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Great Britain suffered defeat at the hands of Brazil yesterday, going down 58-72
in their final Group K quarter-final game in Beijing.
GB struggled to regain their early form from the tournament, as they fell into
foul trouble early on. Junior Williams top scored with 15 points.
The loss consigns the GB students to the group that will contest the 9th to 12th
positions. MATCH REPORT
Tournament Schedule |
Standings | GB Students Team Roster
GB Students Real Audio Interviews
»
Neil Fingleton/Mike Bernard: coming soon
» Richard Windle: coming
soon
»
Refiloe Lethunya: coming
soon
»
Head Coach Laszlo Nemeth: coming
soon
Read Tony Garbelotto's Chinese Diary
»
Aug 26: Click
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» Aug 25: Click
here
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Aug 24: Click
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» Aug 23: Click
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Aug 22: Click
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Aug 21: Click
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Aug 20: Click
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Sunday 26th August (back
to top)
As usual we
start every game day with a shooting practice. The problem with big events like
these, is that you never can tell when they will ask you to practice. Today we
have to shoot at 9.00am, which is a little earlier than I or Laszlo would like.
Nothing happens particularly at the shoot around, although Kevin Goodman is showing
good signs of recovery and I feel confident that he will play today.
The rest of the day is taken up with rest and recuperation.
The guys again look focused and sharp. We go over the game plan again and stress
the keys to win the game.
We get off to a great start, every player looks like he is firing on all cylinders.
Julius hit early from the three point line, Mike looked strong inside, and Refiloe
also started well. We jump on the Koreans in the first quarter and lead 28-18.
This lead will serve us for the rest of the game. This is not the game for Neil
- the Koreans are far to fast for him and he only plays 4 minutes.
In the second quarter the Koreans settle and start to hit a few three pointers,
we still maintain our ten point advantage at the half. In the third we still maintain
our lead and play some solid basketball. In the fourth, Mike Bernard starts to
play with confidence and shows us what we have been missing. He continually powers
past the Koreans defence and scores. Sean Jackson also comes alive and hits two
big three point shots that see us home.
In the end we win by 94-77. This was a good win. We had to totally change the
way we are used to playing and we were able to maintain that for a whole game.
Now we would have to again change styles and step up three different levels -
the challenge tomorrow is the USA.
I had seen them play, and was not convinced that this team was that strong. Yes
they are athletic, quick and confident, but it did not have the pedigree of USA
teams of the past. We really could beat this team, but it will take an incredible
effort.
Saturday
25th August (back to top)
It is a day
off from the competition but we will practice in the evening. In the day we all
take the trip to the Forbidden city and Tiananman square. I think it is important
that these young players get to experience the culture and history of a country,
especially when it is a country that you may never return to.
The practice in the evening is upbeat and we work no drills to contain the Koreans
dribble penetration and kick out style of basketball. There is now a degree of
confidence within the team and I think that we will be successful tomorrow.
Both myself and Laszlo are disappointed to be playing the Koreans. We would have
much preferred to have played against Mexico, a style of basketball we know more
about. The Koreans play a totally alien style of ball - it relies on dribble penetration
and the utilisation of the three point shot. This team will be dangerous and somehow
we have to make them play a different style or rhythm to the game.
We speak to the coaches of Sweden who played and beat them. They reinforced our
beliefs, and also told us to watch out for two players in particular.
Friday
24th August (back to top)
This is the
big day. All of the preparation has been geared to us winning against Russia.
I am still not well and decide not to travel to the teams shoot around in the
morning. Mike Bernard practices at full speed and declares himself ready to play.
This is a big boost for the team and when we meet in the afternoon I sense this.
The team assembles at 5.30pm for the 7.00pm game. The players all seem to be focused,
a mood which I like to see. We get to the gym and after light shooting we have
our team meeting. We focus on their strengths and talk about how we are going
to win the game.
The first quarter of the game was strange. We certainly stuck to our plan well,
going inside on the first 6 plays and drawing 4 early fouls. Our first 8 points
came from the line. Neil and Mike both caused their defence problems and we were
soon in the lead by 8 points, this did not last and we ended the quarter leading
by only 4 points.
In the second quarter, Mike who had played well throughout, picked up three fouls
and had to sit. The momentum changed again and Russia had the initiative. At the
half we only led by 2 points.
Sometimes as coaches you wonder if your team will ever start to play at the level
you believe that they can attain. I certainly was wondering this at this juncture.
The third quarter was though, a turning point. We started a smaller line up, which
included Germaine Forbes and later Eugene Baah. With these two leading the way
defensively, we held the Russians to only 6 points !!! We scored 20 in the quarter
to lead by 16 and victory was in sight. Julius Joseph also needs special praise
for finding his shooting touch as well.
In the fourth quarter, it was a matter of just playing soild basketball. Although
Russia made a run at the end, the game was effectively over.
It was a fantastic win, especially as the team had not been playing well. Julius
was solid in this win, but the real star was Eugene Baah. He was solid at the
point guard role, and made some big baskets in tough situations. Refiloe Lethunya,
was equally as solid, chipping in with 18 points and nine rebounds.
The players were really happy after the game, but as we stated to them, this was
only just the beginning. We now had to scout our possible next opponents but two
things happened. The first was that the schedule had changed without us being
told, which meant that we could not get to the USA - Turkey game. We also got
word that Korea had beaten Mexico and would advance to be our first opponent in
the next round. We had not anticipated this and had not even seen them play. We
would now have one day to find a team who had played them to get a scouting report.
I ventured to another gym to see China play Greece. China have their national
team playing here, and it is pretty awesome. They have Whang Zehizi, who plays
for the Dallas Mavericks, who at 7'1 is playing small forward!! They also have
the incredible Yao Ming - who really is a superstar in the making. 7'5 he stands,
he can shoot, drive, rebound and block shots. When he declares to the draft he
will be the number one pick.
Thursday 23rd August (back
to top)
Today, we trained
once in the morning. As usual, Laszlo works primarily on shooting and we also
go through some tactical considerations of the game plan. Again we stress that
it is vitally important to come out strong. To play extremely physical basketball
and to play with intensity on every play. One of the other areas that we have
to improve is turnovers. Against Hong Kong, we turned the ball over 18 times !!!
Against very mediocre opposition. We have to take care of the ball.
Mike struggles again in practice, he spends most of the practice just sitting
in the corner. The doctor will prescribe new pain killers and we all hope that
this will help the situation.
After practice, Richard, Sean and Duncan go off to the Forbidden City, while most
of the other players rest.
In the evening we all attend the Russia - Hong Kong game. Russia also struggle
against Hong Kong, but unlike us, they punish any HK mistake.
It is interesting watching them, I am not convinced that they are very strong.
They have a good point guard, a good swing player(who hobbles out injured), but
their inside players are weak. We have an excellent chance of beating them. I
am confident but will the players be ?
Myself and Laszlo go back and talk about the tactics for the game tomorrow. We
will go with a big line up if Mike can play. This means that Neil, Mike and Refiloe
will start in the front court, with Julius and Junior in the back court. I think
this will be good, the Russians cannot match this power up front.
Wednesday
22nd August (back to top)
Preparation
for a game starts early, and when a game is being played at 9.00am, this means
a wake up call of 6.15am.
Breakfast is taken at 6.30am and we meet to go to the gym at 7.30am.
After we arrived, myself and Laszlo look at the Hong Kong team. In my view it
is nothing more than a local club team. Little height, no strength, just small
and quick. We would expect to win big.
As the game started, I already sensed that our team was not playing hard and probably
had no respect for the opposition. We allowed them to score some easy open three's
and they started to get confident. We were only leading by 6 points after the
first quarter. We asked the players to step up, but got the opposite effect.
At the half we were still only 6 points ahead. Our shooting was horrendous, defence
was non existent. We had to step it up. In the third quarter, I genuinely started
to worry, they were still hanging around, again coming back to only trail by 6.
In the fourth quarter, our size and strength, coupled with better skills, finally
wore down the spirited Hong Kong team. We eventually won the game 83 - 67. Neil
Fingleton had performed well, scoring 20 points on 9-13 shooting. Julius Joseph
also was solid with 25, but everyone else was below average. As they say in basketball
coaching, a win is a win, but as we told the players - Russia will crush this
team into the ground. We need to play much, much better to beat Russia.
The rest of the day is spent getting used to the village and preparing for the
opening ceremony.
At 5.30pm we leave to go to the stadium - it is humid and this will be a long
night. The night itself goes like clockwork. Each bus has a police escort - the
whole of Beijing rush hour is brought to a stand still while we make our way to
the stadium.
I almost do not make it to the bus, let alone the stadium. I am very ill, dizzy,
faint and feel very sick. I decide to go and after a while feel a little better.
It was an incredible spectacle. Walking into a stadium of 75,000 people is a great
feeling. It is hard to describe. The ceremony is absolute breathtaking - they
said that there were over 7,000 people involved in what can only be described
as "mass theatre."
A combination of dance, acrobatic routines and a complete history of the Chinese
culture, thrilled the audience.
The guys certainly felt very much part of a major championship now.
Tuesday 21st August (back
to top)
This is our last day
before our first real game against Hong Kong. We are looking a little tired but
it is my belief that the team has not yet adjusted to the time difference and
also more critically, to the loss of Mike Bernard.
The practice is a low key affair, with lots of shooting - we shoot around 500
shots in 45 minutes. We walk through our offences and talk about the Hong Kong
game. It seems we have a big problem though. We anticipated Mike being out for
the Hong Kong game, but now Kevin Goodman is also out. This will mean that two
of our projected starters will be out of the first game, not good news.
This will be a tough game I feel. They are a unknown quantity, playing nearly
on home soil and more importantly the game will start at 9.00am in the morning
!! If anyone knows any of our players, they will understand how hard this will
be, to get them playing well at this time of the day.
For the rest of the day, some players go shopping, some just relax. We are lucky,
we have an excellent medical staff and they are working very hard to get the injured
players back on court.
Monday
20th August (back to top)
The pressure is slowly rising. After the close game with the Czech Republic
yesterday, this morning we have to play the Canadians. I am very close with the
coaching staff so it will be a good humoured game.
Mike Bernard still cannot play, although he did warm up and looks upbeat. The
game starts and as usual we are slow out of the blocks. Without Mike in the team,
we seem to have lost a little confidence and in the first quarter failed to get
a shot up 5 times in our half court offense. Canada were solid, if not spectacular,
not as good as last Games but still decent.
Their big players
started to wear Neil Fingleton and Richard Windle down, and their fast break was
killing us. We were down 28 - 13 after the first quarter.
In the second quarter
we settled down, and Sean Jackson hit two three pointers back to back. Also Julius
Joeseph started to get down low and get some easy scores. We were trailing by
10 going into the second half.
In the second half
we really turned up the defense. Kevin Goodman was outstanding, playing tremendous
on the ball defense. Unfortunately we could not convert many of the opportunities
that we had made and although we pulled to within 5 points at the end of the third,
we still could not get closer. The encouraging point was that we ended the game
by far the stronger team, but we still have to play with more consistency.
With 5 minutes to go in the game, disaster struck - Kevin Goodman receives a blow
to his thigh and it is bad.
After the game the Doctor immediately rules him out of the game against Hong Kong
on Wednesday. More bad luck.
The Canadians win 94 - 84.
The rest of the
day is spent resting and relaxing. No sightseeing yet, but the guys do go downtown
to McDonalds!! (The canteen is open 24 hours a day!) Their excuse is that we have
been on the road for too long and that they need REAL FOOD, ha ha. They also pick
up some dodgy DVDs for only 30 pence.
Tomorrow is just a shoot around and then the real competition begins.
Coach Tony Garbelotto
Official GB World University Games Web Site
http://www.gbr-worldunigames.org.uk/
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