For Team USA, another game another win

Team USA

In the third game for Team USA in the World University Games it was once again a very easy road for head coach Bo Ryan and his 12 men squad. But, for us Tar Heels, the great part of the 108 to 77 win over Greece was that Deon Thompson led all scorers with 17 points (8 for 10 shooting). This is once again showing what I been saying all along, the Team USA’s experience can only make the power forward from Torrance, CA. a better player, both in this tournament as well as for his last season in Chapel Hill this winter. There are still more games to come for Team USA, but based on what I have read so far, Thompson is doing his part and that is all we truly want from his, isn’t it?

From the article about the game on the official USA Basketball web site it tells us that with the win Team USA is now guaranteed to be in the Medal round, as they can not come in any lower than second in their group. From the sounds of it, by the quote of the head coach, it seems that the team played 100% in the first half and then were somewhat off rhythm in the second one:

“They gave us their best in the first half,” said USA and University of Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan. “In the second half, once we made our push, we got them out of any rhythm they could establish. The rest of the game we were pretty much in control, but in the first 20 minutes, they did the things that make them so good. If we didn’t shut that off, we were going to be in trouble. But our guys did what we needed to do, we responded better. We got them in foul trouble in certain positions, and that helped us quite a bit. We got on the glass, and didn’t turn the ball over, so we were getting shots every time down. All the fundamental things that you need to do to beat a team, we did, especially in the last 20 minutes.”

Deon Thompson also had a quote in the post game:

“It definitely feels good to see your team go out there and play well against a high-caliber team and get a good victory,” said Thompson. “It helps us build our confidence as a team.”

And that, getting confidence, is the key for this young man. If he can build on that he is going to be the player that most of the fans at Chapel Hill want him to be. The more I read about these games, the more I check the boxscore, the more I am convinced that Deon Thompson is going to be that senior leader that the front line (full of great but young players) is going to need going into the 2009-10 season. Of course, only time will tell if I am right or not, but I have to say that I am getting excited about seeing the new look that will be this season’s team. But for now, it’s Thompson in the World University Games and Tyler Hansbrough in the Orlando Summer League, both trying to show that they belong and can be what most don’t think they can.

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