'The Road to Russia': Haws awaits scrimmage, final cuts


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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Following a Friday morning practice for the 15 players remaining on USA Basketball's World University Games Training Camp roster, it was time for them to rest up for the week's first scrimmage later today--the last thing the coaches will see before making three cuts to determine the official 12-man Team USA roster later tonight.

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The two-hour morning session included head coach Bob McKillop dividing the 15-player group into three five-man teams for the duration of the practice, and BYU guard Tyler Haws was in a team that also included Louisville forward and Final Four Most Outstanding Player Luke Hancock, Baylor big man Cory Jefferson, Marquette PF/C Davante Gardner and Indiana PG Yogi Ferrell.

The group played well together, and "won" multiple individual drill sessions in which score was kept and winners were declared. Haws and Hancock were particularly effective playing together on their respective wings; both players can shoot it from anywhere and get to the rim.

"He's a great player," said Haws of Hancock after the morning practice. "He's fun to play with, very unselfish, but he's a great shooter as well and can really put the ball in the basket. He's a competitor, and obviously, he's won a lot of games at Louisville, so I'm learning a lot from him and all the guys...I pick up something new every single day."

'The Road to Russia': Haws awaits scrimmage, final cuts

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Haws says the week of practices has been a productive one for him. "I feel like it's been great. I've tried to show the coaches as much as I can, what I can do and how I can help the team."

About the Friday afternoon scrimmage, he says "hopefully I can show a few things there and then wherever it lands, it lands. This will be our first 'live' stuff, so I'm looking forward to it."

"You kind of have to treat (the scrimmage) just like any other practice," said Haws, "and get your mind and body ready to go, just as you would if you were walking into practice."

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The pressure riding on the scrimmage will be substantial, but there has been pressure on every possession of every practice too; these players have been playing for one of 12 treasured Team USA game jerseys all week. Haws says you can't let the scope of the occasion affect the way you play.

'The Road to Russia': Haws awaits scrimmage, final cuts

"There is a lot of pressure," said Haws on Friday, "but you can't think too much about that stuff. You've just gotta go play as hard as you can and focus on all the little things, and try and show the coaches that you can help this team win."

"I try not to think about any missed shot; you've got to play the next possession, and I try and focus on other things besides making or missing shots."

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Haws knows that the coaches' final roster decision meeting will follow the scrimmage, so there will be considerable import in having a good showing. He says "it will be a relief just to let loose a little bit and go have some fun in a game setting, but I've gotta stay aggressive and stay on attack all the time. Just gotta go play my game, play as hard as I can and whatever happens, happens."

Later this evening, the word on final cuts will come down, and Haws hopes to see his name on the list of 12 names. He says he feels the same ahead of the final cut-down as he did before the original roster paring from 26 to 16 players.

"I don't know what's going to happen, but I feel like I've shown what I can do on offense and defense and so, I feel good, regardless. You come to something like this, and you just have to lay it all out on the court--and I feel like I've done that."

Haws and his supporters are pulling for good news later tonight, but irrespective of tonight's outcome, he says of the tryout that "it's been great, it's been awesome; I've enjoyed it a lot."

"Sometimes you step back and you're like 'holy cow,' this is USA Basketball. It's fun, and I'm enjoying the whole experience."

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Banner photo: Kyle Chilton, BYU Athletic Media Relations

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