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.