Milwaukee Bucks head mentor George Karl was announced on Oct. 9 head coach of USA Basketball's 2002 World Championship Team. The first seven players of the World Championship squad were announced on Nov. 1 and included Olympic gold medalists Ray Allen (Milwaukee Bucks), Jason Kidd (New Jersey Nets) and Reggie Miller (Indiana Pacers), and 2001 NBA All-Star Antonio Davis (Toronto Raptors); Dallas Mavericks perennial All-Star Michael Finley; Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns), the USA's leading scorer and rebounder at the 2001 Goodwill Games and Jermaine O'Neal (Indiana Pacers), the USA's second leading scorer and rebounder at the 2001 Goodwill Games.

2002 FIBA World Basketball Championship Facts Dates: Aug. 29-Sept. 8, 2002 Site: Indianapolis, Indiana Venues: Conseco Fieldhouse, RCA Dome Ticket Information: www.2002worldbasketball.com or call toll free 1-866-849-4922 USA Head Coach: George Karl (Milwaukee Bucks) USA Assistant Coaches: Gregg Popovich (San Antonio Spurs), Mike Montgomery (Stanford University), Kelvin Sampson (University of Oklahoma) USA Team: Ray Allen (Milwaukee Bucks); Antonio Davis (Toronto Raptors); Michael Finley (Dallas Mavericks); Jason Kidd (New Jersey Nets); Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns); Reggie Miller (Indiana Pacers); Jermaine O'Neal (Indiana Pacers). Five additional players will be announced at a later date. 16 Teams Qualified: Algeria; Angola; Argentina; Brazil; Canada; China; Germany; Lebanon; New Zealand; Puerto Rico; Russia; Spain; Turkey; United States; Venezuela; Yugoslavia

"Winning the World Championship is a major responsibility, and we've just inherited three winners in Gregg, Mike and Kelvin, all of whom have shown the ability to create an environment of sustained success in their respective programs," said USA head coach Karl. "One of the most stimulating parts of coaching is the opportunity to exchange basketball information with smart people, so although I've never worked directly with any of them, I look forward to the sharing of concepts and ideas. I think it will make us all better coaches.

"The most intriguing aspect, from my standpoint, is the opportunity to share philosophies and bridge the best of the college game and pro game, which I enjoy. I think the players on Team USA will directly benefit from the three men the Selection Committee has chosen to assist me," added Karl.

"The USA Basketball Senior National Team Committee selected three highly respected and accomplished coaches who have achieved tremendous success with their respective programs," said USA Basketball President Tom Jernstedt. "Gregg Popovich has won a NBA Championship and is recognized as one of the NBA's top coaches. Mike Montgomery and Kelvin Sampson have established their respective basketball programs among the NCAA's elite and both coaches have prior international coaching experience and success. These three coaches will be an extremely valuable asset to head coach George Karl and to the USA team when it begins its quest of capturing the gold medal at the 2002 World Basketball Championship for Men."

"The 2002 USA Basketball World Championship team is in great hands," said Stu Jackson, Chair of USA Basketball's Senior Men's National Team Committee and the NBA's Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations. "This is an excellent group of coaches who will join together with George Karl to lead the USA in Indianapolis next summer."

Gregg Popovich
Now in his sixth season as the Spurs head coach, Popovich entered the 2001-02 season owning a career mark of 221-139. Not only is he the Spurs all-time leader in victories, but his career winning percentage of .614 ranks 10th all-time among NBA coaches with at least 200 victories. Twice in his four full seasons with the Spurs he has led San Antonio to the NBA's best regular season record. In addition, "Pop" has led the Spurs into the playoffs four consecutive seasons and boasts a career playoff record of 27-16 for a .628 winning percentage which ranks fifth in NBA history.

Popovich brought the NBA Championship to the city of San Antonio in 1999. After finishing with the NBA's best regular season record, at 37-13, the Spurs compiled a 15-2 mark in the postseason to capture the first title in the team's 26-year history.

"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to represent my country as an assistant coach as well as to have the chance to be able to work with George, Mike and Kelvin and learn much more about the game of basketball. I've always enjoyed playing in international competition and this honor will be greatly appreciated," said Popovich.

A 1970 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy (Colo.), he played four seasons at the Air Force Academy and as a senior was the team's captain and leading scorer (14.3 ppg.). Following his graduation in 1970, he served his five-year military commitment. During that time he toured Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces Team. Popovich was selected to represent the U.S. on the national AAU Team touring the Soviet Union and in 1972 was the captain of the Armed Forces team, which won the AAU Championship. In addition, he earned an invitation to the 1972 U.S. Olympic Team Training Camp.

When his playing days were over, Pop returned to the Air Force Academy as an assistant coach. He spent six years at Air Force during which time he also obtained his master's degree from the University of Denver (Colo.).

In 1979, he was named the head coach at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in Claremont, California. He spent the next eight seasons (1979-80 to 1986-87) at Pomona-Pitzer. During the 1985-86 season he led the team to its first conference championship in 68 years and to a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Popovich moved to the NBA in July of 1988 and joined the Spurs as an assistant coach as a member of Larry Brown's staff. He spent the next four seasons in San Antonio for a Spurs team that won a pair of Midwest Division titles. In the summer of 1992, he was named an assistant coach on Don Nelson's staff with the Golden State Warriors. After spending two seasons with the Warriors, Pop was named the Spurs general manager on May 31, 1994.

Mike Montgomery
Beginning in 2001-02 his 16th season as head coach at Stanford University, in his 23 prior seasons as a collegiate head coach (15 seasons, 1986-87 to 2001-02, at Stanford, and eight years, 1978-79 to 1985-86, at the University of Montana) Montgomery has achieved remarkable success. Compiling a sterling 473-223 career win-loss record for a .680 winning percentage, he has posted winning records in 22 of his 23 seasons.

"This is a great opportunity and I am looking forward to being a part of George Karl's coaching staff, and working with this group of outstanding players from the United States. I have always looked forward for the opportunity to work with professional players, and to coach at the World Championships," said Montgomery.

Taking charge of a Stanford basketball program that had recorded just one winning campaign in the 13 previous seasons and one which had made just a single postseason appearance in its entire history, Montgomery in his first season directed the Cardinal to a 15-13 overall record. In his second season he guided his squad to a 21-12 record and a berth in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), then in year three his team finished 26-7 and earned the school's first NCAA Tournament invite since 1942.

Compiling at Stanford an overall record of 319-146 for a .686 winning percentage in his 15 seasons prior to the 2001-02 year, he has led his teams to winning records in 14 of those 15 seasons, guided the Cardinal to postseason berths in 13 of the last 14 seasons, and has compiled seven consecutive 20-win or better seasons.

Owning a 170-100 (.630 winning percentage) mark in Pac-10 regular season play, Montgomery has captured three consecutive Pac-10 Conference titles (1999, 2000, 2001). Stanford's claim on the Conference title in 1999 was the university's first outright title since 1942.

Most recently, in 2000-01, Montgomery's squad posted a school record 31 wins (31-3) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. His 1997-98 team recorded 18 consecutive victories on its way to a 30-5 record and an appearance in the NCAA Final Four, and in 1997 his squad rolled to a 22-8 record and made it to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

Head coach at Montana for eight seasons, Montgomery compiled an overall record of 154-77 (.657 winning percentage). Assembling 21-win or better seasons in each of his last four seasons there, he also led Montana to a pair of NIT appearances.

With his success along the sidelines, Montgomery has received numerous coaching honors. Selected the 2000 Naismith College Basketball Coach of the Year, Montgomery was also honored as the 2000 Basketball Times Coach of the Year, the 1999 and 2000 Pacific-10 Conference Coach of the Year, and the 1999 and 2000 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) District 14 Coach of the Year.

In addition to his outstanding collegiate success, Montgomery also possesses coaching success in international basketball. Selected head coach of the 1996 USA Basketball 22 and Under World Championship Qualifying Team, he guided the USA squad to a gold medal and 5-0 record as the U.S. overpowered its five opponents by an average margin of victory of 38.2 points a game. That team also squared off in an exhibition game against the 1996 USA Basketball Senior National team that was preparing for the Olympic Games. Montgomery's collegiate squad led by as many as 17 points against the NBA superstar filled USA team before eventually falling by just six, 96-90. For his outstanding coaching, Montgomery was honored by USA Basketball and named its 1996 Developmental Coach of the Year and he was further honored when he was named a finalist for the United States Olympic Committee Developmental Coach of the Year award.

Montgomery received his introduction to USA Basketball in 1994 when he served as an assistant coach with the USA Basketball Junior World Championship Qualifying Team. Assisting head coach Clem Haskins, the U.S. squad rolled to a perfect 8-0 mark to claim the gold, and did so with an average margin of victory of 40.1 points a game.

Kelvin Sampson
No stranger to coaching success at the collegiate and international levels, Sampson is now in his eighth year (1994-95 to 2001-02) as the Oklahoma head coach. Heading into the 2001-02 season, Sampson held a 332-217 (.605 winning percentage) career record and a 156-69 (.693 winning percentage) mark at Oklahoma, and he has guided the Sooners to 22.3 victories per season and seven NCAA Tournament berths, including a Sweet 16 showing in 1999. He has led the Sooners to four straight 20-win campaigns and is also one of just two current Big 12 coaches (Kansas' Roy Williams is the other) to make seven straight appearances in the "Big Dance."

"To be named a USA Basketball World Championship Team staff member is such a privilege and honor. There are so many great and deserving coaches across the country who could have been selected. I represent the University of Oklahoma and our basketball program and this is a great honor for myself, our school and our basketball program," said Sampson.

Last season, Sampson guided OU to a 26-7 record and a 12-4 mark, good for a second place finish in the Big 12. The Sooners won the Big 12 Tournament with victories over Missouri, Kansas and Texas, and earned a No. 13 final Associated Press national ranking before being named a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

In 1999-2000, Sampson directed his team to a 27-7 record. The 27 wins tied for the fifth most in school history and the Sooners earned a No. 12 final AP ranking and No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

A Pembroke, N.C., native, Sampson earned National Coach of the Year honors in 1995 from the Associated Press, United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and Basketball Weekly after guiding the Sooners to 23-9 overall and 15-0 home marks. It was the second-best overall record posted by a first-year coach in Big Eight history. The team's regular season performance resulted in a No. 4 seeding in the NCAA Tournament's Southeast Regional.

Sampson, a member of the NABC board of directors, became the 11th head coach at the University of Oklahoma on April 25, 1994, coming from Washington State where he returned a winning spirit to Pullman in his seven years as head coach. He led the Cougars to a 20-11 record and their first NCAA Tournament berth in 11 years in 1994. Washington State finished 10-8 in the Pac-10 Conference and captured the eighth seed in the NCAA Tournament East region.

When Sampson led the Cougars to the NIT in 1992, it marked the first time Washington State had participated in postseason play since 1983. He was named Kodak District 14 Coach of the Year by the NABC for the second time in three years. He first won the award in 1991 when his Cougar squad was 16-12 overall and produced the school's first winning season since 1983. Sampson was also named Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 1992. With records of 22-11 in 1992 and 20-11 in 1994, Sampson became one of only four men to win 20 or more games in a single season in Washington State history.

Sampson was named head coach at Washington State in 1988 after serving as an assistant to Len Stevens for two seasons and he joined the Cougar staff after five years at Montana Tech. After serving as an interim coach for one season, Sampson guided the Orediggers to a 73-45 record in his final four seasons. Montana Tech had won just 17 games in the three years prior to Sampson's arrival. He turned in three consecutive 22-win seasons and claimed three Frontier League championships at Montana Tech. He led his teams to two NAIA District 12 title games and was named the league's Coach of the Year in 1983 and 1985.

Highly involved with USA Basketball, Sampson was the head coach of the USA Junior World Championship Team that participated in the FIBA Junior World Championship in Athens, Greece, in the summer of 1995. His team of college freshmen and high schoolers finished 4-4 and in seventh place. In the summer of 1994, Sampson was selected to serve as an assistant to former Southern California head coach George Raveling at the Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg, Russia. The USA team earned a bronze medal and then following the games competed in an exhibition game against a USA Basketball Senior National Team made up of NBA standouts who were preparing for the 1994 FIBA World Championships. In 1993, Sampson was selected head coach of the West team at the U.S. Olympic Festival in San Antonio, Texas, and his squad won the silver medal. Additionally, from 1997 to 2000, Sampson was a member of USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee which was responsible for the selection of coaches and players who represented USA Basketball at various collegiate level international competitions like the Goodwill Games, FIBA 22 and Under World Championships, World University Games, FIBA Junior World Championships and others.

USA History In FIBA World Championship Play
The USA owns a 91-23 overall record in World Championship play and has won three gold, three silver and three bronze medals in the 13 previous FIBA World Championships that were first played in 1950. The USA finished 7-2 and in possession of the bronze medal in the 1998 World Championship in Greece after fielding a team comprised of collegians and professional players who were either competing overseas or in the Continental Basketball Association. The United States in 1994, featuring a squad of NBA stars, won the gold in Toronto, Canada, finishing with an unblemished 8-0 record.

Teams were required to qualify through zone qualifying tournaments for the 2002 FIBA World Basketball Championship for Men and the 16 teams that will compete in Indianapolis include the United States (Host Country); Angola (Africa Zone #1); Algeria (Africa Zone #2); Argentina (Americas Zone #1); Brazil (Americas Zone #2); Canada (Americas Zone #3); Puerto Rico (Americas Zone #4); Venezuela (Americas Zone #5); China (Asia Zone #1); Lebanon (Asia Zone #2); Yugoslavia (European Zone #1); Turkey (European Zone #2); Spain (European Zone #3); Germany (European Zone #4); Russia (European Zone #5); New Zealand (Oceania Zone #1).

The USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team Committee consists of nine members and a non-voting chair. Jackson, NBA Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations, serves as chair of the Committee, and the Committee also includes Bryan Colangelo, President and General Manager of the Phoenix Suns; Billy King, General Manager of the Philadelphia 76ers; Mitch Kupchak, General Manager of the Los Angeles Lakers; C.M. Newton, former athletic director at the University of Kentucky; Kevin O'Connor, Vice President of Basketball Operations of the Utah Jazz; Garry St. Jean, General Manager of the Golden State Warriors; Rod Thorn, President of the New Jersey Nets; and athlete representatives Joe Dumars, a member of the gold medalist 1994 USA World Championship Team, and Steve Smith, a member of the gold medalist 1994 USA World Championship and 2000 U.S. Olympic teams.

Ex-official members of the Committee include Tom Jernstedt, President of USA Basketball and Senior Vice President of the NCAA; Quinn Buckner, USA Basketball's Vice President for Men; and Billy Hunter, Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association and USA Basketball Board of Directors member.