Luke Adams Selected To USA Deaf National Team
Texas Tech Junior To Compete At The 22nd Deaflympics In Bulgaria
June 28, 2013
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech junior Luke Adams has been selected to represent Team USA at the 22nd Deaflympics from July 26 to Aug. 4 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Adams, a 5-9 guard from Big Spring, has appeared in 38 games, including seven starts, for Texas Tech over the last two seasons. He was born deaf and is one of roughly 42,000 adults in the U.S. to wear a cochlear implant and hearing aid.
Adams was selected to the team by USA Deaf Basketball, a non-profit organization and the national governing body serving deaf and hard of hearing for men’s and women’s basketball in the United States.
He is the first Red Raider to appear on a USA national team of any kind since Jason Sasser played for Team USA at the 1998 World Championships.
Head coach Tubby Smith is no stranger to the national team experience. He was an assistant coach for Team USA at the 1999 Tournament of Americas and the 2000 Olympic Games, where he was a part of a pair of gold medal performances. He also coached the North squad to the gold at the 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival.
Adams is not only Red Raider representing their homeland. Teammate Kader Tapsoba is in his native Burkina Faso preparing for the 2013 FIBA Africa Championships, where he will represent his national team in August.
Adams will begin training camp with Team USA in Frederick, Md., at the Maryland School for the Deaf in mid-July prior to its departure to Bulgaria.
The United States is one of 13 countries competing in basketball at the Deaflympics, joining Argentina, Australia, Chinese Taipei, Greece, Japan, Kenya, Lithuania, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine and Venezuela.
The United States won the last 14 gold medals in men’s basketball at the Deaflympics, including defeating Lithuania in the gold medal game in 2009 in Taipei, Chinese Taipei.
SOURCE:
http://www.texastech.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/062813aab.html
Luke Adams Bio:
http://www.texastech.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/luke_adams_776682.html