Yes, ultrasound trumps x-ray. Both methods could miss small cracks within a single layer, but ultrasound will detect delamination (which as I was told, is a far more common form of failure than a crack within a layer). Cracks tend to be on the surface, propogate rapidly, and can be seen with a trained eye and good light. Hidden damage is more likely to be delamination, and ultrasound is the way to detect that.
As far as basketball goes, we have connections with some top programs. Between my children and their spouses we have representatives from Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, and Maryland. Not a bad start for a basketball team. (UNC does not have an engineering school, but they usually play basketball fairly well, this season notwithstanding).