Former St. Mary’s Guard Patty Mills Leads All Scorers at 2012 London Olympics
The United States took gold in men’s basketball on Sunday afternoon, as the 2012 London Olympics came to a close.
Given all the talent across the globe, from Spain’s Pau Gasol to Argentina’s Manu Ginobili to US stars Kevin Durant and LeBron James, it may come as a bit of a shock that Australia’s Patty Mills was the competition’s leading scorer.
Mills, a former St. Mary’s star, averaged 21.2 points per game through the squad’s six games, and although he was not the Olympics’ total points scorer, he was on game-average basis.
Mills scored 127 points in 178 minutes of action through the London Games, as his Australian national team finished 3-3 overall in competition. They were eliminated in the quarterfinal round by the United States.
The unsung leader for the Australians, Mills averaged 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in addition to his prolific scoring output.
While the Olympics and other international events give Mills the ability to lead and take control, the 6-foot point guard is also a current member of the San Antonio Spurs. With three NBA seasons to his credit, Mills was drafted in 2009, selected with the 55th pick that year.
Prior to his professional career, Mills has was a star at St. Mary’s, helping guide the squad to a national top-25 ranking and an appearance in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
St. Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett has done a terrific job with the Gaels’ program and his Australian pipeline has been a main key to their recent success. Alongside Mills, current St. Mary’s guard Matthew Dellevadova also ran with Australia in the 2012 London Olympics, finding his own niche while leading the team in assists.
Not only did Mills have another great showing on the grandest of all international stages, but the guard was also in the news during the competition for his buzzer-beater in Australia’s victory over Russia.
Here is the video of that game-winning shot:
Be sure to follow Paul Seaver on Twitter: @TheArenaPulse
