Saint Mary's men's basketball assistant coach Adam Caporn was recently appointed to a similar position with Basketball Australia and will serve as an assistant for that country's entry into the upcoming World University Games in China.

SMCGaels.com caught up with Caporn just minutes before he was scheduled to depart from campus and head to Australia to begin the team's training camp preparations.

Here is a transcript of a brief interview with Caporn before he heads away for Australia.

Tell Saint Mary's fans about your upcoming experience with the Australian National Team program.
"I will be serving as an assistant coach for the Australian team at the World University Games. It is a really big competition and we are, in a way, taking our second-tier national team. This competition is for athletes under the age of 25 who attend university. It is a really good opportunity, a chance to coach some of the best young players in Australia. It is always an awesome honor to wear the green and gold."

What relationship do you have with the coaching staff for this team?
"Mick Downer is the head coach. He was the assistant coach in Perth and I played for him there. He has been helping out with the national team at the moment, in the games they just played against China. Mick is currently an assistant coach with the Cairns Taipans of the National Basketball League. I actually coached against him a bit in my previous job (head coach of the East Perth Eagles). I've always had a really good relationship with him. He's a really good coach and a smart guy."

As usual, it appears there is Saint Mary's representation playing on the Australian side for the World University Games.
"Clint (Steindl) should have a pretty senior role on that team. This will be a good chance for him to play at a high level and continue to get experience in the national program."

When are you leaving and what is your schedule for the summer?
"Well, I am heading out tonight for preparation for training camp (July 3-6). Then, we head to China for a warm-up tournament, the Four Nations Tournament, July 7. Then, I come back here and I return to China August 7 for the World University Games."

Professionally, what does this mean for you?
"This is a great chance for me to coach, get better and to be involved in a high level competition. The nature of these tournaments is that you put the team together from scratch. That's really important and something people don't get a chance to do that often. It will be a good learning experience. Definitely, it looks good on the resume and the more experience the better for me. I'm not long out of playing, so I'm trying to get as much experience as I can. And, it is a really big honor, especially in Australia. Representing the country is a big deal."

How has this year at Saint Mary's under Randy Bennett's direction helped you, professionally?
"A lot. I'm learning at a really rapid rate - I'd certainly like to think, anyway. I have a lot to learn. That's one of the reason it is so exciting to be here, apart from the fact that I love the team and the program. I'm just learning so much. Being from a different country, there is a little bit of a stiff learning curve at times. That's what has put me in good stead for this. It is going to be another style of basketball and I'll have a chance to learn more about my theories on the game. My prior experiences should help, I would think."

Which country will be the favorite for the Games?
"There will be some pretty stiff competition. I would not expect us to be among the favorites, necessarily. We had a really young team at the last (World University Games) a couple of years ago. We are doing that again, so we are going to be up against it. But, we'll be confident and well prepared so we'll give it a shake."