Zona Zealots
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Sean Millers USA U19 Team Brings Home FIBA Gold

By Shereen Rayan

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The day after USA U19 basketball team beat Greece in a highly contested game in front of the Greek home crowd, the team took on Croatia in the Championship game and won the Gold!

The arena was empty so the crowd wasn’t going to be a factor in this game, only about 200-300 people in the stands if that.

The USA and Croatia teams played evenly through the first quarter, ending it USA 14, Croatia 13 after a missed free throw which could have evened the score. Both teams had a hard time finding a rhythm and started out sluggish.

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There were much less fouls called and whistles blown in this game versus the USA’s semi-final game against Italy. Louisiana University’s sophomore Chinanu Onuaku made a huge dunk and stared into the camera ‘NBA style.’ USA tried hard to pick up the pace of the game, but it was difficult against this highly fundamental Croatia team.

Arizona recruit Jayson Tatum hit a huge three-pointer after a Giles dunk.  USA played good offense, but shabby defense, Croatia moved the ball nicely and almost text-book, three minutes left, Croatia up by two with 30, USA at 28.

Arizona’s Allonzo Trier heated up playing point guard, with a huge cross-court assist followed up with a nice lay-up scoring five total points in the half and two assists.

Halftime Score: USA 34   Croatia 31

Defense was the focus for the second half. Note, I don’t recall many if any travelling calls in the first half, but would that continue?

Harry Giles got into with under the basket with No.15 Arapovic. Both wrestling for the ball, Arapovic tries a Celtics/Kelly Olynyk move attempting to rip Giles arm off. The teams became testy in the third quarter jawing back and forth, in English I assume.

Miller went to small ball and Miller was brilliant in this game. The players never gave up and he kept changing the line-up to keep Croatia guessing. Coach Miller was definitely impressive and got on camera a lot more in the Championship game; someone must have seen our tweets complaining about the lack of camera time on the USA team and coaching staff.

Trier had some struggles on turnovers playing point guard, Miller quickly gave the ball back to Villanova commit Jalen Brunson who scored back-to-back three-pointers. USA was feeling good at this point up by 10 points; USA 47, Croatia 37. I wonder if Brunson might be re-thinking his committment to Villanova after this USA FIBA performance.

Travelling calls started rearing their ugly head late in the third quarter against Croatia. The score entering the third quarter: USA 50, Croatia 47.

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One thing was clear, USA’s inside game was a struggle and players did not convert many baskets, even though there were pleny of offensive rebounds and second chance points. Giles went cold, basically, relying on getting fouled and attempting to make his free-throws. On defense, USA racked up the fouls; half way into the fourth quarter, they had three players with four fouls and one with three.

The lead changes abounded in the fourth quarter, it was mostly a back-and-forth even game. It seemed each time USA got ahead, Croatia came back. Croatia took to fouling USA before they reached the half court line, attempting to stop fast breaks. Croatia suffered a major setback when Arapovic fouled out.

Just 3:42 left in the game, the Croatia team seemed totally spent. Even so, their shots were still going in and ours weren’t.

Here are the highlights from the last 44 seconds in regulation:

  • The difference in the score was a measly one point; USA 67 Croatia 66.
  •  With 25 seconds remaining Giles stepped out-of-bounds.
  • 9 seconds left in the game Josh Jackson fouled Croatia’s No. 8 Bozic: two shots.
  • Bozic made the first to tie game 67-67, but then he MISSES THE SECOND!
  • Brunson dribbled down the court and heaving a long three-pointer for the win, clink! Bounces off the back of the rim. Overtime!

On to Overtime..more travelling calls..Josh Jackson fouled out of the game with five fouls, Onuaku, Giles and Ferguson had four fouls each.

Brunson scored first with a Euro-step lay-up, followed by a Tatum Dunk. Then USA took over the game in overtime and won by eight points, more than anytime during the fourth quarter.

FINAL: USA 79  CROATIA 71

USA shot 34% versus Croatia’s 45% from the field, but the difference was in USA’s three-point shot percentage which was 45% versus Croatia’s 14%.

Standout Performances:
Croatia – N. Slavica – 23 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists

USA – MVP and All-Star Jalen Brunson 14 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists; All-Star Harry Giles 13 points, 16 rebounds

Standout coaching staff: The USA Coaches; Head Coach Sean Miller and Assistants Ed Cooley of Providence and Archie Miller of Dayton

Mike DeCourcy, basketball columnist for the Sporting News, wrote about how young American players have been down played as not skilled by the likes of Mark Cuban to ESPN Dallas. This team was the youngest team to ever win proving Mark Cuban incorrect in his assertion. DeCourcy also was impressed by Coach Sean Miller, “Miller coached like a champion. A world champion now, maybe an NCAA champion eventually.”

From your keyboard to G-d’s ears Mike!

Highlights:

Beardown USA!

Next: Top 5 Stanley Johnson Games at Arizona

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