Many people know what basketball is, but few can say it in Turkish. Notre Dame senior point guard Megan Duffy is an exception.

From Aug. 10 to 19, Duffy played for Team USA at the World University Games in Izmir, Turkey. The accomplishment was the newest pinnacle in a career draped in accomplishment.

Duffy hopes to reach another accomplishment when Notre Dame visits Syracuse Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Carrier Dome.

Each player of Team USA had an assignment at the games. It wasn’t all about playing basketball; Duffy said each player had a chance to know the Turkish culture.

Duffy’s assignment consisted of educating the team about the language of the host country. She taught her teammates words like hello and goodbye, as well as basketball terms.

As for the World University Games, the United States had a fairly good showing: Duffy co-captained the team to a 7-0 record and a gold medal over Serbia and Montenegro, 79-53. The United States team won every game by at least 24 points.

‘It was definitely a confidence builder to play with the top 11 other players in the country,’ Duffy said of the Games. ‘The fact that we won the gold was pretty cool, too.’

The World University Games are Olympics for college-age athletes. There are opening and closing ceremonies with teams in multiple sports from countries around the world. Kathy Delaney-Smith, Harvard’s head women’s basketball coach and Team USA’s coach, called the competition a ‘phenomenal opportunity for coaches and athletes.’

At Notre Dame, Duffy has proven her legitimacy as a player over the past three and a half seasons. She’s raised her scoring average every season, from three points as a freshman to 16.1 points this season.

Duffy also led the Big East Conference in steals per game and free throw percentage last season. In four postseason contests, she averaged 19.5 points with 4.8 assists and a 57.9 field goal percentage, including shooting 61.1 percent from 3-point range.

‘I’ve always taken pride in getting better each year,’ Duffy said. ‘I feel like I have a loyalty to this team and my teammates.’

If numbers don’t validate Duffy’s talent, her participation in the Games does. Along with Duffy, the 2004 Big East Most Improved Player and a top candidate for this season’s Player of the Year award, Team USA was comprised of former first team All-Americans Cappie Pondexter (Rutgers), Monique Currie (Duke), Seimone Augustus (LSU – 2005 National Player of the Year) and Brooke Smith (Stanford).

Ohio State’s Brandie Hoskins also played on the team. Hoskins and Duffy were high school teammates at Chaminade-Julienne in Dayton, Ohio.

‘It puts her name out there,’ said high school coach Frank Goldsberry, now the director of operations for women’s basketball at the University of Dayton. ‘Look how many good guards are out there from the whole country. It says a lot about her and what she brings to the table.’

‘She’s a dream point guard,’ Delaney-Smith said. ‘She’s the kind of point guard every coach wants on their team.’

Delaney-Smith continued to rave about the 2004-05 All-America honorable mention, saying Team USA’s selection committee most likely picked her for her selflessness, patience, multi-dimensional makeup and leadership.

Muffet McGraw, Duffy’s head coach at Notre Dame, extended the praise, calling her the best point guard in America and saying she’s been a leader of the Fighting Irish ever since her freshman year.

Syracuse head coach Keith Cieplicki is aware of Notre Dame’s star player as well, calling her a great leader and saying shutting her down will be key for SU to win.

Leadership seems to be a trend with all that know Duffy, and is something that was existent since she began playing basketball.

She won a total of three AAU national titles, led Notre Dame to the team’s third-highest win total at 27 a year ago, propelled the Fighting Irish to their 12th NCAA Tournament, won the gold at the World University Games and even picked up a Division II state championship at Chaminade-Julienne High School under Goldsberry her freshman year.

During her senior season, Duffy directed the Eagles to a No. 1 national ranking before blowing out her knee – an injury that she would not let hold her back.

‘I had to prove to myself and to coach McGraw that I’m supposed to be here,’ Duffy said.

Four years and a tour of duty on the U.S. national team later, Duffy has shown she belongs – she has the accolades and anecdotes to prove it. Goldsberry said she also has the skills to succeed at the next level as a player and coach.

Most importantly, Duffy has the heart and desire. In a day when many professional players work their hardest to avoid playing for Team USA, Duffy embraced the opportunity.

Said Duffy: ‘It’s a privilege to wear ‘USA’ across your chest.’

Published on January 29, 2006 at 12:00 pm