The United States basketball team has looked good thus far in the FIBA Americas Tournament. And as you may know, this is a good thing. If the United States team is going to compete in the 2008 Olympics, they need to have a strong tournament.

Sunday night the US team cruised past Brazil by a score of 113-76. Even though the game was close throughout the first quarter, in true American fashion, they turned up the heat from there on out to pull away.

The three big guns for the US team got the job done. LeBron James and Carmello Anthony each scored 21 points, and Kobe Bryant added 20 of his own.

The United States will face off against Mexico tonight. The Mexican team is coached by Nolan Richardson, the former coach at the University of Arkansas. It is safe to say that Richardson has instilled a great sense of pride and defensive intensity in his team.

As long as the US team keeps up their strong play, they should not have any problems moving through the tournament with success. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski said it best after last night’s win. “Brazil is one of the best international teams and they had a terrific game plan but our defense in the second and third quarters was at the highest level it’s been in this tournament.” Like always, defense wins games, and it appears that this years US squad is well aware of this.

Source: philly.com (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)