Chinese National Center Commits to Dons for 2012-13 Season
DONS SOCIAL MEDIA HUB
(San Francisco) – San Francisco men's basketball announces the signing of Chinese National Center Tao Xu to a Grant-in-Aid to play basketball at the University of San Francisco for the 2012-13 season. The 6-11, 260 pounder was a member of the China's U-19 National Team and spent the 2011-12 season competing for the Haverford School in Haverford, Pennsylvania.
Dons head coach Rex Walters looks forward to welcoming the newest member of the Green and Gold to the Hilltop.
"Tao is a special young man," Walters said. "I've never been around a guy so focused academically and as a basketball player. We had a chance to have him up last weekend and Jack Kennedy did a great job with him. He's really focused on what he wants to get accomplished during his four years here as a student-athlete and as a basketball player. He's really talented as a basketball player. I haven't coached a guy with his size and skill set, so this will be a unique thing for me. I'm excited to coach him. He brings a lot of things to the table and once he gets used to playing Division I college basketball, I think he's got a chance to be a really good player."
After suffering a back injury in China which delayed his arrival in the United States by more than a month, Xu recovered to help the Fords post a 15-11 record last season, including a 5-5 mark in the Inter-Academic League, good for a share of third place. After making the significant adjustments to both basketball and academics, Xu earned 2011-12 All-Inter-Academic Honorable Mention accolades.
"I like how the coach really takes care of the players and have a good relationship with each other," Xu said. "I will get a great education at the University of San Francisco."
An experienced player at the national team level, Xu represented China during the 2010 U-18 Championships and averaged 2.8 points with 2.4 rebounds in 6.0 minutes in six games. In the 2011 World Championships, Xu chipped in 1.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in two contests for the U-19 squad. Xu played for the Shandong FB squad from 2009-12.
Xu comes from a highly athletic family. His dad, Wei, a 6-8 wing, played basketball, while his 6-2 mother played volleyball. An excellent student, Xu compiled a strong academic record in China and posted a 3.5 GPA at the Haverford School, while excelling in biology and physics.
Haverford head coach Henry Fairfax believes Tao Xu will make big contributions for the Dons.
"Tao is an outstanding person who has been blessed with the ability to play basketball at a high level," Fairfax said. "He has an exceptional fundamental skill set to highlight his game. Tao's footwork and ability to shoot the basketball make him very difficult to defend. Moreover, his commitment to being a true student-athlete is what makes him a standout. The community at University of San Francisco is set for a fun four years!"
San Francisco owns a long and distinguished history of recruiting globally to one of the nation's most diverse and innovative universities. Long before Yao Ming made history in the NBA and long before "Linsanity" became a trending topic, San Francisco Hall of Fame guard Willie "Woo Woo" Wong made history as the first Chinese-American to play at Madison Square Garden. The year was 1950 for Pete Newell's Dons.
Last season, USF's basketball roster featured three Asian Americans: Walters, one of the first Japanese-Americans to play in the NBA, Japanese-American and former UC Davis star Danny Yoshikawa and Taiwanese-American guard Jay Wey.
"As an Asian American myself, and being in San Francisco, you understand all the opportunities you have here," Walters said. "Tao being from China definitely opened a lot of doors and I think a lot of people are really going to be excited to watch him play. We didn't sign him because he's Chinese. We signed him because he is an outstanding student-athlete. The fact that we can reach out to our Asian population and our Chinese Americans here in the City, they'll really enjoy getting to know and see and watch him grow."
Xu is the first Chinese National to sign with the San Francisco basketball program and the second Chinese native overall. Sung "Samson" Fong, a 7-0 center from Hong Kong, played for the Green and Gold from 1993-95 under head coach Jim Brovelli.
