Additional Quotes >> Greece 34, U.S. Men 25

Eric Flannery, U.S. Men's Head Coach
St. Edward High School, Ohio

Although it didn’t end ideally, how was the whole experience in Singapore?
Well, first of all, it was a great experience for me as a coach, and I think overall a great experience for the kids. Obviously, it didn’t work out the way we wanted it to, but I’ve been saying all along that this is the nature of this game. If you don’t come ready to play and if you’re not into it for the full amount of time, it’s tough to win. Tonight, Greece made some shots. I thought we got lax on a couple possessions, and all of a sudden we’re down a few baskets, and that’s all it takes in this game. Overall, I’m proud of our guys for the way they acted and handled themselves on and off the floor. That’s what his is really about. I don’t want to say it was an experiment, but we were the first to do it. We’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned a lot about the game, and I’m sure we as USA Basketball will do things a little different going forward.

What did you learn about this group of players?
I learned that they’re willing to listen and try things, maybe, that they weren’t comfortable doing. This was not the full-court, 5-on-5 basketball that they’re used to, but we kept pounding into their heads that it’s still basketball. The play is similar, but the thought process is a lot different, and it was hard for them to get accustomed to. The short time of training we had was tough compared to what I think everyone else had, so I think we may have been behind the eight-ball a little bit with the time we had. But it was good to see their improvement over the course of the tournament, and that was really prevalent. With the exception of today, I thought we got better every day, and that shows a lot for these kids  to step forward and try something they weren’t comfortable with, when, honestly, there were guys that didn’t.

K.C. Caudill
Brea Olinda H.S. / Brea, Calif.

Overall, how do you feel about the experience as a whole?
It was fun. It was definitely a good experience. I think this game, the 3-on-3, is going to be the big game around the world in the future, so it was cool to be here for the start of it. It definitely didn’t go the way we wanted it to, though.

Will you keep in touch with your teammates over the coming years?
Oh yeah, I’ll definitely keep in touch with them. I’ll play Sterling twice a year; we’ll be in the ACC together. And I’m definitely going to talk to Angelo and Brandan over the years.

Angelo Chol
Herbert Hoover H.S. / San Diego, Calif.

Although the ending wasn’t quite what you’d hoped for, how was the experience overall?
I mean, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed everything. But I expected to take a medal back home, but I guess it didn’t happen.

What did playing in this tournament teach you?
I mean, just play hard, like, all the time. You can’t take any plays off. You got to keep playing hard all the time until the clock stops.

Sterling Gibbs
Seton Hall Prep H.S./Scotch Plains, N.J.

Despite the last two games, how did you like the experience overall?
Its’ been a great experience. I honestly thought we should have won both games, but we fell a little short. But it was definitely a great experience, and I’m glad I did it.

What did this form of the game teach you?
It was a lot of pick-and-roll, a lot of one-on-one stuff. I definitely think it’ll help in my 5-on-5 game. I’ll be a little bit smarter on defense and on offense. It’s a lot of isolation and stuff like that, so it definitely helped.

Will you keep in touch with your teammates over the coming years?
Oh, yeah, definitely. I’ve been cool with Brandan for a while now, since about eighth grade, and I got to know Angelo and Kyle a lot better. I’m definitely going to stay in touch and build our relationship.

Brandan Kearney
Detroit Southeastern H.S./Detroit, Mich.

Overall, what was the experience like?
It was the best experience I’ve ever had in my life. I’ll just take this experience and tell everyone back at home to cherish the moment while they’re still in it.

What did this version of the game teach you?
It teaches you, I would say, that the game can be played many different ways. And I would just take the mental aspect of it, that every time you step on the floor that you’re going to have to give it your all.