Jayhawk-led American team finishes pool play perfect at World University Games

Wayne Selden, who is leading all scorers in the World University Games, led the United States to a 96-57 rout of Switzerland, helping his team emerge from pool play as the top seed from Group D with a 5-0 record — a far cry from the nail biting, 66-65 victory the Americans eked out over Serbia the night before.

The U.S. will now receive the benefit of a two-day rest in Gwangju, South Korea, before a quarterfinal matchup against either Australia or Lithuania, which set for 10 p.m. Central time Friday night.

Selden, who scored 16 points before heading to the bench for good late in the third quarter, helped facilitate a 51-33 halftime advantage despite his team’s eight turnovers, its 1-for-8 mark from the foul stripe and a second-quarter run by Switzerland that cut the lead down to five at one point.

The Americans, all but two of whom are Kansas Jayhawks when they’re not representing their country abroad, shirked shooting woes that had plagued them through the first four games — a stretch in which they shot only 31 percent from behind the arc as a group. The U.S. made 6 of 9 Team USA knocked down six of nine attempts from deep in the opening 20 minutes on its way to shooting at a 65-percent clip from the field against Switzerland in the first half.

After a 2-for-11 performance against the Serbs, Perry Ellis opened Wednesday night’s game aggressively, bullying his way to the bucket and scoring all of his 11 points in the opening half.

The Americans didn't need the jumper in the second 20 minutes, instead relying on their athleticism and making coach Bill Self’s desire for pace — something he preached in the weeks leading up to the Games — a reality.

Half-court sets were a rare sight in the latter quarters, as the U.S. forced turnovers and feasted on the fast break, frequently bending the iron and slamming the door on the Swiss early in the third. An 18-2 run stretched the lead to 34 points and sent Selden to the bench for good after he scored all eight of his second-half points on dunks, two of which came on alley-oops.

Frank Mason was also a beneficiary of the extended U.S. advantage, as he rested for the entire final quarter as well.

Freshman LeGerald Vick had one of his most productive games of the tournament, scoring 11 points, and Julian DeBose — a loan out from Florida Gulf Coast — took advantage of the extra playing time he saw late to lead the team with 18 points.

Early Wednesday: U.S. 66, Serbia 65 – The international game is no doubt a different style of basketball, with a slight variation on certain rules, a wider lane and a 24-second shot clock. But no matter the rules, the level of competition or the continent on which a game is played, one must ponder the strategy employed by Serbia in the finals seconds of the Americans’ 66-65 victory.

With the score tied 65-65 in the final seconds, and the U.S. looking for a game-winning basket, the Serbian team elected to intentionally foul Selden, putting the junior guard at the free-throw line. Selden made 1 of 2 free throws, the Serbians came up empty in their final chances, and the U.S. improved to 4-0.

“Our guys really wanted it,” Self said. “It was one of those games that it meant a lot to us, and we were trying really hard, but there was no gas left in the tank. We were running on empty. This is about as tired as I’ve seen a group.”

The bizarre nature of the final seconds obscured what was otherwise a perfectly solid — and competitive — basketball game between the two best teams from Pool D. Both teams — each with reasonable medal hopes — had entered the game with perfect 3-0 records.

The United States, led by a stirring performance from senior forward Hunter Mickelson, built a 62-57 in the waning minutes after a run sparked by a Mickelson block. But junior guard Frank Mason fouled out moments later, and the Serbians took a 65-62 lead in the final minute with an 8-0 run.

Undeterred, Selden responded with a clutch three-pointer from the wing. The Jayhawks picked up a stop on the other end. And that set up the final, head-scratching decision to foul.

Selden finished with a team-high 21 points, while Mickelson had 14 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench. The United States held Serbia to 33-percent shooting from the field.

“Hunt (Mickelson) played like a grown man tonight with a lot of rebounds and a lot of tip-ins,” Selden said. “We got stops when it mattered.”

This story was originally published July 8, 2015 at 10:26 PM with the headline "Jayhawk-led American team finishes pool play perfect at World University Games."