PROVO -- As the only non-professional to make the Brazilian Senior National Team, BYU basketball player Jonathan Tavernari is in Athens, Greece, for next week's FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, hoping to help his native Brazil earn a spot in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
The 6-foot-6 Cougar forward is playing shooting guard on the Senior National Team and has earned the sixth-man role in the rotation of coach Mancho Monsalve.
"I'm really having a great experience," Tavernari said. "I'm the youngest guy on the team, but I'm the sixth man. I'm the guy who comes off the bench and gives my team a boost offensively. I'm the guy who might need to shut down the other team's best perimeter player. So I'm being pushed to become a better player, and I love this because I love challenges."
Brazil has achieved a 3-2 record in its five games preparing for next week's qualifying tournament. Brazil defeated Venezuela twice in Rio de Janeiro before traveling to Athens to participate in a four-team warm-up event this week. Brazil went 1-2 at the just completed Eurobank Acropolis Tournament with a victory over Croatia and close setbacks to Greece and Australia.
With their preparation contests behind them, the Brazilians stay in Athens to play in the 12-team FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament from July 14-20. Brazil will debut in group play versus Lebanon on Tuesday. Greece is the other team in Brazil's group, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the quarterfinals. Seeking to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 12 years, Brazil will need to finish in the top three to advance to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
"Our chances of making the Olympics are just as good as the other 11 teams in the tournament," said Tavernari, who joins another former Cougar, 2004 All-American center Rafael Araujo, in representing Brazil. "We believe we're among the best going into this, and we know we have 180 million Brazilians supporting us."
Brazil opened the Acropolis Tournament on Monday, dropping a 72-65 decision to Greece. Tavernari scored two points on 1-for-4 shooting from the field with two rebounds, two assists and two steals in 14:38 on the floor. Araujo also scored two points with four rebounds and a blocked shot in 19:02 of play for the Brazilians.
Tavernari scored 11 points on Tuesday as Brazil beat Croatia 86-77, a team Brazil could potentially meet in the semifinals of next week's qualifying tournament. Tavernari scored his 11 points on 3-for-5 shooting from three-point range and 2-for-2 accuracy at the free-throw line. Playing just under 15 minutes, Tavernari scored five straight points upon entering the game to ignite a run that gave Brazil its first double-digit lead of the contest. His last two three-pointers helped Brazil opened up a game-high 20-point cushion.
Brazil finished the Acropolis Tournament Wednesday with an 89-84 loss to Australia but earned second place in the tiebreaking among the three 1-2 teams. Host Greece won the event with a perfect 3-0 mark. Tavernari went 0-for-3 and did not score against Australia while contributing one assist and one steal in 13 minutes on the floor. Araujo scored 6 points on 3-of-5 shooting in 12 minutes. In the five games Brazil has played thus far, Tavernari is averaged 6.8 points per game and Araujo is averaging 4.8 points per contest.
"I'm learning from very experienced players and from a big-time Spanish coach (Moncho Monsalve)," Tavernari said. "Because I'm playing the guard position, my outside game has improved a lot, but I'd say my defense has improved the most. I'm defending point guards, shooting guards and wings. Coach Monsalve believes in me and pushes me just like Coach Rose does. I love that; it's really given me a lot of confidence."