1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

US men's basketball team loses Pan Am game to Uruguay

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by poindexter, Jul 27, 2007.

  1. poindexter

    poindexter Well-Known Member

    http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/20070726-1324-panamsnotebook.html

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    1:24 p.m. July 26, 2007

    RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – International inexperience didn't hurt the U.S. women's basketball team, which went through the Pan American Games undefeated and won the gold medal against a veteran Brazil squad.

    The story was much different for the men in their first outing.

    The Americans, all college players, including several stars such as Georgetown's Roy Hibbert and Michigan State's Drew Neitzel, couldn't overcome their sloppiness or the physical play of Uruguay in an 81-72 loss late Wednesday night. That made first-round games against Panama and Argentina must-wins for the United States to have a shot at a medal.

    “They were very cohesive. Uruguay really played like a veteran team,” said U.S. coach Jay Wright of Villanova. “They knew their personnel. We've got to learn that about ourselves and how we're going to make plays down the stretch.”

    As often is the case, the Americans struggled to hit 3-pointers. They were 3-for-21 from long range, which was decisive even though Uruguay only made seven 3-pointers.

    Uruguay also shot 66 percent on 2-pointers.

    “We've still got a lot of things to work on,” said Indiana's D. J. White. “I give them all the credit, they came out and played good. We didn't play to the best of our capabilities.

    “We just have to go out there and play; play together and do what coach says. So, I don't think us being together only for two weeks is an excuse. It's basketball and we just have to go out there and play better.”
     
  2. Football_Bat

    Football_Bat Well-Known Member

    Re: US men's basketball team loses Pan Am game to Uraguay

    If they can't beat frickin' Uruguay, they will get run out of the gym by the Argies.
     
  3. Mmac

    Mmac Guest

    Re: US men's basketball team loses Pan Am game to Uraguay

    That's right, tiny soccer mad Uruguay with a population just over 3 million. And we also just got beat by Panama, to make us 0-2. The days of U.S. college players being able to hold their own internationally appear to be long gone.
     
  4. spnited

    spnited Active Member

    Re: US men's basketball team loses Pan Am game to Uraguay

    Maybe because they have no clue what basketball fundamentals are all about. They only know how to generate SportsCenter highlights.
     
  5. Gutter

    Gutter Well-Known Member

    Re: US men's basketball team loses Pan Am game to Uraguay

    What do you expect when they don't finalize a team until a week before they leave for Rio?

    USA Basketball has no one to blame but themselves ... why in the world would you wait until the week before the basketball event starts to finalize your team? Hell, the Pan Am Games opening ceremonies were held before the team was assembled.

    I caught both games on TV down here in Rio ... completely dreadful games.
     
  6. Armchair_QB

    Armchair_QB Well-Known Member

    Re: US men's basketball team loses Pan Am game to Uraguay

    It doesn't help that USAB was also fielding a team for the U19 Worlds earlier this summer. That team won silver and probably rolls through this competition. Same thing happened four years ago.
     
  7. 2muchcoffeeman

    2muchcoffeeman Well-Known Member

    Re: US men's basketball team loses Pan Am game to Uraguay

    This is not a dream team, folks. It's a bunch of college kids who weren't good enough to declare for the draft after their freshman year.
     
  8. alleyallen

    alleyallen Guest

    Re: US men's basketball team loses Pan Am game to Uraguay

    Perhaps part of the problem stems from a) lack of fundamentals and b) team cohesiveness being destroyed by freshman declaring instead of staying in school.
     
  9. Armchair_QB

    Armchair_QB Well-Known Member

    Re: US men's basketball team loses Pan Am game to Uraguay

    Jay Wright must have been given the gig in Rio to make up for having to go to Turkey for the World University Games two years ago.
     
  10. Gutter

    Gutter Well-Known Member

    Re: US men's basketball team loses Pan Am game to Uraguay

    I'm not saying it is or that they should win gold ... my issue is the timing of putting the team together. Watching them play, it looked like they all just met earlier that day.

    The game against Argentina is going to be u-g-l-y.
     
  11. Songbird

    Songbird Well-Known Member

    Re: US men's basketball team loses Pan Am game to Uraguay

    How are the "other" sights in Rio?
     
  12. Re: US men's basketball team loses Pan Am game to Uraguay

    It's probably the rap music.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page