Three Buckeyes on world stage
Right: Ohio State’s Evan Turner is representing the USA at the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia.
(USA Basketball Photo)
Three Buckeyes are representing their native countries in international basketball competitions this summer.
Evan Turner, a 6-foot-7 junior-to-be swingman who averaged 17.3 points and 7.1 rebounds for head coach Thad Matta last season for Ohio State, is playing for Team USA in the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia.
On Friday night, USA defeated Finland 87-40 in the first game of the preliminary round. In the second game on Saturday, USA routed South Korea 113-76.
Through both games, Turner is averaging 3.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in 17.0 minutes of action per game.
Team USA advances to the second round to take on Greece, Monday night.
USA’s women’s World University Games squad features Ohio State’s 6-foot-4 junior-to-be center Jantel Lavender.
The women’s team is 4-0 and will take on the Czech Republic in the medal round, Tuesday.
Lavender has started all four games and is averaging 11.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
Zisis Sarikopoulos, Ohio State’s 7-foot sophomore center, is playing on the Greek Under-19 Men’s National Team at the FIBA U19 World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand.
Greece is 2-2 after to losing to the USA team, 85-69, on Monday.
“Big Z,” though, has been hampered by a knee injury he suffered in a tuneup game in Australia just prior to the Greeks arrival to New Zealand. In four games in the U19 World Championships, Sarikopoulos has played in just two contests for a grand total of nine minutes and has scored just two points.
