On A Quest For Gold No More: Grades For USA’s U19 World Championships Loss To Russia
Jeremy Lamb (photo. University of Connecticut Athletics)
“Do you believe in miracles?”
I don’t speak Russian, but I’m pretty sure that’s what I heard the announcers screaming on the Russian telecast as the final buzzer sounded on their 79-74 upset victory over the United States this morning.
After going 5-1 in group play, the top-seeded Americans were dropped in the quarterfinals of the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship by a less-than-stellar Russian team that went 3-3 in group play.
The Americans can now hope for a fifth-place finish at best and will have to watch as Russia battles Lithuania tomorrow for a spot in the gold-medal game.
The US got off to a poor start in this morning’s contest, trailing by 10 at the half, 40-30.
But behind a 23-12 third-quarter run fueled by Jeremy Lamb, it looked like the Americans had finally taken control of the game and were on the road to victory.
Vladislav Trushkin had different plans, however. The Russian notched 14 of his 19 total points in the final quarter, leading his squad to the five-point victory.
Trushkin’s clutch performance guarantees that United States will not finish with a medal for just the third time in the history of the competition.
It’s no surprise then that the Americans will receive a grade report that they won’t be excited to bring home to their parents.
United States
The US Offense: D-
I’m not sure if I can accurately convey how terrible the Americans looked with the ball today. But let me give it a shot. It’s starting point guard, Joe Jackson, finished as the squad’s top assist giver – with two dimes. As a team, the Americans combined for just eight assists on 29 made field goals. The US shot 43.3 percent from the field and shot 0-of-9 from deep. The team finished with just 74 points – its lowest output of the tournament thus far. Not that anyone will be following too closely, but the US should look to move the ball around more on its quest for fifth place.
Jeremy Lamb: B-
At times, Lamb was the lone bright spot in the United States’ bleak offense. The rising UConn sophomore did work in the third quarter, hitting an array of midrange jumpers and floaters to bring the United States back into the game. After dropping 35 and 25 points in his last two contests, Lamb finished with a team-high 21 this morning. But despite leading the squad in scoring for the third straight game, Lamb was much less efficient than he had been in previous matchups, going 9-for-22 from the field for a mark of 40.9 percent. The US needs him to do better to win games against strong competition.
Meyers Leonard: B
Leonard’s performance this morning will certainly be overshadowed by the disappointing loss, but I think he deserves some credit. Leonard contributed a strong 23 minutes of play, notching 13 points – a tournament high – on nine shots while pulling down five boards. With under seven minutes to play and the US trailing by three, the rising Illinois sophomore came up with a big steal on the defensive end, dribbled the length of the court, and finished a two-handed jam to bring his team within one. These energy plays are what the US needs from Leonard.
Joe Jackson: C
After watching Jackson against Lithuania, I can’t say I was very high on him as the Americans’ starting floor general. Jackson did nothing to change my opinion this morning. I guess something about a 26-27 assist-turnover ratio just doesn’t appeal to me. I will admit that Jackson picked his spots better today, notching 14 points on nine shots, but the two free throws he missed with the US down five with just over a minute to go were crushing.
Russia
Dmitry Kulagin: A-
I have a feeling US coach Paul Hewitt is going to have nightmares about Kulagin tonight. With the US guards gambling for steals, the 6-5 shooting guard was left wide open on way too many occasions and Kulagin made them pay. He shot five-of-six from beyond the arc for a team-high 21 points. He also pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the tournament. Russia will need another standout performance from him again if they are going to take down Lithuania tomorrow.
Vladislav Trushkin: A-
Kulagin got Russia going early, but Trushkin closed it out. After scoring five points in the first three quarters, the 6-7 forward caught fire in the fourth. Trushkin finished with 14 of his squad’s 27 points in the quarter, including a deep three that crushed the Americans’ hopes of a comeback. With Russia leading by three and under a minute to play, the US came up with a strong defensive possession and it looked like they would recover the ball with a shot to tie the game. But with just a few ticks on the shot clock, the Russians swung the ball to Trushkin, who was spotted up a few feet beyond the arc, and he nailed the shot as the clock expired. We’ll see if Trushkin’s hot hand can carry over to tomorrow.
FIBA rules: C-
Am I the only one who isn’t a fan of the 24-second shot clock for the U19 tournament? I understand that it works for the NBA, but it seems silly to use with a bunch of college-age players who don’t have fully developed one-on-one scoring moves. If it was pushed back to 30, I think we would see a lot more ball movement and a lot less forced jumpers late in the clock.
What did you think about the US losing?
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July 8th, 2011 at 6:19 pm
tgm says:
“FIBA rules: C-”
I really think that that is the most idiotic ideea i’ve ever seen on Dimemag…. Let’s just change the rules of basketball because the American national U19 year is just to weak to play some colective team basketball and have to really only on 1-on-1….
July 8th, 2011 at 6:57 pm
dagwaller says:
And this will be the end (for this year) of people saying that NCAA players are automatically better than overseas players.
July 8th, 2011 at 8:53 pm
K Dizzle says:
@ Dagwaller – slow down. It’s U19. Gimme a team of incoming freshman Rivers, Beal, Davis, Gilchrist, McAdoo etc and I guarantee a gold. US’s problem of this so-so roster is only cuz Sullinger, Jones, Barnes, etc are all 19 already. I checked the roster and I really only knew Lamb, Young and Hardaway Jr…
Russia shot 42% from 3. US went 0-9..Ballgame
July 8th, 2011 at 9:13 pm
McSimon says:
It aint the rules, your team plays just don’t exist.
No mention on Lambs huge ego trip? At one point when Kulagin was drilling you, he was tryin to show he can do the same … well, he could’t. He just looked like Kobe at his worst.
I like the kid, but this today … his coach better talk some sense into him
July 9th, 2011 at 9:26 am
dagwaller says:
@ K Diz – this was essentially a Jay-V team that we sent, if you look at the “star power”, I agree.
But then again, no one on Russia’s team, as far as I know, is on NBA scouts’ radars.
My point isn’t that in 5 years, we’re going to start losing World/Olympic Championships.
My point is that I heard a lot of noise after the draft about how there were too many international players taken early, a sign of a weak draft (it was weak, but not because of that).
I just don’t want to hear that anymore, after games like this.
July 9th, 2011 at 10:58 am
V. says:
FIBA rules: C-
Probably only american college players have difficulty because of the 24sec shotclock, because everywhere around the world except the ncaa people are playing with 24sec shotclocks from a young age, deal with it
July 9th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
doc says:
a tourney full of scrubs. who gives a shit
July 10th, 2011 at 6:17 am
ab40 says:
fiba rules haha college rules are for 10 year olds who don’t know how to play ball and it’s evident in the game the us team plays. they play selfish, can’t read plays, can’t shoot for shit and have no idea what a team concept is. The 24 second rule is being used in europe from u12 and up it’s only logical 35 seconds?!? I still can’t get my head over that rule it sucks balls. You can’t play a zone press if after 10 seconds there still are 25 seconds on the clock. the 30 second rule and the 20 minute halves were eliminated in the 80′s and 90′s from basketball everywhere except for college. And the dude at draftexpress is right this lithuania u19 would be the ncaa champs if they played there it’s that simple. That kid toronto drafted is a man amongst boys even vs the us he had 30 and 20 they lost but I don’t know if they’d lose again if you know usa could’ve hit a shot vs russia and had been in the semi finals.
Rule changes.. shortsighted
July 11th, 2011 at 4:33 am
Arno says:
And is there an american answer to Valenciunas ? He dropped 30 and 15 on the US team before scoring 36 in the finals.
What is incredible is that the world champs are Lithuania (3 million people), while USA (300 million people), who invented this game and love it so much, couldn’t make it.
As usual, the American team had the best athletes, but lacked ball movement. They lost because of poor outside shooting.
Well, ball movement and outside shooting is what you learn in Serbia or Lithuania. Maybe HS coaches could put greater emphasis on thoses elements of the game.
July 12th, 2011 at 10:38 am
S-SiN says:
Kulagin ass fucked everyone on his way and they ugly ass momma! it wasn’t all open threes! he hit damn near every buzzer beater and KILLED in 1 on 1. xaxaxa (lol in russian)