Kansas will play the role of Team USA when it participates in the 2015 World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea next July.
The Jayhawks will particiapte in the 24 team global tournament that is open to currently college players under the age of 25 who are enrolled in at least one class, incoming freshmen or even former Kansas players like guard Ben McElmore, who is an American citizen and now plays for the NBA Sacramento Kings.
The U.S. International University Sports Federation selected Kansas based on a matrix that included won-loss records over the past five years, the RPI number from recent seasons and the composition of the current roster. Craig Jonas, the head of the U.S. delegation, said that having one school represent the country was an “experiment,” but one that the U.S. federation was willing to try, the same as it did when Nothern Iowa represented the country in the World U games in 2007. The Americans have fielded all-star teams in the past, but they haven’t won the gold medal since 2005, when they beat Ukraine in the finals. Last year in Russia, the U.S. team, which coached by Davidson’s Bob McKillop and featured All American forward Doug McDermott but lacked an international calibre point guard, went 3-2 and failed to make it out of group play. Russia eventually beat Australia for the gold medal.
Kansas should benefit from the international exposure the program and its players will receive from TV to help with recruiting and, when the summer term begins next year, Kansas coach Bill Self will be able to run unlimited practices to prepare his team for competition. “Whether that’s four, five, six days a week, we’ll be working with our guys and treating it like a preseason-type situation, getting ready for our first game,” Self said. “And who knows what our roster might be, because we might have some guys early. But we have no seniors on our roster, and if we lose guys, hopefully we recruit some more.”
Self roster, which will be limited to 12 players, could be uncertain, especially if his two prize freshmen– 6-9 center Cliff Alexander and forward Kelly Oubre, who both played in the McDonald’s All American game and the Nike Hoop Summit — declare for the draft and he could actually be forced to play against one of its own recruits. Incoming freshman Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, one of the best young shooters in Europe, will likely be invited to play for Ukraine.
