DePaul's Doug Bruno and Washington's Lorenzo Romar Selected 2006 USA Basketball Co-Developmental Coaches Of The Year

December 14, 2006 � Colorado Springs, Colorado

	University of Washington men's basketball coach Lorenzo Romar (top) and DePaul University (Ill.) women's basketball coach Doug Bruno each led 18-and-under squads to perfect 4-0 records and gold medals at the respective 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championships (photos by USA Basketball).

DePaul University (Ill.) head women's basketball coach Doug Bruno and the University of Washington head men's basketball coach Lorenzo Romar, who each led a 12-member group of elite athletes to perfect 4-0 records and gold medals at the respective 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championships, were announced today as co-recipients of the 2006 USA Basketball Developmental Coach of the Year award. The selections were made by the USA Basketball Executive Committee.

'It's a great honor,' Bruno said. 'And yet it is an honor that I share with my assistants Jennifer Rizzotti and Carol Owens, the support staff and, most importantly, the players. These awards don't happen without their help.'

'I wish I could tell you it was all me, but I had two of the better coaches in the country in Paul Hewitt and Jerry Wainwright along with me,' Romar said. 'And you couldn't have asked for a better group of guys to coach. They busted their tails and did everything we asked them to do.'

USA Basketball will submit Bruno and Romar to the U.S. Olympic Committee as nominees for the 2006 USOC Developmental Coach of the Year award.

'Both of these coaches showed a tremendous ability to unite, inspire and motivate their young athletes,' said USA Basketball Executive Director Jim Tooley. 'These two coaches not only secured gold medals, but also qualified the United States for the men's and women's 2007 FIBA U19 World Championships.'

USA Basketball's Development Coach of the Year award was established in 1996 to recognize a USA Basketball head coach who, during the year of the award, made significant impact on the success of individual athlete and team performance at the developmental level.

Bruno and Romar added their names to a list of award recipients that includes Kathy Delaney-Smith (2005) of Harvard University (Mass.); Jay Wright (2005) of Villanova University (Pa.); Kelvin Sampson (2004) currently at Indiana University; Jim Foster (2003) of The Ohio State University; Marsha Sharp (2002) formerly of Texas Tech University; Debbie Ryan (2001) of the University of Virginia; Geno Auriemma (2000) of the University of Connecticut; Oliver Purnell (1999) currently at Clemson University (S.C.); Jim Boeheim (1998) of Syracuse University (N.Y.); Rene Portland (1997) of Penn State University and Mike Montgomery (1996) formerly of Stanford University (Calif.).

Bruno guided the USA Basketball Women's U18 National Team to a 4-0 record and the gold medal at the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women in Colorado Springs, Colo. The USA dominated the competition by an average margin of 40.2 ppg., and the team's first-place finish qualified the USA for the 2007 FIBA U19 World Championship that will be held in Bratislava, Slovakia.

'The thing that makes Coach Bruno unique is the way he challenged us physically and mentally,' said 2006 Naismith High School award winner Maya Moore (Collins Hill H.S./Lawrenceville, Georgia). 'He always had a quote for the day or gave us something to think about. He drove us to get the most out of our two-and-a-half weeks together and really helped a lot of us grow.'

Assisting Bruno on the sidelines were collegiate head coaches Carol Owens from Northern Illinois University and Jennifer Rizzotti from the University of Hartford (Conn.).

Comprised of 10 All-Americans, the 2006 USA U18 Women's National Team included: Jayne Appel (Stanford/Pleasant Hill, Calif.); Victoria Baugh (Sacramento H.S./Sacramento, Calif.); Kelley Cain (St. Pius X H.S./Atlanta, Ga.); Tina Charles (Connecticut/Jamaica, N.Y.); Nikitta Gartrell (N.C. State/Atlanta, Ga.); Stefanie Gilbreath (Cinco Ranch H.S./Katy, Texas); Jantel Lavender (Cleveland Central Catholic H.S./Cleveland, Ohio); Italee Lucas (Centennial H.S./Las Vegas, Nev.); Moore; Kayla Pedersen (Red Mountain H.S./Fountain Hills, Ariz.); Brittainey Raven (Texas/Fort Worth, Texas) and Khadijah Rushdan (St. Elizabeth H.S./Wilmington, Del.).

The USA began the tournament with a 121-56 win over Paraguay on June 28, and handed Brazil a 75-48 loss in the second match-up. The U.S. squad then rolled over Argentina 81-47 on July 1 in the semifinals to advance to the gold medal game. The Americans outmatched Canada early and cruised to an easy 87-52 gold medal victory on July 2.

The U.S. saw seven of its 12 players finish among the top 30 leading scorers for the tournament, led by Charles 12.0 ppg. Also finishing in the top 30 were Baugh (11.8 ppg.), Rushdan (11.0 ppg.), Lucas (10.8 ppg.), Moore (9.5 ppg.), Appel (7.0 ppg.), and Cain (6.5 ppg.). The U.S. also had three of the tournament's top 10 rebounders in Charles (9.5 rpg.); Appel (9.0 rpg.) and Baugh (8.0 rpg.). The top three leaders in field goal percentage were Americans, led by Baugh (.606); Cain (.579) and Rushdan (.571). Rushdan also led the tournament in assists (6.0 apg.), and Lucas (3.0 apg.) ranked ninth. Lucas and Rushdan also were the tournament's assist-to-turnover ratio leaders as Rushdan (1.85) was first and Lucas (1.71) was second. The U.S. had two of the top three steals leaders in Moore (3.75 spg.), who was second, and Rushdan (3.0 spg.), who was third. In addition, Appel and Cain tied for the tournament's lead in blocks (1.75 bpg.).

The U.S. women led the tournament in 14 statistical categories, including scoring offense (91.0 ppg.); scoring defense (50.8 ppg. allowed); scoring margin (+ 40.2); field goal percentage (.421); free throw percentage (.674); rebounding margin (+ 32.8 rpg.); blocked shots (8.75 bpg.); assists (19.5 apg.); and steals (17.0 spg.).

As a team the 2006 squad broke U.S. records for highest rebound average with 66.2 rpg., and most blocks per game with 8.8. Individual U.S. competition records were set by Charles and Rushdan. Charles set the record for highest rebound average in this tournament by averaging 9.5 rpg., while Rushdan set the record for highest assists average handing out 6.0 apg.

Meanwhile, in San Antonio, Texas, Romar and his USA Basketball Men's U18 National Team dominated opponents by an average of 29.7 points a game and captured four straight victories at the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men. Romar's squad also qualified the USA for the 2007 FIBA U19 World Championship that will be contested in Vancouver, Canada.

'He was great because he was really enthusiastic and wanted to be out there coaching,' said future Blue Devil Nolan Smith (Oak Hill Academy, Va./Upper Marlboro, Md.). 'He taught us that whether you are scoring or not, as long as you are doing something to help your team, you will be successful.'

Georgia Tech head mentor Paul Hewitt and DePaul University head coach Jerry Wainwright assisted Romar on the sidelines.

The USA Basketball U18 National Team included: Chris Allen (Meadowcreek H.S./Lawrenceville, Ga.); Jerryd Bayless (St. Mary's H.S./Phoenix, Ariz.); Michael Beasley (Notre Dame Prep/Frederick, Md.); Jonny Flynn (Niagara Falls H.S./Niagara Falls, N.Y.); Donte' Greene (Towson Catholic H.S./Baltimore, Md.); Spencer Hawes (Washington/Seattle, Wash.); Taylor King (Mater Dei H.S./Huntington Beach, Calif.); Stanley Robinson (Connecticut/Birmingham, Ala.); Kyle Singler (South Medford H.S./Medford, Ore.); Smith; DaJuan Summers (Georgetown/Baltimore, Md.); and Lance Thomas (Duke/Scotch Plains, N.J.).

The USA men first rolled over Uruguay in a 111-64 victory on June 28, then, on June 30, the Americans out-slugged Brazil 90-66. Matched against Canada in the medal round semifinals, six U.S. players scored in double digits and the USA earned a 92-66 victory. In the championship game on July 2, the USA men erased a two-point first quarter deficit to easily capture the gold medal with a 104-82 victory over Argentina.

Beasley led the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 13.8 ppg. and 8.3 rpg., followed by Hawes, who tallied 12.5 ppg. and 7.5 rpg. King added 12.0 ppg., and Bayless and Singler each contributed 11.0 ppg.

Seven U.S. players broke into the tournament's top-ten rankings in eight different categories. Bayless ranked first in free-throw percentage with a perfect 13-13 tally from the charity stripe, and Beasley ranked fifth in rebounding. Flynn ranked third in free throw percentage (.882), fifth in assists (5.3 apg) and tied for eighth in free throws made (15-of-17 FTs). Hawes ranked fourth in blocked shots (1.4 bpg.), eighth in rebounding and tied for eighth in free throw percentage (.750). King ranked fourth in both 3-pointers made (10) and 3-point percentage (.476), and Singler ranked fourth in steals (2.3 spg.). Smith tied for eighth in free-throws made (15) and free throw percentage (.750) and listed 10th in assists (3.5 apg.).

The USA dominated the tournament's team statistics, ranking No.1 in 13 of the 19 categories, including scoring offense (99.2 ppg.), scoring defense (69.5 ppg.), rebounding margin (+19.7 rpg.), assists (20.5 apg.), steals (12 spg.), turnover margin (+3.50) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.19).

The 2006 squad contributed 10 new entries to the USA U18 Championship record book, including shooting 73.1 percent as a team from the free throw line to set the USA U18 Championship record.