Nov. 11, 2002
When Paul Hewitt recruited Prosper Karangwa in 1998, he knew Karangwa could develop into a great player over time. What he probably never imagined was how great, and over how short a time period. For the second consecutive summer, Karangwa, a 6-foot-7 senior guard for the Saints, was a member of the Canadian National basketball team where he traveled the globe playing with and against the world's best talents.
The experience concluded this year with a trip to the Basketball World Championships-this year held in Indianapolis. Prosper was the youngest member of a NBA depleted Canadian team. The Team finished 13th out of the 16 qualifiers, the U.S. Team finished a disappointing sixth in the same event. "I'm a little disappointed we didn't do better, but it was a great experience to play for your country," said Karangwa. "I was the young buck there; that's what they called me," he said. "I'm looking forward to being the old man (at Siena) again."
In Indianapolis, Canada played five games and won two, including a 98-97 victory over Venezuela in the 13th-place game. Karangwa had 13 points in that game, his second-best scoring output of the tournament. His best game was an 18-point, eight-rebound effort in Canada's 91-67 win over Lebanon.
"Prosper played very well for us," Canadian coach Jay Triano said, "but I don't think we had as good a World Championships as he would have liked or we would have liked." Karangwa said his best memory of the World Championships is wearing the uniform of his nation. "It's an honor to be able to play for your country," he said. "It was an unbelievable experience that I learned a great deal from and will never forget."
