NewsWhore
05-14-2012, 02:30 PM
NCAA championship coach John Calipari has agreed to give the team a last boost in its last ditch to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics. Calipari coached the team to almost make it in the continental qualifier that took place in Argentina last year, with a bronze medal in the FIB America Qualifier. After the Argentina tournament, Calipari returned to Kentucky where his team the Kentucky Wildcats won the NCAA championship.
The last-chance tournament will take place in July in Caracas, Venezuela, 2-8 July.
The Dominican team will again train at the Joe Craft Center in Lexington, Kentucky starting June and will later compete in Puerto Rico at the FIBA Americas CentroBasket 2012.
The last-chance qualifier features 12 teams. The top three teams earn a spot in the 2012 Olympics in London.
Commenting on the decision on his website, he says:
"Our goal was to become the best team we could be and in turn reach the Olympics," Calipari said. "Our team had the best finish in the history of the country and we felt like we became the best team we could be, but we fell just short of qualifying for the Olympics. I think all of us, as a staff and a team, feel like we have some unfinished business."
Coach Cal reports that the bulk of the record-setting 2011 Dominican Republic team is expected to return for this year's run, including leading performers Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks) and Jack Michael Martinez.
Calipari will retain the same staff from last year, including Antigua, Harris, Rod Stickland and Billy Bayno. The coaching staff will also have Jose Mercedes assisting. Mercedes won the Dominican Basketball League Championship with the Leones of Santo Domingo Basketball Club.
www.coachcal.com/14449/2012/05/calipari-accepts-offer-to-coach-dominican-republic-team (http://www.coachcal.com/14449/2012/05/calipari-accepts-offer-to-coach-dominican-republic-team)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#15)
The last-chance tournament will take place in July in Caracas, Venezuela, 2-8 July.
The Dominican team will again train at the Joe Craft Center in Lexington, Kentucky starting June and will later compete in Puerto Rico at the FIBA Americas CentroBasket 2012.
The last-chance qualifier features 12 teams. The top three teams earn a spot in the 2012 Olympics in London.
Commenting on the decision on his website, he says:
"Our goal was to become the best team we could be and in turn reach the Olympics," Calipari said. "Our team had the best finish in the history of the country and we felt like we became the best team we could be, but we fell just short of qualifying for the Olympics. I think all of us, as a staff and a team, feel like we have some unfinished business."
Coach Cal reports that the bulk of the record-setting 2011 Dominican Republic team is expected to return for this year's run, including leading performers Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks) and Jack Michael Martinez.
Calipari will retain the same staff from last year, including Antigua, Harris, Rod Stickland and Billy Bayno. The coaching staff will also have Jose Mercedes assisting. Mercedes won the Dominican Basketball League Championship with the Leones of Santo Domingo Basketball Club.
www.coachcal.com/14449/2012/05/calipari-accepts-offer-to-coach-dominican-republic-team (http://www.coachcal.com/14449/2012/05/calipari-accepts-offer-to-coach-dominican-republic-team)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#15)