Hoosier guards take on the world

Two members of IU's men's basketball team are representing the Hoosier program this summer on a world platform. Sophomore Marshall Strickland, an Academic All-Conference honoree, was selected July 20 to represent the United States on the Big Ten Foreign Tour Team, and sophomore Bracey Wright, the junior 6-foot-3-inch guard, added another check mark to his resume when he became one of 12 student athletes from the country to be selected to the 2004 USA Young Men's National Team.\nWright, an All-Big Ten second team selection, was originally one of 16 finalists trying out for Team USA. After two rounds of elimination, he made the final cut to play in the 2004 FIBA Americas World Championship for Young Men. The tournament, which was played in Halifax, Canada, was created to allow males under the age of 20 to display their talents on a global stage. \nOklahoma men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson, who will be leading the American contingent, said he is more than satisfied with his team.\n"Our emphasis has been on kids sacrificing and being a part of something that's bigger than themselves," Sampson said. "With the kids that we have, they've worked hard from day one and bought into what we've asked them to do."\nWright and his teammates left their practice facility in New Jersey for the basketball courts of Canada in late July and defeated the host Canadians July 25 in an exhibition match by a score of 88-54. Wright scored 10 points in the exhibition and looked forward to his next challenge against Venezuela, but the Venezuelan team was forced to forfeit its match because of flight delays. Wright said he was disappointed by the result.\n"To get a forfeit, we're a step behind everybody else," Wright said. "A win is a win. We'll take it however we can get it, but I would have rather played Venezuela." \nThe victory allowed the team to advance to compete against Brazil. Wright scored six points in 11 minutes, and North Carolina junior Sean May, son of former Hoosier star Scott May, led all scorers with 18 while the U.S team coasted to a 87-64 victory.\nWright managed only two points in the 92-79 U.S victory over Puerto Rico, but eyes were set on the next round of play, as the team advanced to the semifinals to face Canada after its latest victory.\nWright added four points and grabbed three rebounds in 21 minutes of play against Canada. The U.S. team improved their record to 4-0 and advanced to the gold medal game against Puerto Rico after defeating the Canadians by 20 points, 86-63.\nThe United States has advanced to every gold medal game since 1993 and has received two silver and two gold medals and compiled a 19-2 record heading into this year's match. It was a close championship game, with the United States clinging to a 75-71 lead over Puerto Rico after three quarters of play. \nPuerto Rico, led by Peter Ramos, 2004 draft pick of the Washington Wizards, tried to seize their rivals in the last quarter, but with 49 seconds to go, Ramos fouled out of the game, and the United States captured the gold. Wright scored 10 points and corralled six rebounds for the U.S.\nWright's IU backcourt partner, Strickland, has also been honored with a foreign basketball affair this summer. Strickland is one of 12 Big Ten athletes to compete overseas in the Big Ten Men's Basketball Foreign Tour. The Honorable Mention All-Big Ten athlete will be led by Penn State coach Ed DeChellis. \nIU coach Mike Davis said he is thrilled about Strickland's opportunity. \n"This is a great honor for Marshall, and I know he is going to make the most of it," Davis said. "He has worked really hard this summer, and he has matured during his time here at Indiana."\nThe 6-foot-2-inch guard departs from Penn State's practice facility Aug. 10 to compete in France and Italy. The team will match up against five different European teams within a 10-day period. \n"I want to see all of the tourist traps and see what it's really like," Strickland said. "My mom's jealous."\nAlthough coaches have told him the teams they will face are pretty good, Strickland can't predict the competition. The trip will allow Strickland to use his talents overseas to grow into a better athlete for this year's season.\nLast season the Hoosiers suffered their first losing record in 34 years, and now Strickland looks to improve his game in the best interest of the team. \n"(Last season) left a sour taste that is still there. I had to forget how we played last year," Strickland said. "This year I'm planning on improving more maturity-wise and game-wise. We want to win every game we play. We want to have the biggest turnaround in Indiana history." \n-- The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact staff writer Ricardo Hernandez at rihernan@indiana.edu .