Kazan, Russia • July 7-16, 2013

After finishing the preliminary round as a No. 3 seed and missing out on the medal round, the 2013 USA men went on to secure a best-possible, ninth-place finish at the 2013 World University Games in Kazan, Russia.

For the tournament, the USA established five U.S. Men’s World University Games competition records, and five players averaged double-digit scoring throughout, including Doug McDermott (14.1 points per game), Luke Hancock (10.8 ppg.), Will Sheehey (10.6 ppg.), Cory Jefferson (10.5 ppg.) and Yogi Ferrell (10.3 ppg.).

The USA opened play on July 7 with a 140-46 win over United Arab Emirates that saw three players record double-doubles. Led by a U.S. record 13 assists from Ferrell, who finished with 15 points, the USA established three team records in the win, including 36 assists, 70 rebounds and 39 attempted 3-pointers.

Limiting its opponent to just 31.3 percent from the field, the USA easily defeated Czech Republic 96-53 on July 8. Twenty-three points from McDermott led the USA, while Hancock scored 15 points in 17 minutes.

After a first-half fight, the USA outscored Sweden 27-17 in the third quarter on its way to an 83-65 win on July 9. Ferrell led the USA with 20 points, while Treveon Graham added 14 points.

In a game that featured 11 lead changes and 10 tied scores, the USA lost to Australia 93-84 on July 11. Facing an Aussie roster that included five players with senior national team experience, the USA could not shut down Australian Jason Cadee, who scored 16 of his 23 points in the final 10 minutes. McDermott was the high-scorer for the USA with 22 points.

Despite 27 points from Hancock, the USA fell to Canada 94-85 in its final preliminary-round game on July 12. The loss dropped the USA to a No. 3 in its group, meaning it would not advance to the medal quarterfinals and could only compete for ninth place at best.

The USA rebounded on July 14 with a 91-51 win over Norway that saw 29 U.S. assists and 16 points from Sheehey.

Four players in double-figures helped the USA defeat Germany 92-70 on July 15, including 18 from McDermott and 16 from Hancock.

In its final game for ninth place, the USA recorded a 97-70 win over Finland that featured 20 points from Sheehey and five players in double-digits.

Russia beat Australia to earn the gold medal, while Serbia took bronze with a win over Canada.

Assisting Davidson’s Bob McKillop on the USA sideline were John Beilein of the University of Michigan and Frank Martin of the University of South Carolina.

2013 USA MEN'S WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES TEAM ROSTER

2013 USA MEN'S WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS

Despite stunning host and eventual gold medalist Serbia, the USA's quest for gold came up short by the slimmest of margins as a one-point loss to Russia in the semifnals prevented the Americans from playing for gold. Rebounding from the heartbreaking loss, the U.S. defeated Israel 91-80 to finish 6-1 and owners of the bronze medal.

Led by University of Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan, the squad opened play with a lopsided 87-40 victory over Finland as Craig Brackins and Corey Fisher led four players in double digits with 12 points each.

The U.S. outgunned South Korea 113-76 to close preliminary play. The effort, which saw all 12 team members score, was paced by James Anderson and Quincy Pondexter with 14 points apiece.

Deon Thompson scored 17 points as the U.S. assured itself of a medal quarterfinals berth with a 108-77 thumping of Greece in second round action.

After playing its first three games in small community gyms, the U.S. moved to Belgrade Arena to face host Serbia in its final second round game. In an exciting finish to a game that featured 14 lead changes, the USA remained perfect after edging host Serbia 68-66 as Talor Battle scored a team-high 17 points.

Hitting a USA World University Games record 16 3-pointers, the U.S. took down Bulgaria 96-66 in the quarterfinals. Every U.S. player scored and Pondexter led the attack with 15 points.

In the semifinal game, the USA saw its gold medal hopes slip away in the waning minutes after Russia outscored the U.S. 20-9 in the final stanza, including a three to go ahead in the final 23.3 seconds, for the 69-68 win. Fisher and Robbie Hummel led the USA's scoring effort with 14 points each.

In what is often the hardest game to play, the Americans entered the bronze medal contest knowing that even though the gold was out of reach, no USA Basketball squad had ever returned home from the WUGs without a medal and they weren't going to be the first. Lazar Hayward paced the USA with 14 points as the USA, which never trailed in the final three quarters, saw four players score in double digits in the 91-80 bronze medal victory over Israel.

2009 USA MEN'S WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES TEAM ROSTER

2009 USA MEN'S WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES TEAM
CUMULATIVE STATISTICS

Shenzhen, China • August 13-22, 2011

Led by Purdue University head coach Matt Painter, the 2011 USA Men's World University Games Team rebounded from a two-point loss to Lithuania in the quarterfinals to finish in fifth place with a tournament-best 7-1 record in the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen, China.

Four players averaged in double figures to lead a balanced U.S. attack that put up an average of 99.2 points per game while outscoring opponents by 28.2 points per contest.

In its first game, the USA secured a 108-67 win after fighting back from a first-quarter deficit to outscore Mexico 65-30 in the second half. Led by 20 points from Ashton Gibbs, Trevor Mbakwe recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds, Marcus Denmon added 11 points and Orlando Johnson and Draymond Green finished with 10 points each.

Thanks in part to a U.S. Men’s World University Games record six made 3-pointers from John Jenkins, who fished with 20 points, the USA easily downed Hungary 102-53 on Aug. 14. While the USA sank 12 threes overall, its defense allowed Hungary just 34.5 percent shooting from the field.

Outsized and overpowered, South Korea was no match for the USA, which featured six players in double figures and a 61-35 rebounding advantage as it cruised to a 112-68 win. JaMychal Green was the game’s high scorer with 17 points, while Scoop Jardine added 16 points, Mbakwe scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Draymond Green finished with 12 points and 12 boards.

After a first-quarter fight from Finland, the USA went on to easily secure a 124-64 win and the No. 1 seed out of Group D. Led by 21 points from JaMychal Green, the USA collected a 47-27 advantage on the glass. Mbakwe added fourteen points, Gibbs finished with 13 points, Jenkins tallied 12 points and Denmon, who was perfect from the field (3-3 FGs) and the charity stripe (3-3 FTs), rounded out the USA’s double-digit scorers with 10 points.

The USA survived its first real test and rode a 10-0 run that stretched from the end of the third quarter into the fourth period to an eventual 94-84 win over Israel to wrap up preliminary round play undefeated at 5-0. JaMychal Green scored 16 points, while Denmon tallied 13, Mbakwe finished with a 12 points and 13 rebounds and Jenkins added 12 points.

Plagued by ice-cold shooting, including 0-of-14 from 3-point in the second half, the USA fell to Lithuania 76-74 in the medal quarterfinals. In a game that featured 13 lead changes and eight tied scores, the USA battled back from as many as eight points down in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 74-74 with just under two minutes remaining. The USA missed its last five shot attempts, however, as Lithuania sank two free throws to secure the win. Jenkins finished with 17 points, followed by 16 points from Gibbs, who was 6-of-6 from the free throw line, and 12 points from JaMychal Green.

The USA responded the very next day with a lopsided, 94-73 win over Romania that featured four U.S. players in double figures. Draymond Green finished with 16 points, JaMychal Green and Jenkins tallied 12 apiece and Tim Abromaitis added 11 points.

Behind a dominate performance from Mbakwe, who finished with 21 points and eight rebounds, the USA never lost its poise in a close 86-83 win over Germany to finish in fifth place. Trailing by one at halftime, the USA outscored Germany 28-12 in the paint and grabbed 19 boards to Germany’s eight in the second half to hold onto a hard-fought win.

The USA led the 23-team tournament in seven of 21 major statistical categories, including scoring offense (99.2 ppg.), scoring margin (+28.2 ppg.), field goal percentage (.485), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1), turnover margin (+6.5), offensive rebounds (19.0 rpg.) and offensive rebound percentage (.465).

Capturing the gold medal was Serbia (6-1) with a 68-55 win over Canada (5-2) in the tournament’s final contest.

2011 USA MEN'S WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES TEAM ROSTER

2011 USA MEN'S WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS

In compiling a perfect 7-0 record and collecting the gold medal at the 1995 World University Games, the USA Men's World University Games Team left no question that it was the best and in fact made a very good argument for itself that it may be the best USA team ever to compete in the World University Games.

Winning its seven games by an impressive 38.6 points a game, Lon Kruger's USA squad averaged an eye-popping 109.3 points a game. Equally dominating defensively, the U.S. contingent limited its opponents to just 70.7 points a game, 40.7 percent shooting from the field, including 26.2 percent from three-point range, while forcing 22.9 turnovers a game. The USA's strength did not rest in the play of any one individual, although there was no shortage of individual talent, it was the USA's depth of talent that was overwhelming.

Not expecting to open play until August 25, the U.S. learned at 11 p.m. on the 23rd that the preliminary pools and schedule had been redrawn and the U.S. would open the next afternoon (Aug. 24) facing Russia.

If the schedule change had any affect on the U.S. it wasn't obvious as the U.S. stormed to 115-48 win as Ray Allen led the U.S. attack with 17 points, while Lorenzen Wright added 14 points. Great Britain's squad featured several players from American universities, but the U.S. was simply too much as the USA strolled to a 95-59 win as Kerry Kittles paced the attack with 20 points. The U.S. closed out preliminary pool play with a one-sided 118-75 win over Brazil as seven players, led by Allen's 16 points, scored in double digits.

Opening the quarterfinals facing Lithuania, the USA continued to roll claiming a 24-point win, 105-81, as Allen Iverson led the way with 21 points. Meeting a solid Czech Republic squad in game five, the key to the USA's win was defense. Trailing the Czech squad at half 46-43, the U.S. allowed the Czech's just seven points during the second half's first 16:28 and a total of 16 second half points as the U.S. rallied to take a 77-62 decision. Pacing the U.S. was Iverson with 14 points.

Meeting Canada in the semifinals with the winner advancing on to the gold medal game, the USA scored the game's first 10 points and never looked back in a 114-89 victory. Iverson, Allen and Kittles paced the attack, scoring 26, 21 and 20 points, respectively.

Saving its best for last, the U.S., in an awesome display of basketball, outran previously unbeaten and host Japan to capture the gold with a decisive 141-81 victory. Scoring the most points ever in a World University Games championship game, while recording the sixth highest USA single game point output ever in a World University Games contest, seven USA players scored in double digits in the gold medal victory, led by Iverson's 26 points.

Coming off the controversial silver medal finish at the 1972 Olympics, and a silver medal in the 1970 World University Games, the 1973 U.S. World University Games team was striving to return the USA to its golden ways.

Coached by Ed Badger of Wilbur Wright College (Ill.), the USA team boasted some of the finest young talent in the world including 6'9' Alvin Adams (Oklahoma), 6'9' Marvin 'Bad News' Barnes (Providence), 6'3' Quinn Buckner (Indiana), 6'10' Mitch Kupchak (North Carolina), 6'8' Maurice Lucas (Marquette), and 6'4' David Thompson (North Carolina State).

Featuring a high octane offense that averaged 126.0 points a game in its first five games and finished the competition averaging 108.6 ppg., the USA limited its opponents to just 55.5 ppg.

The United States opened the '73 WUGs with a 123-74 thrashing of Great Britain as Branes tossed in 24 and Burleson added 14 rebounds. Burleson accounted for 24 points and 21 rebounds in the USA's 120-31 pounding of Sweden, then the following night, Burleson recorded 24 points and 14 rebounds as the Americans whipped Portugal 140-34.

Matched in quarterfinals pool play against France, Czechoslovakia and Great Britain, the USA was 1-0 in quarterfinals play without even playing a game by virtue of the team's preliminary round win over Great Britain which carried over into the quarterfinals standings. Behind 27 points from Barnes, the USA easily handled France 137-43, then, facing 4-0 Czechoslovakia, Barned posted 19 points and 19 rebounds as the U.S. cruised to a convincing 110-59 victory.

Advancing to the medal round, Thompson erupted for 34 points as the Americans rolled over Cuba 98-76. Facing 7-0 Brazil in the semifinals, Thomspon scored 17 points and Lucas snagged 17 rebounds as the U.S. slipped past Brazil 66-60.

The Americans faced the unbeaten host country Soviet Union in the finals, and despite playing in front of a partisan Soviet crowd estimated at 14,800, Thompson finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds to help lead the USA to a 75-67 victory and the gold medal.

Capturing its first gold medal since the 1967 Games, the USA finished with a perfect 9-0 record, while the Soviets earned the silver, and Brazil captured the bronze after slipping past Canada 80-79.

Bringing home the gold medal in five of the last six World University Games, 1981 USA head coach Tom Davis of Boston College (MA) took an eager American squad to Bucharest, Romania, looking to add to the USA's gold medal collection. The team would not leave disappointed, winning the gold medal and finishing with a 7-1 record.

Opening against Senegal, Boston College standout John Bagley scored 18 to lift the U.S. to an easy 91-35 win. South Korea fell next to the U.S., losing 104-70 as Bagley dumped in 22 points and Fred Roberts added 19. Davis' USA squad easily overpowered Greece, 110-68, as Howard Carter scored 21. The USA's three-game win streak came to a halt as Canada upended the Americans 78-76 despite 16 points from Carter.

In no position to suffer a second loss, the U.S. faced the Soviet Union in a must-win game. The Soviets and U.S. men played to a 93-93 deadlock at the end of regulation, and were still tied 101-101 at the end of the first overtime. In the second overtime, the U.S. finally managed to claw out a 113-107 victory to keep its gold medal hopes alive. Carter finished with 28 points and John Pinone added 25 in the crucial victory.

The U.S. won its next two games easily, dropping Mexico 88-58, then host Romania 91-70 to advance into the finals. In front of a standing room only gold medal game crowd, the Americans again faced the Soviets, however, this time the U.S. needed only regulation time to earn the 91-87 victory. The Americans led by seven with 3:59 remaining when 6'8' Kevin Magee, who finished with 27 points, fouled out. Within a minute, the USA's lead was down to one point, 86-85. But steals and layups by Sidney Lowe and Bagley iced the game and sealed the win. In addition to Magee's 27 points, the U.S. cause was aided by Carter and Bagley who added 17 and 16 points, respectively.

Bagley and Carter led the U.S. scoring attack, both averaging 14.8 ppg. Magee contributed 14.6 ppg. and a team leading 7.1 rpg., while John Pinone averaged 12.9 ppg. and Kevin Boyle averaged 10.0 ppg. All told, the U.S. finished averaging 95.8 ppg.

1981 MEN'S WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES ROSTER

1981 USA MEN'S WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES CUMULATIVE STATISTICS

The USA basketball team, directed by coach Gene Keady of Purdue University (IN), traveled to Duisburg, West Germany, aiming to win the gold medal. Having taken the silver in the 1987 Pan Am Games, and the bronze in the 1988 Olympics, the USA was looking to re-establish its basketball dominance.

Opening with a key matchup against Brazil in the first round of pool play, the Americans got a measure of revenge for Brazil's 1987 upset of the U.S. in the Pan American finals by recording a one-sided 126-93 victory. 6'9' Larry Johnson, of Odessa Junior College (TX) as well as a future UNLV and NBA standout, scored 25 points in the U.S. win over Brazil, and 6'9' Mark Randall from Kansas scored 19 points in just over seven minutes of playing time to assist the American team to the win.

The following day, Johnson again led the team with 26 points as the U.S. rolled past Great Britain, 108-67. Karl Brown of Georgia Tech led the British team with 19 points. The USA finished its pool play with a 3-0 record after bettering Poland, 128-75, as Johnson dominated inside with 21 points and 13 rebounds. After recording a 104-79 win over Israel and a 103-76 win over West Germany in the semifinals, the United States earned a spot in the finals against the Soviet Union.

The USA trailed the Soviets by eight mid-way through the first half before rallying to post a seven-point halftime lead, 47-40. Led by Stephen Thompson's eight points, the USA went on a 14-4 run during the opening minutes of the second half and sailed on from there to knock off the Soviets 88-80 and capture the gold medal.

The victory gave the USA the gold medal for the first time since 1981. The Soviets returned home with the silver medal, while the Federal Republic of Germany took the bronze medal.

The USA team was led offensively by Syracuse University (NY) star Thompson who averaged 19.8 ppg. Also making strong contributions were Johnson, 16.3 ppg. and 11.0 rpg., and his future UNLV teammate Stacey Augmon, 11.0 ppg., as well as Iowa's Matt Bullard 10.5 ppg.

1989 USA MEN'S WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES ROSTER

1989 USA MEN'S WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES CUMULATIVE STATISTICS

The 1965 World University Games, held in Budapest, Hungary, marked the first time the USA had competed in the event, and the USA would not waste any time making its presence known. The U.S. had not competed in the World University Games for the first nine years because of political concerns.

Led by head coach John Kundla of the University of Minnesota, the Americans finished their first World University Games competition in possession of a perfect 8-0 record and the gold medal.

While 6'5' Bill Bradley (Princeton University) was the team captain and a member of the USA gold medal 1964 Olympic team, the U.S. team was led offensively by 6'5' Lou Hudson (University of Minnesota), 6'8' Fred Hetzel (Davidson College) and Bradley. Hudson finished as the team's high scorer averaging 17.3 ppg. Hetzel added 12.9 ppg. and Bradley averaged 12.4 ppg.

All of the men's basketball competition was scheduled to be played outdoors and the U.S. squad adjusted quickly to the conditions. Opening the competition with an impressive 89-52 win over Czechoslovakia, the U.S. team followed that with a strong 85-37 victory against Italy. The Federal Republic of Germany was handed a 98-52 loss as Hudson again accounted for 20 points, and Romania battled with the United States in a game the Americans won 69-60 as Bradley led all scorers with 22 points.

The U.S. contingent broke the centennial scoring mark in a 108-53 win over Bulgaria as Hudson scored 22. Playing what was termed by coach Kundla as their best defensive game of the competition, the American men rolled over the Soviets 81-38 as six U.S. players scored in double digits. France was little problem in the semifinals as the USA claimed an 83-44 victory and Hudson scored a tournament high 27 points.

Facing the Soviet Union in the finals, the game was moved indoors after being delayed by rain. The U.S., behind 19 points from Bradley and 19 more from Hudson, recorded a 71-60 win, giving the USA its first World University Games gold medal. The Soviets won the silver medal and Hungary, cheered on by its home fans, collected the bronze medal.