Blue Devil Season Is Here

Well... Here we go again- A new team and a new season. (16) players made the cut out of (35) hopefuls. (9) new faces and (7) returnees. (2) starters returning- No more twin towers!! It will be different and we will see in a big hurry what kind of team we have. It will be a process of patience, adversity, and adjustments. HOW EXCITING!! Come and watch us play. It will be a ton of fun...These guys have worked hard and that is a great start...

USA/International Basketball Comparison

It has been an interesting 2007 summer to say the least and I would like to finish with a comparison of International and USA basketball.

If I had to make a choice, I would most certainly choose the way international basketball is played and officiated. I love the flow of the games, the quickness by which it is played with the (24) second clock, and the international rules. I love the (10) minute quarters. It gives the fans and teams a time to catch their breath and ready themselves for more excitement. I like the "use them or lose them" (2) timeouts in the 1st half and I absolutely love the fact that you CANNOT call timeout when the ball is in play. If your team is in trouble on the floor (ie-trapped), tough luck. If the defense has done their job, why should you be able to call time and bail yourself out? During the game, if you would like a timeout, you tell the scorers table and they will blow the horn when you can have one.

I also like the way the officials let the players play, looking only for major disadvantages, and if the players get a bit emotional on the floor, they mostly ignore them and let them rant a bit. I like it when freethrows are being shot, players are moving in and out of lane spots and no one complains. Just make your freethrows and shut up. I like the 5th foul per quarter rule to get into the 2 shot penalty. No 1 bonus 1 silliness. Is that a carnival rule? Remember when the NBA had the 3 to make 2 freethrow rule? I also greatly like the fact that the penalty starts over each quarter. That way, a team is not severely penalized for an entire half if they get the short end on some whistles.

I absolutely love the pregame introductions which start with (10) minutes remaining on the warmup clock. No one ever takes their teams off the floor during warmups. The entire team is introduced quickly and line up on respective freethrow lines. Each national anthem is played followed by handshakes and gift exchange. No starting lineups and NO ego checks. It is such a team thing! Once the introductions and handshakes are complete, the players have 3-4 minutes to shoot around some more.

International basketball has a certain flow and purity to it and is not bogged down by unnecessary whistles and rules. You have (8) seconds to get over half court, the (5) second closely guarded is never called, and (3) seconds in the lane is (3) seconds. DONT GET CAUGHT CAMPING! I know the USA keeps a close eye on the international flow of basketball and has moved a bit in that direction. It is my hope they continue.

Qatar defeats Japan

In their final game of the 2007 FIBA Asian Championships, Qatar came from behind to capture their 5th win, defeating host Japan 86-82. Qatar trailed the entire game and entered the 4th quarter on the short end of a 57-49 score. Qatar exploded for (37) 4th Quarter points, catching Japan with three minutes remaining. Qatar hit 53% of their shots while holding Japan to 40%. Japan knocked down (12) three pointers in the contest.

Qatar finished 7th in the (16) team FIBA Asian Tournament. Japan lost to Chnese Taipei and Qatar lost to Jordan to set up the match. Qatar's overall record was (5-3). Qatar lost to the 1st, 2nd, and 5th place teams Iran, Lebanon, and Jordan. Iran qualified for the Olympics with a stunning upset of Lebanon 74-69.

Qatar will land in Doha Tuesday morning at 5am. The team will be dismissed until the 15th of September. Eric Gardow, former UW Stout assistant and current Qatar National Team assistant coach has been elevated to Head Coach of the Qatar National Team.

Qatar Eliminated From Olympic Race

Qatar lost their second straight game in the 2nd Round to get bumped from the race for the lone Olympic spot in the 24th FIBA Asian Championships. Qatar lost back to back games to Lebanon and Iran which will keep them from advancing to the Final Four. Both Iran and Lebanon will advance with three teams still vying for the remaining two spots. Those teams are Korea, Kazakhstan, and Jordan. Qatar lost to Iran 94-86 in a game that saw Iran knock down (14) three pointers. Halftime score was Iran 44 Qatar 41.

In the remaining game on Thursday of the 2nd Round, Qatar downed Chinese Taipei 84-71. Qatar most likely will play Japan in the playoff round starting on Saturday. Sunday will be Qatar's final game before returning to Doha. Qatar is 4-2 in the Asian Tourney.

An interesting sidenote, is the typhoon that is blowing into Japan. The winds and rain as started and it could last 12 -24 hours.

Ouch...Qatar Gets Thumped

Tournament favorite Lebanon proved exactly WHY they are the tournament favorite by downing a stunned Qatar team 90-68 in the 1st game of the 2nd Round of the Asian Championship in Japan. Lebanon was a step quicker than Qatar, firing on all cylinders, hitting 52% of their shots while holding Qatar to 37%. Qatar trailed 70-61 late in the 4th quarter but could not get any closer. Qatar must now win the final two games of the 2nd round or they will be eliminated from contention for the Olympic berth. It will be no easy task as Qatar will take on undefeated Iran in a 6pm tipoff.

The Top (8) teams in this tournament are so very good. They shoot the ball, drive and kick, rebound on both ends, and play outstanding defense on every possession. If you don't have your A game, you won't just get beat, you will get embarrassed.

Qatar to Face Lebanon

Qatar will face tournament favorite Lebanon on Tuesday at 6pm. Lebanon finished 2nd in their pool with the top two teams in each pool advancing. Qatar remained undefeated after a win over Kazakhstan on Monday in a hard fought battle 76-69. Both teams shot 42% from the field. In the Quarter Final Groupings, Qatar will face Lebanon, Iran, and Taipei. Once again, the top two teams in each group will advance into the semi finals.

Group I
Iran
Lebanon
Qatar
Taipei

Group II
Jordan
Japan
Kazakhstan
Korea

FIBA Championship Basketball

The website to keep track of coach Eddie Andrist's Qatar team at the 24th FIBA Asia Championships, go to:

FIBA Asia Championships

Qatar To Move Into Field of Eight

With Sunday's victory over Indonesia 86-45, Qatar is guaranteed to enter the field of (8) on Tuesday, irregardlous of their outcome with Kazakhstan on Monday. Once again, Qatar started fast, holding Indonesia without a point for the first (4) minutes of the game. Qatar finished the game, shooting 52% from the field while holding Indonesia to 33%. Qatar will play Kasakhstan at 1:30pm Monday afternoon (11:30pm Sunday evening Wisconsin time). The game will be televised.

Some interesting sidenotes on this tournament. The languages flying around as you might imagine are quite interesting. Yesterday at my press conference following the game, my interview was easy, with my game statements in English being translated into Japanese. The Indonesia coach does not speak English so needed to have his own interpreter. When he made his game statements, his interpreter had to translate into English and then it had to be translated again into Japanese for the reporters. Another interesting note is that the vehicles in Japan, like Britian have the steering wheels on the opposite side, thus they drive down the opposite side of the street.

Qatar Passes 1st Test

It may not have been quite an exam, more like a quiz, but no matter which way you call it, the Qatar Men's National Basketball team took care of business, disposing of India in a 9am contest 106-49. All (12) players scored and played double minutes as Qatar got some much needed rest in this 24th FIBA Asia Championships held in Tokushima, Japan. Qatar shot 62% from the field while holding India to 35%. Qatar will play Indonesia in an (11:15am) tip on Sunday. The tournament is divided into (4) pools with each team playing all teams in their pool. The top two teams in these (4) pool advance to the 2nd round. The top two teams in the next (2) pools advance to the semi finals. The (4) pools are listed below.

Pool A
China
Iran
Jordan
Phillipines

Pool B
Japan
Kuwait
Lebanon
UA Emirates

Pool C
India
Indonesia
Kasakhstan
Qatar

Pool D
Taipei
Hong Kong
Korea
Syria

Let the Games Begin.....

The Qatar Men's National Basketball Team will fly to Tokushima, Japan today to begin the final leg of their summer long journey, to qualify for the 2008 Olympics. Qatar will arrive in Tokushima at 7pm. Qatar is coming fresh off a stunning upset of the China National Team (79-62) which was played in Shanghai, China last Monday evening. Qatar plays India in a 9am game Saturday morning. The tournament is (8) games in (9) days. The Champion will automatically qualify for the Olympics.

Qatars final (12) Man Roster -

• Hashim Zaidan - 6'11
• Omer Abdgader - 6'10
• Erfan Ali Saeed - 6'9
• Yaseen Ismail - 6'8
• Mohammed Saleem - 6'7
• Ali Turki - 6'7
• Baker Ahmad - 6'6
• Khalid Suliman - 6'5
• Saad Abdulrahman - 6'4
• Daoud Mousa - 6'4
• Malek Salem - 6'4
• Khalid Masoud - 5'9

Qatar Crunches China

In the final tuneup of the summer for the Qatar National Men's Basketball Team, they definitely saved their best basketball for the right time as they beat the China National Team in Zhang-Jia-Gang, China 79-62 on Monday night. In front of 3000 screaming Chinese fans, Qatar trailed 38-36 at halftime but snatched the lead 58-53 heading into the 4th Quarter. Playing outstanding defense, Qatar outscored China 21-9 sealing the victory. Qatar shot 55% from the field while holding China to 34% shooting.

Qatar will travel back to Shanghai on Tuesday where they will begin final preparations for the Asian Tournament in Japan. Qatar flies on Thursday and opens in Japan Saturday morning at 9am against India.

Greetings from Zji China

We have traveled from Shanghai for a two game stand in the city of Zji. Last night we played the Jordan National Team in front of 3000 Chinese fans. It was a beautiful arena with huge jumbotrons at each end of the court. It turned out to be a great defensive game that ended in a 59-59 tie. Jordan did not want to play overtime because they will face China tonight (Sunday) whereas we have a day of rest before we face China on Monday.

On Thursday, Qatar faced the Shanghai Sharks and won 91-74. Qatar shot 48% from the field while holding the Sharks to 37%. There were a couple of hundred Yao Ming Basketball Campers in attendance with photo opportunities and autograph signing lasting (40) minutes after the game. We will travel back to Shanghai on Tuesday, finish training and fly to Japan on Thursday. Our opening game will be on Saturday, July 28th.

Welcome to Shanghai, China

Shanghai is the most populous city in China. They have almost 19 million people. It is a huge city. After a (9) hour direct flight from Doha, we arrived on Sunday afternoon. We are once again, (13) hours ahead of Central Standard Time in the USA. This time around however, it appears that our staff and team have adjusted quickly to the time change. We are staying at the Sports Hotel in Shanghai. They have their own basketball court so we are practicing right here at the hotel. The training table food is outstanding however, most of their staff do not speak English at all or very well so communication is a problem.

We have three games here starting with the Shanghai Sharks on Thursday. There are (16) Division I Club Teams in China and the Sharks are one of them. Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets played for the Shangai Sharks. On Saturday, we bus to the city of Zji where we will play the Jordan National Team. Then on Monday we will play the China National Team to complete a (21) game schedule in (37) days. So far we have completed (48) days of travel, games, and training. It sounds like alot but I feel we could use another (48) days before we enter Japan. We will leave for Japan on July 26th.

I just read on Asia Basketball News that Japan naturalized American JR Henderson that played for UCLA back in the middle 90's. JR has been playing in the Japan Club System for the past (6) years. Japan has now instantly become a contender for an Olympic berth.

http://www.asia-basket.com/qat/qat.asp

Final Two Legs of Journey to Begin...

On Saturday evening (Doha Time) we will begin the last two legs of an incredible journey and march toward a possible 2008 Olympic berth. We fly to Shanghai, China to train, putting the final pieces together with a Qatar National team that has the potential to get this thing done. While spending (11) days in Shanghai, we will compete in three more friendly games in final preparations. We fly to Japan on the 26th of July with our first game on the 28th. We will play (6) games in (6) days and the goal is to make it into the Final 4. Getting a feel for this team has been quite difficult, but I do believe after watching them and a (100) hours of film, I know that path we must take to win the Asian Championship and march onto Beijing.

The international game is in many ways, quite different than USA basketball. It is much for loose, where the officials try very hard not to disrupt the flow of the game. For instance, as freethrows are being shot, players are walking in and out of the freethrow spaces and it is never called. If a player fouls out and you huddle your team for substitution, they actually shoot one of the freethrows while you are still in your huddle. There are (10) minute quarters, (24) second shot clock, and on the 5th foul of each quarter you shoot two freethrows each time. There are no 1 and 1 bonus freethrows ever shot. You get (1) time out each quarter and (2) in the 4th quarter. You can NEVER call timeout when the ball is in play so that is quite difficult to get used to.

Qatar Leaves Scooterville....

The population of Taipei is (6) million. The number of scooters running around the streets has to be (5) million. It is an unbelievable sight. What is more unbelievable is who is driving them. From grandmas to grandpas to women in nice dresses to a family of (3) all on the same scooter, it is amazing how they zip in and out of traffic and no one ever seems to get hit. They are like swarms on the streets and it is very interesting.

For Coach Andrist and new staff, it was a great experience with the National team, playing (9) games in (9) days. It was a coming out party for several players that under normal circumstance, would not of had a chance to show what they can do. As a whole for the returning members of the National Team, it was not as beneficial because they had been here (4) straight years. Our motivation was certainly not as high as it needed to be. It was a detailed learning experience for our staff of preparation, and at times, we were not very well prepared. That won't fly in Japan.

A quick wrap of the tournament has Qatar finishing (3-6). Qatar lost five games by (8) points or less. Qatar led the tournament in freethrows attempted. Unfortunately, had the team made half of what they missed, Qatar would have finished (8-1) and won the Jones Cup title.

Qatar played in the premier game of the tournament on Saturday night, facing the home team China Taipei. It was (9,000) standing room only crazy Taipei fans and the roar as you came out of the tunnel was deafening. It was way too much fun. When the game concluded in a 75-70 Taipei victory (500) paper frisbee fans came spining onto the floor and it was quite the sight. It was the largest crowd of the tourney.

Taipei would be a wonderful city to visit for anyone. It is very clean and there are many things to do. Last night, Chris Westlake and I went to Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world. It has an observatory on the top and the making the building and the stabilizers for typhoons was very interesting. It also officially has the fastest elevator in the world as your ears are popping in both directions. We fly to Doha today so (11) hours back in the plane. OH JOY!!

Qatar Wins Thriller Over Iran

From Taipei China, HAPPY 4th of July USA!! Rather strange to be over here and have the 4th of July mean nothing to most everyone here.

It has been a tournament of thrillers at the 29th William Jones Cup International Basketball Tournament. Qatar has been no stranger to nail biting finishes. In their 3rd game in (3) days, Qatar came from behind in the final minute, hitting a three pointer with (18) seconds to take a 71-69 lead. Qatar then had to survive a half court shot that banked in and out to take the 74-72 victory over Iran. On Monday in Qatar's opener, Qatar led Korea for the entire game until Korea banked in a three pointer to win 70-69. The game was televised live on ESPN Asia. In other action, Qatar held a 19 point lead on Kazakhstan in the 4th Quarter, going onto win 80-70. Qatar is currently 5th out of (10) teams after four days.
It has been such an experience for me with the pace of these games and how you have to coach on the fly. Every game, I feel stronger in the decisions we make and what we are trying to accomplish. Your timeouts are like a NASCAR pitstop. Make quick adjustments, trying to find something that will win the game without confusing your players. Immediately after the Iran victory, we went to the practice gym and prepared for Kazakhstan. The Kazakhstan game was a tough (20) hour turnaround as we played them 11am Thursday (10pm Wisc Time). I am amazed how quickly these teams can score a million different ways and how a ten point lead means absolutely nothing. The drive and kick in basketball had to be invented in Asia. It is a clinic everyday by all of these teams.
Next up for Qatar is the Japan National Team.

Greetings from Taipai

It is 2:35am on Monday in Taipei and I am wide awake so I why not give an update. It is 9:35pm Sunday in Doha and 1:35pm Sunday in Wisconsin so my body does not know quite what to think. On Thursday evening, Doha time, we lost in the championship to Khazakhstan 88-79. Khazakhstan hit (13) three pointers by (7) different players. We flew on Friday evening and arrived in Taipei after an (8) hour flight into Hong Kong and (2) hours into Taipei. Everything went smooth, and here we are at the Sunworld Dynasty Hotel. (10) teams have arrived for the William Jones Cup International Basketball Tournament. They are Iran, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Lebanon, Phillipines, Qatar, USA, and Republic of China. All teams with the exception of the USA are preparing for the Olympic Qualifier in Japan. NBA and major USA college players will be competing so the teams are stacked. Mike Jarvis, former coach of NCAA I St Johns is coaching the USA team. We will play (9) games in (9) days and take on Korea today at 3pm. Korea's 7'4 center formerly played for the Portland Trailblazers.

Qatar Advances To Championship...

Less than 48 hours after suffering a narrow loss to Egypt by six, Qatar stepped onto the same court at the Graffa Stadium to take on the Egyptian National Team and this time delivered a 76-57 blow in the semi finals of the 4th Invitational Friendship Games held in Doha this week. Defense was the order for Qatar as they held Egypt to 31% shooting for the game. Qatar will now play for the Championship against Kasakhstan, an 87-86 winner over the USA Team Select in the other semi final. Qatar lost to Kazakhstan by five in the 1st round of the tourney. Kazakhstan has not lost in the tournament.

With the championship game being televised on Thursday evening, there was some major concern by the Qatar Basketball Federation that we would not make the final after two close losses. As a coaching staff, we really felt that we would handle Egypt this time around but still held to our schemes of playing different combinations. We have monitored our minutes very closely and have kept our best players getting plenty of rest. One of our "top 10" players had a major meltdown on the bench tonight so the showers came quickly for him. I never overreact to such situations and we are dealing with it in a quiet manner. Tommorrow a decision will be made if he stays or goes. Unfortunately, we will not be able to practice tommorrow morning like we normally do, because in Qatar, Friday is like our Sunday, and we fly on Friday to Taipei. The players have much paperwork and arrangements to make before we fly so tommorrow is their only chance. So much for championship preparation. Never a dull moment in international basketball.

Qatar Loses Two of Three

Three days, three games, and two losses for the Qatar Men's National Team that has a flair for tight games so far this summer. This time around Qatar loses to Kazakhstan National Team 75-70 and Egypt National Team 76-70. Qatar did beat the USA Select Team 89-66. The Semi Finals of the 4th Annual Doha Friendly Tournament will be played on Wednesday, June 27th. Qatar will face Egypt National and Kasakhstan will take on the USA Select. The 3rd Place and Championship Games are on the 28th. Kasakhstan was a tough pill to swallow for Qatar as they we scored 32 points in the 1st Quarter and led for (38) minutes.

The process of this training is so interesting because we are playing both ends against the middle. Winning these games cannot take precedent over trying new material and playing more people. It is such a tug of war inside to not simply go for the victories but we must stay focused on the process. We are trying to pick up the pace offensively and defensivley and when we click, these guys look awesome. When we don't, it gets ugly in a hurry. We have many interesting personalities and again, it apprears that some guys remain on different pages. We keep gravitating back to simplicity rather than more material. It would be nice to just practice rather than play so many games.

Semi Finals on Wednesday

Qatar Defeats Egypt in Thriller

Qatar notched another victory with a 70-66 nailbitter over host Egypt. The Egyptian National Team simply would not go away trailing 50-36 late in the 3rd Quarter. With (1) minute remaining, Qatar led 64-61 and 67-64 with 30 seconds. Qatar's Match Up Zone kept Egypt at bay, holding the host to 29% shooting. Qatar nailed 10 of 24 three point attempts and shot 87% from the freethrow line. Qatar will fly today back to Doha and begin preparations on Friday evening for a (5) team round robin. Teams involved besides Qatar will be Algeria, USA Select, Khazistan, and Egypt. Championship will be played on June 28th.

We are getting better, inch by inch. Still have some egos to move and opening up our transition has been difficult. If you could see the extreme fouling on the players, you would be amazed. Many times it resembles All Star Wrestling with a basketball. The players have held their composure well and have been physical back. Point guard position productivity remains an issue. I have a projection screen set up in the hotel room and watching a ton of tape. So much to teach and so little time. Learning on the fly!!

Greetings from Egypt

The Qatar Men's National Basketball Team has now traveled to Alexandria, Egypt for their next training camp. We flew in on the 17th of June and will leave on the 21st to fly back to Doha. It was another long day of travel, leaving Slovenia at 2pm and arriving in Alexandria at 4am the next day. Alexandria is a city of 5 million plus and our hotel, the Renaissance is located right on the Mediterranean Sea so is it a spectacular view. It has been quite a change again in climate and we are having trouble keeping huge amounts of sweat off the gym floor. Our game with the Egytian National Team was moved back until this Wednesday due to our late travel. Alexandria is an old city with narrow streets and crazy traffic. There are NO crosswalks anywhere so men, women, and children, simply strategically walk across (4) bumper to bumper crazy lanes of traffic, stopping on the white lines as vehicles fly past them. It is a game of vehicle russian roulette. You would not believe it. We bus to our gym twice a day and you need to hang onto your seat as the bus drivers weaves and flies past cars, talking on his cell phone. We have held a second round of individual player meetings and it is extremely interesting to hear their perspective on how the team and they as individuals are doing. We look forward to our next exam on Wednesday.

Qatar Comeback Tips Slovenia

Trailing 55-42 with (6) minutes left in the 3rd Quarter, Qatar ourscores Slovenia National Team 23-9 to take a 65-64 lead heading into the 4th. Qatar wins the contest 93-86. Slovenia shoots an outstanding 50% from the field including 11/27 from behind the arc. Qatar counters with 56% shooting and knocked down 29 of 41 freethrows for 70%. (6) players scored in double figures for Qatar. Slovenia had two very good point guards that could penetrate and dish or kick and we struggle with them. We made two major adjustments in the 2nd half, going to a 2-3 match up zone and running our open zone offense versus their man to keep our guys tighter to the basket. They seemed much more comfortable when we made these changes. Played only (7) guys double minutes so the day off today will be great for their legs. I will spend the day, cutting film to get ready for tommorrow. We have much to review as we are now getting a much better feel for this team. We fly to Egypt on Saturday and play their National Team on Sunday.

Qatar Defeats Finland

Finally... we get to play a real game and with good results- Qatar 80 - Finland 63. We traveled two hours and had some good preparation. Both teams combined for (11) straight made fieldgoals to start the game. Our Run and Jump Press started to take control in the 2nd quarter and we raced to the win. I forgot how fast the international game is. You barely have time to breath and think at the same time. (I had to give up the breathing) (24) second clock is fast and when the ball goes out of bounds, it is coming back in right now!! For us, (4) players in double figures and (3) others with eight points each. We shoot 58% while holding Finland to 43%. The players tell us they feel well rested so that is a very good sign. We play Slovenia's National Team today. The game is here is Kranjska Gora. Coach Gardow and I are reconnected at the hip in our thinking and that has made the process go much more smoothly. Coach Westlake is learning quickly about my expectations and coaching style. Coach Burgess is doing a great job with strength and conditioning. We have done nothing but take steps forward and I certainly expect that to continue.

Camp Eddie Continues...

After 5 tough days of individual instruction, film, strength training, treatment, scrimmages, conditioning, and meetings, we took a day off on Wednesday, June 6th. The coaches and players and staff were pretty well spent. Our staff took a short trip by van to Venice, Italy leaving at 6am and arriving back at 10pm. Quite simply, I can only say WOW. To travel the streets and alleys of Venice by boat and look at the beautiful architecture, pillars, shops, and cathedrals, is quite breathtaking. It is more than you can imagine. As for the Qatar National team, we are improving. It is an interesting process, to free up their minds, allowing them to use their athleticism with some structure. We had a (40) minute Maroon/White scrimmage with officials Tuesday and that helped us locate some strengths and weaknesses. Our first outside game will be Monday, June 11th. Our team combined to shoot (61) three pointers in the scrimmage hitting only 29%. We want to become an inside team first, so this has been addressed. We are still working 6 hours per day and the team has responded in a very positive manner. They have a tremendous work ethic and a great desire to succeed.

Greetings From Slovenia

After a 17 hour travel day from Doha on Thursday, we have arrived in the mountains of Slovenia. We are (4) kilometers from Italy and (6) from Austria. The view is breathtaking and the temperature is welcome. It was 122 degrees in Doha on Tuesday and 60 degrees here today. Having arrived at the hotel at 5am this morning, we will have a late lunch with the team today, and let the team do some resting and exploring. Meetings will be held this evening and we will kick off our camp on Saturday. Besides Coach Gardow and Coach Westlake, our strength and conditioning coach is Will Burgess. Will is from New Orleans and played college football at Samford. Will has been working with the National Basketball team for the past two years.

Greetings From Doha Qatar

Landed in Doha last night at 10pm (2pm Wisconsin time), 17 hours was the travel time. It is 109 degrees out today. Will spend some time with Jake Nonemacher (UW Stout 7'0 Center) today and he will fly back to Wisconsin tonight. Jake played for the Rayyan Club (Doha) in a tournament in Iran. It was his professional debut. Coach Gardow's wife Brooke flew in with me so Coach Eric is quite happy today as you might expect. Getting settled and rested today and will begin preparation for our trip to Slovenia tommorrow. We will fly to Slovenia May 31st.

Blue Devils Go International

Blue Devils Go International
Jake Nonemacher is in Iran playing an Asian Tournament with former UW Stout assistant Eric Gardow. The Championship Game is Sunday-May 20th. Jake had 15 points and 14 rebounds against India.

I will be flying to Doha, Qatar on Tuesday - May 22nd to meet with my staff and prepare for the Olympic Trial to be held in Japan in late July. On June 1st, we will travel to Slovenia to start training. Gardow will be my assistant as well as former UW Green Bay guard Chris Westlake.