Ryan led the team through the tryouts, but it was the USA Basketball Committee, led by Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim, that decided who would be selected. “"It was one of the most difficult decisions we as a committee have had because the team is so balanced," Boeheim said, "It's probably one of the better groups of wing players we have had and all the guys are great players. It looks to be one of our most competitive teams for the World University Games. We have good shooters and athletic wing guys, which gives this team a good chance to compete."

Even though Ryan felt that the selections made were the right ones, he felt everyone at the trials was worthy of being on the team. “First of all, all 16 players at trials are very good players. Everybody that competed worked very hard against one another at a very high level. The toughest part was getting down to the 12 players. I don't want to take anything away from the guys who didn't make it, but the 12 who are on the final list are the ones that if you look at the overall picture - offense, defense, rebounding, things like that - this was the 12 that stood out. I thought the selection committee did a very good job of evaluating.”

One of the 12 named to the team was Marquette’s Lazar Hayward. Hayward, a 6’7 senior-to-be, was honored to be named to the squad. “It's an unbelievable honor. It feels great. We have a great group of guys on this team, and we can do some great things. Right after our meeting, we all just came together and told each other it has to be like a brotherhood. It's a wonderful feeling, and I'm honored. You just think about the history of USA Basketball. I'm one of those guys now. It's a wonderful achievement, and it's kind of surreal. I can't believe I have the opportunity to do this. I want to bring home the gold.”

Ryan stated that the ones that made it contributed in different ways, offense, defense and rebounding, and Hayward felt that is why he was named to the team. “I tried to do all the little things -- take charges, rebound, talk to the guys non-stop. I just tried to do all the little things that the coaches look for. I have always been the type of person to bring what the team is lacking. Whatever we need, I'll bring it no matter what it is. Whether it's rebounding, defending, or guarding certain guys, I'll be willing to do it.”

So now that the team is in place, what is the next step for the team? Bo Ryan explained, “The next step is to make sure we are all on the same page in everything that we do. We can't have three guys handling screens one way, for example, and two guys doing something different. What we are going to try to defensively is make sure that we understand our rotations and coverage, and from there, understand offensively what our looks are going to be. We need to learn to play to our strengths and not shy away from weaknesses, and those are all nuances that will play out over the next week before we head to Serbia.”

With Wisconsin’s Bo Ryan, UWM’s Rob Jeter and Marquette’s Lazar Hayward representing the United States, there will certainly be a strong interest from basketball fans throughout the state of Wisconsin.

Named to the 2009 USA Men's World University Games Team were:

James Anderson (Oklahoma State / Junction City, Ark.)
Talor Battle (Penn State / Albany, N.Y.)
Trevor Booker (Clemson / Whitmire, S.C.)
Craig Brackins (Iowa State / Palmdale, Calif.)
Da'Sean Butler (West Virginia / Newark, N.J.)
Corey Fisher (Villanova / Bronx, N.Y.)
Lazar Hayward (Marquette / Buffalo, N.Y.)
Robbie Hummel (Purdue / Valparaiso, Ind.)
Quincy Pondexter (Washington / Fresno, Calif.)
Deon Thompson (North Carolina / Torrance, Calif.)
Evan Turner (Ohio State / Chicago, Ill.)
Jarvis Varnado (Mississippi State / Brownsville, Tenn.)

Head Coach: Bo Ryan, University of Wisconsin

Assistants:     Rob Jeter, Univeristy of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
                     Frank Haith, University of Miami