Why not bring in the Australian national team?

(Editor’s note: The following is the fifth part of an article on Philippine basketball and the national team.)

Why not the Australian national squad? But Uichico should have probably asked for Lindsay Gaze’s help if the real Australian national team, mostly made up of young players, would face the Philippines prior to Busan. Australia is ranked eighth in the world, and it placed a strong fourth during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

During the 2001 East Asian Games, Australia played as a guest team and beat China, 105-93, in the finals. Guard Brett Maher of the Adelaide 36ers topscored with 20 points.

The Aussies then beat the same Chinese team, 82-68, when China held a competitive international tournament in Shanxi province — the Shuang Lai Cup. A July 4 eurobasket.com report wrote that both sides chased each others‚ double-digit deficits, but Australia scored 24 as to China’s 9 in the fourth quarter to win.

Center Chris Anstey, who has yet to find a team in the NBL, topscored for the Boomers with 22 points while John Rillie, who was drafted by a team from Greece for the coming season of the Greek league, added 21.

In the same Shuang Lai meet, Australia defeated Italy and a second team from Yugoslavia, the world’s number 2. It is worthy to note that China met the Italian squad that the Selecta-RP team faced in Sondrio during the Shuang Lai Cup, and lost 65-82. The Great Wall, however, trampled the second team of Yugoslavia, 92-78.

But Australia is no pushover team. After the Shuang Lai tournament, the Boomers toured to Europe and won six of their seven games. It beat Turkey, Yugoslavia and Russia in exhibition games in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.

The Aussies then went to Santander and Estepona, Spain where they split their two-game series with Spain. Also in Santander, Australia defeated Lithuania and a local Spanish ballclub, TBD.

So if Uichico can find a way to arrange for even just a match with Australia’s real national team, it will be a better kick-off for Busan. China was lucky to have played some of the best teams in the ongoing World Championships — including the US whom it played hard in the first half of their preliminary round match. (To be continued)