Top qualifiers Canada and Australia are favorites to advance into the medal round of the Men's Basketball quarterfinals on Saturday, September 13.
In its five preliminary matches, Canada finished with a 5-0 record in group A, while Australia finished 4-1 in group B. Germany, Great Britain, Iran and the United States are also strong contenders to advance into the medal round of the tournament. The winner of each quarterfinal will advance to the semifinals on Sunday.
Canada vs Israel 9:00 a.m. (UTC/GMT +8)
? Canada is the only team with a 5-0 perfect record. In group A, it beat Germany, Iran, Japan, South Africa and Sweden.
? In the preliminaries, Canada averaged the most rebounds (45.2) and assists (17.2) per game. Forward Patrick Anderson had the fifth-best average for points scored (18.2).
? Israel finished with a record of two wins and three losses in group B, beating Brazil and China. It lost to Australia, the United States and Great Britain.
? In the preliminaries, Israeli forward Dotan Meishar and guard Roei Rozenberg were ranked eighth and ninth for average points scored per game (16.8 and 16.4).
The United States vs Iran 11:15 a.m. (UTC/GMT +8)
? The United States finished 4-1 in group B, defeating Australia, Israel, Brazil and China. It lost 50-54 in its match against Great Britain.
? The United States is averaging the highest amount of points per game (75.6). It also has the highest shooting percentages for field goals (48.3%) and three-point shots (46.3%). The United States has had the least amount of turnovers.
? Iran's 3-2 record in group A included wins against Japan, South Africa and Sweden. It lost to Canada and Germany.
? Iranian guard Alireza Ahmadi's average of 17.8 points per game places him as the sixth-highest scorer after the preliminaries.
Germany vs Great Britain 1:30 p.m. (UTC/GMT +8)
? Germany's 3-2 record placed it second to Canada in group A. It defeated Iran, South Africa and Sweden, but narrowly lost to Canada and Japan.
? During the preliminaries, Germany ranked first in steals (12.0) and second in fouls (21.2). Forward/guard Dirk Passiwan was the 10th-highest scorer (an average of 16.0 points per game). British forward Simon Munn had the highest average during preliminaries for points per game (19.8) and rebounds (14.0).
? Great Britain's greatest strength is its physical condition, according to forward Terence Bywater. "I think we are one of the fittest teams, and we have had four and a half years to get to our physical peak," Bywater said.
Australia vs Japan 4:45 p.m. (UTC/GMT +8)
? Australia topped group B with a 4-1 record. Its only loss was to the United States, but it beat Great Britain, Israel, Brazil and China.
? Among the 12 teams, Australia had the best average for two-point field goals (50.4%) and free throws (61.3%). Forward Justin Eveson and center Brad Ness were tied as the second–highest scorers (an average of 19.6 points per game).
? Japan finished fourth in group A, with a 2-3 record. It narrowly beat Germany and South Africa, but lost to Canada, Iran and Sweden.
? For Japan's quarterfinal game, forward Kozai Hiroaki said his team will reflect on its narrow win over South Africa on Thursday. "We will study the shortages and advantages of the game and use them," Kozai said.
(BOCOG September 12, 2008)