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Team USA’s 1986 FIBA World Championship team that won the gold medal with Lute Olson (top, second from left) as head coach. Sean Elliott (sitting, second from left) and Steve Kerr (sitting, second from right) were part of the historic team, the last gold medal-winning U.S. national team comprised of only collegiate players.
(USA Basketball photo)
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With Sean Miller and Allonzo Trier as part of Team USA at the FIBA U19 World Championships this week it is a good time to do a background check on the Arizona Wildcats’ successful history in international competition.
At the highest level of competition, Arizona players and coaches have been part of nine U.S. national gold medal-winning teams dating to when Lute Olson, Sean Elliott and Steve Kerr were part of the successful 1986 FIBA World Championships team.
Andre Iguodala and Richard Jefferson have reached the highest plateaus as Olympians. Iguodala was part of Team USA’s gold-medal winning team in London in 2012. Jefferson won a bronze medal in Athens, Greece, in 2004.
With a new influx of talent Miller has helped to develop, not to mention his status as the U19 head coach, Arizona is bound to have more players vying for gold medals with U.S. national teams in the years ahead.
Here’s a list of Arizona players and coaches at the highest level of international competition:
2012 LONDON OLYMPICS TEAM (GOLD)
Andre Iguodala
2010 FIBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM (GOLD)
Andre Iguodala
2006 FIBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM (GOLD)
Gilbert Arenas
2004 ATHENS OLYMPICS TEAM (BRONZE)
Richard Jefferson
2003 FIBA AMERICAS TEAM (GOLD)
Mike Bibby
Richard Jefferson
2001 GOODWILL GAMES TEAM (GOLD)
Jason Terry
1986 FIBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM (GOLD)
Sean Elliott
Steve Kerr
WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES
Sean Elliott (1987/Silver)
Sean Miller (1991 at Pitt/Gold)
Damon Stoudamire (1993/Gold)
Loren Woods (1997 at Wake Forest/Gold)
The first slideshow displays Arizona players, including Trier this year, who have competed in international competition in the U19 category and younger. The following slides highlight Arizona players in international competition. You’ll want to see the last slide because it involves the leaders of the Arizona and ASU programs. ….
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Site founder and award-winning sports journalist Javier Morales has published his first e-book, “The Highest Form of Living”, a fiction piece about a young man who overcomes a troubled upbringing without his lost father and wayward mother through basketball and hope. His hope is realized through the sport he loves. Basketball enables him to get past his fears. His experience on the court indirectly brings him closer to his parents in a unique, heartfelt way. Please order it at Amazon (for only $4.99) by clicking on the photo:
Full recap on USA's 93-45 win over Argentina in FIBA U19 World Champ Round of 16 – http://t.co/KPcgJBXNH9 #USABMU19 pic.twitter.com/acxy2qE7YI
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 1, 2015
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Arizona Wildcats incoming freshman Allonzo Trier had 13 points and three rebounds in Team USA’s 93-45 victory over Argentina Wednesday in the Round of 16 at the FIBA U19 World Championships.
(USA Basketball photo)
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