Rushing to Defense of Ukraine's Basketball Contributions at U.S. Universities
"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle." - Irish statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke
President Barack H. Obama, after seemingly rudderless responses involving Iran and Syria, faced heightened foreign-policy scrutiny amid Russia's Ukrainian incursion. Has Russia's naked aggression occupying Crimea caused Obama Administration personnel to soil their pants or are they too busy with "let's-move" jogging around the White House? Did Secretary of State John Kerry, the self-proclaimed Vietnam War hero, throw his medals at invading troops to exhibit the U.S.'s verve? Does Samantha Power, America's ambassador to the U.N., command more respect from Comrade Russians with her dynamic demeanor or sharing comedy film-festival clips?
After being caught flat-footed by Putin, perhaps the hoopster-in-chief will devote more time on Ukraine than his "Audacity of Hype" NCAA bracket prep if we inject a basketball factor in the equation. CollegeHoopedia.com's treasure chest of information definitely has limited options regarding thwarting Russia flexing its bare chest via military action. Thus we'll exhibit our solidarity with the fertile-farmland nation seeking to retain its freedom by citing, via the following alphabetical list, the breadbasket's across-the-globe basketball contributions at U.S. universities:
| Ukrainian Player | Pos. | U.S. College | Playing Career Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volodymyr Gerun | F | Portland | Averaged 3.5 ppg and 2.1 rpg in 2013-14 with the Pilots after transferring from West Virginia. |
| Denis Ikovlev | F | Nevada | J.C. recruit averaged 4.8 ppg and 2.7 rpg in 2005-06 and 2006-07. |
| Alexander Kireev | F-C | George Washington | Started two games as a freshman in 2002-03 and 13 as a sophomore in 2003-04 before averaging 2.2 ppg as a junior in 2004-05 and 2.4 ppg as a senior in 2005-06. |
| Vladyslav Kondratyev | F | Bryant | Member of Northeast Conference All-Rookie Team (averaged career-high 8.9 ppg in 2009-10) finished four-year career with 5.7 ppg and 3.4 rpg. |
| Oleg Kovalov | F | IPFW | J.C. recruit averaged 3.5 ppg in 2009-10 and 2010-11. |
| Oleksiy "Alex" Len | C | Maryland | Averaged 9.7 ppg, 7 rpg and 2.1 bpg in 2011-12 and 2012-13 before declaring early for the NBA draft and becoming the fifth pick overall. |
| Kyryal Natyazhko | C | Arizona | Averaged 1.7 ppg and 2 rpg from 2009-10 through 2011-12. |
| Vitaly Potapenko | C-F | Wright State | Two-time All-Midwestern Collegiate Conference choice averaged 20.2 ppg and 6.8 rpg in 1994-95 and 1995-96. He led the Raiders in scoring and rebounding both seasons before leaving early for NBA and becoming a first-round draft choice (12th pick overall). |
| Roman Rubchenko | F-C | Louisiana State | Averaged 10.5 ppg and 6.4 rpg in his final two of four seasons with the Tigers from 1992-93 through 1995-96. Scored a career-high 29 points against Dayton as a senior. |
| Vladimir Ryzhov | F-G | Texas A&M-Corpus Christi | Averaged 4.4 ppg in 1999-00. |