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US opens basketball worlds vs Finns and their fans

By WTOP Staff

BRIAN MAHONEY
AP Basketball Writer

BILBAO, Spain (AP) — They are the biggest thing in Bilbao, backed by 8,000 fans — not to mention some Angry Birds — whose free-spending boosters are such believers they’ve already started lining up transportation to the second round.

And if looking good in the stands meant as much as on the court when Finland received a debated wild card to the FIBA Basketball World Cup, that’s not the players’ problem. Their goal is to make the fans’ trip worthwhile.

A strong performance against the U.S. would be a good start.

The Finns make their World Cup debut Saturday against the top-ranked Americans, who will feel like they’re playing a road game inside the Bilbao Exhibition Center.

“We’re here to fight and obviously it’s a pretty big mountain to climb Saturday, but we just try to face one situation at a time and hope after 40 minutes that we get a good game out of it,” Finland veteran and former NBA player Hanno Mottola said.

For the Americans, it’s step one of an expected lengthy march to Madrid for the gold-medal game, a chance for a team not yet in top form to keep getting better.

For Finland, it’s something closer to the Super Bowl.

Finnish officials expect their fans to fill perhaps half of the 16,261-seat arena, with thousands more possibly coming to this Basque city. Supporters chartered more than 40 planes from Finland and aren’t stopping there, looking into renting a train to take them to Barcelona if Finland advances to the knockout round.

Finland finished ninth in last summer’s European championship, failing to qualify automatically for the World Cup. But basketball’s governing body made the 39th-ranked Finnish the lowest-ranked team ever to receive a wild card to its world championship, taking note not only of the team’s improving performance but also the “Wolfpack’s” fan and financial backing.

Before the wild cards were awarded in February, Finnish company Rovio, maker of the popular Angry Birds games, had agreed to provide advertising for FIBA if Finland was selected. Finland also has support of Microsoft, whose name is on their practice jerseys, but Mottola disputes that his team is here simply for economic reasons.

“If people use that lame excuse of Angry Birds, Rovio, I don’t see Rovio here anywhere,” he said. “Obviously, if we’ve got some big, big companies in Finland like Nokia and Microsoft and Rovio, if they’re willing to help Finnish athletes and teams, who wouldn’t take that help? But I don’t think it’s a corporate decision. And also, I mean, who else brings in 8,000 fans?”

The top seven finishers in the European championship qualified automatically, leaving Finland next in line among last year’s finishers from Europe once Italy withdrew from the wild card bidding. The other wild cards went to Greece, Turkey and Brazil, all ranked in the world’s top 10.

“I think we fulfilled every category that FIBA wanted. So I mean, if you show me a better team in the last three years, then fine, but obviously FIBA felt that we bring a lot of excitement here,” Mottola added. “If I would choose a way how to get qualifications, I wouldn’t have wild cards, but that’s not our problem. I know there’s been a lot of talk, we were right there from the beginning. I don’t think there’s a question that we definitely belong here because of our basketball success.”

Besides Mottola, who helped Utah reach the 1998 NCAA championship game, Finland’s roster is filled with players who have played in the U.S., including Erik Murphy, who spent last season with the Chicago Bulls. They play an American style, looking to push the pace and shoot 3-pointers.

“They appear to me to have great camaraderie and an amazing work ethic. They have good guards and any team can cause you problems when they have good guards and they play hard and they’re motivated. And they shoot a lot of 3s,” U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “If all of a sudden they see three or four go in in a row, you get even more confidence.”

Krzyzewski’s team was visited at practice Friday by Bilbao’s mayor, with fans waiting outside the gym for pictures and autographs.

“It’s pretty humbling to see how many NBA fans there are around the world,” U.S. guard Klay Thompson said.

This time, most of them will be there to see the other team.

___

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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