A Sea Of Red

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17/08/2006

NGR - Nwosu eyes big upset

SENDAI CITY (FIBA World Championship) - Julluo Nwosu is confident that Nigeria will still be around when the World Championship reaches the knockout stages in just over a week's time.

Not only that, but the one-time San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtic back-up center believes his team has what it takes to surprise one of the 'Big Three' in Group A - Argentina, Serbia & Montenegro or France.

"We are looking to give those teams a tough time and if we play like we know we can, anything is possible," Nwosu said.

"The games against Lebanon and Venezuela are very good chances for wins and I know those two teams also think that way about playing against us. But I think we could give the better teams some trouble."

The way Nigeria plays - according to the 14-year veteran - is a good combination of power and skills.

"When we played against other African teams in the FIBA Africa Championship, those games were really all about power. But now that we're in the World Championships, it's a different style. There's more skill and finesse involved and I think we can do that.'

"Defense is our style of play. That is our main strength and that's how we hope we can surprise teams and get to the second round."

Nwosu would know a lot about different styles of play having taken his game to teams in the United States, Spain, Russia, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Romania, Syria and even Japan.

He will be expected to provide a spark and a leadership quality as he did last year when Nigeria took home a bronze medal from the FIBA Africa Championship in Algiers, Algeria.

That result has Nigeria back in the FIBA World Championship for the first time since 1998 when they finished 13th in Athens, Greece.

Despite the encouraging result, Nwosu has mixed memories of that tournament as he was suspended after just two games for a doping conviction resulting from buying bad medication at a market in Lagos.

But he now has a chance to create better memories here this week in what some expect to be his last competition with the national team.

By Simon Wilkinson
FIBA

Great to catch up with Juice. He is still a great player. Much better in fact than his days at LU. He was dominant against our guys at LU a couple of seasons ago when we played pickup games. I used to be on his email distro when he would get new contracts. Back in 02 he won 3 championships in 3 different countries. He is a hired gun for sure. This may be his last hurrah though at his age... WEF do you know if Effiong is on that team too? You guys would never have gotten him at Winthrop if coach Meyer hadn't gone there. He was Liberty bound for sure.

No, Eyo's not on the team. I'm pretty sure that he isn't playing anywhere. His back always gave him problems while he was at WU and I know he was a good student and I know he went to grad school, so I wouldn't be surprised if he was doing something in the business/professional world now. I saw that he was at a few WU games last year, so he might still be in the Rock Hill area, but that's just a guess. I didn't realize Nwosu was still playing and saw his name when i was looking through the World Championships website...

It'll be interesting to see how Craig Bradshaw does for New Zealand team during the World Championships. In the Olympics two years ago, he only saw a few minutes in the whole tourney (he was playing behind an NBA guy in Sean Marks and another veteran NZ big man). But this time around, he's starting and has been on of the biggest contributers for the Kiwis in their warm-up games before the tourney. He'll get tested early. NZ's first two games are against Spain (where he could get matched up against Pau Gasol) and Germany (against Dirk).

Wow that is great experience for Bradshaw. That is good stuff to know about Eyo (Bubbles as we used to call him) as well. Thanks WEF.

I had no idea Julius was on the Nigerian national team. Their training camp was two blocks from my work and we covred it since Hakeem came over from Jordan speciafically to help Emeka and the next generation prepare for the Worlds. If I would've known Julius was there, I would've gone over myself instead of sending someone else.

Man Sly, you missed an opportunity to meet the big fella. He actually calls Texas home when he is not on a world wide tour playing hoops. I figure that is where he will settle for good when he retires.

No Sly you can't claim him as another Liberty Hoops Texan!

We've got plenty already.

Seriously, Houston has a huge Nigerian (& Liberian for that matter) community. I met Julius a few times when he was with the Spurs back in the day. Both he & Peter arrived on the mountain after I was already out trying to pay off my student loans.

Eyo is in Greenville, S.C. working for a bank I believe. He was a very good student from what I remember so doesn't surprise me he went away from basketball. He, and most of the WU team from the first years of Marshall, are on myspace like the rest of the world. http://www.myspace.com/effiong

glad to see juice doing well. i never heard of this doping deal..did this hurt is professional status overseas?

Former Flames Hoops Star Leads Nigeria in FIBA World Championship

Julius Nwosu was a Flame from 1991-93.

August 21, 2006
Sendai, Japan

Former Liberty standout Julius Nwosu is currently playing a key role for team Nigeria in the FIBA World Championship hosted by Japan. On August 19th Nwosu led Nigeria to an 82-75 upset over defending FIBA World Championship holders Serbia & Montenegro.

Nwosu was a three-year letterwinner with the Flames from 1991-93 where he scored 1,248 points, good for 12th place on the school’s all-time scoring list.

In the game against Serbia & Montenegro, Nwosu was instrumental to the team’s victory, grabbing two important offensive boards in the first half and scoring a late basket that wrapped up the upset win. Nwosu finished with nine points in 16 minutes of play his best output so far. In recent losses to Venezuela and to France, Nwosu has scored four points a piece in limited action bringing his tournament totals to 5.7 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.

Nigeria is back in action on August 23rd against Argentina. The game will be played in Sendai, Japan at 1:00 p.m. local time.

Any idea why the limited playing time? Does that team have that much talent?

Yes, Nigeria is a big man factory. Emeka is going to get his minutes and there are a bunch of other young Nigerian-Americans gobbling up even more.