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KANSAN.COM
Kansas prepares for World University Games
DYLAN SHERWOOD @dmantheman2011
Kansas basketball is less than a week from seeing its first action in the World University Games.
Before the team leaves for Ghwangju, South Korea, on June 28, the team will play two exhibition games against Team Canada on Tuesday and Friday at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.
The Jayhawks are missing starting sophomore guard Devonte' Graham for the tournament. Graham was ruled out due to a partially torn quad tendon suffered during a scrimmage for Bill Self Basketball Camp last week. No surgery is required, but
Kansas found another guard quickly to fill Graham's spot. On Saturday, Kansas announced Florida Gulf Coast senior guard Julian DeBose will replace Graham on the roster for the games. DeBose arrived in Lawrence on Saturday and started practicing with the team on Sunday.
Graham will not play in South Korea and may not travel with the team.
"Joe [Dooley, Florida Gulf Coast men's basketball coach] had talked to us about Julian," Self said in a team release on Saturday. "I called Joe after Devonte's injury, and Julian was able to take the next 25 days off on three days notice."
Self said DeBose is similar to former Kansas guard Travis Releford.
DeBose averaged 11.9 points and 3.9 rebounds for Florida Gulf Coast last season.
SMU guard Nic Moore will have a bigger role in the tournament because of Graham's absence. Kansas already lost junior guard Brannen Greene for the summer as he is rehabilitating from his hip surgery in April.
Kansas' opponent for the two exhibition games is the Canadian development men's national team. Barnaby Craddock, coach of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, coaches the team. The Canadians will practice in Lawrence on Friday before leaving for South Korea on June 27.
The Jayhawks are using their practices to adjust to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rules and a 24-second shot clock for the international tournament.
"Practices are going pretty good," senior forward Hunter Mickelson said. "We are getting better as the summer goes on."
Last August Mickelson traveled to Estonia and Finland with the USA East Coast Basketball Team for the Four Nations Cup, making this his second trip overseas for collegiate basketball.
Junior forward Landen Lucas also played overseas last summer with the Athletes in Action, a sports ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ,
in the six-game Baltic Tour of Estonia last summer. Lucas said he's familiar with spending time outside the U.S.
"I kind of understand the cultural difference and it's going to be an experience for all of us, but we will get through it together," Lucas said.
In addition to the two games in the Sprint Center, Kansas will also scrimmage Canada several times next week while both teams practice in Lawrence.
The exhibition games on Tuesday and Friday will tip at 7 p.m. in Kansas City, Mo.