USA BASKETBALL HISTORY
USA MEN’S WORLD CUP TEAM 1998 RESULTS
ATHENS, GREECE • JULY 29-AUGUST 9, 1998
The 1998 USA Men’s World Championship Team, under the direction of Rudy Tomjanovich, went 7-2 and captured the bronze medal. It was a remarkable story from start to finish. With NBA labor problems preventing the use of NBA players, USA Basketball began assem- bling a new team just three weeks from the opening of training, looking to players who had played professionally overseas, in the CBA or in college. The U.S. opened the competition by defeating Brazil 83-59 as Wendell Alexis recorded 13 points and eight rebounds and Michael Hawkins tallied 12 points and passed for a USA World Championship single-game record 10 assists. One day later, Jimmy Oliver’s would-be game winning 3 at the buzzer rolled in then out as Lithuania held on to collect an 84-82 victory. Jason Sasser scored 11 of the USA’s first 13 points of the second half to help the USA break away from South Korea and capture an 88-62 victory in its final preliminary round game. Advancing to second round play, the USA trio of Alexis, Oliver and Hawkins combined to score 53 points and shot 10-of-14 from 3-point as the U.S. fought off Argentina 87-74. Oliver scored a team high 17 points including the go ahead 3-pointer with 1:19 remaining to give the USA its first lead of the game as it rallied to earn a 75-73 victory over Spain. Facing Australia in a game the USA needed to win to earn the Group F No. 1 seed, the USA clicked on all cylinders and routed the Aussies 96-78. The the U.S. persevered and recorded an 80-77 victory over Italy in quarterfinals play. The USA was led by Hawkins’ 16 points and six assists, while Alexis added 14 points and Garris finished with 11. The USA’s quest for gold came to a halt after Russia overcame a 10-point USA lead in the final three minutes and forward Serguei Panov went coast-to-coast to score a layup with 4 seconds left to give his team the 66-64 win. Gerard King was the USA’s only scorer in double figures with 10 points and six rebounds. Meeting host Greece in the bronze medal contest, behind Sasser’s game-high 23 points and a defense that never let Greece find its rhythm, the United States stormed to an 84-61 victory.
1998 USA MEN’S WORLD CUP TEAM ROSTER
1998 USA RESULTS (7-2)
NAME
POS HGT WGT AGE AFFILIATION (SCHOOL)
HOMETOWN
Brazil
W, 83-59 L, 82-84 W, 88-62 W, 87-74 W, 75-73 W, 96-78 W, 80-77 L, 64-66 W, 84-61
Lithuania
Wendell Alexis Ashraf Amaya
F
6-9 6-8 6-2 6-8 6-2 6-0 6-9 6-5 6-3 6-11 6-6
220 250 195 220 183 178 230 210 195 240 208 210 230
34 26 20 26 23 25 25 25 22 22 29 24 33
Alba Berlin (Syracuse) Idaho Stampede (S. Illinois) Michigan State University Pompea Roma (Wright State) Grand Rapids Hoops (Illinois) Fontanafredda Siena (Nicholls St.) Quad City Thunder (Michigan) Olympiakos (Xavier)
Bridgewater, NJ Plainfield, TX Cincinnati, OH Chicago, IL Cypress, TX New Orleans, LA Flint, MI
F/C
South Korea
Mateen Cleaves (Injured) G
Argentina
Bill Edwards Kiwane Garris Michael Hawkins
F
Spain
G G G G C G F
Australia
Gerard King Jimmy King
Italy
Plano, TX
Russia Greece
Trajan Langdon Brad Miller Jimmy Oliver Jason Sasser David Wood
Duke University Purdue University
Anchorage, AK Kendallville, IN
Ciuda De Huelva (Purdue) Sioux Falls Skyforce (Texas Tech) Rockford Lightning (Nevada)
Akron, OH Dallas, TX
FINAL STANDINGS
F F
6-7 6-9
San Antonio, TX
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Yugoslavia (9-0)
Russia (7-2)
HEAD COACH: Rudy Tomjanovich, Houston Rockets ASSISTANT COACH: Del Harris, Los Angeles Lakers ASSISTANT COACH: Lon Kruger, University of Illinois TEAM PHYSICIAN: Glenn Perry, Charlotte Hornets TEAM PHYSICIAN: Harlan Selesnick, Miami Heat ATHLETIC TRAINER: Lenny Currier, Philadelphia 76ers ATHLETIC TRAINER: Keith Jones, Houston Rockets
United States (7-2)
Greece (5-4) Spain (7-2)
Italy (5-4)
Lithuania (5-4) Argentina (3-6) Australia (5-3)
1998 USA MEN’S WORLD CUP TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS
10. Brazil (2-6) 11. Puerto Rico (3-5) 12. Canada (1-7) 13. Nigeria (2-3) 14. Japan (1-4) 15. Senegal (1-4) 16. South Korea (0-5)
NAME
G/S
FGM-A
PCT
3PM-A
PCT
FTM-A
PCT
REB
PTS
AST
BLK
STL
Oliver Alexis Sasser J. King Garris G. King Hawkins Miller Wood Amaya Edwards Langdon
9/9 9/0 9/9 9/0 9/9 9/0 9/9 9/0 9/9 9/0 7/0 7/0
40- 80 37- 70 41- 88 32- 59 21- 45 20- 41 19- 33 16- 25 18- 35 17- 24 9- 27
0.5
20- 44 16- 34
0.455 6- 6 0.471 14- 26 0.222 12- 18 0.368 20- 25 0.375 7- 8 0.3 14- 24
1
25/ 2.8 36/ 4.0 18/ 2.0 20/ 2.2 12/ 1.3 48/ 5.3 30/ 3.3 26/ 2.9 14/ 2.0 6/ 0.9
106/ 11.8 104/ 11.6 96/ 10.7
9 4 5
3 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 1 0 0
11
0.529
0.538
4 4 9 7 0 5 1 1 4 3 1
0.466 2- 9 0.542 3- 10 0.467 7- 19 0.488 6- 16
0.667 33/ 3.7
0.583
81/ 9.0 69/ 7.7 53/ 5.9 53/ 5.9 47/ 5.2 44/ 4.9 40/ 4.4 26/ 3.7 20/ 2.9
16 37 10
0.8
0.875
0.576 0.64 0.514 0.333 0.556 0.513
0- 0 0- 0 5- 13
.--- .---
15- 20 15- 27
0.75
7 7 4 2 6 3
0.556
0.385 3- 3
1
0.708 0- 0
.---
6- 11
0.545 42/ 4.7
4- 12
0.333 4- 8 0.571 6- 6
0.5
5- 9
4- 7
1
USA OPP.
9 9
275-536 220-519
67-164
0.409 122-182
0.67 0.63
326/36.2 257/28.9
739/82.1 634/70.4
110
13 31
50 50
0.424 65-171
0.38
129-189
94
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