Posted at 5:41 p.m., Sunday, July 15, 2007
Low survives first cut for U.S. Pan Am hoops team
Advertiser Staff
Washington State guard Derrick Low was low-key after the news he was one of the 14 players to survive the first cut for the U.S. Pan American Games basketball team today."It's an honor to make it past that first cut, but I'm also not getting too hyped about it because there are still two players left that are not going to make the trip," the 'Iolani graduate was quoted on Washington State University's sports Web site.
The team's training will continue Wednesday at Haverford College (Pa.), and Thursday through Saturday at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. Two more cuts will be made finalize the 12-man roster for the Pan American Games.
Joining Low and Washington State teammate Kyle Weaver as finalists are Josh Carter (Texas A&M), Joey Dorsey (Memphis), Wayne Ellington (North Carolina), Shan Foster (Vanderbilt), James Gist (Maryland), Roy Hibbert (Georgetown), Maarty Leunen (Oregon), Eric Maynor (Virginia Commonwealth), Drew Neitzel (Michigan State), Scottie Reynolds (Villanova), Bryce Taylor (Oregon) and D.J. White (Indiana).
The United States will be bringing a young but talented team to the Pan American Games, where it has not won gold since 1983.
"The trials were as competitive as any we have ever had," said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, chairman of the selection committee. "With the group of 14 finalists there is really good balance. We've got good inside guys, we've got good wing players and the point guards have really come on.
"I don't know that we have a superstar type player, but we've got really good balance and the players worked very hard and they look like they'll be good teammates, guys who will play well together which is tremendously important."
wsucougars.cstv.com contributed to this report.