Kansas coach Bill Self and Arizona coach Sean Miller don't see a huge recruiting advantage for Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski or Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim coaching the men's national team. But if there is one, both coaches say they should promote it as much as possible.
Discussing the topic on ESPNU's College Basketball podcast with Andy Katz and Seth Greenberg, Self said, "When you recruit against Duke and Coach K, that's hard enough. Throw in USA Basketball and that's a big deal.
"But I know this," Self added. "We all look for edges and angles to get as much exposure for our programs as possible."
Kansas will represent the United States in the World University Games in South Korea in 2015 and Self said the Jayhawks will use that to their advantage.
"You don't think we're using that in recruiting?" Self said. "You have to look out for what is best for our sport and more than anything else. And of course, coach Krzyzewski coaching USA Basketball has been good for our sport and no one can question that."
Self said Krzyzewski and his staff being off the road with USA Basketball for large chunks of time can be problematic for Duke.
Krzyzewski picked up two top players off the U-19 USA team last year in incoming freshmen Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow. They combined to give Duke a No. 1 recruiting class.
Krzyzewski said at a news conference earlier this week after a Yahoo! Sports column discussed advantages for Duke in coaching USA Basketball to gold medals in the Olympics and earlier this month in winning the FIBA World Cup in Spain, "That that [access] gives you an advantage -- it's utterly ridiculous -- and anyone who comments on it without doing the research is really wanting to take that point of view. I don't get it. I don't get it. We've won four national championships."
Meanwhile, Self said he didn't see an advantage for Florida coach Billy Donovan coaching the U-18 team to the gold medal in Colorado Springs in June or the previous summer when he coached the U-19 team to a gold.
Miller was an assistant for Donovan on the U-18 team with Providence coach Ed Cooley.
"Sometimes if you're not involved in it, you don't see what a commitment it is to be a part of USA basketball," Miller said. "We were in Colorado Springs for 16 days and nights grinding and practicing two hours and sometimes twice a day. The older team is gone for months. If there is an advantage it's in the prestige more than anything else and that's deserved. There should be respect for those who have made a commitment."
Miller said he returned to Arizona a better basketball coach by being around Donovan and Cooley.
"A lot of the things I got this June as a part of USA Basketball benefits Arizona because I return with more knowledge and a better coach," Miller said.