FIBA World Championships

[tornado]

There's one ex-Valley player on the US team, and there are a couple ex-Valley players there playing for other teams...

Danny Granger playing for the US scored 9 in their dismantling of Croatia, 106-78.....
The US just completed their 2nd game whalloping Slovenia 99-77, Granger going scoreless in 7 minutes...

In the opening round game with Argentina, the German team lost 78-74, but ex-UNI Lucca Staiger got to play 6 minutes for the Germans, and went scoreless...

http://turkey2010.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/10/fwcm/p/gid/3/grid/A/rid/6944/game.html

Also in 1st round action Angola lost to Serbia in a rout, 94-44, but ex-ISU Redbird Roberto Fortes played 19 minutes and was also scoreless. As most Redbird fans recall -- Fortes was valuable ONLY for his occasional offense because he never played defense and didn't even know it was supposed to be part of the game.

http://turkey2010.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/10/fwcm/p/gid/2/grid/A/rid/6944/game.html

[ser_solace]

Team USA looking good. I like this young group of players they've gathered. They're playing really well together.

With Greece having player troubles and no Pau Gasol on Spain, the U.S. should take the tournament.

[SFP]

Team USA looking good. I like this young group of players they've gathered. They're playing really well together.

With Greece having player troubles and no Pau Gasol on Spain, the U.S. should take the tournament.

They can't take any team lightly once they get into the elimination round. Argentina usually has a decent team as well. I like our chances and I doubt if Coach K will let them take any game lightly.

[tornado]

US clobbers Angola in the elimination round 121-66 and moves to the final 8 teams at the FIBA World Championships

Billups led the US with 19 pts, Derrick Rose had 9 pts, 6 asst -- Granger only 5 pts, 1 reb wonder what's up?
ex-ISU star Roberto Fortes, playing for Angola was 4-7, 11 pts, 2 asst., 1 reb

http://turkey2010.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/10/fwcm/p/gid/A/grid/65/rid/6945/game.html

Fortes is #5...for you ISU fans...

[tornado]

..ex-UNI Lucca Staiger got to play 6 minutes for the Germans...

just as a followup -- recall Lucca Staiger bolted from the Iowa State team with little warning and went back to Germany and signed a pro contract...
Just wondered if anyone wanted to see how he's done since...

In the pro season ending last spring...he really didn't play very much with his Alba Berlin team.
He averaged only 3 ppg, and 0.3 rebounds, and 0.4 assists...not real impressive..
Later in the season he was demoted to the Pro B team Alba II, but he should be with the BBL Alba this year...
Currently he is playing as a sub on the German team in the FIBA World Championships, and is not with his Alba team that is starting exhibition play...

The German team at FIBA will finish in 5th place, as Staiger averaged 7 ppg, 1 rpg, 0.2 apg...
however 19 of the 29 total points he scored, he got in garbage time of the blowout win over Jordan.

[ser_solace]

Granger's just not getting into the rotation that much. Pretty much played garbage time when the U.S. blew out Angola.