CHN - Aussies, Argentina impress

LANZHOU (Stankovic Cup/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - There should be plenty of optimism when it comes to the men's national team programs of Australia and Argentina.

The Boomers already know they will be at the FIBA Basketball World Cup next year and Argentina, who are No. 3 in the FIBA Ranking Men, fully expect to be there as well.

Don't be surprised a player or two from the Emerging Boomers side that is taking part in the upcoming World University Games in Kazan, Russia, finds his way into next year's Australian team.

That's because in Lanzhou, where the first stage of the Stankovic Cup was just held, the Aussies won all five of their contests.

Using the event as a warm-up for the Kazan, the Australians defeated teams from Argentina, China, Puerto Rico, Germany and Nigeria en route to the title.

Players like Todd Blanchfield, Clint Steindl, Cameron Bairstow, Cody Ellis, Owen Odigie, Jason Cadee and Ryan Broekhoff performed well for the men from Down Under.

Argentina rebounded from a 62-59 defeat in their opener to Australia to post four straight victories.

Their two-time Olympian Juan Gutierrez was selected as the MVP of the games in the first stage.

Gutierrez also made the all-tournament team in Lanzhou with compatriots Facundo Campazzo and Adrian Bocca, and China’s Sun Tonglin and Zhai Xiaochuan.

The event was encouraging for Argentina, who will not have several big-name players at this summer’s FIBA Americas Championship, a qualifying event for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Coach Julio Lamas is weighing up his squad options and the Stankovic Cup is a good stage for hopefuls to impress.

"We did well in the Stankovic Cup City 1," Lamas said.

"It helped us to know each other and we are integrating everyone into our collective game.

"Now we travel to Guangzhou to play Stankovic Cup City 2 where we hope to continue progressing."

With Australia not taking part in the second phase of games in Guangzhou, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Nigeria and China will play against each other starting this weekend.

On Friday, China take on Nigeria and Argentina face Puerto Rico, and on Saturday the Puerto Ricans meet China and Nigerians clash with Argentina. Then on Sunday, China go up against Argentina and Nigeria clash with Puerto Rico.

After a rest day will be a third-place game, and the final.

All four sides are getting ready for their respective zone tournaments that will serve as qualifying events for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

China will play in the FIBA Asia Championship and Nigeria will compete in the Afrobasket.

Both Puerto Rico and Argentina are in the FIBA Americas Championship.

FIBA