Horford and Noah Finding Success on International Stage at FIBA Tournaments
Monday, September 5, 2011 | Men's Basketball
A pair of Gator greats from UF's championship teams have taken their games to the international stage this summer. Al Horford is leading the Dominican Republic team in the FIBA Americas 2011 tournament, an Olympic qualifying event in Mar Del Plata, Argentina, while Joakim Noah is playing for France at FIBA EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania. Both have helped their respective teams into the second round of play at the tournaments.
Horford powered the Dominican Republic to a 3-1 first-round record to win Group A and averaged a team-best 20.5 points per game to go along with 8.8 rebounds. The squad began second-round action on Monday, dominating Panama by a score of 92-68 with Horford contributing 12 points and seven rebounds.
Horford's Dominican Republic team and the seven others remaining at FIBA Americas will each play four second-round games, and four teams will advance to the semifinals on Sept. 10. The top two finishers at the event will qualify for the Olympics, while teams finishing third through fifth will have another chance to reach the Olympics at the World Olympic Qualifier. The Dominican Republic is looking for its first Olympic bid, having finished no higher than fifth in seven previous appearances in the FIBA Americas tournament.
Meanwhile, Noah has helped France to a strong performance at the biennial EuroBasket competition so far, with Les Bleus posting a 5-0 record in the opening stage to win Group B. Noah has contributed 10.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, including 14 points and nine rebounds in France's 97-96 overtime thriller against previously unbeaten Serbia to clinch the group on Monday. The French move on to the 12-team second round, where the remaining teams will be divided into two six-team groups with the top four finishers on each side advancing into the quarterfinals where knockout play begins.
France has medaled six times in the history of EuroBasket, but only once since 1960. France finished fifth in 2009 and claimed bronze in 2005, the team's lone medal in the past 50 years of the event. Its best finish was a silver medal in 1949, and the French also won bronze four times between 1937-59. EuroBasket has been held every other year since 1935 (excluding 1940-45).
For more information about the tournaments, visit www.eurobasket2011.com/ and www.mardelplata2011.com/
