Moving The Ball With Matt Bouldin

Even starting in the NCAA Tournament as a freshman doesn't compare to this.

As a first-year player, Matt Bouldin started 20 of the 34 games he played in during the 2006-07 season at Gonzaga. A native of Highlands Ranch, Colo., the 6-5 guard averaged 8.9 ppg., 3.6 rpg., 3.1 apg. and shot 44.8 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from the 3-point line over the course of the year that included a first round NCAA Tournament game against Indiana. He scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds in 28 minutes versus the Hoosiers. Just enough to leave him wanting more.

Bouldin talked with usabasketball.com about adjusting to a new group of teammates, his introduction to USA Basketball and about how his spot on the U19 World Championship Team befits a player whose Gonzaga program also continues to rise.

You haven't played in a USA Basketball Trials before. How do you balance playing the team game against trying to show what you can do?
It's really hard (to show what you can do individually.) My game is that I move the ball and pass the ball. Especially coming from college, where your focus is not to be selfish.

At the USA Team Trials, because guys will be cut, do coaches say something like �It's time to pass the ball to Matt so he can show us what he's got.' or is it pretty much every man for himself?
If everything's going all right, they don't say anything. You just have to figure it out for yourself. It's about finding a rhythm, once you find that you'll be all right. This style of basketball's not really any different than any other.

What's it like having a mixture of guys who have already been in college and guys who are just going into college and haven't even experienced that scene yet?
It's not that big of difference. I kinda figured this out when I went out my freshman year at Gonzaga. Everybody can play. Age doesn't matter when you get to that level.

How about the guys that have played on the 2006 U18 Team and already have experience with USA Basketball? What's that like for you not having that previous experience?
I feel like it's helped them a lot. They kinda know how to play and what's going on, what to expect. But they said the U18 Team was a lot different. It didn't seem as big-time as it does now.

Can you compare an NCAA Tournament game to this as far as the intensity and the stakes?
It's kind of hard. You've been training with your college team all year. You basically know your role on the team. Here, we're just trying to figure out how to play with each other. The intensity at these Trials? Everybody's going all-out, 100 percent the whole time.

What do you think you bring to this team?
I really enjoy moving the ball, and I really enjoy making my teammates better.

Is there anything in particular that you are trying to work on?
One of the problems that me and my coaches have been working on is changing my shot a little bit. I've been working on that pretty much all summer.

You're from Highlands Ranch, Colorado. How much did you know about USA Basketball before coming here?
I didn't know a whole lot. I pretty much stay in Denver. I don't go to the Springs very much.

Seeing what you have so far at the Trials, what do you think of USA Basketball at this point?
It's great. It's an honor to be able to try out for one of these teams, being considered one of the better players in the 19-and-under. This seems well-organized and very competitive.

How was it stepping into a growing program at Gonzaga?
It was a pretty extensive offense. You run a lot. That's always the biggest thing about the Gonzaga freshman, that they have to deal with the offense that they run. It wasn't too bad. It was a long year, a lot of ups and downs, but it was a great year. Hopefully next year will be a lot better.

What's it like to step into a program that continues to increase on the national stage?
It's great because Gonzaga's starting to receive a lot of recognition and not so much as a mid-major but as a contender every year. People in Spokane love basketball. It's nice being part of a program that's on the rise.

Did you get the sense that there was a different mentality last year than there was in years past?
Definitely. It's weird because all those guys who come back from when the program wasn't as big but it was making a rise - Dan Dickau, Richie Frahm - I feel like not just the way they played but there attitudes were completely different.

You haven't been overseas yet, but have you thought about playing overseas with this team compared to some of the tournaments that Gonzaga's played in?
I know the other teams will be going after the USA. They've gotta beat us. I'm pretty sure that every game's going to be everything's to the wall, you've got to go get it. We should be pretty good, and playing overseas is something else.