FIBA Basketball
USA - Romar to head 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Champ team
COLORADO SPRINGS (2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship) - The USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee has selected the University of Washington's Lorenzo Romar to head up the 2006 FIBA Americas
COLORADO SPRINGS (2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship) - The USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee has selected the University of Washington's Lorenzo Romar to head up the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship Team.
The Georgia Institute of Technolgy's Paul Hewitt and DePaul University's Jerry Wainwright will serve as assistants. Syracuse University head coach Jim Boeheim chairs the committee.
"Whenever I've gotten a chance to work with USA Basketball, I've always felt honored," Romar said. "To represent the United States in the United States is going to be a first for me, and I anticipate it is going to be very special."
The tournament, which will qualify four teams for the 2007 FIBA U19 World Championship, is being held at the Bill Greehey Arena on the campus of St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas.
Trials for the USA U18 Team will be held June 16-18 in San Antonio with approximately 30 U.S. hopefuls, born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, participating. Following selection of finalists for the USA squad, the Americans will continue to train June 19-27 in San Antonio.
The FIBA Americas U18 Championship format divides teams into two preliminary round groups consisting of four teams each. Preliminary round play will be held June 28, 29 and 30, and each team will play the other three teams in its preliminary group.
The top two finishing teams in each preliminary round group will then advance to the Saturday, July 1, medal round semifinals and play for 1st-4th places. Teams placing third and fourth in each preliminary round group will advance to the consolation semifinals and play for 5th-8th places.
The FIBA Americas U18 Championship For Men Finals will be held Sunday, July 2. The host nation United States was drawn into preliminary round Group A with Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Uraguay, while Group B consists of Argentina, Bahamas, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Lorenzo Romar
Romar enters his 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship selection having experience as a USA Basketball coach and athlete. He was an assistant to Tom Izzo at the 2003 Pan American Games–the U.S. squad was 2-3 for a fourth place finish, and an assistant under Rick Majerus with the 1997 FIBA U22 World Championship Team–which finished 6-2 for fifth place. As an athlete, he was a member of the 1978 U.S. Olympic Festival West Team that was 1-3, earning a bronze medal.
Romar has spent the past four seasons (2002-03 to present) as the head coach at the University of Washington and is 84-42 (.667 winning percentage) with the Huskies.
In 2006, the 26-7 Huskies reached their second straight NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen and their third consecutive NCAA Tournament, tying a school record for consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (1984-1986). Romar was honored at this year's Final Four as the winner of the 2006 John Wooden "Keys to Life" Award.
Washington's 29-6 finish in 2005 tied the program's record for wins, set in 1938, and saw the Huskies earn their first No. 1 seed into the NCAA Tournament. Reaching the Sweet Sixteen, Romar was named the Pacific-10 Conference Coach of the Year and the Black Coaches Association National Coach of the Year.
In 2004, tallying a 19-12 record, the Huskies reached their first NCAA Tournament since 1999 and their first Pac-10 Tournament championship appearance since 1987 (Note: The Pac-10 Tournament was not held from 1991 through 2001.). After five straight losses to open the conference schedule, the Huskies won 12 of their last 13 conference games, beating the previously undefeated and No. 1 ranked Stanford University. The Huskies also swept their three-game series against the University of Arizona for the first time since 1987. In his first year of rebuilding, Romar led an inexperienced Husky team, including one senior and six freshman, to wins over NCAA Tournament-bound Stanford and the University of Oregon.
Romar's 51 wins at St. Louis University, which ranks seventh among all-time St. Louis coaches, is the fourth-best three-year total in school history. In three years as a head coach at St. Louis (1999-2000 through 2001-02), he compiled a record of 51-44 (.537 winning percentage).
Romar's 2000-01 squad became the first team in conference history to defeat the University of Cincinnati in back-to-back games. Romar's Billikens also swept the season series against the University of Louisville for the first time in 35 years.
In his inaugural season, Romar guided St. Louis to a 19-14 record, upsetting top-ranked Cincinnati in the second round of the Conference USA Tournament. The Billikens advanced to win the championship and an earn automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. Romar became the first St. Louis coach to accomplish either feat in his first season.
In three seasons (1996-97 through 1998-99) as the head coach at Pepperdine University he amassed a three-year record of 42-44 (.488 winning percentage). In 1999, the Waves made their first post season appearance in five years, finishing the season 19-13 with a bid to the NIT. Pepperdine's 17-10 record in 1997-98, an 11-game improvement from the previous season, led to a second-place finish in the West Coast Conference. Pepperdine was the second-most improved NCAA Division I team in 1997-98 (18-15 in 1996-97 to 32-5 in 1997-98), trailing only Connecticut.
UCLA's record during Romar's four years (1992-93 through 1995-96) as an assistant coach was 97-28 (.776 winning percentage), including Pac-10 championships in 1995 and 1996 and an NCAA national championship in 1995.
As a professional athlete, Romar was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the seventh round of the 1980 NBA Draft. His five-year NBA career included stints with Golden State (1980-81 through 1983-84), Milwaukee (1984) and Detroit (1984-85).
He joined Athletes in Action (AIA) following the 1984-85 season and started 224 of 233 games during his seven years as a player for AIA. He set single-game records for most points (54) and assists (21), and he remains the team's all-time assists leader (1,689) and ranks No. 2 in all-time scoring (4,244). In 1992, at age 34, Romar scored 45 points against Michigan's "Fab Five" freshmen. Romar took on co-head coaching duties for AIA in 1989, while remaining a player.
In 1978, Romar earned his associate degree from Cerritos Community College , where he led the Falcons to 23-8, averaged 14.1 points per game, set the school record for single-season assists and earned all-league first team honors during his sophomore year (1977-78). He was inducted into the California Community College Hall of Fame in 1992.
He transferred to Washington in 1978 and played two seasons for Marv Harshman. As a junior (1978-79), he led the team in assists (80) and steals (35) while shooting 51 percent from the field. As a senior (1979-80) and team captain, he played in all 28 games for the 18-10 Huskies and made an NIT appearance. He again led the team in assists (99). Both years, his teammates voted him Most Inspirational.
Paul Hewitt
This is Hewitt's second USA Basketball coaching selection. Previoulsy Hewitt served as a court coach at the 1999 USA Basketball Men's National Team Trials. In six seasons at Georgia Tech (2000-01 to present), Hewitt has accumulated a record of 107-83 (.563 winning percentage), averaging 18 wins per season. He has helped the Yellow Jackets reach three NCAA Tournaments (2001, 2004 and 2005) and one NIT (2003).
"It's a tremendous honor," Hewitt said. "I'm excited and looking forward to the opportunity. I know it's going to be a great experience and one I will learn a lot from."
In the midst of rebuilding in 2005-06, he directed his team to regular season wins over No. 11 Boston College and No. 16 North Carolina State.
In 2004-05, Hewitt reached his 100th win at Georgia Tech, and Hoop Scoop ranked him No. 17 among the nation's top 40 coaches. Georgia Tech lost in the finals of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament and in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, finishing the season 20-12.
Following a 12-0 start and a preseason NIT Championship, the 2003-04 Yellow Jackets finished 28-10, reaching the national championship game and tying the school record for wins in a season. Georgia Tech was sixth in the nation in field goal defense. Hewitt was rewarded by the Black College Coaches Association as the Fritz Pollard Coach of the Year and by Sports Illustrated as No. 71 on its list of the 101 top minorities in sports.
Guiding a team with no seniors and just three juniors in 2002-03, Hewitt helped his squad place fifth in the ACC and advance to the NIT quarterfinals. His team ranked 13th nationally in field goal defense. Following an 0-7 start in conference play in 2001-02, his team staged the biggest turnaround in conference history to finish 7-9 for sixth place in the ACC.
In his first season at Georgia Tech (2000-01), Hewitt led his 17-13 squad to its first winning season since 1998 as the team collected the program's first victory in an ACC Tournament since 1996. Georgia Tech also advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996. For his efforts, Hewitt was named the ACC Coach of the Year, the National Association of Basketball Coaches District 5 Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Naismith College Coach of the Year.
In three seasons (1997-98 through 1999-00) as a head coach at Sienna College (N.Y.), Hewitt was 66-27 (.710 winning percentage), inheriting a team that had recorded just 22 wins in the three previous seasons. Under Hewitt's guidance, Sienna ranked third nationally in scoring in 1999 and 2000. The Saints captured their first regular season Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) title in 2000, while reaching their third straight MAAC Tournament championship game.
In 1998-99, Sienna was 25-6, capturing the MAAC title and the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1989. In his first season, Hewitt led Sienna to the school's first appearance in the MAAC championship game, finishing 17-12.
After five seasons (1992-93 through 1996-97) as an assistant at Villanova University (Pa.), Hewitt collected a record of 103-56 (.648 winning percentage). He was promoted to associate head coach for the 1996-97 season. Hewitt helped the Wildcats reach four consecutive 20-win seasons (1994-1997), three NCAA Tournament appearances (1995-97) and an NIT championship (1994). He also helped secure four recruiting classes ranked in the top 20 (1993-94 to 1996-97).
Tallying a record of 45-18 (.714 winning percentage) in two seasons (1990-91 and 1991-92) as an assistant at Fordham University (N.Y.), Hewitt helped the Rams secure two Patriot League regular season championships and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1992.
Hewitt spent one season as an assistant at the University of Southern California (1989-90). His first collegiate job was in 1988-89 as an assistant coach at Long Island University's CW Post College (N.Y.). The Pioneers were 19-11, capturing the East Coast Athletic Conference New York State Division Championship.
Jerry Wainwright
In 22 seasons of coaching (1984-85 to present), Jerry Wainwright has amassed a record of 349-292 (.544 winning percentage). This marks his second tour with USA Basketball as he previously served as a court coach during the 2004 USA Basketball Men's U20 National Team Trials.
"Anything that you can do to represent your country, and to have the added privilege to do it professionally in the sport you love, is not only an honor, it's a dream realized," Wainwright said. "I'm very excited to work with men the caliber of Lorenzo and Paul, as well as the future of USA Basketball in the young men we will be coaching."
In his first season (2005-06) as the head coach of DePaul University, Wainwright helped the school's youngest team in seven years through the program's first year in the Big East Conference. The Blue Demons' schedule included 11 teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, and they finished Wainwright's inaugural season 12-15.
In three seasons (2002-03 through 2004-05) as head coach at the University of Richmond (Va.), Wainwright was 50-41 (.549 winning percentage). In 2003-04, he directed the Spiders to their seventh consecutive winning season and a fourth straight postseason berth, earning the program its second at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. With the nation's ninth-ranked defense, his team completed the most successful road trip in program history, defeating Temple, Xavier and Kansas.
Wainwright led the 2002-03 Spiders to the Atlantic 10 Conference's second-best defense allowing just 62.4 points per game, which ranked 26th nationally. They also set a program record for fewest turnovers in a season and advanced to the NIT.
Prior to his arrival in Richmond, Wainwright was the head coach at the University of North Carolina Wilmington for eight seasons (1995-96 through 2002-03). While with the Seahawks he accumulated an overall record of 136-103 (.569 winning percentage). Helping his team earn two trips to the NIT (1998 and 2001) and two trips to the NCAA Tournament (2000 and 2002), he also collected the program's first 20-win season (1998), the first NCAA Tournament berth (2000) and the first NCAA Tournament win (2002). Wainwright also led the school to three Colonial Athletic Association Tournament (CAA) championships (2000, 2002 and 2003) and three conference regular season titles (1998, 2002 and 2003).
After UNC Wilimington won 15 of its final 21 games during the 2000-01 season, Wainwright was named the CAA Coach of the Year for the second time (1997 and 2001). Averaging nearly 17 wins per season, the Seahawks defense was nationally ranked in all eight seasons under Wainwright.
His collegiate coaching career began in 1984-85 as an assistant at Xavier University (Ohio) where he saw the team finish 16-13. Following Xavier he had a nine-year stay (1985-86 through 1993-94) as an assistant at Wake Forest University (N.C.). With Wainwright on the sidelines the Deacons had an overall record of 150-129 (.537). He helped the school acquire a record four straight NCAA Tournament appearances (1991-94) and consecutive 20-win seasons (1992-93 and 1993-94) for the first time in a decade.
2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship
Originally known as the FIBA Americas Junior World Championship Qualifier, the tournament has been held every four years since 1990. USA men's teams boast of a sensational 25-1 overall record in the U18/junior qualifiers and have won gold in 1990, 1994 and 1998, while capturing bronze most recently in 2002.
The awarding of the FIBA Americas U18 Championship to USA Basketball and San Antonio marks the first time the event has been hosted in the United States.
The Georgia Institute of Technolgy's Paul Hewitt and DePaul University's Jerry Wainwright will serve as assistants. Syracuse University head coach Jim Boeheim chairs the committee.
"Whenever I've gotten a chance to work with USA Basketball, I've always felt honored," Romar said. "To represent the United States in the United States is going to be a first for me, and I anticipate it is going to be very special."
The tournament, which will qualify four teams for the 2007 FIBA U19 World Championship, is being held at the Bill Greehey Arena on the campus of St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas.
Trials for the USA U18 Team will be held June 16-18 in San Antonio with approximately 30 U.S. hopefuls, born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, participating. Following selection of finalists for the USA squad, the Americans will continue to train June 19-27 in San Antonio.
The FIBA Americas U18 Championship format divides teams into two preliminary round groups consisting of four teams each. Preliminary round play will be held June 28, 29 and 30, and each team will play the other three teams in its preliminary group.
The top two finishing teams in each preliminary round group will then advance to the Saturday, July 1, medal round semifinals and play for 1st-4th places. Teams placing third and fourth in each preliminary round group will advance to the consolation semifinals and play for 5th-8th places.
The FIBA Americas U18 Championship For Men Finals will be held Sunday, July 2. The host nation United States was drawn into preliminary round Group A with Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Uraguay, while Group B consists of Argentina, Bahamas, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Lorenzo Romar
Romar enters his 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship selection having experience as a USA Basketball coach and athlete. He was an assistant to Tom Izzo at the 2003 Pan American Games–the U.S. squad was 2-3 for a fourth place finish, and an assistant under Rick Majerus with the 1997 FIBA U22 World Championship Team–which finished 6-2 for fifth place. As an athlete, he was a member of the 1978 U.S. Olympic Festival West Team that was 1-3, earning a bronze medal.
Romar has spent the past four seasons (2002-03 to present) as the head coach at the University of Washington and is 84-42 (.667 winning percentage) with the Huskies.
In 2006, the 26-7 Huskies reached their second straight NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen and their third consecutive NCAA Tournament, tying a school record for consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (1984-1986). Romar was honored at this year's Final Four as the winner of the 2006 John Wooden "Keys to Life" Award.
Washington's 29-6 finish in 2005 tied the program's record for wins, set in 1938, and saw the Huskies earn their first No. 1 seed into the NCAA Tournament. Reaching the Sweet Sixteen, Romar was named the Pacific-10 Conference Coach of the Year and the Black Coaches Association National Coach of the Year.
In 2004, tallying a 19-12 record, the Huskies reached their first NCAA Tournament since 1999 and their first Pac-10 Tournament championship appearance since 1987 (Note: The Pac-10 Tournament was not held from 1991 through 2001.). After five straight losses to open the conference schedule, the Huskies won 12 of their last 13 conference games, beating the previously undefeated and No. 1 ranked Stanford University. The Huskies also swept their three-game series against the University of Arizona for the first time since 1987. In his first year of rebuilding, Romar led an inexperienced Husky team, including one senior and six freshman, to wins over NCAA Tournament-bound Stanford and the University of Oregon.
Romar's 51 wins at St. Louis University, which ranks seventh among all-time St. Louis coaches, is the fourth-best three-year total in school history. In three years as a head coach at St. Louis (1999-2000 through 2001-02), he compiled a record of 51-44 (.537 winning percentage).
Romar's 2000-01 squad became the first team in conference history to defeat the University of Cincinnati in back-to-back games. Romar's Billikens also swept the season series against the University of Louisville for the first time in 35 years.
In his inaugural season, Romar guided St. Louis to a 19-14 record, upsetting top-ranked Cincinnati in the second round of the Conference USA Tournament. The Billikens advanced to win the championship and an earn automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. Romar became the first St. Louis coach to accomplish either feat in his first season.
In three seasons (1996-97 through 1998-99) as the head coach at Pepperdine University he amassed a three-year record of 42-44 (.488 winning percentage). In 1999, the Waves made their first post season appearance in five years, finishing the season 19-13 with a bid to the NIT. Pepperdine's 17-10 record in 1997-98, an 11-game improvement from the previous season, led to a second-place finish in the West Coast Conference. Pepperdine was the second-most improved NCAA Division I team in 1997-98 (18-15 in 1996-97 to 32-5 in 1997-98), trailing only Connecticut.
UCLA's record during Romar's four years (1992-93 through 1995-96) as an assistant coach was 97-28 (.776 winning percentage), including Pac-10 championships in 1995 and 1996 and an NCAA national championship in 1995.
As a professional athlete, Romar was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the seventh round of the 1980 NBA Draft. His five-year NBA career included stints with Golden State (1980-81 through 1983-84), Milwaukee (1984) and Detroit (1984-85).
He joined Athletes in Action (AIA) following the 1984-85 season and started 224 of 233 games during his seven years as a player for AIA. He set single-game records for most points (54) and assists (21), and he remains the team's all-time assists leader (1,689) and ranks No. 2 in all-time scoring (4,244). In 1992, at age 34, Romar scored 45 points against Michigan's "Fab Five" freshmen. Romar took on co-head coaching duties for AIA in 1989, while remaining a player.
In 1978, Romar earned his associate degree from Cerritos Community College , where he led the Falcons to 23-8, averaged 14.1 points per game, set the school record for single-season assists and earned all-league first team honors during his sophomore year (1977-78). He was inducted into the California Community College Hall of Fame in 1992.
He transferred to Washington in 1978 and played two seasons for Marv Harshman. As a junior (1978-79), he led the team in assists (80) and steals (35) while shooting 51 percent from the field. As a senior (1979-80) and team captain, he played in all 28 games for the 18-10 Huskies and made an NIT appearance. He again led the team in assists (99). Both years, his teammates voted him Most Inspirational.
Paul Hewitt
This is Hewitt's second USA Basketball coaching selection. Previoulsy Hewitt served as a court coach at the 1999 USA Basketball Men's National Team Trials. In six seasons at Georgia Tech (2000-01 to present), Hewitt has accumulated a record of 107-83 (.563 winning percentage), averaging 18 wins per season. He has helped the Yellow Jackets reach three NCAA Tournaments (2001, 2004 and 2005) and one NIT (2003).
"It's a tremendous honor," Hewitt said. "I'm excited and looking forward to the opportunity. I know it's going to be a great experience and one I will learn a lot from."
In the midst of rebuilding in 2005-06, he directed his team to regular season wins over No. 11 Boston College and No. 16 North Carolina State.
In 2004-05, Hewitt reached his 100th win at Georgia Tech, and Hoop Scoop ranked him No. 17 among the nation's top 40 coaches. Georgia Tech lost in the finals of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament and in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, finishing the season 20-12.
Following a 12-0 start and a preseason NIT Championship, the 2003-04 Yellow Jackets finished 28-10, reaching the national championship game and tying the school record for wins in a season. Georgia Tech was sixth in the nation in field goal defense. Hewitt was rewarded by the Black College Coaches Association as the Fritz Pollard Coach of the Year and by Sports Illustrated as No. 71 on its list of the 101 top minorities in sports.
Guiding a team with no seniors and just three juniors in 2002-03, Hewitt helped his squad place fifth in the ACC and advance to the NIT quarterfinals. His team ranked 13th nationally in field goal defense. Following an 0-7 start in conference play in 2001-02, his team staged the biggest turnaround in conference history to finish 7-9 for sixth place in the ACC.
In his first season at Georgia Tech (2000-01), Hewitt led his 17-13 squad to its first winning season since 1998 as the team collected the program's first victory in an ACC Tournament since 1996. Georgia Tech also advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996. For his efforts, Hewitt was named the ACC Coach of the Year, the National Association of Basketball Coaches District 5 Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Naismith College Coach of the Year.
In three seasons (1997-98 through 1999-00) as a head coach at Sienna College (N.Y.), Hewitt was 66-27 (.710 winning percentage), inheriting a team that had recorded just 22 wins in the three previous seasons. Under Hewitt's guidance, Sienna ranked third nationally in scoring in 1999 and 2000. The Saints captured their first regular season Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) title in 2000, while reaching their third straight MAAC Tournament championship game.
In 1998-99, Sienna was 25-6, capturing the MAAC title and the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1989. In his first season, Hewitt led Sienna to the school's first appearance in the MAAC championship game, finishing 17-12.
After five seasons (1992-93 through 1996-97) as an assistant at Villanova University (Pa.), Hewitt collected a record of 103-56 (.648 winning percentage). He was promoted to associate head coach for the 1996-97 season. Hewitt helped the Wildcats reach four consecutive 20-win seasons (1994-1997), three NCAA Tournament appearances (1995-97) and an NIT championship (1994). He also helped secure four recruiting classes ranked in the top 20 (1993-94 to 1996-97).
Tallying a record of 45-18 (.714 winning percentage) in two seasons (1990-91 and 1991-92) as an assistant at Fordham University (N.Y.), Hewitt helped the Rams secure two Patriot League regular season championships and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1992.
Hewitt spent one season as an assistant at the University of Southern California (1989-90). His first collegiate job was in 1988-89 as an assistant coach at Long Island University's CW Post College (N.Y.). The Pioneers were 19-11, capturing the East Coast Athletic Conference New York State Division Championship.
Jerry Wainwright
In 22 seasons of coaching (1984-85 to present), Jerry Wainwright has amassed a record of 349-292 (.544 winning percentage). This marks his second tour with USA Basketball as he previously served as a court coach during the 2004 USA Basketball Men's U20 National Team Trials.
"Anything that you can do to represent your country, and to have the added privilege to do it professionally in the sport you love, is not only an honor, it's a dream realized," Wainwright said. "I'm very excited to work with men the caliber of Lorenzo and Paul, as well as the future of USA Basketball in the young men we will be coaching."
In his first season (2005-06) as the head coach of DePaul University, Wainwright helped the school's youngest team in seven years through the program's first year in the Big East Conference. The Blue Demons' schedule included 11 teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, and they finished Wainwright's inaugural season 12-15.
In three seasons (2002-03 through 2004-05) as head coach at the University of Richmond (Va.), Wainwright was 50-41 (.549 winning percentage). In 2003-04, he directed the Spiders to their seventh consecutive winning season and a fourth straight postseason berth, earning the program its second at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. With the nation's ninth-ranked defense, his team completed the most successful road trip in program history, defeating Temple, Xavier and Kansas.
Wainwright led the 2002-03 Spiders to the Atlantic 10 Conference's second-best defense allowing just 62.4 points per game, which ranked 26th nationally. They also set a program record for fewest turnovers in a season and advanced to the NIT.
Prior to his arrival in Richmond, Wainwright was the head coach at the University of North Carolina Wilmington for eight seasons (1995-96 through 2002-03). While with the Seahawks he accumulated an overall record of 136-103 (.569 winning percentage). Helping his team earn two trips to the NIT (1998 and 2001) and two trips to the NCAA Tournament (2000 and 2002), he also collected the program's first 20-win season (1998), the first NCAA Tournament berth (2000) and the first NCAA Tournament win (2002). Wainwright also led the school to three Colonial Athletic Association Tournament (CAA) championships (2000, 2002 and 2003) and three conference regular season titles (1998, 2002 and 2003).
After UNC Wilimington won 15 of its final 21 games during the 2000-01 season, Wainwright was named the CAA Coach of the Year for the second time (1997 and 2001). Averaging nearly 17 wins per season, the Seahawks defense was nationally ranked in all eight seasons under Wainwright.
His collegiate coaching career began in 1984-85 as an assistant at Xavier University (Ohio) where he saw the team finish 16-13. Following Xavier he had a nine-year stay (1985-86 through 1993-94) as an assistant at Wake Forest University (N.C.). With Wainwright on the sidelines the Deacons had an overall record of 150-129 (.537). He helped the school acquire a record four straight NCAA Tournament appearances (1991-94) and consecutive 20-win seasons (1992-93 and 1993-94) for the first time in a decade.
2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship
Originally known as the FIBA Americas Junior World Championship Qualifier, the tournament has been held every four years since 1990. USA men's teams boast of a sensational 25-1 overall record in the U18/junior qualifiers and have won gold in 1990, 1994 and 1998, while capturing bronze most recently in 2002.
The awarding of the FIBA Americas U18 Championship to USA Basketball and San Antonio marks the first time the event has been hosted in the United States.