5x5 Men's Olympic History

USA BASKETBALL HISTORY

USA MEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM 1968 RESULTS

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO • OCTOBER 13-25, 1968

The United States entered the 1968 Olympics in the unfamiliar role of underdogs to the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. This was because of the team’s poor showing in a summer European tour that saw the U.S., playing without coach Henry Iba, Jo Jo White and Bill Hosket, win only one of three games each against both the USSR and Yugoslavia. However, the U.S. disproved its skeptics. Relying on the expertise of head mentor Henry Iba, who had led the 1964 USA team to the Olympic gold medal, the American squad compiled a perfect 9-0 record. The U.S., with five players scoring in double figures, opened pool play with an easy 81-46 victory over Spain. Senegal was crushed 93-36 as Spencer Haywood scored 16 points, and Hosket had 16 points in the USA’s 96-75 win over the Philippines. Yugoslavia proved no match for the Americans, falling 73-58 as White poured in 24 points. With Haywood tallying 27 points, the U.S. easily disposed of Panama 95-60, and Italy was handed a 100-61 loss as Haywood scored 26. A feisty Puerto Rican team gave the USA men a scare, but behind Haywood’s 21 and 12 additional points from Mike Silliman, the U.S. earned a 61-56 win. Facing Brazil in the semifinals, the U.S. jumped out to a 20-8 lead, and enjoyed a 42-26 halftime advantage before settling for a 75-63 win. In the finals, the U.S. faced. At the start of the second half the Americans, behind eight points each from Haywood and White, reeled off 17 unanswered points to take command 49-29. The U.S. went on to earn the Olympic gold with a convincing 65-50 victory. Haywood finished with 21 points, while White added 14 in the win.

1968 USA MEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM ROSTER

1968 USA RESULTS (9-0)

NAME

POS HGT WGT AGE AFFILIATION (SCHOOL)

HOMETOWN

Spain

W, 81-46 W, 93-36 W, 96-75 W, 73-58 W, 95-60 W, 100-61 W, 61-56 W, 75-63 W, 65-50

Senegal

Michael Barrett John Clawson Donald Dee Calvin Fowler Spencer Haywood

G G G C F F F F F G C G

6-2 6-4 6-7 6-1 6-8 6-8 6-7 6-2 6-5 6-6 6-9 6-3

155 200 205 170 225 220 200 175 180 225 240 195

25 24 25 28 19 21 25 23 19 24 22 21

U.S. Armed Forces (West Virginia Tech) U.S. Armed Forces (Michigan) St. Mary of the Plains College Goodyear Wingfoots (St. Francis) Trinidad State Junior College Goodyear Wingfoots (Oklahoma State) Northeast Louisiana Univresity Ohio State University

Norfolk, VA Naperville, IL Akron, OH Detroit, MI Dayton, OH Akron, OH Kansas City , MO

Philippines Yugoslavia

Panama

Italy

Bill Hosket James King

Puerto Rico

Glynn Saulters Charles Scott Michael Silliman

Lisbon, LA

Brazil

University of North Carolina

New York, NY Louisville, KY Houston, TX St. Louis, MO

Yugoslavia

U.S. Armed Forces (Military Academy)

Ken Spain

University of Houston University of Kansas

Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ White

FINAL STANDINGS

HEAD COACH: Henry Iba, Oklahoma State University ASSISTANT COACH: Henry Vaughn, Goodyear Wingfoots MANAGER: Ben Carnevale, New York University ASSISTANT MANAGER: G. Russel Lyons, Boulder, Colorado ATHLETIC TRAINER: Whitey Gwynne, West Virginia University

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

United States (9-0) Yugoslavia (7-2) Soviet Union (8-1)

Brazil (6-3) Mexico (7-2) Poland (5-4) Spain (5-4)

1968 USA MEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS

NAME

G

FGM-A

PCT

FTM-A

PCT

PF

PTS

Italy (5-4)

9.

Puerto Rico (5-4)

Haywood

9 9 9 9 8 9 9 8 7 8 8 8 9 9

64-89 46-98 35-78 25-49 31-49 26-44 26-56 16-30 13-33 15-17 13-25

.719 .469 .449 .510 .633 .591 .464 .533 .394 .882 .520 .500 .545 .390

17-38 13-16 11-12 22-32 7-16 6-10 4-8 7-12 5-14 3-4 4-6 10-10

.447 .813 .917 .688

15 16 18 20 23 24 17

145/16.1 105/11.7

10. Bulgaria (4-5) 11. Cuba (3-6) 12. Panama (2-7)

White

Silliman

81/9.0 72/8.0 69/8.6 58/6.4 56/6.2 42/5.3 33/4.7 35/4.4 29/3.6 14/1.8

Scott

Hosket Fowler Barrett Saulters

.438 .600 .500 1.000 .583 .357 .750 .667 .612 .665

13. Philippines (3-6) 14. South Korea (2-7) 15. Senegal (1-8) 16. Morocco (0-9)

9

Dee

13 11

Spain

Clawson

9

King USA OPP.

5-10

20

315-578 200-513

109-178 105-158

195 240

739/82.1 505/56.1

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