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Select team accedes to Olympians

By Daily Bruin Staff

July 7, 1996 9:00 p.m.

Sunday, July 7, 1996

College stars give pro Dream Team a run for their moneyBy Rick
Banks

Summer Bruin Contributor

The U.S. Select Team nearly caught the NBA’s best dreaming at
The Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich. on Saturday.

The Select Team, a group of college all-stars, had only been
together for six days before being thrown in the mix against Dream
Team III, but it proved to be enough time to put together a game
plan that nearly saw the Olympians go down to defeat.

The outcome of the game, a 96-90 victory by the Dream Team, was
not as important as the message sent by the collegiate stars. In a
blazing performance from the field, the Select Team took it to the
U.S. Olympic Team, building a 17-point halftime lead and
maintaining an edge until 8:35 left in the second half, when the
talent of the NBA stars finally came to the surface.

The collegians, coached by Stanford’s Mike Montgomery, designed
a game plan that disrupted the Dream Team’s superior talent and
showed the rest of the world that these supermen could be kept
under control and, to an extent, dominated.

Led by Stanford point guard Brevin Knight, the Select Team
penetrated a sluggish Dream Team defense and found open shooters,
like Shay Seals of Tulsa, on its way to shooting an overwhelming 63
percent from the field and connecting on 6-of-10 three-pointers in
the first half.

Unselfish play and sturdy team defense helped the Select squad
stymie the supposedly overpowering Dream Team, turning what NBC
analyst Matt Guokas termed "A mismatch of monumental proportions"
on its head.

One team came out better prepared and more emotional for this
game, and it wasn’t the one that will be representing the United
States in Atlanta later this month. That role was filled by the
team of collegiate stars that will compete later this summer in
Puerto Rico for a spot in the 22-and-under World Championships in
1997.

If Saturday’s performance was any indication, things don’t look
too good for the Select Team’s opponents this summer. Not only will
they have to deal with Knight in the backcourt and the clutch
shooting of Seals, but also with an inside game led by Wake
Forest’s Tim Duncan.

The 16-man roster, soon to be cut to 12, consists of NCAA
standouts such as UCLA’s Toby Bailey, Penn State’s Pete Lisicky,
Bradley’s Anthony Parker and Providence’s Austin Croshere.

The Select Team lit their own fire as well as one under the
Dream Team, proving that ability can sometimes be subverted by
heart and determination ­ a lesson that could help the
Olympians in the emotionally charged atmosphere of the Games.

Daily Bruin File Photo

Toby Bailey will play for the U.S. Select Team this summer.

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