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KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2010 / SPORTS
5B
USA BASKETBALL
U.S. beats Russia,avoids 1972 repeat
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ISTANBUL — Chauncey Billups made the promise. Kevin Durant made sure it was kept.
And by beating Russia on Thursday, the Americans brought a little joy to one of the players who will never forget what happened against the Soviets exactly 38 years earlier.
No player on the young American team is old enough to remember that game — many are barely old enough to remember the Cold War. But Mike Bantom, the NBA's senior vice president of player development, played on that U.S. team and is in Turkey with the Americans.
Durant ensured there would be no worries at the finish of this one, shooting 11 of 19 while just missing Carmelo Anthony's world championship team record of 35 points, in 2006.
"I told him today, 'I know nothing's going to bring that back, man, but at least we'll try to make you at least smile today,' " Billups said. "And he was like, 'Yeah, that'd be nice.'"
The victory came on the anniversary of the Soviet Union's win over the Americans for the 1972 Olympic gold medal, a game with an ending so controversial the U.S. players refused to accept their silver medals.
Durant scored 33 points to lead the United States to an 89-79 victory that moved it within two wins of its first world basketball championship since 1994.
"We're going to go to him," U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "I've learned in coaching you should get your best player the ball."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The U.S. will play Saturday against Lithuania, which beat Argentina 104-85. Host Turkey and Serbia will play in the other semifinal.
The U.S. and Russia have met many times since 1972, including a U.S. victory 16 years ago in Toronto that gave the Americans their last world championship. And there isn't much of a rivalry anymore between the nations — the NBA even opened an office in Moscow on Thursday.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
USA's Kevin Durant celebrates after scoring a basket against Russia during the quarterfinal round at the World Basketball Championship, Thursday in Istanbul, Turkey. Durant scored 33 points in the USA's 89-79 victory.
NFL
McDaniels gives 0-line overhaul
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels insists it wasn't Moreno's fault.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Knowshon Moreno, the first tailback selected in last year's NFL draft, never seemed to find a rhythm as a rookie, falling repeatedly to move the chains in shortyardage situations.
He defended his first-ever draft pick by suggesting "we had some linemen up front that aren't here anymore that were light, weak, old," an unusually candid criticism of former Broncos Ben Hamilton and Casey Wiegmann, especially considering the Broncos will face both of them this season.
A lot was made of McDaniels beefing up his defensive line with
the free agent additions of Jamal Williams, Justin Bannan and Jarvis Green — who was waived last week — but the Broncos also bulked up their offensive line this offseason.
Although Moreno rushed for 947 yards and seven touchdowns and caught 28 passes for 213 yards and two TDs his rookie season, he repeatedly came up short in short-yardage, and his per-carry average was a run-of-the-mill 3.8 yards.
McDaniels' power-based scheme.
McDaniels made his remarks about his former linemen while discussing his first draft class in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
He said he expected more out of that group this season, including pass-rusher Robert Ayers, tight end Richard Quinn and also Moreno, the University of Georgia star who was taken with the 12th overall pick.
"... we had some linemen up front that aren't here anymore that were light, weak, old ..."
Even last year, McDaniels placed the blame on his offensive line, which was a hybrid of both systems as the Broncos moved away from the synchronized movement of the zone-blocking scheme to the man-on-man power method that McDaniels prefers.
Both are on the smaller side nowadays as NFL linemen typically top 300 pounds. Both were good fits in the Broncos' old zoneblocking system but not so much in
Walton and Beadles are both 305 pounds and Daniels is 320.
JOSH MCDANIELS Denver Broncos Coach
McDaniels drafted guard/tackle Zane Beadles of Utah in the second round and center J.D. Walton of Baylor in the third round. Both are slated to start Sunday at Jacksonville along with guard Stanley Daniels, who was claimed off waivers from Green Bay this year.
Hamilton, 33, who signed with Seattle, weighs 290 pounds. Wiegmann, 37, who returned to Kansas City in the offseason, weighs 285.
Asked if Moreno's health had anything to do with his struggles in short yardage last year — he injured a knee on his first series of the preseason last year — McDaniels said, "I think he was fine."
"Again, he ran for 950 yards or whatever it was and split time with another back (Correll Buckhalter), you know," McDaniels said. "And we had some linemen up front that aren't here anymore that were light, weak, old, and he made some of the most spectacular 1- and 2-yard runs you'll ever see in the NFL, so hopefully we can get him started and get him going a little better this year."
Hamilton, whose Seahawks visit Denver next week, refused to comment on McDaniels' quote.
Engineering & Computer Science Career Fair
Wednesday, Sept. 15, Noon - 5 p.m. Kansas Union Ballroom www.ecc.ku.edu