Nobody is going to be scared when they look at the Canadians.

The tallest starter is 6-1, and in a sport dominated by the sleek and graceful, Canada's Olympic entry is solid and workmanlike.

But those who underestimate Peter Ennis' club will find themselves pummeled to death by the group's physical style, methodical offense and experienced roster. If you doubt it, ask Italy, which lost to the Canadians 61-59 -- in Italy. Or powerful Brazil, which escaped with just a 92-90 win over the slower, smaller Canadians.

Or, of course, you could check in with the unbeaten Americans, who trailed by 10 late in the second half before rallying for an 81-74 victory -- one of the closest games in their 50-game winning streak.

So how do they do it? With defense, an answer that comes as no surprise to anyone who knows the game. The Canadians never quit, refuse to give in to superior quickness or size, and make the opponents pay a price for every shot and rebound. Against the Americans June 9, bodies were flying all over the Oakland Coliseum Arena floor, and a trip through the lane was like battling your way through Tokyo subway crowds at rush hour -- except the people are a lot bigger.

It's true that the Canadian starting frontcourt is small by international standards (Kelly Boucher, Dianne Norman and Bev Smith are all 6-1), but they have elbows and know where to put them. Lurking on the bench are 6-2 Andrea Blackwell, 6-3 Camille Thompson, 6-6 Martina Jerant and 6-6 Merlelynn Lange-Harris, all of whom will make any trip to the basket a physical experience. Lange-Harris can be expected to make more of a contribution as time goes on, as she gave birth to a baby girl in February, and is just now getting back into shape.

Karla Karch and Shawna Molcak are the starting guards, with Sue Stewart and Jodi Evans also playing signifcant minutes. Molcak is the primary backcourt scorer, though Stewart came off the bench June 7 in Vancouver to score 13 points on five-of-seven shooting.

The Canadians do not have a designated three-point shooter, and as a team are not long-range bombers. They shot exactly 12 three-pointers in each of the three games against the United States, making five in one, four in another and zero in the third. Not surprisingly, that last game was the easiest one for the United States, as Canada must manage some kind of outside threat to open up the inside for Norman, the team's leading scorer, and the 36-year-old Smith, who's second.

And despite that 92-90 score against Brazil, the Canadians would prefer a slower pace that allows their inside players time to set up and gives their back-cutting offense time to work. Ennis will let his team run when the opportunity's there, but given a choice, he'd like to keep the score in the 70s.

Canada will be in Group A in the Olympics, drawing Brazil in the first round. Italy, China, Russia and Japan round out the group, and for Canada to advance, it will have to handle underdog Japan, repeat its victory over Italy, and manage two wins against the three top teams: Brazil, Russia and China.

If you watch the Canadians warm up, and only look at the size and shape of the bodies on the floor, it's easy to convince yourself the Canadians have no chance -- but the price for underestimating the opposition in sports, as in life, is always high. The Canadians may not look like medal winners, but they have every intention of being on the stand when the national anthems are played on that steamy August day in Atlanta.

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