1.   And, yes, he prepped in the European league, with the Rhein Fire.

2.   ----- International big men benefit from excellent teaching in the European leagues and arrive fundamentally sound.

3.   ----- For the most part, the European leagues produce fundamentally sound shooters accustomed to a level of play less intense than the NBA, especially regarding man-to-man defense.

4.   A European league is more practical than starting one in the Far East, where the most striking development is at the grass-roots level.

5.   All of the U.S. starters but one had professional experience outside of the United States, most of them in European leagues, the rest in Mexico.

6.   Croats now pollinate the top European leagues of Italy, Spain, Germany and England.

7.   Half a dozen of his starters play for top teams in European leagues, with and against many of their opponents here.

8.   It is a team extremely deep at every position, athletic and for years now has been honing its skills in the tough European professional leagues.

9.   Just as important to the NFL parent organization, the European league seems to be stimulating new interest in the game itself.

10.   MLS set up an unrealistic transfer deadline, since many European leagues do not conclude until this weekend, leaving little time to negotiate with players.