With experience, depth, talent and strong veteran leadership, Puerto Rico is expected to produce its usual strong challenge in the 2002 World Basketball Championship.

Center Jose Ortiz (38) and forward Jerome Mincy (37) both have made three previous trips to the World Championships and three to the Olympics, as well as the experience of winning the gold medal in the 1994 Goodwill Games. Ortiz played collegiately at Oregon State and was with the NBA Utah Jazz for two seasons (1988-90), while Mincy played his college basketball at Alabama-Birmingham.

That veteran tandem is complemented nicely by a pair of current NBA players, guard Carlos Arroyo (Denver) and center Daniel Santiago (Phoenix).

Puerto Rico is in Pool B and will open play against Turkey on Aug. 29 in the RCA Dome. Next comes Lebanon on Aug. 30 in Conseco Fieldhouse and Brazil on Aug. 31 in Conseco Fieldhouse.

The team qualified for the World Championship by winning its first six games in the Championship of the Americas Tournament. The final victory, 115-87 over Panama, was led by Arroyo, who had 20 points. That sent the team into the semifinals, where it lost a thriller to Brazil, 98-94, despite 35 points from Ortiz. In the third-place game, Canada edged Puerto Rico 102-95.

Ortiz is still the star of the team. He averaged team highs of 14.5 points and 9.7 rebounds in the Championship of the Americas, shooting .573 from the field.

"I don't want to say I'm a savior or anything, but the fact remains that I'm still playing a lot of minutes and getting the crucial shots at the end when the team needs me to save them from losing," Ortiz said. "I try to serve as a leader by example, although I think I'm vocal enough, but some of the young guys just don't listen to advice. ... I'll do everything in my power to help Puerto Rico win."

Ortiz is also concerned with a relative lack of practice time for the national team because the Puerto Rican League runs through July, leaving just two weeks to prepare for the World Championships.

"Two weeks is just too little time," he said, "considering how much time other teams will be practicing together."

Forwards Larry Ayuso (13.8 points, .578 shooting overall, 22 3-pointers made) and Sharif Fajardo (10.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, .518 shooting) also had strong showings in the Championship of the Americas.