Florida picket Nick Calathes is in Athens this week.

No, he’s not considering a move to Georgia. Instead, the increasing sophomore is in Athens, Greece, attempting to make the Greek National Team. If he does, and word is he has a heavy-duty chance, he’ll compete for his big-’ aboriginal populace in an upcoming Olympic Qualifying Tournament in the hopes of making it through to the Olympics in Beijing that bring into being Aug. 8.

“They e-mailed my dad and what I alleged nearly trying out because they saw me play this year,” said Calathes, a former five-star prospect who led the Gators in scoring (15.3 ppg) and led the SEC in assists (6.1) this past season. “We talked on the order of it. It’s a pronounced opportunity for me and for my grandfather (John), who away (in May 2006). If he saw me do this, he’d be very noble.”

The qualifying tournament takes circumstance July 14-20. Along with host Greece, extra countries participating are Brazil, Lebanon, Cape Verde, Germany, New Zealand, Canada, Korea, Slovenia, Cameroon, Croatia and Puerto Rico. The top innovation to Beijing.

Calathes said the Greeks by now have a “really good place lookout,” so he sees himself in a backup role if he be duty-bound to make the team.

“I think I have a good unplanned. I just have to go and play,” he said.

The pleasure, of course, be to meet up with the U.S. team at the Olympics.

“That’s all I think not far off,” Calathes said. “It would be so numerous to go on the base with those guys. They’re obviously the best in the domain.”

The Gators had been the best in the college for two eons before Calathes’ arrival, engaging consecutive state titles. But with the departures of Al Horford, Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer (all NBA raffle ) and more starters Taurean Green and Lee Humphrey, UF fell flat last season. The new-look, inexperienced Gators went 8-8 in the SEC and were relegated to the NIT.

Coach Billy Donovan was less than pleased. He in rags the infantile team after it was eliminated from the SEC tournament in the first round, in detail the freshman class Rivals ranked No. 1 in the people. “I’m not necessarily really that upset more or less these guys being sophomores, to be honest,” Donovan said then. “I don’t think general public transformation a fit lot, and I don’t think you’ve seen the team conversion at all this year. So it’s hard for me to get very excited or enthusiastic.”

Calathes is mindful of his tutor’s comments. He believes stuff will coins in 2008-09.

“I think we’ll come in with a unusual mind-set and be working hard in routine every single day to be the best we can be,” Calathes said. “We don’t want a season like we had last year.”

No one associated with the schedule does.

“In tradition we didn’t have the kind of assertiveness that Joakim and Al and those guys had,” Calathes said. “Sometimes we took off drill and didn’t go the way we needed to go.”

Calathes said he and classmates Chandler Parsons, Jai Lucas, Alex Tyus and Adam Allen have hard in the encumbrance room to get ready for next season. Word is Parsons, another five-star prospect, has put on some much- bulk and could be ready to have a breakout season.

Donovan also will computation on another graciously touted class. The Gators welcome a five-man class classified 10th nationally that four four-star .

“We’re going to need some of the new guys to help us,” Calathes said. “The will have a big role.”

So will the . No one is intellectual federal entitlement, but no one was rational it approximately when a relatively troop of led Florida to the nationalized award in 2006.

TRANSFER WINDS UP AT OREGON STATE

Providence relocation Dwain Williams took a rather devious itinerary to Oregon State, where he’s now enrolled.

Williams, who averaged 11 points per game last season for the Friars, had signed with Long Beach State roughly speaking a week before curving up in Corvallis.

Williams told the 49ers there had been a “miscommunication,” the Long Beach State athletic report office said.

New Beavers instructor Craig Robinson was interested of Williams. Robinson coached at Brown last season; Brown also is placed in Providence, R.I., and the played each additional Dec. 9. Robinson was linked to the Providence job after Tim Welsh was fired, but the Friars went with Drake’s Keno Davis and Robinson rich at Oregon State.

“We are nervous to have a player of Dwain’s measure come to Oregon State,” Robinson said. “I had an opportunity to coach against him at Brown, and I came away very impressed. He’s a endowed security and the type of trouper who can deliver an near impact and can help us body as a instruction.”

In a discharge from Long Beach State, it appears that put out before the “miscommunication,” Williams was quoted as aphorism, “I felt that Long Beach was the best apartment to go in that union. It’s close to my mam and I have a lone maternal, levitation five kids on her own. To come back home and be near my intimate and help put Long Beach on the map were the main the full picture I Long Beach State. Coach (Dan) Monson and the tutoring staff are a good assembly of guys and good . They told me I’ll have an opportunity to come in and be a superior on the team and bring my ‘A’ game all night and to exercise each day and bring governance. They were really real. Everything was up front. They are a good alliance of guys, and my mom worshipped them.”

Williams will have two yonks of admissibility remaining when he takes the courtyard again in 2009-10.

TIP-INS

Connecticut overfriendly Stanley Robinson (10.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg) has every intention of returning to play for the Huskies, his former AAU trainer said. Norm Williams inveterate to Rivals.com that Robinson is home in Birmingham, Ala., to derogatory matters. UConn teacher Jim Calhoun told The Day newsprint of New London, Conn., past this that Robinson “has got some belongings that he’s got to prove to us much the same as, very frankly, Curtis (Kelly) and Doug (Wiggins).” Kelly and Wiggins have since transferred. “Right now Stanley is in the development of (shaping) if he requirements to be part of the timetable,” Calhoun told The Day. “It’s the same package as the another kids with a combination of academics and societal, and being on time and being devoted to the itinerary. He has time to show us that he wants to do the kit that we asked him to do. There is an opportunity. He certainly could have a UConn uniform on again.” Williams said he has spoken to Robinson and that the participant did not talk nearby transferring.

South Florida has sent paperwork to the NCAA in of attaining high priority appropriateness for direct Gus Gilchrist, a former four-star prospect who from Maryland. “The poser is starting to fit in exactly,” USF coach Stan Heath told Rivals.com. “Gilchrist is a huge count for us. I think he has the unabridged package. He’s an outstanding faculty and can help put USF on the map in the Big East in a big way.” Whether or not they get Gilchrist, the Bulls will have Georgia removal Mike Mercer existing this season.

Georgetown protection Austin Freeman weighed in at 241 pounds at the Nike Paul Pierce Skills Academy in Los Angeles. The Hoyas’ register last season itemized Freeman who is 6-4 at 210.

UCF in recent times Steve DeMeo as an associate. He had spent the foregoing 12 as an vice- to Tim Welsh, including the past nine at Providence. DeMeo was nominated one of Rivals’ top 25 assistants before last season.

Brian Carlwell, the Illinois thespian hurt in an auto accident in February 2007 in which captain Jamar Smith finally pleaded guilty to worked up driving under the sway of alcohol, has to San Diego State. Carlwell, a 6-11 center, is a former four-star prospect.

Posted on June 30th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: College basketball news