OT: 2008 Olympic Qualifying Tournament

by BAB-Bass on Jul 15, 2008 7:27 PM CDT Comment 29 comments

Is currently underway as all of you hopefully are aware... 12 teams are vying the remaining 3 spots in the Beijing Olympics starting on the 8th of August.

The teams that have already qualified are:

1. China (Host nation)

2. Spain (world champion)

3. USA (Americas champion)

4. Argentina (Americas runner-up)

5. Russia (European champion)

6. Lithuania (Euro 3rd place after Spain which had already qualified)

7. Iran (Asian champion)

8. Angola (African champion)

9. Australia (Oseanic "Champion". Only in competition with New Zealand...)

10-12: Places 1-3 in the pre-olympic qualifying tournament

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The 12 teams vying for the 3 spots:

Gr A: Brazil, Greece, Lebanon

Gr B: Cape Verde, Germany, New Zealand

Gr C: Canada, Korea, slovenia

Gr D: Cameroon, Croatia, Puerto Rico

First two teams in each group advance to the quarter finals.

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Lemme make some predictions as well..

I know this is two days into the tournament, but I made these predictions before it started. Honestly.

Gr. A
1. Greece
2. Brazil

Gr. B
1. Germany
2. New Zealand

Gr. C
1. Slovenia
2. Canada

Gr. D
1. Puerto Rico
2. Croatia

If this is indeed the result of the preliminary round the Q-finals would look like this:

G13: Greece – New Zealand
G14: Germany – Brazil
G15: Slovenia – Croatia
G16: Puerto Rico – Canada

by BAB-Bass on Jul 15, 2008 7:37 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

So little faith in Lebanon, Cape Verde, Korea and Cameroon

Basketball powerhouses, those countries.

Still I always cheer for the underdog … so go Cape Verdeans? (I confess, I’m not sure who would be the true underdog amongst these amazing candidates.)

If nothing else, taking Rose will at least piss off Pat Riley.

by wjb1492 on Jul 15, 2008 9:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

lol

The only team out of those that are still alive after two days of play are the Koreans who if they beat Canada in a game that starts in 35 minutes will go on to the q-finals.

Sorry about your Cape Verdeans… ;)

I imagine Lebanon would be the underdog of the underdogs, but not sure either…

by BAB-Bass on Jul 16, 2008 5:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow, that was a close call for the Canadians!

Korea was up by 18 at the most but the Canadians came back in the 2nd half to win by 2 points!

Either the Koreans are better than I thought or the canadians suck…

by BAB-Bass on Jul 16, 2008 9:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe a little of both.

Oh, Cape Verde, I hardly knew ye. (literally)

It’s still one of the coolest names for a place though.

If nothing else, taking Rose will at least piss off Pat Riley.

by wjb1492 on Jul 16, 2008 3:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The green cape...

It’s a little odd, methinks…

I think Mechanicsville is pretty cool.

You’re prob right about the canadians and the Koreans, though

by BAB-Bass on Jul 16, 2008 4:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dalembert didn't play in the second game.

I’m guessing he’s their best player…

by tyger1147 on Jul 16, 2008 5:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I would assume so

Is he injured?

by BAB-Bass on Jul 16, 2008 5:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dalembert was actually kicked off/quit the Canadian team

http://www.tsn.ca/nba/story/?id=243527&lid=headline&lpos=secStory_main

I was a multiple time all star throughout my little league career. Won 5 championships- 4 in a row- thats more in a row than MJ… (kenwo4life@aol.com)

by Ozzie Montana on Jul 16, 2008 5:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hah. The coach wouldn't say whether he quit or was kicked off

But then a player says that “we support the coach’s decision”. Nice way to not keep that a secret…

And that is the worst bit of choking (Korea) that I heard about in a long time.

by BAB-Bass on Jul 16, 2008 6:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Advancing to the semis should be

G17: Greece – Slovenia
G18: Germany – Puerto Rico

with Greece and Germany winning and automatically qualifying. (No final is played)

The third place game

Slovenia – Puerto Rico

Would yield the last qualifier and this should be Puerto Rico.

by BAB-Bass on Jul 15, 2008 7:44 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I'll be slightly different: Greece, Croatia and Puerto Rico.

by tyger1147 on Jul 15, 2008 7:48 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised by Croatia, either.

But Germany just added Kaman and could be pretty good…

Of course I don’t get to watch ANY of it cause I live in the “basketball Mecca” called Norway…

Anyone find someplace to watch it online and I would REALLY appreciate the info.

by BAB-Bass on Jul 15, 2008 7:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

this might work

http://www.myp2pforum.eu/nba-basketball/

They seem to have some links posted in the daily “Basketball Today” threads, but I can’t really vouch for it because I haven’t watched any of the qualifying games.

by smegmatic on Jul 15, 2008 10:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks.

I’ll check it out.

by BAB-Bass on Jul 16, 2008 4:33 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

We were both

2 out of 3.

Greece, Croatia and Germany ended up going through to the olympics claiming all three spots for the european contingent. :D

by BAB-Bass on Jul 21, 2008 5:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Official link

http://www.nba.com/features/olympicqualifying_2008.html

by BAB-Bass on Jul 15, 2008 8:04 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

It seems they changed the order of the games today

Puerto Rico is currently playing Croatia in a close one at the half. Puerto Rico had a big lead but Croatia has come back and is now up by three

by BAB-Bass on Jul 16, 2008 8:27 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The game has totally turned

and Croatia are up 59-48 in the third.

by BAB-Bass on Jul 16, 2008 8:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I didn't realize Germany had Kaman until you mentioned it.

I don’t see how they don’t “win” this tournament, not w/ the two best players in it.

by tyger1147 on Jul 16, 2008 12:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The other teams are tough, too

At least the European ones. ;) Greece beat the US in the semis of the last WC and are playing in Athens so I would hold them as favourites. But like I wrote there is no final played. Only semis and then 3rd place game to determine the last olympic qualifier. Croatia and Slovenia are no slouches either. I watched the European championships last year. Very competitive.

I would not be at all surprised if the semis consist of only European teams… I must have had too high expectations of Puerto Rico since they finished 3rd in the Americas… Was really impressed by Croatia, though.

by BAB-Bass on Jul 16, 2008 12:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs