RIO DE JANEIRO -- From Kyrie to KD, DeMar to DeMarcus, many players on the U.S. Olympic mens basketball team are so well known to NBA fans they can simply go by first names or nicknames.The Americans have 12 NBA players on their roster, headlined by former MVP Kevin Durant and featuring multiple All-Stars. Kyrie Irving, DeMar DeRozan and DeMarcus Cousins played on the team that won the gold medal two years ago in the Basketball World Cup.There are plenty more players in the tournament who either are familiar faces or could soon be. There are a record 46 current NBA players set to play in the Olympics, the league said, along with 18 more former players.We know that there are great basketball players all over the world, U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said. Over 20 percent of the NBA is international now and so theres a deep respect for the game, for the international game, and we hope that well be able to show that respect in the matter in which we play here in Rio de Janeiro.A look at some players to watch when competition begins Saturday:DARIO SARIC , CROATIA. The will he or wont he join the 76ers questions were as frequent as the losses last year in Philadelphia, but the team got good news in July when the former lottery pick signed with the 76ers . The 6-foot-10 forward played the last two seasons with Turkish team Anadolu Efes and looked NBA-ready when he averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds while winning MVP honors of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament that Croatia won to earn its spot in Brazil.YI JIANLIAN , CHINA. Once so highly regarded that he was the No. 6 pick in the 2007 draft, Yis NBA career didnt amount to much. But he remains a solid international player who was the MVP of the FIBA Asia championship last summer when his team clinched its Olympic berth, and the 7-footer scored 18 points in an exhibition game last month against the U.S., Chinas opening opponent on Saturday.GUILLERMO WILLY HERNANGOMEZ , SPAIN. The New York Knicks noticed him while scouting Kristaps Porzingis, who was playing for the same professional team in Spain. So they acquired the rights to the 2015 second-round pick of Philadelphia and signed him last month so he could join the team next season. In the meantime, the 6-10 center gets valuable experience playing for his country while Marc Gasol is sidelined while recovering from a broken foot.BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC , SERBIA. Not to be confused with and not related to the similar-sounding Bojan Bogdanovic, a Brooklyn Nets guard who plays for Croatia. Bogdan Bogdanovic could someday join him in the NBA, as the Sacramento Kings own his rights after a recent trade with the Phoenix Suns. He has chosen to remain in Europe at least for next season and showed the Kings what they will be missing when he had 26 points and eight assists in the championship game of the Olympic qualifying tournament the Serbians won last month.DOMANTAS SABONIS , LITHUANIA. The son of Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis played for Gonzaga and after being drafted by Orlando in the first round was traded to Oklahoma City in a deal for Serge Ibaka. At 6-10, he could give the Lithuanians an imposing front line alongside the 6-11 Jonas Valanciunas of the Toronto Raptors.PATRICIO GARINO , ARGENTINA. The San Antonio Spurs have done pretty well with an Argentine on their roster, and they added another alongside Manu Ginobili when they signed Garino last month. The 6-7 swingman scored 14.1 points per game last season in helping George Washington win the NIT championship, and playing for the Orlando Magics summer league team averaged 12 points in three games.---Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney Clearance Air Max 270 . Hamelin, who triumphed in the 500 on Saturday, edged out Victor An of Russia by 0.021 seconds to maintain his lead in the World Cup standings. Russias Vladimir Grigorev was third. In the relay, Canada took control six laps from the finish line to beat Russia and the Netherlands. Nike Air Max Plus Tn Ultra Cheap . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to earn a 3-2 victory at Valencia to stay in third place and three points behind its title rivals. http://www.wholesalenikeshoesclearance.com/cheap-kobe-bryant-shoes.html . Kozun faked to the forehand and beat Monsters starter, Calvin Pickard, pad side in the second round for the winner. Spencer Abbott also scored in the shootout for the Marlies (25-13-4). Cheap Air Max 90 Wholesale . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec. Cheap Nike Vapormax China . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Dalvin Cook was one of the college footballs most explosive players last season. But as the Florida State running back prepares for the upcoming season, he wants to be just as potent without the ball.The game plan is going to come in, they are going to want to stop Dalvin, Cook said. I can still influence the defense and draw more 1-on-1 coverages if I have the ball or not. I have to be more fluid and move around more.When the fourth-ranked Seminoles face No. 11 Mississippi in the Sept. 5 opener in Orlando, all eyes will be on the 5-foot-11, 213-pound junior, who has garnered some Heisman talk. Last season Cook set FSU single-season records for rushing (1,691) and all-purpose yards (1,935).There are three other stats though which stand out about Cook. His 7.9 yards per carry and his 22 carries of 20-yards or more led Power Five conference running backs. The carries were a bigger eye opener.Cooks 229 carries were the second-most by a running back in a Jimbo Fisher offense (LSUs LaBrandon Toefield had 230 in 2001) and marked the first time since Greg Allen in 1983 that a Florida State back had 200 carries or more in a season.Hes baby sweetness. . Not comparing him to Walter Payton. He has that juice back there in the backfield, fullback Freddie Stevenson said. He has crazy vision. He might see some things that everybody else might not see. You just know with him behind you, get on your man and hell do the rest.While some may be amazed that Cook had three touchdown runs of 74 yards or more last season, it is what he did in the first 10 yards that made those big plays. On his 94-yard touchdown against Wake Forest, Cook broke two tackles with a cut at the FSU 13 before being gone.I am amazed about some of the cuts I make. Im confident when I do. I dont think twice about it, Cook said. When I make my reads I go with my first instinct and go with it. You see some of the looks on these fans faces it will tell it all.Keeping Cook healthy will be a major focus. During the second half of last season he had a nagging hamstring strain and missed a game due to an ankle injury. As spring practices concluded, he underwent shoulder surgery..ddddddddddddCook is hoping that adding 10 pounds will help him be able to stand up more to the rigors of the season.With a bye week at midseason, Cook should get a chance to rest right before the pivotal Oct. 29 game against Clemson. He will be counted on heavily though during a challenging opening six-game stretch that includes four ranked opponents -- Mississippi, Louisville (Sept. 17) and North Carolina (Oct. 1). Theres also an Oct. 8 trip to Miami.Fisher and strength coach Vic Viloria credit the Seminoles GPS monitoring of player practice levels of preventing a more serious injury last season.Viloria added about the GPS data: Guys run fast and are going to pull hamstrings. If he pulled his hamstring wouldnt you want everyone with a bad hamstring because he rushed for nearly 2,000 yards. With the GPS data Coach Fisher prevented a crack from becoming a crevice.Fisher, who said Cooks carries might be more monitored during the season, added that he has seen a more relaxed Cook.Dalvins a very quiet guy, Fisher said. What Ive seen a lot of growth in, hes more outgoing with his teammates. I think hes having a greater effect on them in everything he does.Florida State returns all of its offensive starters, but with Sean Maguire breaking his right foot on the second day of practice, redshirt freshman Deondre Francois will be the quarterback.Fisher is hoping that the added experience at receiver will make the offense more balanced, but with a young quarterback and receivers struggling in practice, Cook will be counted on early.Cook goes into the season needing 1,260 yards to break Warrick Dunns school career mark of 3,959 yards. Hes also trying to become the first running back from a Florida school to win the Heisman. Florida State, Florida and Miami have combined for seven Heisman winners, but all have gone to quarterbacks.You put all that talk in the back of your head, he said. If we do what we have to do as a group all the individual awards will take care of itself.---AP college football website: collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '
