Coach K tips off new era in U.S. hoops

When Mike Krzyzewski walks onto the Cox Pavilion floor in Las Vegas today to greet his new team, it might be one small step for him, but it’s one giant leap for U.S. basketball.

“I’ve gotten chills the last four or five days just thinking about being with the team,” Krzyzewski said Tuesday at the opening of training camp for the USA Basketball national team. “I’m amazingly excited. You feel like everyone knows how special it is to be in this position.”

USA Basketball tore up its playbook and turned to a college coach after an NBA coach led U.S. teams in every major international competition since the 1992 Olympics.

Slapped into reality by a sixth-place finish in the 2002 World Championships, followed by a third-place finish at the 2004 Olympics, USA Basketball selected Duke’s Krzyzewski to lead the quest to regain international dominance. He has 24 of the best basketball players at his disposal, each making a three-year commitment to win an Olympic gold medal.

Although winning the Olympic gold medal is the ultimate goal, the upcoming World Championships are much more than just a tuneup. There are only two byes into the Olympics. One goes to the host team – that means China for the 2008 Beijing Games – and the other to the reigning world champion.

If the USA loses in Japan, it must qualify next summer in Venezuela in the Tournament of the Americas.

Since NBA players began competing in the World Championships and Olympics, an All-Star team has been picked without regard to almost anything else. Players were not asked to try out, simply handed spots on the team.

Those days are over. The 24 players on the national team roster – from which 12 will be chosen for the teams that compete in the World Championships and the Olympics – are a varied collection of young and old stars and role players.

Luke Ridnour (11.5 points a game last season), Chris Paul, last season’s NBA rookie of the year, Kirk Hinrich and defensive specialists Bruce Bowen (7.5 points) and former Duke star Shane Battier (10.1 points) would never have been considered under the stars-only system. But they are the types of players Krzyzewski said will help make this a real team.

The team also includes Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison, the No. 3 pick in the NBA draft by the Charlotte Bobcats.

Krzyzewski offered a glimpse into what players can expect training camp to be like and how important their roles will be.

“It’s a 40-minute game, and we may need a guy who is going to play five minutes. And he will play those five minutes like they are the most important five minutes in his life,” he said.

“We need guys who are going to create an atmosphere that is conducive to success. And you do that by having guys who can contribute in all different ways and still feel a sense of ownership and pride in what they’re doing. I feel we have a group that can do that.”