MEX – “One on one” with Victor Mariscal, from Mexico

Full of emotion, face full of teardrops, Victor Mariscal looks as if he can’t still believe what his team has just acomplished.

“For me, this is like defeating Argentina. I’ve been with the national team for 17 years now, and I’ve never beaten Puerto Rico. They used to be on top of us, and I always kept the illusion of beating them sometime, because they always dominated us. I’m 35 years old, and I’m happy, but we have to see this game as another one. As our coach Notan Richardson, says, we need to have a winning mindframe, without steping back, in order to grab one of the spots available”.

You've just defeated Puerto Rico after a 17-years spam, and scoring 30 points to top it. Almost like a double treat for you.

Yes, very special indeed, even though the points issue has never been a factor to me. One time in Neuquen, Argentina, I finished as the tournament’s top scorer and nothing happened. In everyone’s minds I stayed the same. Today gave me much pleasure to defeat Puerto Rico; tomorrow we will rest and, later, we'll start getting ready for the next game.

For one moment, Puerto Rico almost caught up with you, after Mexico was in front, with a large advantage. What went through your minds and what Richardson said to you?

Coach told us “Don’t panic”, to control ourselves, to breath deep, and to wait for a positive change; and that is what happened. We didn’t panic, didn't hurry; they went in front for 1 point, but we survive that phase, recovering ourselves.

You seem to be happy with your coach. What has he given you?

He only gave us what we were missing. It’s not good for us to play half-court offense. Mexico has always play a half-court game system, without exploiting our full potential, which has been always to run, shoot and play for forty minutes of hell.

It must be special for you to feel supported by a coah at your age.

Of course, it is very exciting. In Mexico, this time, they didn’t bring the players to Nola. He took the best group of players he could find, and made a tryout. It wasn’t like in the past, when the coach was granted with 12 players to make the trip. This time around, we all have to fight for a spot in the team, Horacio, me, everyone. Almost 50 players went to the tryout, and I felt that the younger ones would throw me out of the team. I have so much respect for an Argentinean player named Hugo Sconochini. We’re almost the same age and I saw him winning a spot as it’s just happened to me this time.

What are your expectations for this tournament?

We came here to win one of the two spots. We didn’t come thinking on the FIBA World Pre-Olympic. We have to think big. That is what the coach gives us. He tells us that if we think big, good things will turn into reality for us. We have to go for one of the two spots available. After that, if it doesn’t come true, it would not matter.

How did you take Eduardo Najera’s absence?

Look, I’m going to say this to you. Today, we saw an article in the USA Today, in which they mentioned that without Najera, Mexico was nothing. That we didn’t have any change of winning. Today, we showed everyone, and that is to the coach merit. He was the one that taught us that the we’re the ones playing.