Australia-75 Malaysia-72

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What a game! In an overtime thriller, we were able to snag the come-from-behind victory in front of a packed house versus the host Malaysian team. Down 10 with just minutes to go, we locked down on D and executed on offense to get back in the game. With just seconds left on the clock, James hit a step-back three with a hand in the face to send the game into OT. Overtime was just as intense, as the game was tied again with only a few seconds left. James drove and kicked it to Dan Simanic, a three-point specialist, in the corner who splashed the game-winning three as time expired.

Having gone 3-0, we earn the Group B 1st seed, and will face off with China tomorrow in the semifinals.

Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Standings

After three days of games in the Cup, we hold a first-place position in Group B. We play host Malaysia tonight, a team that boasts a 6'10 Serbian/Canadian import, in our final game of the entry round. If we win, we will play in the semis tomorrow against the loser of the China-Philippines game (if we lose, we play the winner of that game). Championship on Monday.

Group A

China            2-0
Philippines   2-0
Thailand       1-2
Indonesia     0-3

Group B
Australia      2-0
Taiwan         1-1
Malaysia      1-1
Singapore     0-2

In other extremely exciting news, t-shirts are now available in XXL!!!

Malaysia pada otak...

 

Malaysia in Pictures

From the Sultan, to a broke jump-shot, to 1.6 Billion-year-old Malaysian Caves...

The stadium in Ipoh with fans arriving before the Opening Cermonies

His High Honor with a golden basketball

Ballin' on a Budget

After a missed dunk versus Taiwan, I'm working on my lay-ups...

The Gold Coast All-Stars at a temple

The Chinese Dragon, a staple in ancient Chinese folklore

Our Malaysian team host, Tommy, and me

An incredible cave, 1.6 billion years old

I swear I saw Gollum lurking in the shadows...

"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!!"....I apologize in advance to my roommate when I wake up in the middle of the night screaming Lord of the Rings quotes

Australia-87 Taiwan-66

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In our second-round game we faced an extremely tough and feisty Taiwanese team that could shoot the rock and finesse their way to the basket. We were able to dump it inside for some good looks in the second half while James Legan, the other American on the team, absolutely lit it up from the outside, scorching the nets for 33 points.

This gives us some good momentum as we head into a two-day break before we face the host Malaysian team on Saturday. Hopefully we'll be able to do some exploring in the next two days and enrich ourselves more in the local culture (America, don't worry, I won't embarrass the country while I'm over here. I'm representing Australia so I will be embarrassing them).

Cheers mates!

And don't forget to get your t-shirt! It helps support BOB Nation tremendously!!!!

Australia-75 Singapore-38

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75

We started off the tournament on a good note, winning the opening game versus the Singapore National "B" team (or Junior team, I believe). I was hoping we'd get to play their senior national team, but it was a good experience nonetheless.

Although a little sloppy, we locked down on D and had a sizable height advantage. It was fun getting out and playing with the guys, some I haven't played with yet. Tonight we have the opening ceremonies, where the Sultan will be on hand. Tomorrow we tip-off against the Taiwanese team at 9pm.

The Sultan in da house

Fans packing the stadium

The Gold Coast All-Stars, 1-0

Ipoh, Malaysia

We arrived this morning to the misty, green landscape of Malaysia, with miles of rolling, small mountains intertwined with sprouting "limestone" hills dominating the panorama. After an 8-hour flight and 3-hour bus ride, we strolled into Ipoh, "The Town Built on Tin" (thanks to its tin mining boom back in the early 19th century) and host of this year's international basketball tournament.

Malaysia's ancient limestone hills

The entrance to our hotel

Given the large msucles, I would like to think that cartoon player is me

Some strapping young blokes, aka The Gold Coast Authentic All-Stars, at the Gold Coast Airport

With some authentic Malaysian meals under our belt and a great shoot-around at the arena, the team is ready to go.

Singapura pada otak... (Singapore on the brain...)

Billy, Basketball, and Bikies

I'm getting mentally focused for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia, and what better way to get focused than having Hells Angels 36th Annual National Run going on right here in Surfer's Paradise. Cut straight out of a movie, the Hells Angels and other biker gangs (or "Bikies" as they call them), are the "mafia of Australia". From what I've been told, they run all the nightclubs here in Surfers, as well as other, shall we say, "businesses". I asked if there was any crime here in the Gold Coast, and my roommate promptly replied "No, not really. But just don't stare at the Bikies..they will mess you up." He wasn't joking.

With all of the Bikies and rival Bikies in town last night, Gold Coast's police force were in heavy numbers on the streets. With muscles, guns, Harley Davidsons, and tattoos filling the ocean-side air, there was enough testosterone going around for even tall, skinny kids from the suburbs of Puget Sound to feel like a macho-man.

I'm ready to go!

The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Teams and Schedule:

Group A

CHINA Xiamen
PHILIPPINES Far Eastern University Tamaraws
INDONESIA CLS Knights
THAILAND Royal Thai Navy

Group B
AUSTRALIA Gold Coast Authentic All-Stars
National TAIWAN Normal University
SINGAPORE National Team
MALAYSIA Perak Selection

Tuesday 4pm (MYT), AUSTRALIA vs. SINGAPORE
Wednesday 9pm, AUSTRALIA vs. TAIWAN
Saturday 7pm, AUSTRALIA vs. MALAYSIA
Sunday, Semifinals
Monday, Championship

The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

On Sunday my roommate and I and the rest of the "Gold Coast Authentic All-Stars" head to Malaysia to partake in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup - International Basketball Invitation Championship. Eight professional teams from China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia will participate in the tournament. 

We get in early Monday morning, and face off against the Singapore National Team on Tuesday in the opening game of the tournament. 

The tournament is honor of the Sultan Azlan Shah, aka Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Yusuff Izzuddin Shah Ghafarullah. We play in the city of Ipoh, about 125 miles north of Kuala Lampur. 

A quick blurb on the tournament: http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2012/3/19/sports/10935797&sec=sports

Day 1 Down Under

Greetings from the Southern Hemisphere.

I survived the 14-hour flight (thanks to a partnership between the Basketball Gods and Aeronautical Titans who allowed the two seats next to me on the plane to between empty, gracing a 6'8" gangly piece of work with the ability to sprawl his legs out) and have arrived safely to the Gold Coast.

First impressions. Ummmm...its gorgeous.

Oh yea, and the city is gorgeous, too.

(The friendly ladies above are Gold Coast's famous Meter Maids. They put coins in peoples' parking meters so the owners don't receive a ticket. In exchange, you are subconciously subverted into buying one of their calendars. I am now consciously broke.)  

Because of its beauty, the city is also extremely expensive (when the street you live on is named Orchid Avenue and the neighborhood you live in is called Surfer's Paradise, I guess this is no surprise. It is also no surprise that BOB Nation is now forced to operate out of a Hungry Jack's - a Burger King spinoff - thanks to its free wi-fi and relatively cheap eatery).

I have a tryout tonight with the Rollers, and also a tryout tomorrow with the Ipswich Force (from the same league) in a city close by. Saturday is a practice for the Gold Coast Authentic All-Stars, the team I am traveling with to Malaysia, in preparation for the trip to the Southeast Asian country on Sunday.

Cheers mates, and be sure to support BOB Nation by getting a sweet t-shirt!!! We ship to anywhere in the world!

Chapter 3: Gold Coast, Australia

In preparation for Australia, I need to do the following in the next 12 hours: 

1. Drink a Foster's Beer
2. Practice my Steve-Irwin-encounters-an-animal routine ("Crikey! It's a rare breed of the Felis Silvestris Catus!")
3. Watch "The Rescuers Down Under"
4. Wrestle a crocodile and box a kangaroo



After the whirlwhind which was the Division III Final Four,  I am now back in "player" mode. I am in LA for the day at CalTech to get some last-minute training in with my old coach (and to break up the trip), then its a 14-hour flight to Brisbane, Australia tonight. 

I will be trying out for the Gold Coast Rollers of the Australian Basketball Association, Australia's second division semi-professional league (if I make the team, my only demand is that I get a gigantic gold eagle named Marahute like the kid did above).

The season begins in April, but I am heading down early to join another team, the Gold Coast Authentic All-Stars, for a week-long tournament in Malaysia (more on this later).

In the meantime, while I'm on the campus of one of MIT's most historic rivals, I am viciously scheming ways to perform a "hack" on the Beavers of CalTech. Ideas welcome.

Ey Mate, Let's Go to Australia

It's been a wild week.

I got a new belt. I found a great new breakfast spot. And Snooki's pregnant.

Oh yea and the MIT basketball team is heading to the Final Four and I leave for Australia on Sunday.

¿¿¡¡QUE?!!!

I don't like mixing my "coaching life" with my deep, dark "blog life", but I do have to mention this: after 112 years, the MIT basketball team is heading to the NCAA Division III Final Four for the first time. As Assistant Coach aka Executive Director of Clipboard Management (my job entails handing our head coach the clipboard during the game. My job also entails taking the clipboard back when he is finished), the team's success is clearly all in my coaching:

When the clipboard is not in my hand, I tend to lose focus easily... i.e. cheerleaders. Apparently I'm trying to wave at them, too. 

We head to Salem, Virginia to play in the Final Four on Friday, and if we win, the National Championship on Saturday. There's been some close calls with the clipboard this year (one time my hands were really slippery and I couldn't pick it up off the ground), but I am going to bring my A-game this weekend. 

I then trade the clipboard for sneakers and head to Australia on Sunday. Chapter 3 of Ballin' on a Budget begins....

More soon!

And don't forget to buy a T-shirt!!!!!!!!!!