Convention and Visitors Authority today conducted the draw for the FIBA
Americas 2007 Olympic Qualifying Tournament beginning August 22nd.
Canada, ranked 15th in the world, has been placed in Group B and will
open the tournament against Brazil in the first game of Group B action.
Other teams in Group B include Brazil, the United States, the US Virgin
Islands, and Venezuela. Group A includes Argentina, Mexico, Panama,
Puerto Rico and Uruguay.
“I don’t really worry about the draw that much,” commented Canadian Senior Men’s National Team Head Coach Leo Rautins. “Regardless of our draw, we have to go there and fight and scrap and claw and prove to ourselves and everyone else, who we are. We do not need to worry about who play, just how we play in the tournament.”
The Championship features 10 men’s national teams from the FIBA Americas Zone and is scheduled to be played August 22 through September 2 in Las Vegas, with all games being held at the Thomas & Mack Center, home of the 2007 NBA All-Star Game in February.
The FIBA Americas Championship 2007 is one of five FIBA Olympic Zone qualifying tournaments and will determine the two men’s teams from the Americas Zone which will receive an automatic berth into the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Teams that finish the tournament in the three-to-five positions are eligible to participate the following season at the FIBA World Olympic Qualifier July 7-13, 2008, at a location to be announced. The World Olympic Qualifier will see 12 teams from the five FIBA Zones attempt to earn the final three berths at the Olympics.
FIBA Americas 2007 Preliminary Round Draw
August 22
Group A: Group B
Game A1: PUR vs. MEX Game B1: CAN vs. BRA
Game A2: URU vs. PAN Game B2: USA vs. VEN
August 23
Group A: Group B
Game A3: ARG vs. URU Game B3: ISV vs. USA
Game A4: PAN vs. PUR Game B4: VEN vs. CAN
August 24
Group A: Group B
Game A5: MEX vs. PAN Game B5: BRA vs. VEN
Game A6: PUR vs. ARG Game B6: CAN vs. ISV
August 25
Group A: Group B:
Game A5: URU vs. PUR Game B5: USA vs. CAN
Game A6: ARG vs. MEX B6: ISV vs. BRA
August 26
Group A: Group B:
Game A5: PAN vs. ARG Game B5 VEN vs. ISV
Game A6: MEX vs. URU Game B6 BRA vs. USA
Second Round
After the 10-team preliminary round the top eight teams move on to the second round.
August 27
Game 21: X8 vs. X1
Game 22: X2 vs. X7
Game 23: X6 vs. X3
Game 24: X4 vs. X5
August 28:
Game 25: X1 vs. X7
Game 26: X8 vs. X6
Game 27: X5 vs. X2
Game 28: X3 vs. X4
August 29:
Game 29: X6 vs. X1
Game 30: X7 vs. X5
Game 31: X5 vs. X8
Game 32: X2 vs. X3
August 30:
Game 33: X1 vs. X5
Game 34: X6 vs. X4
Game 35: X3 vs. X7
Game 36: X8 vs. X2
Semi Finals:
September 1:
Game 37: X2 vs. X3
Game 38: X1 vs. X4
Finals:
September 2:
Game 39: Loser Game 37 vs. Loser Game 38 (3 – 4)
Game 40: Winner Game 37 vs. Winner Game 38 (1 – 2)
For more information, go to http://www.basketball.ca