COLORADO SPRINGS. Colo.—Following nine sessions, four cuts and some sleepless nights, the roster of hopefuls for the USA Basketball U16 team bound for the 2017 FIBA Americas Championship is now down to 18 finalists. The list was announced Monday morning trimming the number from the 37 who participated in both workouts Sunday at the US Olympic Training Center. While there is reason for relief among the 18 chosen, their ticket to Buenos Aires won’t be punched until one last cut takes the squad down to 12 following training camp which kicks off with two sessions on Monday.
Things opened in Colorado Springs last Thursday with 35 invited athletes and 102 “open” candidates taking the floor for the first of three skill sessions. Friday evening saw the competitive aspect of the trials get underway and by noon Saturday the selection committee was thinning the heard. Over the course of the trials many athletes showed the potential to be part of the final roster as well as demonstrating plenty of possibilities for the scholastic and collegiate basketball futures that lie ahead. In the end the group of finalists features 12 members of the 2019 class, five finishing in 2020 and single member destined for a 2021 graduation date. Geographically, Virginia claims three native daughters while California, New Jersey and Ohio each still have two in the mix. The remaining eight are single representatives from Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas. Samantha Brunelle (Ruckersville, Virginia) is the lone member of the finalists group With actual USA Basketball experience having competed with the bronze medal 2016 USA Basketball Women’s U17 World Championship Team. Five others have USA trials or 3 on 3 experience.
Blue Star Media has been out in force since the start of the trials. You can follow the links below to look back on all our coverage thus far. That effort doesn’t end there as Blue Star Media will be courtside once again in Argentina for all the action.
Mike Flynn
http://www.bluestarmedia.org/getting-right-mix/
http://www.bluestarmedia.org/next-cycle-please/
Lisa Bodine
http://www.bluestarmedia.org/blue-star-30-athletes-take-usa-basketball-stage/
Mark Lewis
http://www.bluestarmedia.org/usa-u16-trials-day-two-triple-play/
http://www.bluestarmedia.org/usa-u16-trials-day-three-triple-play/
http://www.bluestarmedia.org/usa-u16-trials-day-four-triple-play/
http://www.bluestarmedia.org/day-one-usa-2017-u16-trials/
Below are the 18 finalists who have made it to the money round of the selection process. The tentative cut down to the ultimate 12 player roster is scheduled for prior to the team’s departure for Buenos Aires on June 4th.
Action Images by Mark Lewis – Blue Star Media / Head Shots Courtesy of Bart Young – USA Basketball
