Pretend you’re building a team of returning college players to compete in an international competition. Would it look like this?
James Anderson, G/F, Oklahoma State
Talor Battle, G, Penn State
Trevor Booker, F/C, Clemson
Craig Brackins, F, Iowa State
Da'Sean Butler, F, West Virginia
Sherron Collins, G, Kansas
Mike Davis, F, Illinois
Corey Fisher, G, Villanova
Lazar Hayward, F, Marquette
Robbie Hummel, F, Purdue
JaJuan Johnson, F/C, Purdue
Quincy Pondexter, F,Washington
Deon Thompson, PF, North Carolina
Evan Turner, G/F, Ohio State
Jarvis Varnado, C/F, Mississippi State
These 15 players will compete for 12 spots on for USA basketball’s World University Games Team to be coached by Wisconsin’s Bo Ryan. (Trial dates are June 16-18; the competition is July 2-12 in Belgrade, Serbia.)
 Ellen Ozier/Reuters |
| Deon Thompson |
Sure, some guys like Duke’s Kyle Singler, Michigan State’s Kalin Lucas or Kansas’ Cole Aldrich aren’t on there, but that’s more likely because of other factors. KU coaches advised Aldrich to rest this summer instead of logging extra playing time.
Besides, that 15-player list is pretty loaded. Six of those guys were first-team all-conference players, and four were second teamers.
By my count, it’s three point guards (Collins, Fisher and Battle), four post players (Booker, Johnson, Thompson and Varnardo) and eight guys who can play the wing. And those are the guys who seem most likely to be fighting for a roster spot.
Turner, perhaps the Big Ten’s best player last season, seems like a lock. Same goes for Butler, Davis and Hummel. That leaves Anderson, Brackins, Hayward and Pondexter battling for the last roster spot. I’d take Brackins for his size and rebounding.
Then again, that’s just me. What’s your roster?