The final four for the FIBA Americas is set — Argentina, Brazil, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic will play Saturday for berths in the 2012 London Olympics. If you haven’t been watching (what, you don’t stream international hoops games at your desk in the morning?) just know that this is fitting — they’ve been the four best teams in the tournament (and all of them are stocked with NBA players such as Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola for Argentina, Al Horford for the Domincan and more).
The seedings (who will play whom Saturday) is the only question that remains and will be determined by games later Thursday. But we know two of those four teams are moving on — winners of the knockout games Saturday are in. Those two teams get to travel to London, march in the opening ceremonies, live in the Olympic Village and hit on Czech pole vaulters. They get the full Olympic experience.
The losers head to the pre-Olympic qualifying tournament. That is where the teams from around the globe that just missed out on getting bids this summer will battle each other for one of the final spots in the games. Not an easy road but these are teams that will be a threat in that tournament.
Venezuela finished fifth and also gets invited to the pre-Olympics tournament. Venezuela secured the spot by beating Uruguay 92-80 on Thursday. Grizzlies guard Greivis Vasquez had 18 points to lead Venezuela.
Canada had an outside shot at this if they had won on Thursday, but they fell to Panama 91-89. This was a disappointment for a Canadian team that may not have been ready for the Olympics but expected to at least make the Qualifying Tournament next season.