American basketball team is determined to win the Universiade gold medal

The 2025 Rhine-Ruer World College Student Summer Games basketball competition will start on the 18th. American college boys and women's basketball teams expressed their hope to win the championship in the game on the 16th.

As the two most popular teams at this Universiade, the organizing committee specially held two press conferences for them on the same day. In this basketball event, the American men's team is based on Baylor University, while the women's team is mainly composed of Texas Tech Red Raiders players. In the first press conference, American men's team head coach Drew believed that the advantage of building a team like this is that it can allow players to produce "chemical reactions" in the fastest way.

"If we select star players from multiple schools, they are not familiar with each other, both offensively and defensively, they need time to run in. With the entire team participating, the players have enough tacit understanding," Drew said.

As the team that won the most gold medals in the men's basketball history in the Universiade, the US team only won third place at the 2023 Chengdu Universiade. Baylor University basketball team is strong. At this year's NBA draft, Edgecom from the school was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers as a Tanhua Show. Iguodala II, the son of Iguodala, who once won four NBA championships, also came to Germany with the US team. The strong player lineup also gave Drew the confidence to win the gold medal.

"After coming to Germany, the team's enthusiasm for preparation is high. As a coach, I am very excited. Basketball occupies a very important position in the United States, and it is of great significance for us to play on behalf of the country. I hope we are the strongest competitors," he said.

The US women's basketball team, which once won four consecutive championships at the Universiade, last time it won the gold medal in 2015. When Xinhua News Agency reporter asked whether the team's head coach Glicher was confident of winning the championship, she said: "Indeed, we have been away from the championship for a long time. I think this game is an opportunity for us. Now the students are on summer vacation, and they can have more energy to devote themselves to training and competitions. The team's training condition is very good now, and I am very confident."

According to the schedule, the US women's basketball team will face the host German team in the first game. Glicherher said: "The players are indeed a little nervous, but their previous experience in campus basketball is enough to help them adapt to such a big scene."