The United States has the clinched the top seed in Group C with a 4-0 start in the 2014 FIBA World Cup, but coach Mike Krzyzewski’s team has one more game in pool play remaining before the knockout round. Team USA will play Ukraine on Thursday in the final tuneup before the single elimination portion of the tournament.
USA vs. Ukraine, FIBA World Cup 2014: Start time, TV schedule and preview
Team USA is off to the knockout round after a meeting with Ukraine.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
The U.S. enters at 4-0, but the rest of the group is bunched together. Ukraine as one of three teams currently sitting at 2-2, while New Zealand and Finland are each 1-3. Four of the six teams will advance from the group.
Ukraine, led by longtime NBA coach Mike Fratello, has victories over Turkey and the Dominican Republic and losses to Finland and New Zealand. Former Sacramento Kings point guard Eugene ‘Pooh’ Jeter is the leading the team in scoring (and 13th overall in the World Cup) by averaging 16 point per game. Olexandr Mishula, a 22-year-old guard, is averaging 10 points per game, while wing Sergii Gladyr is averaging nine points per game.
The Americans are led by Anthony Davis on both ends of the floor. The New Orleans Pelicans big man is leading the team with 16.8 points per game, while adding 6.5 rebounds and two blocks per game. Davis was one of five U.S. scorers to reach double-figures in the team’s most recent game against Dominican Republic, with power forward Kenneth Faried finishing with a game-high 16 points and six rebounds.
How to watch
Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Location: Bizkaia Arena, Bilbao, Spain
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