USA Games

UCSB's Johnson selected as USA flag bearer at World University Games

UC Santa Barbara men's basketball star Orlando Johnson's memorable summer is about to get even better. The senior-to-be guard has been selected to represent the United States of american as the USA's flag bearer for Friday's Opening Ceremony of the 2011 World University Games.

"It's unbelievable," said Johnson in a release issued by the UCSB Athletics Department. "I was proud to make the USA Basketball team and to play for my country, and now to carry the flag and lead the US Delegation feels very special. I feel very honored."

Johnson is the definition of perseverance. He had to deal with the deaths of six relatives by the time he was 11 years old. His mother passed away when he was one. His grandmother, who took him in, passed away when OJ was 11. When he was six, four of his relatives died in a house fire. His two older brothers put their lives on hold to raise him.

" I hope that I can bring honor to my country and hold the flag high and hold it proud," Johnson continued. "i'm definitely looking forward to it, walking out with the rest of the athletes who are all here to compete and do our best."

OJ is the two-time Big West Conference Tournament MVP after helping the Gauchos advance to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments, a first in program history.

Thursday, Johnson scored nine points for Team USA in its 88-61 win exhibition win over Chinese professional team New Century. The US trailed by as many as 8 points in the first quarter.

The USA will open play in the 2011 World University Games on Saturday against Mexico at 3am PDT.

Former Gaucho Menzel leads USA in sweep vs. Mexico in World Games ...

Former UC Santa Barbara outside attacker Jeff Menzel in his World University Games debut picked up right where he left off from the NCAA postseason.

Menzel had a match-high 15 kills as the United States swept Mexico 25-17, 25-23, 25-15 in its pool-play opener at the World University Games on Friday in Shenzhen, China.

Menzel was one of 12 current or recently graduated college men’s volleyball players selected to represent the United States at the international tournament, after he led the Gauchos to the 2011 NCAA championship match. The senior outside attacker had a more than 100 postseason kills as UC Santa Barbara upset three top-five ranked teams to reach its first Final Four in more than 20 years. Along with Menzel, former USC outside attacker Murphy Troy had 10 kills in the victory.

Menzel and Troy, the 2011 AVCA National Player of the Year, were the only U.S. players with more than five kills against Mexico.

Mexico outside attacker Ricardo Cordova in the loss had a team-high eight kills.

Both the United States and Mexico finished the match with six blocks. UCLA middle attacker Thomas Amberg and Stanford outside attacker Brad Lawson each had a team-high two blocks.

The United States will continue the five-match pool-play round with a match against Turkey on Saturday.

This is the first time since 2007 that U.S. men’s volleyball team has competed at the World University Games, an event held every two years and comprised of current and recently graduated college students. The United States finished the 2007 tournament in third place.

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