Hoops powerhouse favours chemistry over all-stars at Rhine-Ruhr 2025

Unlike most basketball teams set to compete at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games, the United States’ squads feature student-athletes from the same universities. This year in Germany, the Baylor University men and Texas Tech women were selected to represent their delegation.

Men’s head coach Scott Drew sees distinct advantages in UniUSA’s approach of selecting a side from a single school, rather than the traditional approach of choosing a collection of all-stars from around the country.

“When you put all-star teams together, you don’t have the chemistry and the familiarity plus you don’t have (the) same offense and defense, and you have to put everything in in a real quick manner,” Drew said during a USA Basketball media conference on 16 July at the FISU Games Main Press Centre in Essen. “Bringing university teams over that have had a chance to practice together gives you a better team.”

Shooting guard Cameron Carr added that representing both his country and his university is a rare opportunity. “Since our team was chosen to do it, it’s another opportunity for us to grow as a team and it’s a great experience.”

The next generation

Carr is one of two players on the USA’s men’s team who have elite-level basketball in their lineage.

His father Chris played in the NBA from 1995 to 2001 and finished runner-up to Kobe Bryant in the league’s 1997 Slam Dunk Contest.

Meanwhile, incoming freshman Andre “Iggy” Iguodala II, also a guard, is the son of Andre Iguodala, who played in the world’s top circuit for 19 years and won NBA Finals MVP with the Golden State Warriors in 2015.

“I would say he had a good foundation for me,” Carr said about his father. “Laying out the road for me and showing me how to go about things because he’s been where I want to go.”

However, he added he has to be his own player and not try and be exactly like his dad. “I got to write my own story at the end of the day.”

Friendly rivalry

While most of Baylor’s team will represent the USA in the men’s tournament, one member of the squad, Michael Rataj, will be suiting up for the host country of Germany at these FISU Games.

“I get to compete against him every day at practice,” Carr said. “Of course, that’s fun, but when you step between the lines and the actual intense game, there’s way more energy, there’s a lot more going on.”

With a big smile on his face, guard JJ White said that Rataj is “so good it makes me mad,” and that he told his Baylor teammate to “play your worst out there and come back (to Baylor) and play better.”

“I know he’ll be good,” White said. “He’s really good, so it’ll be fun going against him and when he comes back, he’ll be home.”

From manager to minutes

Meanwhile, due to ineligible international players and early-season roster issues, Team USA’s women’s side is giving an unlikely candidate a chance to shine on the international stage.

“When you start in April, and you end your season, you immediately go into recruiting mode,” head coach Krista Gerlich said. “We had to replace a lot of our roster… and so really, to be honest, we didn’t have our roster complete until the beginning of May, and we were having to put numbers in for this tournament very soon after that.”

Laci White, a Texas Tech team manager, stopped playing organised basketball in high school due to a knee injury. When the time came to select her roster for the FISU Games, Gerlich decided to give White the final spot.

“She was already there with us, and she could immediately start practicing, so that’s why we chose to move her up,” Gerlich said. “I think she had an instant impact with our kids just because they love her so much, because how hard she works for our programme.”

The USA women face a tough challenge in their FISU Games opener as they are set to battle host Germany on Friday, 18 July. In men’s action, the United States debut against India on Saturday, 19 July.

The Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games take place from 16-27 July. Watch all the competitions live on fisu.tv. Click on the link to find the full schedule. 

Written by Fisher Madsen, FISU Young Reporter, USA

The Young Reporters Programme exemplifies FISU’s commitment to more than sports competitions. At every FISU World University Games, a group of talented aspiring sports journalists are chosen to cover the competition.