Strange things happen in international basketball. If there is one rule of thumb concerning FIBA tournaments, that is it.
And as of last night, we have a new regional champion that absolutely no one would have picked to win the Tournament of the Americas.
Mexico.
Yes, Mexico. They can’t seem to get their act together in soccer, but in basketball they took home the gold medal by defeating Puerto Rico 91-89 to qualify for the World Cup (formerly known as the World Championship) for the first time in 40 years.
Gustavo Ayon of the Atlanta Hawks was named Tournament MVP. Think the Milwaukee Bucks are regretting waiving him? Think Danny Ferry is patting himself on the back for claiming him off waivers?
More from FIBA.com: “Ayon was unstoppable on his way to 20 points and 16 rebounds. He was well seconded by Jovan Harris who erupted for a team-high 23 points, while Lorenzo Mata – usually a defensive player – stepped up with 14 points and 10 boards. Carlos Arroyo had 23 points in defeat for Puerto Rico and Jose Juan Barea had 20. Mexico showed character when coach Valdeolmillos got thrown out in the second half and his team responded well to the challenge of finishing the game without their play caller. No one expected Mexico to finish among the top four – the places that qualified teams for Spain 2014 – but since day one, they have displayed great basketball skills, balanced offense and defense and by the time the Second Round was underway, they were not a surprise anymore. Meanwhile, Americas powerhouse Argentina out-hustled a tired Dominican Republic, beating them 103-93 in the Third-Place Game to take the bronze medal. Facundo Campazzo had 31 points and 11 assists and Luis Scola also came big with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Edgar Sosa paced the Dominicans with 20 points and Jack Michael Martinez had 17 to go with 18 rebounds. Ayon headed the All-Tournament Team and was joined by Argentina’s duo of Scola and Campazzo and Puerto Rico’s pair of Barea and Renaldo Balkman. Mexico, Puerto Rico, Argentina and the Dominican Republic have qualified for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain by virtue of finishing in the top four at the FIBA Americas Championship.”
The United States did not send a team to the tournament, having already qualified for the World Cup by winning the gold medal at the London Olympics.
The biggest disappointment of the tournament was Brazil, which went 0-4.
Canada, meanwhile, can still get a spot in the tournament if they are selected for one of four wild card spots, and one huge determining factor is whether Andrew Wiggins will commit to playing for the national team next summer. The four wild cards will be chosen in late November, and China — which finished fifth in the FIBA-Asia tournament — is a virtual lock to get one of the four spots.