Noam Yaacov 6'1 PG Israel

[shock]

I'm kind of surprised at all the Gal Mekel hate. The dude got some decent NBA minutes.

I loved Gal, but when you see the owner of a fine pile of hot garbage going head long over a cliff, you do what you can to keep him going.

[shock]

Still is.

You are going to go blind watching these highlights.

[shock]

In all seriousness, he is most likely not going to be NCAA d1 ready. The euro game is so much different. Gal and Asbjorn are a testament to that, although I think Gal fits better in todays game than into Turg and Marshall’s offenses.

[Kung Wu]

Can we agree he's better than playing yet another *#%#%ing 2 at the 1 position!?!? Let's start from there.

[shock]

Can we agree he's better than playing yet another *#%#%ing 2 at the 1 position!?!? Let's start from there.

better than Bell?

[Kung Wu]

You are going to go blind watching these highlights.

Not just his. Every true PG that shocks02 posts.

[Kung Wu]

better than Bell?

You are asking if Noam is better at the 1 than Bell at the 1?

Don't make me spew my coffee.

[Topshock]

Really hard to get a reading on this kid playing against such poor competition.

[shock]

Really hard to get a reading on this kid playing against such poor competition.

That’s what I’m sayin.

[Regul8te]

I’d like him, Forsythe and a more senior transfer PG. Then let it shake out as it may.

[asiseeit]

O'connell and Forsythe would be a MUCH better scenario

[Atxshoxfan]

Not saying this kid is anything like my story below, it just rung my bell a bit.

Our son's high school team needed help at point guard so I brought in a foreign exchange student from Luxembourg. He was the point guard for their national U18 team. He didn't even crack the A team at the high school here. He was so upset about it that he returned to Luxembourg before Christmas. He eventually became a pro in Luxembourg. His daddy was the President of a large bank there, so I think that had a lot to do with his success there.

[Kel Varnsen]

Not saying this kid is anything like my story below, it just rung my bell a bit.

Our son's high school team needed help at point guard so I brought in a foreign exchange student from Luxembourg. He was the point guard for their national U18 team. He didn't even crack the A team at the high school here. He was so upset about it that he returned to Luxembourg before Christmas. He eventually became a pro in Luxembourg. His daddy was the President of a large bank there, so I think that had a lot to do with his success there.

That is a really great point. Luxembourg is also an incredibly tiny country as its population is not too much larger than that of Wichita's. Couple that with the fact that you have probably 10x the amount of kids playing basketball in Wichita than you do in Luxembourg and that's a recipe for what you described.

People also ignore just how robust the basketball culture is here in the US, whether it's in NYC, rural Indiana, or a tiny private school that doesn't even recruit at all. There are so many talented basketball players in this country, even taking into account how large our population is. Kids of all races, socioeconomic statuses, and backgrounds play basketball. For other countries that's not the case - they're either ethnically homogenous and/or it's a privileged sport.

USA Basketball is a combined 143-6 in the Olympics, a much higher winning percentage than the USSR hockey team had even during their dominant years from 1960-1980.

Not saying this has any bearing on Yaacov necessarily, but your comment was certainly interesting and thought-provoking. Basketball in the US - even at the lower levels - is a giant machine.

[Shocktoberfest]

That is a really great point. Luxembourg is also an incredibly tiny country as its population is not too much larger than that of Wichita's. Couple that with the fact that you have probably 10x the amount of kids playing basketball in Wichita than you do in Luxembourg and that's a recipe for what you described.

People also ignore just how robust the basketball culture is here in the US, whether it's in NYC, rural Indiana, or a tiny private school that doesn't even recruit at all. There are so many talented basketball players in this country, even taking into account how large our population is. Kids of all races, socioeconomic statuses, and backgrounds play basketball. For other countries that's not the case - they're either ethnically homogenous and/or it's a privileged sport.

USA Basketball is a combined 143-6 in the Olympics, a much higher winning percentage than the USSR hockey team had even during their dominant years from 1960-1980.

Not saying this has any bearing on Yaacov necessarily, but your comment was certainly interesting and thought-provoking. Basketball in the US - even at the lower levels - is a giant machine.

And those 6 losses are embarrassing.

[Kel Varnsen]

And those 6 losses are embarrassing.

They are, to be sure, but I can't think of another team sport where one country has been that dominant in world competition.