Courtesy: UMKC Athletics Rising senior Dane Brumagin has been selected to play for the Jones Cup Team this summer in Taiwan.

Kansas City, Mo. -- UMKC rising senior Dane Brumagin has been selected to play this summer for the U.S. Jones Cup Team, which will be sponsored by Athletes in Action Basketball. The team is made up of selected men’s college basketball players from across the country and will play in a tournament in Tita, Taiwan, on July 7-20.

“It is a great privilege to be asked to play for the Athletes In Action team, especially if you look at the caliber of some of the other guys that have been asked to participate,” said Brumagin. “It will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a part of the world that I would probably never have been able to see.

“On the court, we are going to be playing basketball at a very competitive level, but at the same time, we’re still trying to make a difference in peoples lives while we are there through the ministry. That is something that will be very exciting.”

The U.S. Jones Cup Team will be coached by former Baylor head coach Dave Bliss and is one of 10 teams competing in the tournament. Bliss will be assisted by Phil Bollier, a head coaching veteran from Millcreek High School in Atlanta, and Morris Michalski, a former head coach at Bryan College. The teams will head to Ohio for a comprehensive training in leadership and cultural and biblical studies on July 1-6 before departing from the U.S. on July 7.

“We’re very excited to have a player like Dane join our team on its trip to Taiwan,” said Coach Michalski. “We were looking for young men that have a command in the way that they play and have the ability to make plays, and Dane fits the type of player we were courting. We also were searching for young men with enviable spirit in the way they live and play.

“It takes an extraordinary group of young people to come together in five days and play against some national teams that have been together for 5-10 years. The team we’ve assembled has a lot of talent and faith to be able to come together for this experience.”

Brumagin, who was a second team all-Summit League selection in 2008, led the Kangaroos with a 17.1 scoring average to go along with 4.8 rebounds per game. The forward scored in double digits in 24 games on the year, which included 12 contests with 20 or more points. His .451 three-point field goal percentage ranked 17th in the nation on the year.

Joining Brumagin on the 2008 roster are Jamel McLean (Xavier), Da’Sean Butler and Wellington Smith (West Virginia), Laval Lucas-Perry and Manny Harris (Michigan), Stephen McDowell (Tennessee-Chattanooga), Brett Winkelman and Ben Woodside (North Dakota State) and Marcus Kitts (College of William & Mary).

Those interested in contributing to the U.S. Jones Cup Team tour to Taiwan should make checks out to Athletes in Action and send donations to:

Athletes in Action Basketball Men’s Jones Cup
Attn: Morris Michalski
651 Taylor Drive
Xenia, OH 45385