Colorado Springs, CO – Last day. Everyone dreams of making last day at the USA Basketball youth trials regardless if it’s U16 or U17 or even U18. Getting this far is a badge of honor but also a heart-wrenching experience if you don’t make the final cut and selected to represent the USA in international competition.
Each year it’s always down to the final 12 regardless of age or year. This one, 2018, might be the most competitive and deepest pool of talent ever assembled at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Everything is here with depth from point guard, to shooters, to slashers, to rebounders to power players and all mixes in-between those positions. It’s building the right team that’s important, not the talent.
The USA Women’s Selection Committee didn’t go a great job of this in the last cycle (U16s 2015 and U17s 2016). There wasn’t as much talent and when you factor in bad team building by the Committee the team handed to the Coach was a disaster in the waiting. Team USA lost to Brazil in the U16s quarters and U17s semifinals to Australia. During this cycle the old Committee just looked at bodies. Most of them never had the experience of building teams nor playing at this level.
Lessons learned. This USAB Selection group is comprised of experienced people who know what it takes to build teams with great players for international competition. Last year’s 2017 U16 FIBA Americas gold winning team passed the talent and competition bar. The only missing piece was chemistry and who’s the guaranteed point maker.
The entire returning roster from last years gold medal winners made it to the final 45 players as of Saturday afternoon. The group returned to the gym for a late afternoon session before scheduled cuts will be made on Sunday morning. As in the past, those players in the final group are eligible to be selected as well to the U18 FIBA Americas squad which is also being selected simultaneously across the complex in another gym. That group also has several 2019s for selection.
All winter those who didn’t make the team last year talked about what spots would be “open” this year. Everyone one was being discussed. As such many of those returning players and first timers came here ready to compete. Besides the number of players here, the depth of talent at each position made even the veterans step up their game.
The first day was basically drill and skills work with limited play. When the groups moved to 3X3 play it was easier to start separation from who should not be here, to who’s doing well here to who’s getting to the last day. By Thursday evening I was secure in who would move forward when first cuts came Saturday afternoon.
If you made the USAB final 70 roster cut here you’re a player to be taken seriously. When the next cuts came on Sunday morning to 45, there were some surprising names cut from the list and other moving forward.
Regardless who makes the team, the second most amazing part is the number of young players who are making an impact here. Getting through to the final 45 as 8th graders (2022) are 5-10 Camille Jackson, (Chicago, IL), 6-0 Timea Gardiner, (Odgen, UT), 6-2 Isuneh Brady, (San Diego, CA) and 6-3 Janiah Barker, (Panama City, FL). Throw in 5-10 Kiki Rice (Bethesda, MD) and 6-2 Amiya Evans, (Catomonent, FL) from the final 70.
The guard line coming back of 5-11 Azzi Fudd (Falls Church, VA), 5-9 Zia Cooke Toledo, OH), 5-11 Celeste Taylor, (Valley Stream, NY), 5-11 Paige Bueckers, (St. Louis Park, MN) and 6-0 Caitlin Clark, (West DesMoine, IA had competition from an aggressive group like 5-9 Hailey VanLith, (Wenmatchee, WA), 5-9 Charisma Osborne, (Moreno Valley, CA), 6-1 Nyah Green, (Allen, TX), 5-11 Elauna Eaton, (Jonesboro, AR), 5-9 Cailyn Crocker (Cypress, CA) and 5-11 Dominique Darius, (New Rochelle, NY). With VanLith making the USAB U18 3X3 team as point guard and Osborne getting physical, it just ramped up the pressure on the returners to step up.
Over at the big wing, small forward position it’s a different but similar story. This was a team with only one big shooter last year in 6-2 Samantha Brunelle, (Ruckersville, VA), Brunelle came back this year in great shape and has played her best here. Other shooters like 6-0 Allison Campbell, (Altoona, PA), 6-1 Caroline Ducharme, (Milton, MA) and 6-2 Sydney Parish, (Fishers, IN) were challenging for this slot or one of the big guard positions most felt was more likely .
The big wing position returned 6-2 Jordan Horston, (Columbus, OH), 6-1 Diamond Miller, (Somerset, NJ), 5-11 Jordyn Oliver, (Prosper, TX) and 6-1 Fran Belibi, (Centennial, CO). This was one of the most contested spots last year and the returning players picked up the challenge with 6-1 Haley Jones, (Santa Cruz, CA), 6-2 Rickea Jackson, (Detroit, MI), 6-2 Gabby Hutcherson, (Columbus, OH), 6-1 Treasure Hunt, (Chattanooga, TN), 6-2 Aailyah Moore, (Moore, OK), 6-4 Ramani Parker, (Fresno, CA) and 6-1 Aubrey Griffin, (Ossining, NY) makes waves.
The inside game was huge last year at the U16s in Buenos Aires as 6-4 Aliyah Boston, (Worcester, MA) and 6-4 Kylee Watson, (Linwood, NJ) dominated play. There’s a bakers dozen of inside talent this time as many big forwards and post came back determined to get a spot. Leading the 13 players are: 6-2 Angel Reese, (Randalstown, MD), 6-5 Ashten Prechtel, Colorado Springs, CO), 6-5 Natalija Marshall, (Forest Hills, NY), 6-5 Angel Jackson, (Richmond, CA), 6-5 Hannah Gusters, (DeSoto, TX) 6-5 River Baldwin, (Andalusia, AL), 6-4 Cameron Brink, (Beaverton, OR), 6-4 Katelyn Levings, (Oklahoma City, OK), 6-5 Amari DeBerry, (Williamsville, NY) and a trio of 2022s in Time Gardiner, Isuneh Brady and Janiah Barker. While this is the deepest group of post players ever here it will be hard to move out Boston who’s probably this nation’s top rising senior and Watson who’s the best forward athlete. It would be up to the Committee to sub one of these players at the big wing spot with a Reese or Marshall or look to the future with a DeBerry.
I think with the experience from 2017 and the competition here so far, I’d expect to see 10 of the 12 spots returning with openings at the big guard (Clark) and big wing (Belibi) as an opportunity for all the challengers. While everyone’s chatting about a guard switch, I doubt that the Committee would ruin the chemistry of this team. Also, those players who made strides and challenges here may be moved up to the U18 teams to keep them experienced for next year’s U19 Worlds roster later tomorrow.
After being the only person to watch all the main international competition in person (Buenos Aires ARG, Bourges, FRA and Bangalore, IND) I can say that the threats from Australia (play hard, score by committee), France (amazing athletic talent, depth but no one threat except their post) and maybe Canada (if they get all their talent aligned) will be handled by this roster. Expect the top international competition to try and slow up the USA running game and forcing them into a half-court, slow-down, creating points, shooting contest.
If there’s any issue with this team or the past two USAB cycle (U16 to U19) teams it is the lack of a killer scorer, something they haven’t had since the 2104 U17 gold medal winter in Asia Durr (Louisville) and Aike Ogunbowale (Notre Dame). This team will have to score with chemistry, consistency and the fast break as this is a very creative bunch.
Everyone will focus on this team, but the beauty of this group is what comes back in 2019
There were 26 players after the first cuts here with 18 from the 2021 class and 8 from the 2022 class. If you count players like Olivia Miles, (Phillipsburg, NJ), Aaliyah Moore and the three 2022’s Gardiner, Brady and Barker along with Rice, it will be an awesome start to next year’s 2019 USAB U16 Americas selection. The gem of this trial though is 6-5 DeBerry (2021) who’s length and shooting touch has many projecting her into the USAB pipeline for years to come.
It was an exciting start at the beginning of the trials with so much talent and competition but in the end it’s the experience and chemistry that wins gold medals.
NOTES: The U17 USA team members will not be around for travel team basketball this summer as they convene camp back in Colorado Springs July 5th. The team will scrimmage in Washington, DC on July 10th and depart for Lithuania port city of Leipaja for games against Canada, China and Latvia from July 14 to 16. The USA then heads to Minsk for scrimmages against top contenders Australia (July 18) and France (July 19). Last time at the U17s (2016) the USA scrimmaged Australia and came from behind to win only to lose to them in the semifinals in the real game.
The FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup starts on July 21-29 with pool games against a deceptively tough Italy followed by FIBA Africa winner Mali and China before bracket play. If all expected teams win, the USA could face Canada in the quarterfinals and either Japan, Spain or Hungary in the semifinal. The expected gold medal showdown between the USA and Australia would be on July 29th.
BIG GAMES: The big games are between USA and Italy July 21st, and two big pool games on last pool day July 24th between Pool C: Spain vs. Hungary and Pool D; Canada and France to see who plays the USA barring any upsets. All these above teams should be in medal round contention.
TRAVEL: If you’re a college coach and don’t want to miss any NCAA summer recruiting days, your best bet is to watch the scrimmages in Minsk on the 18th and 19th as you won’t need a visa. If you’re prepared to watch best games and finals the best day to travel over to Minsk is July 23rd from the USA arriving around midday to watch the key games on the 24th and through to the finals.
VISA: If you plan on going to Belarus more than five days you will need a visa. If you go for a few days you can skip the visa.
