Kansas to represent USA at 2015 World University Games

[awhom111]

Here are the eligibility rules for all USA athletes in this event:
http://www.wugusa.com/summer-games/e...ity-for-event/

The basketball ones have been tradtionally more rigorous than other sports and ours historically are far more restrictive than ones used by other countries, which is why we have struggled at Men's Basketball and why our Women's Basketball team had a couple of really tough games despite a strong roster.

[Henderson]

The official oversight body in the US for the World University Games is the US-IUSF (United States International University Sports Federation), which is not the same thing as the U.S. Olympic Committee or USA Basketball, our officially sanctioned representative to FIBA. US-IUSF is a separate organization created in 1949 that is now in terrible financial shape. So bad in fact that they contracted out day-to-day and logistical management to a corporate manager, BTI Events ("Global Sports Properties"). https://www.facebook.com/WUGUSA/info.
I suspect they've decided to gamble that a pan-U.S. team that loses will lose them money, and any other model that wins makes them money. So choose a model that might win, even if it only represents the University of Kansas and not me. Because if BTI Events doesn't make money, US-IUSF is bankrupt. But it might be anyway, because FIBA is making it redundant.

[Olympic Fan]

OF, that gibes with my memory. Up through the 1960's, there was a fandango where the "word" was that the team would be one-half college and one-half AAU. So, some of the college guys would jump on AAU teams as soon as the college season ended. The team was selected as a result of tryouts, so AAU games didn't matter. Who knows whether the "word" was correct or not.

I do remember that Hank Iba, the coach in '64, '68 and '72, would ask the selection committee to pick 11 payers and let him pick the 12th. Smart guy.

Actually, before there was USA Basketball, the US National teams were administered by the AAU. Not sure when that changed.

The rosters were split between the NCAA and AAU and military players as late as 1968. That team included two AAU players (Cal Fowler was the most prominent) and three military players -- all former basketball players at West Point (Mike Silliman was the best of the three). It also included two jucos (including unknown Spencer Haywood) and five NCAA players (Jo Jo White and Charlie Scott were the best). It was also interesting that was the first team to conclude college underclassmen -- through 1964, graduating seniors were the only NCAA players invited. Growing up, I always thought that was unfair. If your senior year was an Olympic year, you had a chance to play. If you missed, you were out of luck.

That '68 team has always been my favorite Olympic team. That was a year when most of the game's big stars -- especially Alcindor and Hayes, but a LOT of other guys -- refused to participate. It was considered a rag-tag team. Scott coming off a great junior year at UNC and White, a star at Kansas, were the big names. We knew Bill Hoskins from Ohio State and Ken Spain was a supporting player to Elvin Hayes at Houston, but that was about it.

We also knew the USA Baseball had never lost a game in the Olympics. But this was thought to be the end. The US team made a pre-Olympic tour of Europe and they were manhandled. Russia and Yugoslavia were both given great chances to beat us in Mexico City. But the US fought its way to the gold medal game as Haywood emerged as star to go with the backcourt of Scott and White. Matched against the Yugoslavs in the finals, we led by three at the half, but the lead seemed very tenuous. A largely anti-American crowd was cheering the Yugoslavs on.

The next 10 minutes were the greatest 10 minutes of non-Duke basketball I've ever seen in my life -- the US unleashed a fullcourt press with a three guard lineup and with Scott, White and Fowler absolutely destroying the Yugoslavs, the US reeled off 17 straight points to put the game away.

The 1972 US Olympic team that suffered its controversial loss in Munich included one AAU player (Kenny Davis), one juco and 10 underclassmen. It didn't include the best amateur player on the planet. David Thompson, who had just completed his freshman year at NC State, wanted to play, but he was not invited -- even though the coach of the Lakers labeled DT one of the 10 best players in the world -- pro or college. I've always believed that with Thompson in Munich, there never would have been any drama. It didn't help that Walton and quite a few others boycotted the team (although not as many as in '68).

The '76 team was the first made up 100 percent of NCAA players. It stayed that way until the '88 team lost in Korea and the Dream Team was formed in ;92.

On another matter. I haven't seen this mentioned ... what is the NCAA's take on Kansas going overseas as a team? Does this count as their one foreign trip is four years or do they get a special dispensation for this tournament?