Canada - Catching Up With Andy Rautins

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Guard Andy Rautins had his third collegiate season halted before it even started. He suffered a knee injury while playing for Team Canada in the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas. Rautins underwent surgery and began a lengthy rehabilitation program.

He was back playing with Team Canada this summer and is ready for the upcoming Syracuse season.

Here are some of Andy's thoughts about his international experience and getting ready for the 2008-09 season with Syracuse:

On what he did this summer:

“We went up to Greece for the National Qualifier with the Canadian National Team. We didn’t qualify, but we played a couple good games out there.”

On his experience with the Canadian National Team:

“It was real good. The competition was unbelievable. We got to play against some of the best teams in the world and the level of play over there was a great experience for me.”

On his view of Team Canada:

“It is my third year with the team and I think we are just a bunch of young guys getting our core together right now. I think our futures are really bright. We have a lot of guys who can score and we have a lot of role players, too. In the years to come, I think we will be a very dangerous team.”

On what it was like to play an exhibition game against Team USA, the eventual gold-medal winner:

“That was an unbelievable experience. They are the best players in the world, everybody knows that, and a lot of guys are out there playing them scared, but once you’re out there on the court you’re just playing basketball. When you see Kobe coming down the floor dribbling at you, it is a little bit intimidating, but all in all you come out as a better player after having played them.”

On what impressed him most about that level of player:

“Not only their speed and strength, but I think the biggest thing is that they are just so efficient. They get on the court and they play well as a team. Kobe was out there just hitting shot after shot. You watch the game sometimes and you think ‘how do they hit these shots?’ It might be luck and it might not be. Once you get out there on the court and you see them hitting fadeaways contested and double teamed in the post, you know its all skill.”

On whether he spent some time at point guard for Canada:

“The entire summer I played point guard, so I think I’m a much better player for having done that. I think I’ll be able to handle playing that position for this team (Syracuse) if we need it. I just feel much more experienced as a basketball player.”

On ways he is different from last year:

“I’m much stronger and much smarter. I am able to play three positions right now so I’m a pretty valuable tool for this team and I feel like we are going to be really dangerous this year.”