Former Brown Basketball Star Huffman to Play for Team USA in FIBA World Cup 3x3
Joe Calabro, GoLocalProv Sports Team
Former Brown Basketball Star Huffman to Play for Team USA in FIBA World Cup 3x3
Huffman, who scored 1,306 career points and graduated as Brown’s all-time leading three-point shooter, a record that has since been broken by Sean McGonagill and most recently JR Hobbie, hopes his success at Brown and later in the pros in Belgium translates to a USA program that hasn’t had much success in the 3 vs 3 tournament.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIn the previous three tournaments, Team USA has come away with one medal, a silver in 2016.
“I’ve been playing 3 vs 3 my whole life, since back at Brown and then playing in some cash tournaments,” Huffman said of his 3 vs 3 experience.
The 3 vs 3 World Cup runs from June 17 to June 22.
Team USA
Huffman will be joined in France by teammates Craig Moore, a 2009 graduate of Northwestern University, Dan Mavraides, a 2011 graduate of Princeton University and Zahir Carrington, a 2010 graduate of Lehigh University.
“One of the things that we have established is that threes are more important than twos, and so that is how we have built our team," he added.
Moore knocked down a school record 110 three-pointers during his senior season and led the Big Ten with an average of 3.5 three-pointers made per game. Mavraides graduated Princeton as the 25th leading scorer in program history with 1,054 points. Carrington was a second team All-Patriot League, averaging 14 points and 9 rebounds per game.
Team USA enters the tournament as the #4 overall seed and is in Pool D with the Netherlands, New Zealand, Indonesia and South Korea. The tournament is set up similar to the FIFA World Cup with group play followed by elimination rounds.
The first game for Team USA is on June 17 against the Netherlands.
Road to France
Huffman and his team began their journey in Colorado Springs, Colorado with a national tournament hosted by USA Basketball at the Olympic Training Facility.
“Me and my teammates were invited to play in Colorado Springs against teams that consisted of European pros and guys that just graduated college, literally just finished the NCAA Tournament, and we ended up winning the tournament. That means we represent Team USA in all the tournaments that they earmarked for us,” Huffman said.
Huffman, who retired from pro basketball in 2013 and currently works in Michigan, is excited to get back on the floor.
"The funny thing is I’ve been retired from basketball, I played pro until 2013, and since then I haven’t really been training, but now that competitive spirit is starting to come back."
Huffman added,“my teammates and I were all basketball players, now considered retired, but to have another chance, to have basketball open up this door has been pretty special and to be able to wear the USA on my chest is going to be a great feeling,” Huffman said.
The Biggest Challenge - the Rules
The biggest adjustment for this 3 vs 3 basketball tournament is the rules.
The game is played on a half court with a running 10-minute game clock and a 12-second shot clock.
There are no stoppages, except if the ball goes out of bounds or there is a foul.
Following a score, players just take the ball out of the basket and go, there is no inbounding.
“The games are only 10 minutes and it is a running clock so when you step on the floor you have to perform. It is basically like running 800s for 10 minutes straight because you're just running constantly. As soon as you score, you turn right back around, its like full court pressing the entire time,” Huffman said.
For more information on the tournament, click here.
Greatest Players in Brown Basketball History
Cedric Kuakumensah
Class of 2016
Cedric Kuakumensah is the only player in Ivy League history to score 1,000 points, grab 900 rebounds and block 200 shots.
Kuakumensah also is the Ivy league all-time leader with 311 blocked shots, while his 1,181 points rank 16th all-time at Brown and his 907 rebounds rank 4th all time.
Kuakumensah averaged 10 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocked shots per game in his career.
Russ Tyler
Class of 1971
In addition to being one of the program's greatest players of all-time, Tyler has also been it's biggest supporter remaining close to the Brown basketball for the past 4 decades. There is no one who is more positive in his support of the coaches and players who wear the brown and white. Russ holds the second highest scoring average in the Brown record book, averaging 22.7 points per game for the Bears in 1970-71... His 46-points and 18 field goals against Rhode Island in 1971 rank second in Brown history... Ranks 10th in career scoring average with 15.1 points per game... His 568 points in 1970-71 was a Brown record at the time and still second in Brown's record book... Scored 1,133 career points... ECAC All-East selection... Also owned the Brown records for career assists, consecutive free throws, free throw percentage and most field goals in a season.
Mike Cingiser
Class of 1962
A tough-as-nails player and coach for Brown whose accomplishments on the court and the bench were as good as anyone. Netted 1,331 points from 1959-1962, the Brown record at the time, and now fifth... Only one of three Brown players to be a three-time first team All-Ivy selection... Went on to coach the Bears to their only Ivy League Championship in 1986, posting a 16-11 record, 10-4 Ivy, while advancing to the NCAA Tournament against Syracuse... His team play was evidenced by his leading the team in assists and was second in rebounding throughout his varsity career... Tossed in 492 career field goals, still sixth in the Brown record book.
Damon Huffman
Class of 2008
The prototypical "gym rat," Huffman scored 1,306 points in his illustrious career at Brown. He finished his career in style scoring 39 points in a loss to the Ohio Bobcats the College Basketball Invitational Tournament. Huffman drained a school record 9 three-pointers in that game and graduated as Brown's all-time leading 3-point shooter. He teamed up with Barrington's Mark McAndrew to lead the 2007-2008 team to a school-record 19 wins under then head coach Craig Robinson.
Sean McGonagill
Class of 2014
Brown fans will get to see one of their all-time greats play at least one more game Monday night when the Bears host Holy Cross in the CIT. Heading into the game, McGonagill is the school's 3rd all-time leading scorer with 1,608 points. His 257 career treys are the most of any player in Brown history and his 519 assists are second all-time. Recently named First Team All-Ivy, McGonagill showed his amazing toughness as a freshman when he returned to play quickly after an accident in which his upper lip ripped away from his face. Despite 30+ stitches and doctor recommendations to not play for 4 weeks, he returned less than 48 hours after that accident with a mask on where he proceeded to light up the Columbia Lions with a career-high 39 points.
Alai Nuualiitia
Class of 2003
Recognized as Brown's "Iron Man," having started every game in his four-year Brown career, encompassing 110 games... Scored 1,344 career points, fourth on Brown's all-time list... Held the Brown career record with 119 blocked shots at the time of his graduation... His shooting percentage of .617 (126 of 206) in 2002-03 is second in Brown history... Ranks fifth in career field goal percentage (.557)... Helped Brown to an NIT appearance in 2003, and to a school record 57 victories in his four-year career.
Mike Waitkus
Class of 1986
Brown's all-time assists leader with 577 career assists... Scored 1,165 career points... Brown's first ever Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 1983... Holds Brown records for free throw percentage in a season (.898, 97 of 108 in 1983), and a career (.861, 279 of 324)... His 5.8 assists per game in 1983-84 is also a Brown record... Helped Brown to its first ever Ivy League Championship in 1986... Averaged 5.5 assists per game for his career, a Brown record... Two-time All-Ivy selection.
Phillip Brown
Class of 1975
Holds Brown all-time record for rebounding with 931 rebounds... Scored 1,241 career points... His 24 rebounds against Dartmouth are third in the Brown record book... Helped spark the Bears to 30 wins in three years at Brown, a record at the time... Three-time All-Ivy selection, twice a first team honoree... All-New England selection and team captains in both his junior and senior years... Set Brown and New England records for field goal percentage, and Brown records for rebounding. He accomplished this in just 3 years of play as freshman were not allowed to play varsity basketball in Brown's era.
Jason Forte
Class of 2005
The brother of former North Carolina Tarheel and Boston Celtic Joe Forte, Jason was the Ivy League Player of the Year in 2004... His cat-like quickness made him almost impossible to guard... Three-time first team All-Ivy selection... Scored 1,597 career points, third in Brown history... Posted the Ivy League's first "Tiny," leading the league in both scoring (21.4 ppg.) and assists (5.79 apg) as a junior... Set a single-season Brown record with 155 assists in 2002-2003... Completed his career ranked first in steals (192), second in assists (524), second in free throws (536), seventh in three-point field goals (121), and tenth in field goals (469)... AP All-American as a junior.
Arnie Berman
Class of 1972
Arnie Berman was Earl Hunt long before Earl Hunt was born! A prolific scorer who compiled his gaudy stats in just 3 years of varsity play. Held the Brown scoring record for over 30 years with 1,668 career points... Holds Brown seasonal records for points (658 in 1971-72), scoring average (25.3 ppg in 1971-72) and free throws (250 in 1971-72), and career marks for free throws (636), and scoring average (21.6 ppg)... Connected on 25 of 26 free throws vs. Cornell in 1972... Ranks third in career rebounding (878) and rebounding average (11.4 rpg.)... First team All-Ivy selection in 1972... Held 17 Ivy League, Brown and New England scoring records... Led all New England scorers as a senior with 25.3 points per game, earning New England Player of the Year honors.
Earl Hunt
Class of 2003
To steal a line for the former comedic coach of Providence College Pete Gillen, Earl Hunt is the best Brown basketball player, alive, dead or yet to be born! Hunt could score at will by either making jump shots, getting to the rim or getting to the charity stripe. Brown's all-time career scorer and the only Bears player to score over 2,000 career points (2,041)... Three-time first team All-Ivy selection... Scored 39 points twice in his career (vs. Harvard and Central Conn.), sixth in the Brown record book... Owns three Top 10 seasonal marks for points... His 18.9 ppg career scoring average is second at Brown, while his 499 career free throws ranks third... Helped Brown to a school record 17 wins twice (2002, 2003), and to a school record 12 Ivy wins (12-2) in 2003, with the Bears advancing to the National Invitation Tournament.
