Basketball » USA vs. Greece, Wednesday, noon, ESPN2
Team USA’s last exhibition — in Athens, Greece — comes against the team that defeated the Americans in the World Championships in 2006. Let’s see if the Americans have found a way to defend the pick-and-roll four years later.

NFL preseason » Redskins at Jets, Friday, 7 p.m., CSN/NBC
Washington gets its first taste of New Meadowlands Stadium as Donovan McNabb and the Redskins’ offense will get tested by an aggressive Jets’ defense. Let’s just hope, for the kids’ shake, Rex Ryan controls himself. — Jeffrey Tomik

MY TWO CENTS

1. Who’s doubting the U.S.? » Last I checked the NBA was still the best basketball league in the world. The U.S. team may be without the staples from the gold-medal squad, but a roster littered with All-Stars should still get the job done at the FIBA World Championships. If a Marc Gasol-led Spain squad, a Greek group without a single NBA player or an old Argentina team sans Manu Ginobili takes down Kevin Durant & Co., there should be shock and outrage. The U.S. has gone through the faze of not respecting their international foes, but now it’s time for the Americans to flex its basketball muscle and win the World Championships for the first time since 1994.  The world is catching up to the Americans, but the U.S. still has the most talented team, and it’s not even close. It’s time to show it at the World Championships. — Jeffrey Tomik

2. The Nats’ future is now » 2012 should be circled as the year the hard playoff push starts. Whether they’ve stated it or not, this is the season the team has been building towards since the Lerners took over in July 2006. Stephen Strasburg, Drew Storen, Ian Desmond and Roger Bernadina should all have two full years under their belts. Adam Dunn should still be playing for the Nats and Bryce Harper could be a September call-up. So does this mean we have to write off 2011? No. Call it youth movement part 2. Let farmhands Danny Espinosa and Wilson Ramos get their full-time shots at the bigs. Also, time to find a legit fifth outfielder for this team — whether it’s a veteran or a farmhand. That means it’s time for Adam Kennedy, Wil Nieves and Justin Maxwell (yes he’s a farmhand, but he has no bat) to hit the bricks. — Leon Saffelle

3. Official blame game » If the U.S. national team got the worst kind of officiating treatment during the World Cup, when referee Koman Coulibaly offered exactly zero explanation after denying Maurice Edu a would-be game-winning goal against Slovenia, Major League Soccer referee Alex Prus has now taken the opposite tact, using Twitter to explain himself for what he now claims were two incorrect red cards given in a match last weekend between Chivas USA and Seattle. “In officiating we survive as a team and sink as a team. As a head referee I take the blame even though it wasn’t really my decision,” tweeted Prus, undercutting the assistants he said advised him incorrectly. Prus’s bold public move could garner sympathy from fans and the media. But it’s unlikely to make him more popular with his officiating peers. — Craig Stouffer

PLAYER TO WATCH

Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain men’s basketball
If the USA basketball team that is headed to Turkey  is considered — absurdly — as a B-team, then the favorites to retain their FIBA championship are Spain. And without Pau Gasol, the face of that team is Rubio, who is still just 19 years old. The former fifth pick in the 2009 NBA Draft — how sweet would it have been if the Wizards had kept the pick and taken him? — led Barcelona to the EuroLeague title in May and continues to be patient about if and when he’ll join the team that owns his stateside rights, the Minnesota Timberwolves. He has a buyout clause at the end of next year. For now, Rubio is focused on his task with the Spaniards, who he’ll lead into a rematch of the 2008 Olympic gold medal game in Madrid on Sunday on NBATV at 3 p.m.). — Craig Stouffer

FIVE UP & FIVE DOWN


UP

1. Cheryl Miller » She will be inducted into the International Basketball Federation’s Hall of Fame along with Arvydas Sabonis and Vlade Divac.

2. Shaka Smart » The VCU men’s basketball coach signed a two-year contract extension after leading the Rams to a 27-9 record in his first season.

3. Wes Welker » The Patriots receiver had two catches in Thursday night’s preseason game, coming back from surgery he had on his torn ACL on Feb. 2.

4. Santos » Neymar — the 18-year-old Brazilian that dominated the U.S. in an exhibition — decided to stay with his Brazilian club instead of playing in Europe.

5. Ryan Howard » The Phillies could get their former MVP slugger back from the DL (ankle injury) as soon as Monday.


DOWN
1. Nenad Krstic » Who would have thought the Thunder center would be involved in a brawlthat landed him in police custody?

2. Western Athletic Conference » With Fresno State and Nevada leaving, and having already lost Boise State, the conference isn’t left with much.

3. Brian Cushing » Roger Goodell wasn’t buying the linebacker’s claim of having a unique medical condition. Cushing’s four-game suspension was upheld.

4. Albert Haynesworth » The Redskins’ $100 million man is running out of excuses to miss practice. Who has the headache in Washington?

5. Roger Clemens » The seven-time Cy Young winner is not making it easy for Hall of Fame voters after being indicted on Thursday.

— Jeffrey Tomik