Colorado Springs, CO – Another year, another USAB trails. But this one is different in so many ways. Sure, 158 athletes out of the 172 registered showed up to compete for a spot on the 2018 USA Basketball U17 World Cup team to play this July in Minsk, Belarus but it’s the quality of those who did.
This is the 5th USAB U17 trials and this one is the most balanced and most talented groups ever held by the USAB Women’s Director Carol Callan and her staff. In the past, there were groups that had the usual suspects of great players but there were also many suspect players who didn’t belong.
After watching the two groups go through the Thursday evening drill sessions the amount of talent was unmistakable. This 2018 edition featured the entire returning gold medal FIBA Americas team along with 23 more invited players for the 35-player pool. The rest of the camp was open application. This is where this camp is a winner.
The level of Group play for both groups in the Thursday evening and Friday morning sessions was sharp and crisp. The only Media here besides me from the start (Mark Lewis – Blue Star Basketball, Joe Fenelon – NYGHopps, Dan Olson – USA Today) noticed the difference in level immediately.
This is a critical moment for USAB and its important to have a full pipeline with talent regardless of who’s coming back since the USA lost the last U17s for the first time in 2016 in Spain. It was a bad selection with a lack of depth at positions for that 2-year span (2015 Americas/2016 Worlds). And, if you look closely at the USA Women’s Olympic Team and National Team rosters there’s not many who’ve made it through the pyramid and politics of making the team.
For the successful USA Women’s Olympic team that will replace key players this year they can look to the WNBA for it’s next bucket of talent that’s not as seasoned nor skilled as past squads. It should still win because the USA will still have more individual talent as women’s global basketball is leveling-out with traditional powers Australia, Russia and Spain being caught by France and Canada.
The connection down here at the Youth level is critical as a glance through the USAB U17 World Championship rosters show only a few impact players coming out of this level and into the WNT level. The noticeable exception are Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson. I counted one from 2016, four possible and Sabrina Ionescu from 2014, Lindsay Allen and maybe one more from 2012 and Jewell Lloyd and Stewart from 2010. We have six players in this basket if you add Wilson who was a U19 star in 2015.
Looking through the roster shows not only experience with a returning gold medal roster of players but depth in positions that many who got cut last year are determined to steal away. Many of the taller players here have gotten older, smarter and more mature physically to take the banging. Add to that a plethora of younger 2020 and 2021 talent here and the future looks great now and for next year’s 2018 U16 Americas selection.
As usual the top players will get their selection of schools and choices just being at the top of their class. What separates this from the other tryouts is the depth and number of mid-level Division 1 basketball talent. I found at least six players who are hidden gems.
While most parents are worried about the selection outcome on Monday morning it’s easy to note most of these trials participants are looking at some level of NCAA scholarship. The range from high Division 2 (a dozen), to the bulk of this USAB U17 Camp (final 100) being chased by every low and mid-Division one, leaves the final 30-40 players all the Division 1 BCS level choices.
Lastly, while this is a talented group for its age, this is also broken down by school age when it comes to NCAA recruiting. When it comes time for Travel Team selection, player rankings and college recruiting – it all gets defined here.
To see additional Day one coverage from Blue Star Media, follow the link below.
https://bluestarmedia.org/usa-u17-trials-day-one/
