RIO DE JANEIRO -- Like so many kids, Kyrie Irving dreamed about putting on the uniform of his home country and playing in the Olympics.For Australia, mate.Born in Melbourne, where his father played professionally, the starting point guard for the heavily favored U.S. mens team was still considering the possibility of playing for the Aussies just a few years ago.I was very serious, man, he said.But as fate would have it, Irving followed the advice of his college coach, the one who mentors him to this day and the one who once told him he could be the guard of your era and chose to play for the Americans.Im glad that he decided to do that, said Mike Krzyzewski, the U.S. coach who had Irving for a short time at Duke.Irvings surface roots Down Under will be just one of the subplots Wednesday when the U.S. team, which has barely broken a sweat during its first two games in Brazil, faces unbeaten Australia. The Aussies are the surprise squad of the Rio Games and are a group loaded with NBA talent, championship rings and big game-experience.They have great camaraderie and theyre talented, Krzyzewski said. Theyre all NBA players so they understand what it is to play against our guys.Along with his unique connection to the Aussies, Irving will be going head-to-head with Matthew Dellavedova, his former teammate in Cleveland with whom he now shares a lifelong bond after they won a title together earlier this summer.Cavaliers teammates for three seasons, theyre friends turned foes for one day.Irving expects the hard-nosed Dellavedova, a tenacious defender with a knack for getting under an opponents skin, to come at him from the outset. Hes ready.Just like I should be worried about him, he should be worried about me, Irving said Tuesday before practice. It goes both ways. Hes a great defender as well, but my job is to win the basketball game for the U.S. and Im going to do everything possible to do that. So when we step on the floor, theres no friendships. That goes out the window automatically.After he turned pro following an injury-shortened freshman year, Irving could have played for Australia, which has been competitive in the Olympics but has yet to win a medal in the games or FIBA championships. He understood it would be a long climb for him to be recognized as one of the top point guards in the U.S. with Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry and Deron Williams among those ahead of him in the deep American pool.At Krzyzewskis urging, Irving had declined an invitation to play for Australia as a 17-year-old but was now giving it more consideration.And thats when Krzyzewski swayed him to join Team USA.He had a choice, the coach said. I just wanted him to always think of the very best that could happen for him and obviously playing for the United States and maybe being the starting guard on the Olympic team, thats the highest. And he had the capability of doing that. I knew that at a young age.But it wasnt like you had to put any pressure on him. I think he just needed to know that once you make the decision, then thats the country youre going to play for.Irving has felt at home from the moment he first slipped on a USA jersey. He impressed coaches and players with his quickness and ball-handling during scrimmages for the U.S. Select Team against the team that went to London in 2012, and two years later was named tournament MVP while leading the Americans to gold at the Basketball World Cup.If not for Krzyzewski, Irving could be wearing green and gold, not red, white and blue.He was a huge part of the decision, Irving said. I mean, hes Coach K. As a young fella, he definitely did tell me I had a chance to be a part of something bigger than myself and ultimately being the starting point guard on the U.S. Olympic team. I never thought it would happen as soon as it has.Its crazy to see how it has worked out.Its worked out to this point in these games for Australia, which has beaten medal contenders France and Serbia to open the tourney. The Aussies, who have five NBA starters and received a huge lift from center Andrew Boguts quick recovery from a knee injury, have a chance to show they can stand with the worlds basketball powers.As for Irving, Dellavedova, who signed with Milwaukee earlier this summer, said he didnt have anything special planned for their reunion.Ill say, gday, he said, But well probably catch up more when everything is finished. Blake Snell Jersey . 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Also Wednesday, Gilles Simon (6) of France beat Donald Young of the United States 6-4, 6-3, Ukraines Alexandr Dolgopolov downed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4 and Croatias Ivo Karlovic defeated Dudi Sela of Israel 7-6 (4), 6-2. Wade Boggs Jersey . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament. BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Richard Lagow waited four long years to start a Football Bowl Subdivision game.Hes about to get his chance.Indiana coach Kevin Wilson announced Friday that the 6-foot-6, 240-pound Texan beat out Zander Diamont and will line up behind center in Thursday nights season-opener at Florida International.Hes really playing the best, Wilson said. The other guys are playing better, and Zander gives you kind of a change-up out there. But the guy were going with is playing really, really good.For Lagow, the decision cemented the notion that he could excel at a power-five school -- even if it the journey there took longer than expected.The big quarterback with the big arm left his home state of Texas in 2013 to play for Connecticut. Before the season opener, Lagow transferred to Oklahoma State where he walked on and redshirted. The next season, Lagow landed at Cisco (Texas) Community College.There, he started for two years, throwing for 4,506 yards and 38 touchdowns, emerging as one of the nations top junior college players.Wilson convinced Lagow to give Indiana a shot, and now after attending four schools in four conferences, Lagow finally has his dream job.He has the arm strength, and he really has taken that leadership role on the field, offensive coordinator Kevin Johns said. Hes really done a lot of things well.Indiana didnt make any quarterbacks available for comment on Friday.Wilsons decision was hardly a surprise. After Lagow moved to Bloomington for the second semester, he participated in spring practice and appeared to take the early lead.When practice resumed Aug. 3, Wilson said the quarterback derby would be an open competition, not a coronation.After seven practices, Wilson already had made up his mind and divvied up the snaps accordingly.Diamont, who was a better runner than passer in his first two seasons with the Hoosiers, played well enough to keep the No.dddddddddddd 2 job. Danny Cameron, the son of former Indiana coach Cam Cameron, will open the season No. 3 on the depth chart.Teammates were impressed with what they saw from all three quarterbacks, but understood why Wilson went with Lagow.Rich has grown in every aspect, receiver Ricky Jones said. I believe hes gotten on the same page as the receivers in a short period of time and thats pretty impressive.Diamonts advantage was his experience in the offense.As a true freshman, he started the final six games after Indianas top two quarterbacks went down with season-ending injuries. The former Los Angeles city player of the year was 64 of 132 with 515 yards one TD and four interceptions in 2014.Last year, Diamont filled in again last year when Nate Sudfeld, the starter, went down with another injury. After replacing Sudfeld against Ohio State, Diamont ran for a 79-yard TD -- the longest run by a quarterback in school history. He finished the game with seven carries for 98 yards, caught one pass for 16 yards and was 6 of 14 for 76 yards through the air.He struggled the next week against Penn State in his only start. The 6-1, 174-pound junior hasnt played in a game since Oct. 10.Wilson has used quarterback rotations in previous seasons and will look for ways to get Diamont on the field.We can put two quarterbacks on the field at the same time, Wilson said. Hes not a receiver, but he can play on the perimeter. Zander gives you some running skills the other guys dont have, so you may see them both lined up in the backfield at times.But, for now, Lagow is the starter.Im curious to see how he reacts in a game, because hes been great in practice, Wilson said. ' ' '