U.S. men's basketball team in same draw as China, Spain
BEIJING -- The United States men's basketball team will face host China in its first game at the Beijing Olympics.
Sheridan: Draw Kind To U.S.
Team USA can expect to easily progress in pool play after it was handed challenging though not imposing foes in Saturday's draw for the Olympic men's hoops tournament. Chris Sheridan
In a draw held Saturday in Beijing, the Americans were drawn into Group B with China, defending world champion Spain and Angola. The two other teams to fill out the six-team group will come from an Olympic qualifying tournament in Athens, Greece, on July 14-20.
Group A is made up of Lithuania, Russia, defending Olympic champion Argentina, Iran and Australia. The sixth team will come from the Athens tournament.
In the women's draw, the defending Olympic champion Americans were drawn in Group B with China, Mali and New Zealand. Two more teams in the group will be decided in a qualifying tournament June 9-15 in Madrid, Spain. The American women will open against one of the yet-to-be-determined teams.
In Group A, it's Russia, Australia and South Korea. Three more teams will come from the qualifier.
In both the men's and women's tournaments, the top four teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
