UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, September 12, 1995
3B
Kansas basketball players take a few international shots
Jayhawks Haase and LaFrentz competed with and against best collegians in the world
By Matt Irwin Kansan sportswriter
While their teammates sat in classrooms learning about places like France and Japan, Raef LaFrentz and Jerod Haase spent the end of summer learning first-hand about those countries.
LaFrentz, a 6-foot-10 forward on the Kansas men's basketball team, was a member of the NIT All-Star team that traveled to France and played seven games in 12 days. LaFrentz's team won six of its seven games.
Haase, a 6-foot-3 guard, played with an
even more select group of players. He went to Japan with the USA World University Games team, which won the gold medal at the games.
Raef LaFrentz
Kansas coach Roy Williams said Haase had to overcome stiff competition.
"I think it's a heck of an accomplishment
that he made the team," he said.
Some of Haase's teammates were Wake Forest's T Duncan, Villanova's Kerry Kittles, Connecticut's Ray Allen and UCLA's Charles O'Bannon.
The team's record was 7-0, and its smallest margin of victory was 15 points.
team and think "They're pretty talented," Haase said. "Then I'd look down the bench and on the court at the guys I was playing with. It was pretty amazing. I was in awe of some of the things they could do."
"Before the game, I'd look at the other
Tryouts for the USA World University Games team were in Salt Lake City. The NIT team was picked without tryouts.
Kansas junior point guard Jacque Vaughn also was invited to try out with Haase, but he declined so that he could spend time with his family and work on his basketball skills, Williams said.
"Jacque's been in the situation the last two summers that he could have played as much as he wanted because USA basketball was interested in him both summers," Williams said. "He goes so hard during the season on basketball and academics that he almost needs some time to lay back
and catch some rest."
Haase, who also is known for studying hard during the season, said he was one of the few players to bring books with him.
"I took all my books to Japan and got a start on everything," Haase said.
Haase said that the experience out-
welged missing two weeks of classes. In his two weeks in Japan, Haase made friends with and played against the best players in college basketball, he said.
Haseel said competing against the best in college basketball helped his game.
Jerod Haase
"I improved quite a bit over there. I was happy with it as far as basketball," he said.
Hase said he became good friends with Duncan, Providence's Austin Croshere and Indiana's Brian Evans. Despite the friendships, he said he eventually tired of Japan.
"A lot of things kind of dragged on," Haase said. "I wasn't the happiest guy that last week."
His problems faded when he received a gold medal.
"When you get up on the gold medal stand, and you just got the gold medal, you get feelings of butterflies," Haase said. "You see the Olympic team go up on the medal stand, and I'm doing the same thing. You don't get too many of those feelings."
Both my brothers are in the Air Force, serving our country. For me to play for our country, that means something to me."
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