|
| |
::SPORTS NEWS::
LE
Newsletter - August 26, 2010
|
| |
Injuries Mount As Canada Loses Final World Hoops Tuneup
Source: www.thestar.com -
Doug Smith
(August 23, 2010) Canada has had less than optimum preparation
for the
world basketball championship
that begins Saturday.
With only five truly healthy bodies because of injuries and
illness, the national men’s team lost 88-76 to Lebanon on Monday
at the Efes Pilsen World Cup tournament in Ankara, Turkey.
Canada simply couldn’t get its game together and now has little
time to prepare for the world opener against the same Lebanon
team in Izmir, Turkey, on Saturday.
“It’s kind of frustrating that the year we finally make it,
these things are happening,” point guard Jermaine Anderson said.
The most significant injury is to guard Andy Rautins, who hurt a
knee against France in Toronto more than a week ago and hasn’t
played or practiced since. Anderson is coming off a knee injury,
Jermaine Bucknor has an ankle injury and Aaron Doornekamp is
dinged up and didn’t play Monday.
“Other than Andy, I think everybody will be able to go by
Saturday,” said head coach Leo Rautins.
“With Andy, we just don’t know at this point. He hasn’t played
in one game on this trip . . . He’s walking, he’s shooting, but
there are certain things that he’s limited in.”
And on a team that relies on depth, rotating up to 10 players
every game to take advantage of mismatches, being short-handed
could be a crippling blow.
Final rosters have to be submitted on Friday. Under FIBA rules,
injury replacements are not allowed once a tournament begins so
with 14 players vying for 12 spots, the staff has to be sure
whoever they choose is ready to go.
“We’re pretty sure in terms of roles (but) the final decisions
will be impacted by our injuries,” said coach Rautins. “That’ll
affect who ultimately makes our team.”
Toronto’s Olu Famutimi led Canada with 20 points against
Lebanon, a performance that will further complicate Rautins’
life. Famutimi and former Toronto native Kelly Olynyk are in a
heated battle for one of the final roster spots, with the
19-year-old Olynyk one of the team’s better players over the
last four games.
Rautins and the selection staff will have to weigh giving young
players, such as Olynyk and Vancouver’s Robert Sacre, much
needed high-level international experience against taking older
players who might not be with the program when it’s ready to
challenge the best in the world. |
|
| |
|
::LANGFIELD
ENTERTAINMENT:: ENTERTAINMENT NEWS WITH A CANADIAN TWIST::
