CAPEL, USA BASKETBALL CAPTURE GOLD MEDAL IN 85-70 WIN
8-21-05
click here for game story on USA Basketball site, including photo of Jeff Capel and the coaching staff with their gold medals
(The United States won the gold medal in men's basketball at the World University games in Turkey with an 85-70 victory over the Ukraine on Sunday. Craig Smith of Boston College led the U.S. with 16 points, all in the first half. Duke's Shelden Williams had 15 points and 14 rebounds. The U.S. went 8-0 in Turkey and raised its overall record to 127-17 in WUG competition. It was the 13th gold medal for the United State in men's basketball at the World University Games.)

Journal entry #6USA! USA! USA!  In a game that was ugly and a little sloppy, we were able to prevail and win the gold medal!  It was an amazing experience and an incredible sense of pride in completing our mission.  Watching our guys celebrate, and the sense of pride they displayed throughout this trip was priceless. This group came together 28 days ago in Colorado Springs, and has grown into a family that is very close, tough, and a very good basketball team.On a personal level, this is an experience I will forever treasure and value. I have grown so much over these past 28 days as a coach and as a person. To have a chance to work with Jay Wright and Bobby Gonzalez will help me be a better basketball coach. But the relationship and bond I have developed with these two guys will be something that lasts a lifetime.  To have a chance to coach and work with some of the most talented college basketball players in the country was tremendous. The thing I will always remember about the players on this team is that they are incredible young men of character, and were willing to sacrifice their ego to be a part of something special, something bigger than themselves. That's not an easy thing to do when you are a star. All the guys on this team are stars back at their own program. But they came together with one common goal in mind, and worked like crazy to accomplish something special. I am so proud to be a part of this team, and grateful for the experience!On a final note, I am so grateful to be the head coach at VCU, and to work with the people affiliated with our program and athletic department. Being away has allowed me to realize even more that we have something really special at VCU. From the players in our program, to my assistants, our managers, Dr. Sander, Dianne Long, and the rest of the athletic department, thank you for allowing me to participate in this incredible event. I thank you because you gave me the confidence that OUR program would be taken care of even though I was gone for such a long time. I also want to thank all the VCU fans that supported Nick and I in this event, that followed our teams, and that were rooting for us from afar!Finally, I want to thank Phil Stanton, who came up with the idea to do this journal and staying connected with VCU fans everywhere.  This has been an awesome experience. Now, I am ready to come home and begin working with our team and start preparing for the season!  Take care, and I hope to see you all at the Rams Club and Barkley golf event on the 29th!GO RAMS/GO USA!!!

CAPEL, USA BASKETBALL ADVANCE TO GOLD MEDAL GAME
8-19-05
Journal entry #5USA, USA, USA!!!  We advanced with a commanding performance this afternoon against Russia. Russia came out very strong in the first quarter and knocked us back. They were very prepared, and very sharp in their execution. At the end of the first quarter, Russia led 21-16, which was the first time we trailed after a quarter during the whole tournament.  Our guys came out strong to start the second quarter and took control of the game. It was great to see our guys respond after being knocked back. I've always felt that you find out the character of your team when a little adversity strikes. Our guys showed tremendous heart, competitive spirit, and pride. We ended up winning 120-80. It was our most impressive performance during the tournament. With this win, we advance to the gold medal game, which will be played on Sunday at 3 p.m. Our opponent will be a very good and tough Ukraine squad. Ukraine was very impressive in its win today against Serbia & Montenegro. They are the most impressive defensive team I've seen over here. They are big, physical, and very tough. Also, they have a 7-ft. center that NBA scouts are here watching. They say this kid will be a first-round pick in next year’s draft, so we will have our hands full. We are off tomorrow, which is great for our team. We have played seven games in eight days, so they are pretty tired.  We will relax, and start preparing for Sunday's game. We are on our way right now to watch the USA women's team play for the gold medal. Hopefully, they can bring home the gold!For anyone who's interested, our semifinal game will be aired on Fox College Sports Northwest tomorrow on a tape delay. The final will be shown on the same network Monday via tape delay. If you get a minute, and you have the channel, check us out. Well, I'm off to do some shopping. I hear there are some great places here in Izmir, so hopefully I can find some gifts to bring back. The gift I want more than anything though is the gold medal!Everyone have a great weekend, and hopefully I can write you on Sunday with the gold around my neck!GO RAMS/GO USA!

CAPEL AND WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES TEAM REACH SEMIFINALS
8-18-05
Journal entry #4Well, we advanced to the semifinals with a win this morning over Australia.  We played at 10:30 this morning, which was tough.  I have not been a part of a game that early since my AAU days!  We were able to beat a very game and scrappy Australian team.  The name of the game at this point is to survive and advance.  We didn't have our best performance, and credit Australia for that.  But, we did enough to advance.   I stayed after and watched Turkey and Russia play in the other quarterfinal game.  We play the winner of that game.  It was a great game.  Anytime the Turkish team plays, the atmosphere is incredible.  The gym is packed, and they have such passion for their team.  It gets so loud in there.  They have chants, music, and all sorts of things going on.  The Turkish players feed off the energy of their crowd.  The Turkish team gives their fans a lot to be excited about.  They play a very exciting style of basketball.  Anyway, the Turkish team came out very strong, and took a 20-point lead into halftime.  The place was going nuts.  I had to cover my ears on several occasions because the noise was so deafening.  After three quarters, Turkey was still dominating, taking a 17-point lead into the third quarter.  However, the Russian team showed a lot of heart and continued to battle.  With six minutes left in the game, Turkey's lead was cut to nine.  The gym continued to shake with noise, and Russia never backed down.  They continued to chip away and, as the game became tighter, the fans began to worry, as did the Turkish team.  As improbable as it may seem, Russia came back and won the game.  It was an amazing victory in that environment, and to recover from such a deep hole.  They showed tremendous character, toughness, and togetherness.  The player that led Russia was none other than Konstantin Nesterov.  He was MAGNIFICENT!!!  He finished the game with 28 points, and eight rebounds.  That only tells half the story.  He made big shots, grabbed huge rebounds, and hit key free throws down the stretch to secure the win.  In fact, with the game in the bag, Kast went to the free throw line for two shots.   We had made eye contact earlier and I had winked at him, and given him a thumbs up for how well he played.  He returned the gesture.  Well, after he made the first free throw, he looks over at me and smiled.  Then, on his second attempt, he tried to intentionally bank it in.  I cracked up.  Kast's last year at VCU was my first as an assistant.  That season, I worked with the post players.  After every practice, I would grab LF and work on free throw shooting.  We would then play a free throw shooting game, which Kast would join in.  I usually always won, and when I had the game wrapped up, I would always bank the last free throw.  I was amazed that he remembered that, and that he had the courage to try that in such a huge game.  I was very happy for him, and proud of him.   So, we will face Russia tomorrow in the semifinals at 12:45.  The winner of that game will advance to the gold medal game.  In the other bracket, Serbia & Montenegro plays Canada, and Germany plays the Ukraine.  I have scouted all those teams, and they are all very good.   Its gonna be a heck of a 'final four,' so to speak!   On another note, Great Britain lost today to Iran.  Nick did not play.  I think he re-injured his ankle during yesterday's game.  I haven't had a chance to catch up with him to find out the severity of the injury.  I hope it’s not too bad.   Nick was averaging 17.3 points per game, which was fourth in the whole event.  The game I saw him play he was outstanding.  He didn't shoot the ball particularly well in that game, but his floor game was terrific.  I was really excited watching him, and thinking of the different ways we could use him next season.  He really handled the ball well, and made great decisions, which is something I talked about with him at the end of last season.  He even played some point on occasion (he will not do that for us!!!). Well, wish us luck against Kast and the Russian team tomorrow.  Talk to you soon! GO RAMS!!!!!

CAPEL, USA HOOPS MOVE TO SEMIFINALS WITH WIN OVER AUSTRALIA
8-18-05
click here for USA Basketball game story and box score vs. Australia The USA Men's World University Games Team, with Jeff Capel as an assistant coach, used a 19-0 run in the first quarter to take control in an 88-68 win over Australia Thursday at the Summer World University Games in Izmir, Turkey. Randy Foye of Villanova scored 18 points to lead the U.S., which led 31-9 late in the first quarter. The U.S. moved to 6-0 and advanced to the semifinals on Friday against Russia, which had a come-from-behind 83-79 win over Turkey in its quarterfinal contest.

CAPEL, USA HOOPS REACH QUARTERFINALS WITH WIN OVER CZECHS
8-17-05
click here for USA Basketball game story and box score vs. Czech RepublicThe USA Men's World University Games Team, with Jeff Capel as an assistant coach, used an 18-0 run in the second quarter to take command in an 87-51 win over the Czech Republic Wednesday at the Summer World University Games in Izmir, Turkey. Five players scored in double figures, led by Shelden Williams of Duke with 16 points. The U.S. moved to 5-0 and advanced to the quarterfinals on Thursday against Australia
Thursday's quarterfinal matchups:
USA (5-0) vs. Australia (3-2)
Russia (5-0) vs. Turkey (4-1)
Serbia & Montenegro (4-0) vs. Canada (4-1)
Ukraine (5-0) vs. Germany (4-1)

CAPEL, USA BASKETBALL STAY UNDEDEATED WITH WIN OVER CHINA
8-16-05
click here for USA Basketball game story and box score vs. China The USA Men's World University Games Team, with Jeff Capel as an assistant coach, overwhelmed China 117-61 Tuesday to remain undefeated at the Summer World University Games in Izmir, Turkey. Eric Hicks of Cincinnati came off the bench to tally 24 points. The U.S. will face the Czech Republic on Wednesday in the final game of the preliminary second round.

CAPEL AND WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES TEAM ENJOY DAY OFF
8-16-05
Journal entry #3Well, we are done with the pool play part of the games.  We finished 3-0 with wins over Iran, Slovakia, and Germany.  Germany was a big win for us.   They are a very, very good team.  They have been practicing together since the end of June.  They have a few older guys who play professionally, as well as a really good college post player from Bucknell.  They are well coached, and in terrific physical condition.  We had to play our best game to beat them.  It was a close game throughout, but we got some stops at the end, and made some huge offensive plays.  We were carried by Shelden Williams from Duke, and Craig Smith from Boston College.  Those two combined for 40 points and 18 rebounds.   We were off today (Monday, Aug. 15).  We traveled as a team to Ephesus.  It was an AMAZING tour.  As some may know, the city of Ephesus is very historic.  It’s where they believed Mary, the mother of Jesus, was buried.  We saw the house Mary lived in, a theater stadium where the apostle Paul, and John the Baptist preached sermons.  This place is more than 1800 years old.  I was amazed by the architecture of some of the places in Ephesus: the marble, the foundation, and the knowledge that we were walking on hallowed ground.  Those who know me know that I am fascinated, and love the apostle Paul.  To be in a place where he walked, in a place where he preached one of his sermons, was unbelievably powerful.  Since my arrival in Turkey, I have seen some of the places and things I read and learned about in those history classes back in college.  Being a history major, I'm sure my college professors would be proud to know that I remembered a lot of the facts from those lectures and assigned readings! One thing that I am disappointed in is that I have not had a chance to see Nick George play yet.  Because of our schedule, and the fact that all the basketball games are at different sites, I have not been able to get over to catch a game.  I have seen him in the cafeteria and had breakfast and lunch with him on several occasions.  He has played well, scoring 16 points in the first game, and 24 in the second to go along with 10 rebounds (good to see him rebounding again!!!).  In Sunday's game, I heard he turned his ankle and did not play that much.  I saw in the boxscore that he scored eight points, but they do not keep a record of minutes played over here.  Today was an off day for all men's basketball, so hopefully he is doing better.  I'm excited because his team plays immediately after us tomorrow in the same venue, so I will finally get a chance to see him play.  His team is 1-2 with tough losses to Lithuania and Australia.  Because of that, they will not qualify for the medal round.   Our next two games are against China and the Czech Republic.  These are called crossover games, and are for seeding for the medal rounds.  I have scouted both China and the Czech Republic.  Both are good teams, and are capable of playing well.  One of the things that happen is that every team is JUICED to play us.  It is their biggest game.  We constantly have to take our opponents’ best shot.  We must constantly be on our toes and come out ready to compete at a high level.  Our coach, Jay Wright, has done a tremendous job of keeping our guys motivated to play.  Also, all of our guys are rising seniors, and they all come from high level programs, so they are used to being in big games all the time. On a side note, there is a little VCU flava over here in the basketball competition.  Along with myself and Nick George, I ran into Sherman Hamilton, a former very good guard at VCU.  He is an assistant coach with the Canadian team here.  They are 3-0 and won their pool.  I had a chance to sit and talk to him in the cafeteria late last week.  We spoke a little about his time at VCU, and about us wanting him to be more involved in the program.  He is a very good guy.  Also, Kristina Cesnaviciute, a former women’s basketball player who just graduated, is here playing for Lithuania.  I ran into her at one of the bus stops the other day and we talked for a few minutes.  She was leaving for a game.   Finally, opening ceremonies took place last Thursday.  There were more than 70,000 people there.  It was an amazing ceremony, marching in and walking around that track with so many people screaming and clapping.  There are more than 8,000 athletes here, and 32 countries represented.  To see the pride these athletes have for their country is beautiful.  I also had a chance to meet Gary Cunningham, who is the president of the USOC, and also the athletic director at UC Santa Barbara.  However, I was fascinated to meet him because he played for Coach John Wooden at UCLA on Coach Wooden's first Final Four team.  He later became an assistant coach for UCLA under Coach Wooden for 10 years.  During his time on the bench assisting UCLA, they won eight national championships, and had an 88-game winning streak.  He later became the head coach at UCLA for a few years after Coach Wooden.  This man was part of the most incredible winning streak, and dynasty in the history of sports.  I picked his brain for about 45 minutes about Coach Wooden, UCLA, and coaching in general.  He has breakfast with Coach Wooden once a week, and he is going to get coach to autograph a book for me, and send me a copy of his pyramid of success.  I am very excited about that. Well, that's it for now.  Its about 12:30 am here, so I guess I should try and get some sleep.  I cannot wait to return to Richmond and see everyone!  Nick shares the same thoughts.   We miss you!!!! GO RAMS!!!!

CAPEL, USA BASKETBALL MOVE TO 3-0 WITH WIN OVER GERMANY
8-14-05
click here for USA Basketball game story and box score vs. Germany The USA Men's World University Games Team, with Jeff Capel as an assistant coach, raised its record to 3-0 in preliminary play with a 72-62 win over Germany at the Summer World University Games in Izmir, Turkey. Shelden Williams of Duke and Craig Smith of Boston College each scored 20 points. The U.S. will face China on Tuesday in the preliminary second round.Nick George and Great Britain picked up their first win on Sunday with an 87-68 decision over Lebanon. George came off the bench to collect seven points, three rebounds and three assists.

CAPEL, USA BASKETBALL DEFEAT SLOVAKIA 85-70
8-13-05
click here for USA Basketball game story and box score vs. Slovakia The USA Men's World University Games Team, with Jeff Capel as an assistant coach, raised its record to 2-0 in preliminary play with an 85-70 victory over Slovakia at the Summer World University Games in Izmir, Turkey. Craig Smith of Boston College led the U.S. with 23 points and nine rebounds. The U.S. concludes preliminary play on Sunday against Germany, which also owns a 2-0 record. Nick George and Great Britain dropped to 0-2 in preliminary play with an 80-72 loss to Australia on Saturday. George led his team with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

CAPEL, USA BASKETBALL OUTSCORE IRAN 94-47
8-12-05
click here for USA Basketball game story and box score vs. Iran The USA Men's World University Games Team, with Jeff Capel as an assistant coach, thumped Iran 94-47 on Friday in the team's first game of preliminary action at the Summer World University Games in Izmir, Turkey. The U.S. enjoyed balanced offense, as six players scored in double figures. Mike Gansey led the squad with 13 points. The U.S. will meet Slovakia on Saturday.Great Britain, with senior Nick George, dropped its first game to Lithuania 96-91 on Friday. George had 16 points, three rebounds and two steals. Great Britain faces Australia on Saturday.

COACH CAPEL WRITES FROM THE WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES TOUR
8-8-05
Journal entry #2 Well, we made it here to Turkey!  It was a very long travel day.  We left Colorado Springs on Friday, August 5th.  We drove from Colorado Springs to Denver, which was took us an hour and thirty minutes.  We flew from Denver to Chicago.  We arrived in Chicago around 2 p.m. and were supposed to leave at 5:50 p.m.  However, we were delayed until 7:30 p.m.  We flew from Chicago to Munich, Germany, which was an eight-hour flight.  Then, we took a three-hour flight to Turkey.  As you can imagine, we are all very tired and little jet-lagged.We are staying in an Olympic Village-type setting.  I feel like I'm back in college so to speak as we have four people in our room.  We all share one bathroom, shower, and toilet.  The food is decent, and it is VERY HOT!!!  We will have a few scrimmage games beginning Tuesday.  The real tournament begins Aug. 11th.That's all I have for now.  I hope everyone is doing well back at VCU.  I miss all of you and cannot wait to get back and begin preparing for our season!  Take care and GO RAMS!!!

COACH CAPEL WRITES FROM THE WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES TOUR
8-3-05
Journal entry #1 I have been in Colorado Springs since last Thursday.  It has already been an incredible experience.  We have had eight practices to date and are on the verge of making cuts.  We have 14 guys trying out for 12 spots, and these players have made this decision very tough.  They are all very talented players and great young men.  It will be a difficult decision, but its something that must be done. Our team is coming together.  We seem to have a good mix of post players and shooters.  Guys like Shelden Williams from Duke, Craig Smith from BC, Gerry McNamara from Syracuse -- names that may be familiar to everyone.  Jay Wright, our head coach, is doing a great job of keeping things upbeat and teaching the way he wants us to play.  Jay is a GREAT guy, and a brilliant basketball coach.  It has also been a pleasure working with guys like Billy Gillespie, head coach at Texas A&M, and Karl Hobbs, head coach at George Washington.  They were court coaches with our team and really great guys.  Their input has been incredibly valuable to us selecting this team. The other assistant with me is Bobby Gonzalez, who is the head coach at Manhattan College.  Bobby is a really great guy, and a tremendous coach.  His energy is contagious.  He has experienced incredible success at Manhattan and being around him for the past few days, I understand why.One of the things that has been really cool for me is talking basketball with all of these guys.  I feel like I've learned so much already.  Also, I've had the privilege to hang out with two coaching legends...Jim Boeheim, and Tubby Smith.  Coach Boeheim is the head of the basketball committee with USA Basketball.  I went to lunch and dinner with him my first two days here.  He is one of the most brilliant men I have ever met.  He has an incredible eye for talent, and was very open in talking to me about his coaching philosophy, and offering tips.  Also, he has some of the best stories I've ever heard.  I could sit and listen to him forever. The next night (Saturday), I had the honor of having dinner with TubbySmith, who is also on the basketball committee, and was out watching one of his players, Patrick Sparks practice.  Coach Smith is very proud of his time at VCU and spoke very fondly of the university, and the friends he still has in the Richmond area.  I picked his brain about how he runs his program, his defensive philosophy, and other basketball related issues. Coach Smith also reminded me that he has known me since I was two years old, as he and my father coached against each other as high school coaches in North Carolina.  What an honor to spend time with two legends of coaching and two guys that are still at the top of their craft.  It doesn't get any better for a young coach like me!!!The people that run USA Basketball are tremendous.   Shaun Ford, Jim Tooley, and BJ Johnson are a huge part of the team that helps make USA Basketball the best!  It has been great getting to know those guys and seeing how and why USA Basketball has been so successful over the years. These guys are the ones that put everything together. Well, that's all for now.  I'm going to try and get some sleep, and get ready for practice tomorrow.  We are scrimmaging the Air Force Academy tomorrow evening and will most likely cut our roster to 12 guys after the scrimmage.  We also will have a scrimmage on Wednesday against the Denver Nuggets.  That should be very interesting.  Being out here is great. The only negative is that I miss my family, my players, the VCU family, and all of our friends.  Talk to you soon!

FORMER RAM LAMAR TAYLOR ADDED TO HARGRAVE STAFF
8-2-05RICHMOND, Va. – Former Virginia Commonwealth University standout and local Richmond product Lamar Taylor was recently added to the Hargrave Military Academy basketball staff.  The John Marshall High School grad, spent one year as an assistant coach at Longwood University before taking the new position.

CAPEL, GEORGE PREPARE FOR WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES
8-1-05
World University Games Information RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Commonwealth University head coach Jeff Capel and senior forward Nick George (Manchester, England/Montrose Christian) are preparing for the 2005 Men’s World University Games In Izmir, Turkey.Capel, in his fourth season at the helm of the Rams’ program, will be an assistant coach for the USA team. He and Bobby Gonzalez of Manhattan will assist Jay Wright of Villanova. Capel is currently in Colorado Springs, working on the selection of the team. The team will leave on Friday, August 5, and begin competition on Friday, August 12.George (right) is a member of Great Britains’s team for the World University Games. The squad is practicing in England and will head to Finland for a exhibition tournament later this week before heading to Turkey on Sunday, August 7.George was First Team All-Colonial Athletic Association and First Team All-State. He led the Rams and was third in the CAA in scoring this past season, averaging 16.8 points per game. In conference games, he was tops in the CAA with 18.3 points per contest. An NABC All-District First Team selection, George was named CAA Player of the Week twice this season. He led the Rams and was 10th in the league in rebounding with 5.8 per game. George was 14th in three-pointers per game (1.44). He scored a career-high 36 points at home against William & Mary after posting 29 points against George Mason and 33 points against Delaware. George started all 32 games for VCU and scored in double figures in 28, including 18 of the final 19. He has 1,055 points in his three-year career at VCU.