CIS Hoops.ca

Triano to stick around for camp

Former Canadian National team coach Jay Triano appears fully entrenched in the Olympic Gold Medal winning USA Basketball program

Raptors coach to lead USA squad workout at Valley High

By STEVE CARP
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
NBA Summer League

The Toronto Raptors have left Las Vegas after completing their NBA Summer League run. But their coach is sticking around for another week.

Jay Triano will oversee the USA Basketball minicamp at Valley High School beginning Thursday. Twenty-five players will participate with the hopes of being invited back to Las Vegas in 2010 as Team USA prepares for the FIBA World Basketball Championships in Turkey.

"I think we want them to get an understanding of what the national team represents, and we want them to understand the international game," Triano said of his primary goals for the three-day camp, which will culminate with the USA Basketball Showcase intrasquad game Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center. "I want to keep it similar to what Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski) does and keep it as simple as possible."

Triano worked last year with the USA Selects, so he's familiar with many of the players who will be in this year's minicamp.

"I got to know a lot of them, so that will obviously make it easier for me," he said. "But we're using the same blueprint as the national team that Coach K and Jerry Colangelo (USA Basketball's managing director) developed, so it should be fairly smooth."

A Canadian, Triano said he has no problem helping the Americans prepare for the world championships in 2010 and the 2012 Olympics.

"I'm glad to lend my experience," said Triano, who appeared in three Olympics for Canada and played and coached internationally in Italy. "I'm glad to help in any way I can."