USA - Wisconsin's Bo Ryan to head 2009 USA Men's World University Games team

COLORADO SPRINGS (University Games) - University of Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan will return to the USA Basketball sidelines as head coach of the 2009 USA Men's World University Games Team, USA Basketball announced today. The U.S. will look to capture the gold medal at the 24th World University Games, July 2-12 in Belgrade, Serbia. Ryan's selection was made by the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Committee, chaired by Syracuse University head coach Jim Boeheim.

"Anytime you're asked by USA Basketball to coach, especially with the way things are for USA Basketball with our position in the world, the fact that we won the Olympics again, it's quite an honor," said Ryan. "I was a Sergeant in the Army and this is another way of representing your country. I was an assistant in '95 when Lon Kruger was the head coach and we won the gold in Fukuoka, Japan. I'm looking forward to doing it again. The USA is always the team to go after and the nice thing about this is that I'm not worried about the pressure. There's always pressure when you coach USA Basketball, but it's something I'm looking forward to.

"I was talking with Stephen Curry recently and he said 'coach, I was in Serbia two years ago.' He told me how well they were treated and what a great experience he had and I'm really excited about this opportunity to go to Serbia representing USA Basketball."

The World University Games are held every other year and are organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU).

Trials for the USA World University Games Team featuring approximately 20 U.S. hopefuls will be held June 16-18 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Players eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens, born between Jan. 1, 1985 and Dec. 31, 1991, who are currently enrolled as a full-time collegiate student with remaining eligibility for the 2009-10 school year. Following the selection of finalists, the Americans will continue to train June 19-28 in Colorado Springs, Colo. before departing for Serbia.

The United States, which has claimed a medal in every World University Games since beginning play in 1965, has captured a record 13 gold medals, three silver medals and two bronze medals in the 18 WUGs in which a USA Basketball squad has competed. The U.S., which owns a 125-7 won-loss record in World University Games play, captured six of the first seven gold medals awarded in World University Games competition and strung together six consecutive gold medals from 1989 through 1999. In 2001 the USA fell to host China, which featured half of its 2000 Olympic team, including Yao Ming, Menk Batere and Wang ZhiZhi, by a single point in the semifinal and finished with the bronze. The next and most recent USA team to compete at the WUGs was in 2005 when the U.S. again captured the gold medal.

Eighteen players who have represented the USA in the World University Games have gone on to compete in the Olympic Games, including Ray Allen, Stacey Augmon, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Bill Bradley, Quinn Buckner, Tom Burleson, Ken Davis, Tim Duncan, Phil Hubbard, Allen Iverson, Mitch Kupchak, Karl Malone, Michael Redd, Mitch Richmond, Michael Silliman, Steve Smith and Jo Jo White.

This summer marks Ryan's third USA Basketball coaching assignment, his first as a head coach. Previously, Ryan served as an assistant coach to Lon Kruger and the 1995 USA World University Games Team that featured future Olympians in Ray Allen, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson and Kerry Kittles. The talent-stocked team rolled through its opponents en route to a 7-0 record and the gold medal. He was also an assistant for the 1993 U.S. Olympic Festival North Team that captured gold with a 4-0 mark.

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