Sasha Kaun played for a high-profile college basketball team in his time with the Kansas Jayhawks from 2005-08. Now he's finding another chance to play on the biggest platform available to him with the Russian national team in London at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
The Russians are undefeated at this point in the competition in group play at 4-0, including a surprising win over Spain. That means that the team is setting itself up well for medal contention and a potential gold medal showdown with the United States.
Kaun is the first Jayhawk men's basketball player to participate in the Olympic Games since Danny Manning competed for the United States in 1988, winning the bronze medal. Kaun currently plays professionally for CSKA Moscow and is no stranger to international play. He was also a member of the Russian National Team, which competed in the 2010 World Championships in Turkey.
Kaun averaged 5.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game so far in Olympic play.
Read more on the Olympics at our StoryStream and the SBNation.com coverage. Be sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel for video commentary. SB Nation Kansas City is your source for local sports news and updates.