Parada to battle the NBA’s best

At 7-feet, Adam Parada will possibly get a shot at the NBA after his

senior season this year at UC Irvine. But he’ll get an early glimpse

of what lies ahead Wednesday at the Americas Olympic Qualifying

Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Playing for the Mexican national team, Parada will battle it out

with some of the NBA’s best when Mexico faces the United States

Wednesday in the second round of the tournament.

The U.S. team includes such superstars as Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd,

Allen Iverson and Vince Carter.

Mexico has just one NBA player on its roster, Eduardo Najera of

the Dallas Mavericks.

Najera did not play in Mexico’s 100-91 victory over the Dominican

Republic Monday as he served a one-game suspension after being

ejected for fighting in Sunday’s loss to Canada.

Parada, who averaged 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds for the

Anteaters last year, scored four points on 2-of-5 shooting in 20

minutes against the Dominican Republic.

In Sunday’s loss to Canada, Parada scored six points and grabbed

six rebounds in 26 minutes. His highest output of the tournament came

in Mexico’s opening-game upset of Argentina, when Parada scored eight

points.

Merlo plays for U.S.

UC Irvine’s Rick Merlo is playing with the U.S. men’s water polo

team at the World University Games in Daegu, Korea.

The U.S. lost its opening game, 6-2, to Greece, then fell, 14-6,

to Hungary on Sunday.

Merlo scored the U.S.’s first goal in its opening match, but the

team added just one more against Greece.

“Our offense just wasn’t there,” Merlo told usawaterpolo.com. “I

haven’t seen us play that flat ever. I think we are just a little

tight because this was our first game.”

Against Hungary, the U.S. trailed, 5-4, at halftime before Hungary

opened a larger margin in the second half.

Mackey swims 200 IM

Newport Harbor High graduate Nicole Mackey is also in Korea,

swimming for the U.S. contingent.

The University of Hawaii bound swimmer competed Monday in the 200

individual medley.

She qualified for the B final, finishing fourth with a time of

2:23.90, 2:58 behind the winner.

In her heat Mackey finished fifth, also with a time of 2:23.90.

Pelzel also in Korea

UC Irvine’s James Pelzel is the third and final local competing at

the World University Games.

The volleyball standout has helped the U.S. team get off to a 3-1

start in pool play including a straight-set victory over The

Netherlands Monday.

The U.S. is tied with Canada atop the pool A standings and will

conclude pool play today against North Korea. The top two teams from

each pool advance to the quarterfinals.