Douai Junior World Championship Schedule June 2003

6/5/2003- The Venezuela National Team, which has been touring Europe for two months, found themselves unable to clear Customs in Spain. Slovenia will replace them for the "Friendly Exhibition Game," against the USA tonight at Lambres Lez Douai at 6:30 pm.

6/6/2003- Slovenia traveled 24 hours by a Tour Bus. The USA traveled 10 hours by plane, and for some USA players, it was a seven-hour time difference. Well, Slovenia seemed to be the fresher team as they put on a fundamental clinic on how to play FIBA basketball.

Grega Mali scored 17 points, 6'6 2G Domen Lorbek (15 points), brother of 6'10 Erazem Lorbek, who was a freshman at Michigan State this past year, and has declared himself for the NBA draft or the European Professional League, Mensud Juvelic scored 11 points, and Hansan Rizvic and Jure Mocnik scored 10 each to lead Slovenia to a 99 - 82 win over the USA. "We warned our guys before the game about the talent and skill level of the European players." said Linzy Davis, USA National Team Coach. "These guys play professionally all year. They compete against our top college players who are cut from the NBA. Experienced players will make you a smarter player. Plus, every team will play their best game against the USA. They really want to beat the USA. It is really a big deal."

Slovenia jumped out to a 25-13 first quarter lead. The USA lacked defensive intensity. Several players got into the scoring column for Slovenia in the first quarter as Erazem Lorbek, Miha Fon, Frega Mali, and Jure Mocnik all scored five points. "They showed no weaknesses." said Thad Fitzpatrick, USA Assistant Coach. "They are a very skilled and athletic team. They have a great understanding for the game and they move the ball and set solid screens very well."

The USA was able to cut the lead to nine points, going into halftime trailing 43-34. But Slovenia came out sizzling in the third quarter to get the lead back to 12 ending the 3rd quarter with a 71-59 lead. Then it seemed like the USA just ran out of gas as Slovenia finished the game strong. "We will study the game-film tonight and make adjustments" said Davis. "They put on a basketball clinic tonight. They didn't show any weaknesses, and their point-guard Jure Mocnik dominated the game."

Jure Mocnik showed tremendous footwork as he didn't allow Daniel Gibson or Nic Wise to enter the paint without an offensive foul. Jure forced Daniel into four fouls and Nic Wise got a lesson before he fouled out the game. "Jure Mocnik may be the smartest and most dominating guard I have seen on the international circuit." said Davis. "He is a John Stockton. He forced the USA guards to commit nine fouls. These our the top two guards in their class."

Jure would be considered a top five junior in the USA. He is in the same class as Daniel Gibson, which means we will have to face him next year in the Junior World Championship.

5'10 PG Jure Mocnik current plays for Helios Domzale in Slovenia's Pro 1A League.

The USA was led by Ivan Harris with 23 points followed by Daniel Gibson with 15 points. "We will face them again tomorrow and we better defend better than we did tonight. Our offense is fine. But we must find the desire to defend or we will stand no chance of winning the championship." The USA will have to play without their star power-forward Alexander Johnson, who did not make the trip.

Jure Mocnik 10, Domen Lorbek 15, David Brecel 4, Matej Kosir 2, Miha Fon 9, Hasan Rizvic 10, Grega Mali 17, Sasa Zagorac 9, Mirza Begic 6, Mensud Juvelic 11, Erazem Lorbek 5

Nic Wise 8, Daniel Gibson 15, Jawaan McClelland 5, Mike Crain 0, DJ White 7, Robert Dozier 8, Ivan Harris 23, Daniel Northern 0, Tramell Wooten 0, Lamarcus Aldridge 9, Josh Boone 6

6/6/2003- The USA looked like they got a good night rest, and they stepped up their defense to win the game that counted as they defeated Slovenia 59-46.

The USA jumped out to an 18-13 first quarter lead behind the inside muscle of Josh Boone who scored five out of his 12 points for the game.

The USA held on to a 29-25 halftime lead and maintained the lead through the 3rd quarter with a 46-41 lead. But the USA stepped up their defense in the 4th quarter outscoring Slovenia 13-5, and establishing themselves as an early favorite to reach the championship.

Jawaan McClelland led the USA with 15 points, Josh Boone scored 12, and Lamarcus Aldridge added 10 points.

Slovenia was led by Erazem Lorbek with 14 and Matej Kosir added 10. And Jure Mocnik, who only scored four points, forced Nic Wise to foul out, and Daniel Gibson committed four fouls.

Jure Mocnik 4, Domen Lorbek 2, David Brecel 0, Matej Kosir 10, Miha Fon 2, Hasan Rizvic 5, Grega Mali 3, Sasa Zagorac 0, Mirza Begic 2, Mensud Juvelic 4, Erazem Lorbek 14

Nic Wise 0, Daniel Gibson 7, Jawaan McClelland 15, Mike Crain 0, DJ White 4, Robert Dozier 9, Ivan Harris 0, Daniel Northern 2, Tramell Wooten 0, Lamarcus Aldridge 10, Josh Boone 12

6/7/2003- The USA has learned a lot from their exhibition game, and defense seems to be the central theme as the USA defeated Belgium 91-62.

The USA held on to a 17-16 first quarter lead. The USA established their inside game early with Josh Boone scoring six of his 10 points in the first quarter. While Belgium did a good job of spreading their scoring around.

Then the USA extended their lead in the second quarter by out scoring Belgium 25-19 and taking a 42 - 35 halftime lead.

The USA had a strong forth quarter outscoring Belgium 27-15, as Mike Crain scored eight of his 15 points in the quarter.

Nic Wise 3, Daniel Gibson 11, Jawaan McClelland 4, Mike Crain 15, DJ White 19, Robert Dozier 12, Ivan Harris 2, Daniel Northern 2, Tramell Wooten 4, Lamarcus Aldridge 7, Josh Boone 10

Bram Boutsen 0, Jef De Belser 6, Michael Krikemans 9, Yannick Lombart 5, Domien Loubry 21, Sacha Massot 0, Joeri Moonen 6, Julien Rahier 0, Hedi Sfaxi 0, Sven Van Roosenbroek 8, Niels Can Thienen 0, Bram Verdickt 3

USA defeats Venezuela Avenges lost suffered by USA Basketball to Venezuela in the Americas Championship

6/7/2003- Venzuela jumped out to a 27-17 lead first quarter lead, as 6'7 PF Gil Palacios, came out on fire scoring the first six points of the game, and nine out of their 27 points, which included a 3-point shot.

Gil Palacios, attends St. Benedict in New Jersey, where Danny Hurley is the head basketball coach. "He is a skilled player who can score inside and out to the 3-point line." said Linzy Davis, USA Coach. "He said he likes Rutgers and Seton Hall. He is a special player with a great future. We had to find a way to stop him, and the rest of their team from scoring. They were on course to scoring close to 120 points."

The USA picked up their defense in the second quarter by outscoring Venezuela 17-5, and went into halftime with a 34-32 lead behind DJ White 11 points. The USA continued hard play in what was considered another brutal game, outscoring Venezuela 18 - 15 in the third quarter. And defense became the key to the forth quarter run as the USA limited Venezuela to five points in the quarter while scoring 10 points, to finish the game with a 62 - 52 win. "We can win this World Championship if we can focus on defense and take care of the basketball." Said Davis. " We have to come out and compete. These teams are fired up when they come out to play us and they are determined to win. There are no easy games here because the skill level of all the players are outstanding."

The USA raised their Pool Play record to 3-0 in Group B, followed by Slovenia 2-1, who defeated Venezuela on a phantom foul called on a 3-point shot with time running out. The official gave the shooter three shots and also gave the Venezuela coach a technical foul. Slovenia made all five free throws to win the game. Venezuela finished 1-2 in Group B followed by Belgium 0-3. Poland 3-0 finished first in Group A, followed by Nigeria 2-1, followed by Lithuania 1-2, and Croatia finished 0-3.

Nic Wise 7, Daniel Gibson 12, Jawaan McClelland 5, Mike Crain 0, DJ White 17, Robert Dozier 4, Ivan Harris 3, Daniel Northern 0, Tramell Wooten 0, Lamarcus Aldridge 14, Josh Boone 10

Miguel Marriaga 3, Jesus Urdina 3, Carlos Cedeno 9, Boris Urnina 0, Jesus Centeno 12, Gil Palacios 14, Kenji Urdaneta 0, Derson Santos 9, Carlos Quintero 0, Jorge Parra 0, Juan Briceno 2, Guillermo Adrian 0

DJ White and Daniel Gibson go down with tournament ending injuries in the first quarter

6/8/2003- The USA had their hands full once again as they faced a fired-up Nigerian National Team before an exciting standing room only noisy sell-out crowd.

The USA had to try to overcome early injuries as Daniel Gibson went down in the first quarter on a break-away layup and a hard foul, that left him with bruised ribs and out of breath, and out for the tournament. One minute later in the first quarter, DJ White was kicked in the thigh on an out-of-bounds alley-hoop dunk, and the injury also kept him out for the rest of the tournament.

And the USA two potential MVP candidates found themselves in an unfamiliar role of watching and cheering on their teammates from the sideline. Nigeria took full advantage of the injuries as they came out sizzling behind the scoring of Solomon Tat who scored seven of his 20 points in the first quarter, and All Tournament Selection Adepoju Nurudeen scored eight of his game-high 29 points.

The USA trailed 27-20, as they found themselves once again looking for defensive answers. The USA was outscored in the second quarter 27-24, and 34 - 32 in the third quarter. But the USA made a strong run in the forth quarter outscoring Nigeria 27 - 18. Jawaan McClelland hit a clutch 3-point shot to tie the game at 89 - 89. Then Nigeria missed, then on the next possession Josh Boone was fouled and converted both free throws to give the USA a 91 - 89 lead. Then Adepoju Nurudeen countered with a long 3-point shot to give Nigeria a 92-91 lead. Then Josh Boone converted on a strong inside move to give the USA a 93-92 lead. Defining moment for the USA But with 1:25 remaining, Nigerian guard Solomon Tat beat Nic Wise off the baseline and slammed into Josh Boone to give him his fifth foul while scoring two points. Solomon converted the free-throw. And Nigeria regained the lead 94-93. This became the defining moment for the USA, which survived the tournament with two inside bangers in DJ White and Josh Boone. But with DJ White out for the rest of the tournament and Josh Boone out for the game with five fouls, the "No Show" of Alexander Johnson became a very big missing piece. The USA had changed from a power team to a finesse team. On the next possession, Stanley Gumet took the ball from Daniel Northern, and drove for a basket and a foul, of which he made the free-throw to give Nigeria a 97-93 lead. Then Nic Wise stepped up big, attacking the basket to draw a foul, and he converted both free-throws to close the lead to 97-95. Then Solomon Tat was fouled and made both free-throws to give Nigeria a 99-95 lead. Then Nic Wise attacked the basket to draw another two-shot foul, and he converted on both free-throws to close the lead to 99-97. Then the USA fouled Allona Ejike, who converted both free-throws with 15 seconds remaining to give Nigeria a 101 to 97 lead. Then Jawaan McClelland made a three point shot to close the lead to 101 - 100, but Adepoju Nurudeen scored at the buzzer to give Nigeria the 103 to 100 win.

"It was a great game for the fans and a tough game for us." said Thad Fitzpatrick, Ast. USA Coach. "We lost DJ White and Daniel Gibson in the first quarter to injuries, and Robert Dozier, Lamarcus Aldridge, and Josh Boone fouled out, and Ivan Harris, Daniel Northern and Mike Crain ended up with four fouls. We were running out of bodies. It was a great game and we almost pulled it out. Our guys learned a lot about the international game."

Nic Wise 19, Daniel Gibson 5, Jawaan McClelland 18, Mike Crain 0, DJ White 4, Robert Dozier 4, Ivan Harris 16, Daniel Northern 6, Tramell Wooten 0, Lamarcus Aldridge 12, Josh Boone 12

Alexander Johnson - No Show, DJ White and Daniel Gibson out with injuries in the first quarter.

Churchil Odia , Muyiwa Soreye , Christopher Ugboaja Ejike 18, Alayande Adesola , Solomon Tat 20 , Stanley Gumet 12, Allona Ejike 13, Abubakar Usman 9, Ibikunle Azeez , Echefu Uchechuckwu, Ogunshola Adedayo , Adepoju Nurudeen 29

6/17/2003- The USA had to make adjustments to compensate for the absence of DJ White and Daniel Gibson who were sidelined with injuries. Jawaan McClelland (28 points) and Nic Wise (25 points) stepped up bigtime to lead the USA to a 99 - 97 win over Poland.

The USA trailed in the first quarter 21-19. Mike Crain, came off the bench and led the way with seven points in the first quarter for the USA. 6'8 PF Barycz Wojciech, Mississippi State signee, and All Tournament selection, scored eight of his 23 points in the first quarter.

The second quarter was nip and tuck but the USA outscored Poland 25 - 24, to cut the Poland halftime lead to 45 - 44. The USA came out with a blistering third quarter, which set the tone for the second half, outscoring Poland 28 to 23 and taking over the lead 72 - 68.

Nic Wise started the third quarter with a long 3-point shot to give the USA a 47 - 45 lead. Then Barycz Wojciech, drew a foul and converted both free-throws to tie the game at 47-47. Then Ivan Harris connected on a mid-range jump-shot to give the USA a 49 - 47 lead. Then Maciej Szlachtowicz countered with two points to tie the game 49-49. Then Jawaan McClelland connected on a 3-point shot to push the lead to 52-49, and Poland couldn't stop the momentum as Jawaan McClelland scored 10 points and Nic Wise had eights to help control the third quarter for the USA.

The USA continued to control the forth as Poland was forced to foul, to try to cut into the USA five point lead. But Nic Wise and Robert Dozier connected on all free-throws to keep the five point margin. Mroz Pawel shot a desperation shot from half-court at the buzzer to make the final score USA 99 - Poland 97.

Koszarek Ukasz 13, Witoski Tomasz 0, Szubarga Krzysztof 9, Wojciak Kamil 11, Malesa Pawel 16, Gortat Marcin 0, Szachtowicz Maciej 5, Dzieciniak Marek 0, Barycz Wojciech 23, Stelmach Piotr 12, Mroz Pawel 8, Kondraciuk Micha 0

Nic Wise 19, Daniel Gibson 5, Jawaan McClelland 18, Mike Crain 0, DJ White 4, Robert Dozier 4, Ivan Harris 16, Daniel Northern 6, Tramell Wooten 0, Lamarcus Aldridge 12, Josh Boone 12

6/5/2003- USA Basketball finished second in the Americas Basketball Championship to Venezuela last summer. The USA National Team will seek to erase that loss when they take on Venezuela in an exhibition game June 5th, in Lambres lez Douai, France at 8.30 PM.
. The mayor and other governmental officials will be on hand for the event along with NBA scouts and European scouts, and a sell-out crowd.

Nombres	Apellidos	Funci�n
Nestor Luis	Salazar	Director T�cnico
Ibsen Arturo	Castrillo	Entrenador Asistente
Jos� Gregorio	Dos Santos	Preparador F�sico
Hugo Ram�n	Lugo Dominguez	Kinesi�logo
Maikel Ofracio	P�rez Rodr�guez	Utilero
Juan Carlos	Marcano S�nchez	Delegado

6/4/2003- 6'10 Sr PF Alexander Johnson, Albany, Georgia, and 6'8 WF/PF Ivan Harris, Springfield, OH. will lead a talented USA National Team in the Junior World Championship, Douai, France. The roster has nine future potential NBA prospects, and the dream is getting closer to reality.

The team has one college freshman, three seniors, seven juniors who are eligible to return next year, and one freshman, who can return three more times.

Daniel Gibson and Jawaan McClelland provide on of the best back-courts in the USA. They are a potent combination. Lamarcus Aldridge and DJ White are two of the best juniors in the USA. Josh Boone provides great shot blocking and inside scoring. Robert Dozier is one of the premier sleepers in the country. He is a 6'9 skilled player who can do it all. He will emerge as one of the best wing-players in the USA after the tournament. Mike Crain is a strong and solid guard. Daniel Northern will provide an inside punch, and Tramell Wooten will show off his point-guard skills that have placed him on the D-1 map. But the biggest surprise roster move that coach Davis and Fitzpatrick held back was the number one freshman point-guard in the country in 5'10 Nic Wise. He will bring a special chemistry to round out the team.

6/3/2003- 6'11 Jr PF Lamarcus Aldridge, Dallas (Seogoville) TX, gets an opportunity to enjoy his first international trip, and represent his country, in the Junior World Championship, Douai, France. It is a balloon celebration in Dallas, as Lamarcus is getting the send-off party of his life. The cake has his USA international jersey number 14, dress perfectly.

Lamarcus is enjoying plenty of love from his family, coaches, and friends, as they are having a send-off party to celebrate his accomplishments. This is one party with many to follow. Lamarcus is a very active and agile 6'11 athlete. He has the game and potential to fit into the NBA in the future, and his style of play should cause problems for the International Teams.

Lamarcus is considered a top five junior in the country. He will compete against players two years older, which will be a big test. He will gain a lot of international experience, and mature his game.

There are over 300,000 kids playing high school basketball. Only 12 can represent their country in the Junior World Championship, Douai, France. It is a very special trip, and an experience of a lifetime. There are many adults that advise kids that have personal motives for preventing kids that they influence from attending special events like the Junior World Championship. When those kids grow up and realize they have missed an opportunity of a lifetime, those advisors will have to look those kids in the eye and give a true accounting for their personal financial motives.

The international cultural experience, and NBA type atmosphere is second to none at this level. The kids will enjoy their celebrity status. They will enjoy signing tons of autographs, and they will enjoy being mobbed by all the girls everywhere they walk in the town of Douai.

Camelo Anthony was ranked #55 in the USA when he attended the Junior World Championship, Douai, France, as a junior. He left with a World Championship, and MVP Trophy. His national ranking soared from 55 to number 2 behind Amare Stoudermire. Two years later, he wins the National Championship with two teammates (Craig Forth and Billy Edlin) that won the World Championship in Douai, France.

Lamarucs Aldridge summed it all up. "It is an honor to represent my country." The NBA and European Pro Scouts will be glad he joined the team as well...

6/2/2003- DJ White, Tuscaloosa (Hillcrest) AL, takes the final spot that makes the USA National Team potentially as good as the team of 2001. This gives coach Davis two juniors ranked in the top fives in their class and three out of 10 ranked in the top10 in their class.