Based on his performance in the first of six USA Basketball Under-21 team tryout sessions, C.J. Giles looked like he had an excellent chance to make the national team.

“Everybody was impressed with him. I was very pleased with how he played,” said Kansas University coach Bill Self, a member of the USA Basketball selection committee that watched six weekend practices in Dallas.

“Unfortunately, C.J. didn’t get to show his stuff, getting hurt at the end of the first practice.”

Giles, a 6-foot-11 KU sophomore from Seattle, fell hard on his left hip at the end of the first tryout session Thursday, suffered a bruised hip and was unable to practice Thursday night, Friday or Saturday.

He returned to Lawrence on Saturday and was one of four players officially cut from the squad Sunday.

Also cut were Josh Boone of Connecticut (back spasm) and JamesOn Curry of Oklahoma State (fluid in right knee), plus Michigan State’s Shannon Brown. Four more players must be cut in coming days to pare the roster to 12 before the squad heads to Argentina for the Under-21 world championships.

The good news for Giles, who is expected to be slowed for about a week because of the injury, is that he has been invited to attend the weeklong World University Games Trials starting Thursday in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The trials are to feature approximately 25 players, including Duke’s Shelden Williams and Boston College’s Craig Smith.

The Trials and training camp will be utilized to select the 12-player USA squad that will compete in the World University Games that are being held Aug. 11-22 in Izmir, Turkey.

“The plan is to send him back out there Thursday,” Self said. “He’s supposed to be OK in a week, but that injury killed his chances (of making the first team).

“I think both teams are good. For him to make the World Games team, he’ll have to beat some guys out. Based on reputation, he’s done about the least of the guys statistically who have been invited. He’ll have to go play.”

Big men invited to the University Games trials include Williams (6-9) and Stanford’s Matt Harayasz (6-11). Not all 25 invitees have been revealed.

The players who survived cuts last weekend and still have a chance to make the Under-21 team in Dallas, with four more cuts to come, are: Ronnie Brewer, Arkansas; Aaron Brooks, Oregon; Mardy Collins, Temple; Glen Davis, LSU; Jared Dudley, Boston College; Nick Fazekas, Nevada; Rudy Gay, UConn; Justin Gray, Wake Forest; Taj Gray, Oklahoma; Allan Ray, Villanova; J.J. Redick, Duke; Terrence Roberts, Syracuse; Rajon Rondo, Kentucky; Darius Washington, Memphis; Marcus Williams, UConn; and Curtis Withers, Charlotte.

“I was impressed with the players’ approach, the seriousness with which they approached the trials,” said USA coach Phil Martelli, head coach at St. Joseph’s.

“We asked them to make it difficult to bring the list down, and they certainly have done that. That was the first stage. And now this stage, getting to the final roster, is going to be very challenging. We’re going to concentrate on guys who are great teammates, as opposed to those who are just great talents.”

¢ Brumbaugh to OSU?: Oklahoma State apparently has landed another member of the recruiting Class of 2005: Keith Brumbaugh, a 6-8 freshman-to-be from DeLand, Fla.

Brumbaugh declared for the NBA Draft, but withdrew his name by the June 21 deadline and, according to ESPN’s Andy Katz, the Daily Oklahoman and Omaha World-Herald, is Stillwater-bound.

Brumbaugh is the No. 14-rated player in the country, according to rivals.com and the fifth top-50 player OSU signed in its 2005 class. He chose OSU over Nebraska, USC, Florida and South Florida.

A third-team Parade All-American, Brumbaugh averaged 30.3 points and 12 rebounds his senior year at DeLand High School.

OSU signed five top-100 high school players last fall. Gerald Green was drafted in the first round by Boston’s Celtics and has turned pro. The other four: point guard Byron Eaton, small forward Roderick Flemings, center Kenneth Cooper and shooting guard Terrel Harris.