For the first time in FGCU history, a student-athlete will represent the country in an international competition. Come July 3, Julian DeBose will join Team USA in World University Games, across the globe in Gwangju, South Korea.
The World University Games are held every two years by FISU (The International Universoty Sports Federation); more than 150 countries compete in 21 different sports. For basketball, only 24 teams will compete in pools of six.
Earlier this year in April, the Kansas University men’s team was selected to be Team USA. This is the second time a college team will compete in the World University Games as a whole.
Due to an injury of a player, a replacement was sought. Without missing a beat, Bill Self, head coach at KU, contacted Joe Dooley, the current head coach of FGCU’s men’s team.
Dooley had spent 10 years on Self’s coaching staff before transferring to his current position at FGCU.
DeBose and Nic Moore are the only two players not on the Jayhawks who will be heading to South Korea as part of Team USA. Moore, represnting Southern Methodist University, is the reigning American Athletic Conference Player of the Year DeBose is in Lawrence, Kansas to play with the team in preparation. On June 28, he and the rest of Team USA will be flown to Gwangju, South Korea and stay in an athlete village for the duration of the competition.
Since the games began in 1965, USA has won 13 gold medals, three silvers and three bronze.
Team USA faced Team Canada on June 23 in Kansas City for an exhibition game. The teams will play again on June 26.
All games are played under FIBA rules. Notable differences include 12-minute quarters and a 24-second shot clock.
Twenty-four teams will compete in the 2015 Games. There are four pools of six teams each, and USA is in Pool D, along with Serbia, Brazil, Turkey, Chile and Switzerland.
DeBose reigns from Washington, D.C. and transferred to FGCU from Rice following his sophomore year in 2012-13. He was the third-best scorer last year for the Eagles.