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Omari Sankofa II: Holland: "The way we hang our hats on defense says a lot about us. When we’re really up and want to guard from the first quarter to the end, we’re really hard to deal with … the fact that we’re able to pull off wins like this shows the growth we’ve had over the last year."
The pleasant surprise has been Dwayne Aristode, a chiseled 6-8 wing originally from the Netherlands. Ranked as a top-30 player in the class, multiple scouts who have been to Tucson have come away thinking he has the best upside when it comes to an NBA role. His tools have impressed on defense, and he looks like the type of big 3-and-D wing whom NBA teams search for across the globe. Aristode missed his senior season with a foot injury and comes in with less hype because of it, but teams are really interested in seeing how early he can establish himself for the Wildcats.
How did playing hoops in the Netherlands shape you? Post: “Basketball isn’t the biggest sport in the Netherlands. It’s really a soccer-dominated country. But it helped me. It helped me mature early on. I left the house at 18 to go to Berlin to play for a year. Then at 19, I crossed the ocean to go play in college (Mississippi State, Boston College). It taught me a lot just with the style of basketball and the fact that I’m a stretch big. In the European game, they teach kids a full skillset. It’s about being able to play in and out, both with and without the ball. So on a basketball level, I feel like it has shaped me into the player that I am.”
On another topic, how did it come to be for you to get involved in a chess tournament last summer? Post: “After I had my break in the Netherlands, I came back here. I worked out every morning in the facility, and then I had the rest of the day for myself. So I had some time. I always used to like to play chess. But I played inconsistently. So I played a lot this summer online. I even joined a chess club in San Francisco. And then I got invited to the ‘Chesstival’ in Vegas. So I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll do it.’ It ended up being a really cool event. I met a bunch of great people. I ended up winning a section of it. That was pretty cool.” You won the tournament. What was the key and strategy to pull that off? Post: “In one section, I got to the semifinals. But in the individual tournament, I won the whole thing. I think it helped that I played a lot before. Building up to that, I was playing a lot in the summer. Maybe some of the other guys that played did it at the last minute. So I would say it was my preparation.”
Unafraid to set a former president straight, Edwards and Holland were also brazen enough to tell WME they wanted a deal with Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Company, or specifically, Sprite. So Fleming and Co. cold-called Coca-Cola, and Edwards soon became part of Sprite’s “Obey Your Thirst” reprisal, complete with an “Anta Claus” commercial, in which he drives a Chevy convertible instead of a sleigh. “I call him a walking Emmy,” Duffy said. “Like, he’s full-on entertainment every day.”
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After the win, Green addressed the heated exchange between him and Holland. He commended the officials for allowing the exchange to continue without a technical foul for either player. Green, who’s never afraid to share his opinion on a topic, had plenty to say after the game, per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. “That moment we had on the court was amazing and also beautiful,” Green said. “I don’t think anyone got a tech, did they?”
BasketNews: THE NETHERLANDS ARE YOUR #Paris2024 3x3 GOLD MEDALISTS 🇳🇱🥇 pic.x.com/gthue8zqeq
Holland is a wing player with the ability to score and defend. He thrives in the open court, possesses an improving jump shot, especially on 3-pointers, and had a mid-range game off the dribble. He scored 33 points in a preseason game against Australia pro team Perth Wildcats. “My goals and expectations for this season are to honestly reach my max potential when it comes to just being down here and getting everything that I need up out of this,” he said.
One longtime NBA scout told Andscape that Holland and Buzelis played as advertised during two exhibitions against the Australia Perth Wildcats. The scout added that Almansa, Sane and Smith were impressive as well. But two NBA general managers told Andscape they were most impressed with Sarr last week and that he will now be considered for the No. 1 pick in the 2024.
“You can look objectively at that game and say if those other two [Holland and Buzelis] are supposed to be the top pick, Sarr was clearly dominant and right at if not above their level, if we’re being honest,” one NBA general manager said. “This draft is wide open. So, I wouldn’t be surprised to see [Sarr] climb like that if he can maintain this. Honestly those two [Holland and Buzelis] that were listed at the top is more driven by hype than actually being the top two prospects at this stage. The draft is wide-open.”
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NBA on TNT: “I GUARANTEE THE NETHERLANDS IN TROUBLE”. Charles is all in on the @USMNT
“I GUARANTEE THE NETHERLANDS IN TROUBLE" 🗣⚽️
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 30, 2022
Charles is all in on the @USMNT pic.twitter.com/QL5Idqydrk
In line with all the other superheroes in this FIBA EuroBasket, Deni Avdija has connected back-to-back game winning performances. Israel are undefeated, the Netherlands drop to 0-2 in Group D. The Oranje were in front for most of the game, but once Yam Madar caught fire, the path was carved for Deni Avdija to take over in the clutch minutes. He did it, not missing a beat, earning Israel a 74-67 win .
Carrying results from Group A, Serbia will be placed in Group I in the second round. The top three teams of the new six-team group will punch in a ticket for the 2023 World Cup. The second round of the Qualifiers starts in late August, shortly before the 2022 EuroBasket. In the preliminary round of the major international tournament, Serbia in Group B is set to face the Netherlands, hosts Czech Republic, Finland, Israel, and Poland.
Serbia opens Group D play September 2 in Prague against Netherlands. Also in Group D are group hosts Czech Republic, Poland, Finland, Israel. The top four teams in each group advance to Round of 16. "Jokic will be with the national team from the first day when the NBA rules allow it," the Serbian federation maintains.