Globe Trotters: Australian Guards Attending Saint Mary's Boasted Best Chance

As professionals continue to assert themselves in the previously amateur-only Olympics, active foreign players enrolled at U.S. colleges competing in the Games are becoming rare. In 2012 while participating in the XXX Olympiad, it was clear guards Matthew Dellavedova (Saint Mary's/from Australia) and Andrew Lawrence (College of Charleston/Great Britain) were going to be on the endangered species list before too long in the New World Order. Dellavedova and fellow Saint Mary's backcourter Patty Mills coupled with former NCAA national player of the year Andrew Bogut (Utah) gave Australia the best chance to offer a competitive game against the U.S. The Aussies led by five points at halftime against the Americans before bowing 98-88.

Five former U.S. college hoopsters in this "foreign" category who averaged more than 16 ppg in Olympic competition are Louisiana State's Eddie Palubinskas (25.6 for Australia), Washington's Detlef Schrempf (21 for West Germany/Germany), Seton Hall's Andrew Gaze (19.7 for Australia), Texas' Albert Almanza (17.2 for Mexico) and Houston's Carl Herrera (16.7 for Venezuela). Before professionals dominated the scene, following is a sampling of Olympians such as Domantas Sabonis (Gonzaga) who first played in the Games for countries other than the U.S. before or during a season attending an American university before becoming a pro (scoring average is for Olympic participation):

Foreign Player Pos. U.S. College Native Country Olympic Year(s) PPG.
Albert Almanza F Texas Mexico 1960 and 1964 17.2
Martin Ansa G Wagner Puerto Rico 1964 6.9
Uwe Blab C Indiana West Germany/Germany 1984 and 1992 7.1
Andrew Bogut F-C Utah Australia 2004, 2008 and 2016 13.2
Craig Bradshaw F-C Winthrop New Zealand 2004 3.0
Andy Campbell C Louisiana State Australia 1976 and 1984 3.7
Kresimir Cosic C Brigham Young Yugoslavia 1968, 1972, 1976 and 1980 11.0
Matthew Dellavedova G Saint Mary's Australia 2012 and 2016 TBD
Marcel de Souza F Bradley Brazil 1980, 1984, 1988 and 1992 12.6
David Diaz G-F Houston Venezuela 1992 3.7
Mark Dickel G UNLV New Zealand 2000 and 2004 9.0
Raul Duarte F Iowa State Peru 1964 9.0
Andrew Gaze G-F Seton Hall Australia 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000 19.7
Joaquim Gomes F Valparaiso Angola 2004 and 2008 7.5
Cameron Hall F Duke Canada 1976 4.4
Lars Hansen C Washington Canada 1976 13.7
Carl Herrera F Houston Venezuela 1992 16.7
Arturas Karnishovas F Seton Hall Lithuania 1992 and 1996 13.4
Andrew Lawrence G College of Charleston Great Britain 2012 TBD
Alfred "Butch" Lee G Marquette Puerto Rico 1976 16.0
Marcos Leite F Pepperdine Brazil 1972, 1976, 1980 and 1984 14.3
Kari Liimo F Brigham Young Finland 1964 14.7
Luc Longley C New Mexico Australia 1988, 1992 and 2000 7.3
Francisco "Kiko" Martinez F New Mexico State Mexico 1936 TBD
Dan Meagher F Duke Canada 1984 5.3
Patrick Mills G Saint Mary's Australia 2008, 2012 and 2016 14.2
Kai Nurnberger G Southern Illinois Germany 1988 and 1992 3.5
Edgar Padilla G Massachusetts Puerto Rico 1996 4.4
Eddie Palubinskas G Louisiana State Australia 1972 and 1976 25.6
Alvydaz Pazdrazdis F McNeese State Lithuania 1992 2.3
Kirk Penney G Wisconsin New Zealand 2000 and 2004 8.9
Ramon Ramos C Seton Hall Puerto Rico 1988 8.3
Ramon Rivas C Temple Puerto Rico 1988, 1992 and 1996 7.6
Henrik Rodl G North Carolina Germany 1992 6.0
Domantas Sabonis C Gonzaga Lithuania 2016 TBD
Detlef Schrempf F Washington West Germany/Germany 1984 and 1992 21.0
Darius Songaila F Wake Forest Lithuania 2000 and 2004 9.0
Carmelo Travieso G Massachusetts Puerto Rico 1996 8.0
Andrew Vlahov F Stanford Australia 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000 6.5
Christian Welp C Washington West Germany 1984 9.1
Bill Wennington C St. John's Canada 1984 7.0