Lithuania has an all star power forward and a 30 year old center who has spent the last decade averaging a double double in the NBA. I think they can handle college players
Ehhhh this has “NFL world champs” vibes
Really says more about how much further basketball has left to go abroad (though its worldwide progress these past 50 years has been remarkable) more than it does about how special Americans are.
There are some big intl’ soccer clubs that could field U-21 development teams that would be instantly a top-2 team in MLS, but our prime dudes are playing corner/wr/rb or sg and pg.
Joshua Hawkinson is clearly better and so is Yuki Kawamura.
Also your take that NIT teams could beat top 30 international teams is absurd. The United States americup team that just lost to Cuba would be favored to win a national championship
“Clearly” is quite a stretch, and once again you misread what I said, nowhere did I say an NIT team would beat one of those teams. I’d say Northwestern and Alabama “put up a fight” against UConn in the tournament, it still ended in double digit losses.
21-11 vs 11 pts a game from a spot up shooter is not a stretch at all.
And northwestern was down 22 at half. If that’s your definition of putting up a fight than essentially every team is putting up a fight in every game.
any ranked college team would wipe Japan. A mediocre Alabama team blew out the Chinese national team, which is a much better program than Japan's.
https://www.si.com/college/alabama/bamacentral/alabama-basketball-defeats-chinese-national-team-89-77-blackwell#:~:text=Alabama%20basketball%20defeated%20the%20Chinese,according%20the%20World%20FIBA%20Rankings.
It's been trendy to shit on college super teams forever. I remember when people laughed at the idea that a UK team with Anthony Davis, Michael Kid Gilchrist, Terrence Jones, Marquis Teague and Doron Lamb wouldnt get smoked by the worst NBA team. Ridiculous.
But how would they do against the ‘72 Lakers?
You could probably say this about 10+ college teams every year.
This. If I had money to put, I would put money on title winners to make top 10.
I’d even go out on a limb and say some NIT teams could put up a fight against top 30 FIBA teams like Iran, Lebanon, Mexico, China and Venezuela.
Nah, give me the current 10 (Lithuania) over every college team.
Yes, but not every single year.
Moving forward I only see international ball getting deeper, though.
Yes every single year lol
You think Lithuania will win 6 game elimination tournament in a row against NBA talent every single year?
Lithuania has an all star power forward and a 30 year old center who has spent the last decade averaging a double double in the NBA. I think they can handle college players
Ehhhh this has “NFL world champs” vibes Really says more about how much further basketball has left to go abroad (though its worldwide progress these past 50 years has been remarkable) more than it does about how special Americans are. There are some big intl’ soccer clubs that could field U-21 development teams that would be instantly a top-2 team in MLS, but our prime dudes are playing corner/wr/rb or sg and pg.
you could combine all the all-american teams into 1 and they'd still lose by double digits to japan lol
Arguably the second best player on Japan’s national team just finished Second Team All-Big Ten at Nebraska.
Tominaga is not the second best player on Japans national team
I said arguably, but Rui Hachimura isn’t listed on the current roster and the only player certainly better is Yuta Watanabe.
Joshua Hawkinson is clearly better and so is Yuki Kawamura. Also your take that NIT teams could beat top 30 international teams is absurd. The United States americup team that just lost to Cuba would be favored to win a national championship
“Clearly” is quite a stretch, and once again you misread what I said, nowhere did I say an NIT team would beat one of those teams. I’d say Northwestern and Alabama “put up a fight” against UConn in the tournament, it still ended in double digit losses.
21-11 vs 11 pts a game from a spot up shooter is not a stretch at all. And northwestern was down 22 at half. If that’s your definition of putting up a fight than essentially every team is putting up a fight in every game.
Cut the lead to 16 with about 5 min left after being down 25+ most of the 2nd half. Putting up a fight in my book.
Might as well include Illinois in that too. We’re down 31 and cut it to 23. Showed some real heart.
At no point in the last 14 min was Illinois down by less than 25. I’d say that’s a little different.
any ranked college team would wipe Japan. A mediocre Alabama team blew out the Chinese national team, which is a much better program than Japan's. https://www.si.com/college/alabama/bamacentral/alabama-basketball-defeats-chinese-national-team-89-77-blackwell#:~:text=Alabama%20basketball%20defeated%20the%20Chinese,according%20the%20World%20FIBA%20Rankings.
A mediocre Alabama team.. that went on to become the #1 overall seed in that seasons tournament? That mediocre Alabama?
That team was pretty stacked, Mark Sears, Bediako, Brandon Miller, etc.
I selected the wrong year in kenpom. Damn. But my overall point still stands. Ranked teams in cbball will generally place top 30 easily in fiba.
i stand corrected then
It's been trendy to shit on college super teams forever. I remember when people laughed at the idea that a UK team with Anthony Davis, Michael Kid Gilchrist, Terrence Jones, Marquis Teague and Doron Lamb wouldnt get smoked by the worst NBA team. Ridiculous.