"Head coach Brian Katz
Members of the Hornet Family:
As our trip is winding down, I would like to paint a picture for you in regard to our experiences in Taiwan.
First, let me say that I am extremely impressed with the humility, graciousness, and integrity of the Taiwanese people. It started the moment that we arrived at the airport last Saturday when Patrick Chu greeted us. Patrick is our interpreter, but he has now become more than that. He has become a true and valued lifelong friend. He has done virtually everything for us in regard to accommodations and arrangements, but more importantly, his sincerity and commitment to his job has transcended the job. He has now become one of us. When we began, we were unsure of everything, now we worry about nothing.
Next, we arrived at the arena for the opening ceremonies of the William Jones Cup. I have never seen the opening ceremonies at the Olympics in person, but I have seen them on television. I can tell you that it felt like the Olympics when the teams marched around the arena, then got in single file lines representing their countries. When Team USA (Sacramento State) was introduced, the roar of the 8,000 people in attendance was deafening. It was something I'm sure none of us will ever forget.
After we played our first game, we met our second new lifelong friend, Chris Chen. She greeted us and guided us through the national press conference (the entire tournament is on television). It was a bit overwhelming at first. But we had Chris to prepare us, shepherd us, and help us through each of these press conferences that proceeded every game. And, of course, we had Patrick to interpret. Chris has gone way beyond her job description in showing us around the city, as well as working closely with Patrick on everything.
Taiwan has two other pregame traditions that we really have enjoyed. First, they never introduce the starting lineups. Instead, they introduce every player on every team, every game. I have often struggled with the whole announcing the starting lineup concept. Is it really needed? How long does it take you to figure out who is starting at center? Five seconds? 10 seconds? I love this practice because it stresses team before individual, which is something we hold sacred here at Sacramento State.
Secondly, after the teams are introduced, they line up and exchange gifts with the opposing team (coaches included). The gifts are intended to be a memento/memorabilia specific to each country. Nothing elaborate but none the less very meaningful.
The thought that might cross your mind after reading about the gift exchange is that the teams go easy on each other. Nothing could be further from the truth. After this act of sportsmanship, the game quickly becomes a blood bath! The physicality and aggression is unbelievable! The officials allow the players to play, and consequently, toughness, strength, physicality, aggression and athleticism are rewarded - as they should be.
Seven of the eight other teams are national teams and one is a professional team with three former NBA players. Since they are all older, experienced, savvy and professionals, they play as such.
Six of the eight teams are better than any team we could possibly play this upcoming year, while the other two would finish in the top half of our conference. So, our team has really been challenged. These teams have forced us to compete, fight, scrap and execute at the highest level. And our kids have truly responded. We have been extremely competitive in every game except one, and even that game against Mighty Sports (the professional team from the Philippines) was tied at 23 after the first quarter.
As I told our players before we arrived, "every game you win will be an upset." We have two upsets to our credit and are hoping for one more with one game remaining. That said, we have stressed to the players that we are here to develop our team for next season. So while we want our players to compete extremely hard, we are not caught up in the outcome, but rather the process of getting better. This has allowed us to experiment with every possible lineup and to play our full compliment of players (except for the two that are injured). We were allowed 10 practices before we left America, and we, as coaches, have approached these eight games as practices as well. So, in truth, we have not had 10 practices and eight games, but rather 18 practices.
In closing, I cannot begin to describe all of the ways we have improved as people, and as a basketball team. This experience is truly filled with incredible memories which will be recanted forever. We are forever grateful to the people of Taiwan and to the organizers and members of the Jones Cup administration. This has been more than we could have ever dreamed. In three words: exhilarating, breathtaking, and motivating all at once."
"Senior Trevis Jackson
Today wasn't your typical game day. There was something in the atmosphere and we didn't speak on it, but we all knew exactly what it was. We were playing the Chinese Taipei A team, a matchup all basketball fans attending the William Jones cup were looking forward to, mainly because our brother, Jeff Wu, was going against some of the best from his own country. Placed in the 7 pm game slot, the stage was set, and before we even stepped in the arena, you could hear the crowd roaring. As we walked into the arena, we were greeted by a myriad of fans, and instantly you could feel the energy running throughout the arena.
As we go through our usual shootaround in the auxiliary gym, I took a second to just sit there and soak it all in and appreciate my teammates. Thinking about when I first met Marcus Graves on his visit and how we laughed because he wore a brand new pair of Jordan's but it rained that day. Or how when I first met Grant Dressler, he was really reserved and to himself, but now we laugh and joke around like we've known each other since our childhood days.
I could go on forever about these guys on the bus with me right now, because they keep me going every day. I appreciate each and every one of them more than they know. This entire trip, I've admired how respected Jeff Wu is not just by the basketball world in Taiwan, but by the entire country. He's certainly special and I could tell he might've been nervous early in the trip (after all, the guy has a whole country watching his every move) but I was happy to see him getting back to the Jeff we know and love these past few days. I wish you guys could see how enamored people are by his presence. But Jeff being Jeff, he simply continues to work hard and smile on a day-to-day basis and that is something we all can respect and support no matter what country you're from.
I'm honored to call him one of my brothers and lifelong friends, not because of his fame, but because of the way he carries himself and the hard working roots he comes from here in Taiwan. This entire country is built off the blood, sweat and tears of its everyday working citizens. They don't boast and need people to notice them, they simply get the job done and Jeff embodies the nature of his country entirely. That is why I have mad love for my brother Wu Yung Cheng, aka Jeff Wu.
Taking an L is never fun to end the night, but I'm excited by the fight I see in this team when our backs are against the wall. As we continue to grow together and compete, its hard not to get goose bumps thinking about November and the beginning of the season. I would like to thank the boosters, Tony Roberts and all of those involved in raising money for us to go on this trip. It has truly been an eye opening experience that I am blessed to have received while accompanying a great group of guys. Have a great day Hornet fans."
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