Despite leading at half-time and then coming back strong and hard from a badly-played third quarter, Greece bested Turkey today, 76-69, giving them their first taste of defeat in the championships thus far. Turkey only scored five points in that awful third quarter, but Serkan Erdogan came back to push 10 points down the Greeks’ throats in the fourth. It wasn’t enough, but Turkey still moves on, as the best four of each group go on to the "Round of 16," a one-and-done round. Turkey has to get past Slovenia to advance. Slovenia, featuring the Bobcats’ Primoz Brezec, has been up and down in qualifying play, so it could go either way.

Engin Atsür has gotten more attention today on the Pack Pride boards as a result of his performances and press, which I was gratified to see. He is going to be our general next year, and he needs our support and good thoughts, even if our team has little chance of going very far. I thought about him a lot today, especially when I was watching the NBATV broadcast of the U.S.A. game. I support my country’s team wholeheartedly – I am very moved and proud that our basketball players have finally put their egos and paychecks aside and decided to play for something bigger than themselves. But my heart is with Engin right now, I think because he has been so close to success so often with N.C. State, and seen it pass to someone else, yet still plays with so much passion and dedication. That inspires me. I don’t care how corny that sounds. I can be inspired by a 22-year-old nice guy who courageously stepped on a plane three years ago and came to a country whose language he barely understood to play basketball for a coach who had never seen him dribble the ball in person and an arena full of red-and-white wearing basketball freaks, and started every game (save one) absolutely convinced that he would succeed. Every time. In my mind, no matter what happens, he already has.

Tags: engin atsur, FIBA, wolfpack basketball