Duty Calls for the Members of U.S. Basketball Team

COSTA MESA —  Heeding a patriotic call to duty, with the prospect of a little fun along the way, can spur even the weariest college basketball player into momentous action. Or at least convince him to give up his summer break.

Which explains why 14 players, some of the game’s best and brightest, were at Southern California College on Tuesday. Not that SCC isn’t a fine place to be, but you don’t typically find future NBA types hanging around.

But there they were, practicing--hard--for the U.S. men’s 22-and-under world championship team. This is definitely not a summer vacation, but everyone involved volunteered for the ride and no one wants out.

“It’s going to be a lot of very hard work, we’re all going to have to bust our butts, but everyone wants to be here,” said Scott Padgett, a forward from Kentucky. “If you’re a basketball player, you dream about being on a national team and representing your country one day. Taking part in this whole experience is real exciting.”

And this is only the beginning. The team is headed for the 22-and-under world championship Aug. 1-10 in Melbourne, Australia, with a prior training pit stop July 21-25 in Sydney.

The team opens its exhibition play with six games in the Summer Pro League at Long Beach State’s Pyramid. The first is against the Lakers at 7:30 p.m. Friday, the league’s opening night. An exhibition game against the Clippers is scheduled for 5 p.m. July 17.

“Playing in the [Summer Pro League] will help us all a lot,” said Mike Doleac, a center from Utah. “We’ll be playing against some good competition, people who are already better than us, and I think that helps you improve. That makes you step up another level.”

The team, obviously, is open to players 22 and younger. Players were nominated to receive tryout invitations by a USA Basketball committee. More than 60 players participated in the trials May 30-June 1 at the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Utah Coach Rick Majerus is USA Basketball’s choice to lead the team. He’s a veteran of international competition, having been an assistant on USA basketball teams in 1993 and ’94. Majerus is assisted by Jim Crews of Evansville and Lorenzo Romar of Pepperdine, both making their USA basketball debuts.

“This is very important to me,” Romar said. “To do the thing you love to do most and represent your country at the same time, what could be better?”

Majerus likes his team’s mix of brains and brawn.

“We don’t have any outstanding players, there’s no one here who like just makes you go ‘Wow,’ but we have a lot of good players,” Majerus said. “Consequently, I think we can have a good team.

“We have good size, and I like their attitude. The thing I’m really excited about, though, is their commitment and their attention to detail. They’re bright kids.”

The team will practice twice daily at Southern California College until it begins playing exhibition games. Majerus and his staff must make two roster cuts before the team leaves for Australia. They would have had to make three cuts if Michigan center Robert Traylor hadn’t backed out at the last moment, Majerus said.

“I think that’s one of the most selfish acts I’ve ever seen,” Majerus said of Traylor. “We call him [Monday] and he’s in Detroit. He said, ‘Oh, they didn’t tell you, I’m in summer school.’

“[Michigan Coach Steve Fisher] leaves a message on USA Basketball’s voice mail on July 3 at 7 p.m., as though on the Fourth [of July] they will all be coming in to get their voice mail. [Traylor] took a spot away from other kids who really wanted to be here.”

Several of the team’s 14 finalists were among NCAA Division I statistical leaders last season. Guard Cory Carr of Texas Tech was 10th in the nation in scoring, averaging 23.1 points, and forward Pat Garrity of Notre Dame was 22nd at 21.1. Northwestern center Evan Eschmeyer was eighth in field-goal percentage at 61.3%.

In addition to shrinking the roster, Majerus and his assistants have lots of teaching to do. There are many differences between the NCAA and international games.

“It’s really a different game than [the players] are used to,” Romar said. “The lane is wider, and that’s an adjustment to post players, it’s a more physical game and the officiating is going to be different.”

But Majerus will leave a little time for fun. He plans to take the players to the beach a couple of times and hopes to squeeze in some other field trips if the team’s hectic schedule permits.

“Yeah, this is such a long time commitment,” Majerus said. “You really have to want to be a part of this, but you get to train and practice in a beautiful place like Southern California. So that’s not that bad.”