around the world originally qualified for round-robin pool play, with four 4-team groups. pool play is over, and entering the elimination round of the tournament only 8 teams remain: Argentina, Australia, Croatia, Lithuania,Poland, Russia, Serbia, and USA.what is so special about the remaining 8 teams? only 1 team has any black starters ... the USA. in fact, besides team Urban States of Africa, thereis only 1 black player remaining in the entire tournament, Australia's Owen Odigie, who comes off the bench.

how is this possible? according to allthe "experts," blacks are the best basketball players in the world ... so, again, how is this possible? where are the black African teams? with all the African "phenoms" who were drafted in the most recent NBA Draft, wouldn't you expect them to be represented in this worldwide, merit-based tournament if they are, in fact, the best players from around the world? in fact, though, neither of the two teams that qualified from Africa (Egypt and Tunisia) have a single black player on their rosters. "weird," huh? additionally, France, arguably the most "diverse" team in Europe, didn't even qualify for the tournament. so what's the deal?

while the "experts" try to explain how these inconvenient facts really don't mean what they appear to mean, 7 all-White starting lineups will be vying for the World U-19 Championship. and, unless team USA (which only has two White players on the roster) wins again (USA is the defending champ), another all-White team will win the World title. Serbia won in 2007, Australia won in 2003, Spain won in 1999, and Greece won in 1995. before 2009, the USA hadn't won since 1991. another inconvenient fact is that the only non-all-White team to ever win the tournament is the USA. "weird," huh?

another "weird" fact is that only three teams that qualified for the World Championship besides Team Urban States of Africa had any black players at all: Australia (1), Brazil (2), and Canada (4). if blacks are the best players in the world, how is that possible?

yet another "weird" piece of information is that the best player on the USA team just might be small forward Doug McDermott, who plays for Creighton. McDermott is the third-leading scorer on the team, the third-leading rebounder, has played the second most minutes, and amazinglyhas just 1 turnover.

finally, the best player in the whole tournament is Lithuania's Jonas Valanciunas. the #5 pick overall in the most recent NBA draft currently leads the tournament in scoring (20.7 ppg), rebounding (13.3 rpg), blocked shots (3.5 bpg), and double-doubles (5), and is second in field goal percentage (58.7%). not surprisingly, he's a White man.

JonasValanciunas.jpg


also, for anyone who might think that with all these non-affletes playing basketball, it is a "boring" below-the-rim affair. well ... not exactly.
smiley2.gif


[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta9cqMQ3ZRA&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL[/tube]

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhGM2fglJ5k&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL[/tube]

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0_pYJ5quFw&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL[/tube]

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJg1yqA_vXE&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL[/tube]
 

Jimmy Chitwood

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more "boring" action ...
smiley2.gif


[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV_W-h6W3LM[/tube]

also, the quarterfinals are today.
 

Jimmy Chitwood

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oh, and one more video before i take off for a while ... this one from team Lithuania, who, despite playing without their starting point guard (and struggling mightily with turnovers as a result),took the USA to overtime before losing by two during pool play.

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0yrxj7w95I[/tube]
 

Freethinker

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Thanks for the great info JC. Lithuania sure looks like a fun squad to watch with their athleticism. I'm sure they play better team ball than the US as well. I'll be rooting for them the rest of the way.
 

Jimmy Chitwood

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this just in ... all-White Russia knocked off the USA, 79-74.
smiley20.gif

also advancing to the final four were Lithuania (defeating Poland), Serbia (defeating Australia), and Argentina (defeating Croatia).

on the final four teams, there are exactly ZERO black players left in the World U-19 Championship of basketball. "weird," huh?

i'll give a more detailed recap later.
 

Jimmy Chitwood

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okay ... the following 35-second video is a pretty good summary of the Russian win over Team USA, at least on one of the end floor. the all-White Russians played through the <STRIKE>"physical"</STRIKE> slapping defense of Team USA, really sharing the ball and finding the open shooters ... who then knocked their shots down, especially Trushkin (who is seen in the video and scored 19) and Kulagin (team-high 21). the dead-eye duo combined to knock down 8 of 12 3-point shots.


[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMpulUFUxpY[/tube]

conversely, USA didn't make a single 3-pointer. the media favorites Jeremy Lamb and Tim Hardaway, Jr. combined for a miserable 0 for 8 from long range. Hardaway was a mere 1 for 6 from the floor for the game, while Lamb hit 9 of 22. Lamb's ballhogging really hurt the Urban States; no one else on the team had more than 9 field goal attempts.

it was a close game throughout,but the Russians played mentally tough, not allowing the <STRIKE>"physical"</STRIKE> slapping defense of Team USA to force them into turnovers. consequently, the USA was unable to score easy points in transition. the results speak for themselves.

in the final four tomorrow, Russia faces off with Lithuania. the smaller Russians will have their hands full with Lithuania's monster in the middle: Jonas Valanciunas.

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5JOMSR-xJY[/tube]

in the other semi-final game, Serbia takes on Argentina.
 

white lightning

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What a great job by the legend Jimmy Chitwood. You my friend are awesome! Great win by Russia but I will be rooting for Lithuania tommorow. I like how they love to dunk on people yet they still understand the fundementals. Whether it's defense, passing, or shooting. They are a complete team. I have to admit though that I will be happy either way. What's not to like? I would like to watch this live. Maybe someone can get a live link?
 
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Jonas had 26 points and 24 rebounds against Poland. Team USA now plays Poland in a consolation game and we can finish no higher than fifth.

I was reading some comments about our team and someone posted that we have the better athletes but they have better fundamentals. Well, I think "their athletes" have caught up too and are just as fast too. I mean some Americans think that only American players can dunk the ball and everyone else just lays it in. lol

I have watched Joe Jackson before and he has great speed but Tim Hardaway was not that special in the March Madness game I watched. And of the drafted players the one with the best higlights was Jan Vesely, a white European who can jump out of the gym and ON anyone.

"USA" doesn't even have the most athletic players anymore.
 

Deadlift

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Lithuania with the GOLD.. Serbia the SILVER.. Russia the BRONZE... And Argentina comes in 4th place.

The REAL SUPER-ATHLETES!!
 

FootballDad

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World University Games

....And it yet another International competition, the supa-affletic Team USA goes down to defeat at the hands of some high-motor, hard-working, blue-collar, scrappy, (fill in the caste adjective) European team. This time losing to Lithuania in the quarterfinals of the World University Games, 76-74. If they manage to win their last two games, they can wrap up FIFTH place for the tourney! Here is the story for your enjoyment:

http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-ba...goes-cold-loses-to-lithuania-in-quarterfinals

Here is one of the representative faces of Team USA! Team USA! Team USA!

45775-330-0.jpg
 

FootballDad

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In case anyone is interested, I found that the USA did indeed win their last two games to finish fifth. Here is the World University squad for the US, featuring only two crackers:


11_mwug_team_500x266.JPG
2011 USA Men’s World University Games Team Roster
NAME
POS
HGT
WGT
DOB
YOG
SCHOOLHOMETOWN
Tim Abromaitis
F/C​
6-8​
235​
09/17/89​
2011*​
Notre DameUnionville, CT
Marcus Denmon
G​
6-3​
185​
03/20/90​
2012​
MissouriKansas City, MO
Ashton Gibbs
G​
6-2​
190​
01/19/90​
2012​
PittsburghScotch Plains, NJ
Draymond Green
F​
6-7​
230​
03/04/90​
2012​
Michigan StateSaginaw, MI
JaMychal Green
F​
6-8​
225​
06/21/90​
2012​
AlabamaMontgomery, AL
Scoop Jardine
G​
6-2​
190​
08/09/88​
2011*​
SyracusePhiladelphia, PA
John Jenkins
G​
6-4​
220​
03/06/91​
2013​
VanderbiltHendersonville, TN
Orlando Johnson
G​
6-5​
205​
03/11/89​
2012​
UC Santa Barbara Seaside, CA
Greg Mangano
F​
6-10​
240​
10/28/89​
2012​
YaleOrange, CT
Trevor Mbakwe
F/C​
6-8​
241​
01/24/89​
2012​
Minnesota St. Paul, MN
Ray McCallum
G​
6-1​
185​
06/12/91​
2014​
Detroit MercyBeverly Hills, MI
Darius Miller
G​
6-6​
185​
03/21/90​
2012​
KentuckyMaysville, KY
Head Coach: Matt Painter, Purdue University
Assistant Coach: Cuonzo Martin, University of Tennessee
Assistant Coach: Brad Stevens, Butler University
Team Physician: Brock Schnebel, University of Oklahoma
Athletic Trainer: Ed Thompson, Southern Illinois University
 

whiteathlete33

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Amazingly, the US team manages to have one white player on the entire team, Doug Mc Dermott a small forward. The Serbian, Lithuanian, and Russian team don't have any affletes, onlh white players.
 

FootballDad

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Incidentally, the Serbian team beat Team Canada for the Gold, while Lithuania beat Russia for the Bronze.
 

MDM

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on the final four teams, there are exactly ZERO black players left in the World U-19 Championship of basketball. "weird," huh?

This is pretty common. The US dominates U16, U17, and U18. The U19 team is always junior varsity because the elite guys always skip the tournament to concentrate on their draft positions.

There was no way our best 19 year olds, Kyrie Irving, Brandon Knight, Jared Sullinger, and Harrison Barnes were going to jeopardize their health before their big paydays.
 

referendum

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While the US U19 team doesn't have all the best available US players, I'm wondering if that is also the case with the most promising European players as well, many of whom are already playing professionally over there.
 
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