Santa Rosa, Argentina  • August 26 - September 4, 1994

It was truly a team effort from start to finish and the result was a dominating gold medal performance by USA Basketball's Men's Junior Team, led by University of Minnesota head mentor Clem Haskins, at the 1994 COPABA Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament in Argentina.

Storming to a sparkling 8-0 record, the USA juniors dominated the 10-team field, recording an average margin of victory of 40.1 points a game. Boasting of a potent offense that averaged 106.1 points a game. The USA featured an equally devastating defense which limited its opponents to 66.0 points a game.

In a game that was not as close as the final score indicates, the United States opened its preliminary play with an 87-73 victory over eventual bronze medalist Puerto Rico as 6-9 Shareef Abdur-Rahim accounted for game highs of 25 points and 12 rebounds. Uruguay proved no match for the U.S. as Albert White tossed in 19 points to pace the Americans to a 124-81 victory. Turning up the defensive pressure and getting another solid performance from Abdur-Rahim, 24 points and 15 rebounds, the U.S. blew out Panama 114-49. The USA concluded its preliminary pool play 4-0 after its depth proved the difference in a 105-90 win over Brazil. University of California freshman Tremaine Fowlkes led the U.S. attack with 25 points.

The USA, behind White's 22 points, put Canada away early and went on to record a convincing 117-65 victory to open semifinal play. Venezuela fell victim to an aggressive USA defense that paved the way to a 112-50 victory as Fowlkes scored 20 points to lead the U.S. attack. A rematch with Brazil was completely dominated by the U.S. as the Americans thundered to a 109-48 victory as Duke University freshman Richard Price headed the scoring attack with 19 points.

Meeting 7-0 and host Argentina in the gold medal game, this USA victory did not come easy. Perseverance paid off for the U.S. as it managed to open a 10-point lead in the second half and held on for the 77-72 victory as Stephon Marbury accounted for 21 points and five assists, while Abdur-Rahim also finished with 21 points and added eight rebounds.

Six U.S. players finished the competition averaging in double figures. Abdur-Rahim averaged a team best 16.8 ppg. and a team high 10.1 rpg., and Fowlkes finished with impressive averages of 16.3 ppg. and 7.0 rpg. Marbury, who ran the USA offense to near perfection, accounted for 11.6 ppg. and a team best 7.8 apg. and 2.4 spg., while University of Minnesota freshman Eric Harris added 11.4 ppg., White finished averaging 11.3 ppg., and Price posted a 10.9 ppg. average.

1994 USA BASKETBALL MEN'S JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING TEAM ROSTER

1994 USA BASKETBALL MEN'S JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS