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US, Serbia to meet for Basketball World Cup gold

By WTOP Staff

BRIAN MAHONEY
AP Basketball Writer

MADRID (AP) — After a difficult summer, the Basketball World Cup has been pretty easy for the U.S.

No games have been close in the final minutes, and only one was even competitive entering the final period. This depleted team that was supposed to be vulnerable has instead been invincible.

The Americans believe that tough game is coming Sunday — and so does Serbia, their opponent.

“They have supreme confidence and just that expectation, I think, that they feel like they’re going to win,” U.S. guard Stephen Curry said, “and we have that same mentality as well.”

Serbia is the only team left that can stop the Americans from repeating as world champions, looking to regain a title that’s meant so much in its basketball history.

“They are great, good team, but for sure we won’t go inside the game to lose,” Serbian guard Milos Teodosic said.

The Americans were supposed to be here, though the road to the final was expected to be tougher once Kevin Durant, Kevin Love and Blake Griffin withdrew, and Paul George broke his right leg. But the opponent is a surprise.

The Serbians barely qualified for the 24-team field as the seventh-place finisher in last year’s European championship. They were only 2-3 in the group stage, advancing as the fourth and final team from the powerful Group A, but have peaked since the games became win or go home.

A 90-72 rout of previously unbeaten Greece in the round of 16 was followed by an 84-56 victory over Brazil in the quarterfinals. Then the Serbians built a huge lead and held on Friday for a 90-85 victory over France, which had beat then in the group stage and knocked out tournament co-favorite Spain in the quarters.

“They’re just playing great basketball right now and actually it’s beautiful to see. I hope I don’t see that beauty tomorrow night,” U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “But they’ve been playing lights-out basketball.”

The Americans have been more dominant, averaging 101.5 points and winning by 32.5 per game. Their last two games had single-digit margins at halftime, and yet they ended up winning both by a combined 71 points.

“I cannot say we’re going to win against the U.S, but I’m sure we’re going to give all our best and try to fight, but it’s going to be hard for sure,” said former NBA center Nenad Krstic.

The Americans have never repeated as world champions. The last team to win titles consecutively was Yugoslavia in 1998 and 2002.

Krstic remembers cheering for his country mates during the latter game, held in the United States, at a gas station with his club team that was on a bus at the time. It was the last of a record five world titles won by Yugoslavia when Serbia competed as part of that nation.

The Serbians have retained that basketball passion since competing under their own flag — Curry played on the U.S. team that lost to host Serbia in the championship game of the 2007 under-19 tournament.

“It’s tough winning silver that game, so hopefully we can be on the other side of it this time around,” Curry said.

Serbia is already guaranteed its first medal at the senior level. The Serbians — whose Olympic committee president is former NBA center Vlade Divac — finished fourth in 2010.

“It means a lot because we are a basketball country,” Krstic said. “Lots of people, whole country watch this game.”

The Americans say it’s just as important to them, especially after all the adversity they faced before the games began. USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo has said a gold medal would be the sweetest one since he took over the program in 2005, since it seemed so in doubt as big name after big name passed on the trip to Spain.

“It’s everything for us,” U.S. forward James Harden said. “We came here with one thing on our mind, that’s to win the gold medal. We came this far, doing an excellent job this far in this tournament. So one more game to complete our mission.”

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Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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