Curtis Withers

nice job.

Withers Named to all-Tournament Team at Global Games
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All-America Candidate Averaged 13.0 points; 4.0 rebounds as USA Won Gold
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Frisco, Texas -- Charlotte 49ers senior all-America candidate Curtis Withers (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte H.S.) was named to the all-tournament team after helping USA Basketball’s 2005 U21 World Championship Team capture gold at the 2005 Global Games.

Withers averaged 13.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in 16.8 minutes of play as the USA took gold with a perfect 4-0 record. He shot .678 from the floor (19-28) and .786 from the foul line (11-14) while adding 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals. He also hit 3-of-4 three-point attempts (.750).

Withers scored a team-high 22 points (8-10 FG; 5-5 FT) in the opening game vs. Ukraine in just 14 minutes of play. He had 14 points (4-5 FG; 5-7 FT) in 18 minutes vs. Lithuania. In the gold medal game vs. Texas he scored eight points with four rebounds and four assists in 15 minutes of play.

A two-time first team all-Conference USA choice (2004; 2005), Withers was a preseason candidate for three National Player of the Year Awards. Entering his senior season, the 6-8 power forward looks to become just the third 49er in school history to garner three first team all-conference awards, joining Chad Kinch (1978-80) and Henry Williams (1990-92). In his first three years with the 49ers, Withers has averaged 14.5 points and 8.0 rebounds. A Sports Illustrated honorable mention all-America last year, Withers averaged 18.0 points and 8.1 rebounds while leading the 49ers to a C-USA runner-up finish. He led C-USA with a 19.1 scoring average in league games.

In the past two years, Withers has posted 25 double-doubles.

USA Basketball’s 2005 U21 World Championship Team will compete at the 2005 FIBA World Championships, Aug. 5-14 in Cordoba and Mar del Plata, Argentina. Withers was joined on the Global Games all-tournament team by USA teammates Justin Gray (Wake Forest), J.J. Redick (Duke) and Terrence Roberts (Syracuse). Justin Gray was named co-MVP of the Games along with Lithuania’s Arturas Jomantas.

 

Thanks Solarte. Good read.

 

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2005 USA U21 Squad Heads To Argentina After Capturing Global Games Gold Medal
August 1, 2005 • Frisco, Texas

The 2005 USA Men's U21 World Championship Team posted a perfect 4-0 record en route to the 2005 Global Games gold medal while preparing to defend the USA's FIBA U21 World Championship title. The squad departs today for the 2005 FIBA U21 World Championship, held Aug. 5-14 in Mar del Plata, Argentina, where it will kick-off defense of the USA's U21 World title on Aug. 5 against 2004 Asia U20 silver medalist China.

The U.S., in addition to co-MVP Justin Gray (Wake Forest / Charlotte, N.C.), placed three athletes on the 2005 Global Games All-Tournament Team, including J.J. Redick (Duke / Roanoke, Va.); Terrence Roberts (Syracuse / Jersey City, N.J.) and Curtis Withers (Charlotte / Charlotte, N.C.).

"This has been incremental," said USA and Saint Joseph's University (Pa.) head coach Phil Martelli. "You have tryouts, then you have practice to put your team together and then you play some exhibition games to see where you are. We got some rest yesterday and really got going again today in preparation for the opportunity we're going to have in Argentina."

Opening Global Games action against Ukraine with 16 USA team finalists, Withers scored 22 to lead the U.S. to a 119-64 victory on July 27. Facing 2004 U20 European Championship gold medalist Slovenia on July 28 after the final 12-member U.S. team was announced, Redick scored 15 points in the 81-66 win. The United States was challenged by Lithuania on July 29 and fell behind by 15 points in the first half. However, Justin Gray helped spark the American comeback with a game-high 25 points after shooting 6-of-9 from beyond the arc, while Withers came up with 14 points. The final contest, a 104-62 drubbing of Team Texas for the gold medal, saw Taj Gray (Oklahoma / Wichita, Kan.) and Redick contribute 15 points apiece.

A pair of Atlantic Coast Conference foes, Justin Gray and Redick, led the U.S. in scoring as they averaged 13.8 ppg. apiece. The 3-point sharpshooters nailed a combined 54.7 percent of their shots from afar as Redick hit 57.7 percent (15-26 3pt FGs) and Justin Gray made 51.9 percent (14-27 3pt FGs). Withers rounded out the USA's double-digit scoring after averaging 13.0 ppg., while Taj Gray contributed 8.5 ppg. and Roberts averaged 8.0 ppg. Swiping 5.3 rpg., Taj Gray led the USA's rebounding department, followed by Nick Fazekas (Nevada / Arvada, Colo.) and Rudy Gay (Connecticut / Baltimore, Md.) with 4.3 rpg. apiece. Rajon Rondo's (Kentucky / Louisville, Ky.) 5.0 apg. paced not only the U.S. squad, but all tournament participants.

Among all tournament participants, Justin Gray and Redick ranked fifth and Withers ranked 10th; Fazekas led the competition in field goal percentage (.813), while Roberts (2nd / .750), Withers (4th / .679) and Taj Gray (8th / .600) all finished among the top 10. Redick and Justin Gray ranked fifth and seventh for 3-point field goal percentage and first and second for 3-pointers made per game, respectively. Taj Gray was eighth in blocked shots (0.75 bpg.); while Marcus Williams (Connecticut / Los Angeles, Calif.) joined Rondo in the top 10 for assists (3.3 apg.); Glen Davis (Louisiana State / Baton Rouge, La.) led all participants for steals (2.3 spg.), with Mardy Collins (Temple / Philadelphia, Pa.), Taj Gray, Rondo and Rudy Gay tying for fourth at 2.0 spg. Additionally, Rondo and Williams were first (3.33) and third (1.63) for assist to turnover ratio.

"We have a long way to go to win the gold," said Davis. "In order to win the gold we're going to have to play with a little more consistency, we have to get in the flow of the game more. There are some things we have to work on and in order to do that we'll have to practice some more and continue to put it together."

The U.S., which saw no player compete less than 13.8 minutes or more than 18.5 minutes per game, ranked among the top two in nearly ever major statistical category, including first in scoring (98.8 ppg.), scoring margin (+29.2 ppg.), 3-point field goal percentage (.463), assists (20.8 apg.), turnover margin (14.0), 3-point field goals made (11.0), steals (19.5 spg.) and assist to turnover ratio (1.17); while ranking second in field goal percentage (.495), scoring defense (69.5 ppg.) and defensive field goal percentage (.426).

"What we wanted to do is give as many opportunities as we could for them to see international basketball," added Martelli. "I'm delighted by the minutes, being able to spread the minutes out and give guys different opportunities. Now, as we go to the next stage, we'll develop a rotation that works and makes sense to us."

Following two more days of practices, Aug. 2-3, the American team will tip-off play at the 2005 FIBA U21 World Championship against China on Aug. 5 at 3:30 p.m. (all U21 World Championship times EDT). The United States will then go up against Lithuania on Aug. 6 at 2:30 p.m. and Puerto Rico on Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m. Following a day off, the USA is slated to face Nigeria on Aug. 9 at 3:00 p.m. and will close out preliminary round play on Aug. 10 with a 12:45 p.m. contest against Slovenia. The quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will be played Aug. 12-14.

 

Great write-up on Withers on SI.com yesterday, Launching pad.

 

Thanks HP, I also posted this article on the 49er's board. Should have posted here.

 

It looks to me like Withers was outplayed by Gray and Redick

 

:imagestor

 

take off the acc homer glasses. cures all ills.

 

Withers is another Rodney White.