THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY,AUG.24,2001
Collison cashes in after winning gold with USA Basketball national squad
Ryan Malashock Kansan sportswriter
There's nothing like a little incentive to fuel an athlete's drive. This summer, 5,000 incentives kept Nick Collison going.
Collison, along with 11 of the top collegiate players in the nation, represented the United States at the FIBA World Championship for Young Men in Saitama, Japan. He also had the chance to pocket some cash in the process.
with a 89-80 victory against Croatia in the gold-medal game, each of the 12 players earned a sense of national pride as well as a $5,000 check.
Collison, a junior forward, said the money factor kept the team motivated during the tournament.
"Sometimes you have a lot of guys kind of upset about playing time or not getting the ball," Collison said. "Now, it was like. 'Let's get the money and get out of here.' You always want to win for your country, but this might get more people focused for the entire time you are over there."
USA Basketball, because of a rule change, now allows pay for amateur athletes participating on its teams. The NCAA approved the rule as a way to
entice the top collegiate players to participate on USA Basketball teams.
Collison said he was still thinking about how to spend his gold-medal money.
"I don't know how I'll spend it yet," Collison said. "I'll probably buy a computer. And my minivan died. I might do something there, too."
At the age of 20, most wouldn't consider Collison a veteran. But in the world of USA Basketball, that's exactly what he is.
By playing in Japan this summer, Collision spent his fourth consecutive year competing on a USA Basketball team.
"I didn't really feel like a veteran," Collison said. "But it definitely helped having played before. I knew all the international rules, and I knew how some of the international teams would play."
Collison's experience showed in his play. The Iowa Falls, Iowa, native started in all eight of the team's games and averaged 9.1 points per game. He was also second on the team with 5.4 rebounds per game. In the United States' gold-medal victory, Collison turned in his best scoring performance with 15 points.
win other big men, such as Duke's Carlos Boozer and Iowa's Reggie Evans.
"I don't know how I'll spend it yet. I'll probably buy a computer. And my minivan died. I might do something there, too." Nick Collison
Nick Collison Kansas junior forward
on the squad, Collison was used more on the perimeter.
"I was a little more comfortable this year than I had been in the past," Collison said. "I got to work on more things, especially on the perimeter, and I was able to work on taking people off the dribble."
Syracuse's Jim Boeheim, who coached the USA team, told ESPN.com that Collison was a good defender but still had room for improvement.
After winning a silver medal for his USA team last season, Collison said winning gold still meant a lot to him even if money had not been involved.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Junior forward Nick Collison scores against Colorado in this file photo. Collison scored 15 points against a Croatian team this summer in the gold-medal game of the FIBA World Championships for Young Men. The United States team won 89-80.
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