There's a reason why the slogan of American Money Group Asia Pacific Basketball Classic reads: "A tournament like no other." Competition of the event certainly proved the validity of that statement as teams from mainland China, Fiji, American Samoa, and Hawaii faced off on the campus of BYU-Hawaii. However, as part of its exclusive feel, this year's classic offered some valuable insights.
The team from Fiji had never seen anything at home like BYU-Hawaii's facilities. "We don't even have a new gym in Suva like [BYU-Hawaii's] 'old' gym, so it's a big experience for us," Michael Whippy, head coach of the women's team, said in an earlier interview.
Many of American Samoa's athletes showed the zeal of youth and excitement for the games set in the tropics. "Man, this tournament is awesome! I am so excited to be here and represent American Samoa," said guard Eugene Brown on the night before competition began.
One of the insights, though, might have been missed if the spectator blinked. China's women's team is fast… really fast. After receiving their visas from the U.S. Embassy one day late, Huazhong University of Science and Technology's team arrived on Oahu just hours before their first game was to begin against Fiji. Despite the rush to get on the court, they showed no sign of jetlag and sprinted out to an early victory over Fiji. "We appreciate the invitation by BYU-Hawaii. Even though we came the same day as [we played], we want to show our best… do our best to appreciate what the host has offered to us," said Jiang Eying, coach of the team, through an interpreter.
That team definitely appeared to have taken its best game to Hawaii. The Chinese women outscored their opponents by a combined 56 points in two games, including beating the BYU-Hawaii women's team by 30. (The team is pictured at right with two BYU-Hawaii players.)
Though they dominated on the stats sheet, Chinese players showed respect and said they learned valuable lessons from the opposition. "One game here is comparable to 10 games back home. We learned a lot from the two teams in terms of their physical strength, their power, their defense. When we get back, we'll have to try and build [strength]," said Gu Xiaoli, a 5'9" forward, through an interpreter. Eying also suggested that Huazhong could host a similar invitational and invite BYU-Hawaii to play in China.
During the final game of this classic, BYU-Hawaii's men's team put on, seemingly, a clinic against Hawaii Select. During the contest, BYU-Hawaii showed strong signs of success for the upcoming season, winning 110-72. The Seasider performance was punctuated by alley-oops hammered down by Lucas Alves (shown at top left). A nearby young fan excitedly exclaimed, "Lucas is the man! He's got some serious hops!"
Frank Peck (pictured at left, far left), CEO of the event's title sponsor, American Money Group, enjoyed watching the teams compete. "Just look around, you can see all the excitement. You can see people coming together and being able to share experiences. Being able to witness it firsthand is even more exciting… this is what it's all about," he stated. Peck also said he anticipates American Money Group getting involved with future athletic events at BYU-Hawaii.
Throughout the classic, teams seemed to savor playing and being around each other. Basketball seemed to transcend any possible cultural or language barrier. There was a sense of unity, of understanding, through the sport. These insights illustrated some strong qualities from the athletes, and indeed, the 2007 American Money Group Asia Pacific Basketball Classic was a tournament like no other.
Final scores
Thursday, November 1
Huazhong University 94 Fiji National Team 68
Friday, November 2
BYU-Hawaii Alumni 112 Hawaii Select 111
BYU-Hawaii (Women) 74 Fiji National Team 68
BYU-Hawaii (Men) 129 American Samoa 52
Saturday, November 3
Hawaii Pacific 92 American Samoa 61
Huazhong University 74 BYU-Hawaii (Women) 44
BYU-Hawaii (Men) 110 Hawaii Select 72