COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — It’s showtime for the USA U16 National Team.
Or, in the spirit of a minicamp, it’s time to put up because spot on the team headed to the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championships in Xapala, Mexico later this month.
Including 20 players who attended a minicamp this past May and three athletes who are new to USA Basketball, the roster for the 2021 USA Men’s U16 National Team training camp that opens in Aug. 13 in Houston is ready to go.
The 23 hopefuls will be vying for one of 12 spots on the 2021 USA U16 National Team that will compete at the FIBA tournament that will be played Aug. 23-29. The team will be named prior to the team’s departure for the tournament on Aug. 19.
FIBA today conducted the draw for the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Men in Miami, and the USA men will play in Group B and will meet Puerto Rico on Aug. 23, Dominican Republic on Aug. 24 and Chile on Aug. 25. Game times are still to be determined.
Playing in Group are Argentina, Brazil, Canada and host Mexico.
Returning to training camp from the class of 2023 are:
Kylan Boswell (AZ Compass Prep, Chandler, Ariz.,); Jordan Butler (Christ Church Episcopal School/Mauldin, S.C.); Jacolb Cole (Bellaire, Houston); Jaylen Curry (Vance, Charlotte, N.C.); Robert Dillingham (Combine Academy/Hickory, N.C.); Dennis Evans (Hillcrest, Riverside, Calif.); Ronald Holland (Duncanville, Texas); Jalen Lewis (Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland, Calif.); Justin McBride (Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va.); and Jaylin Stewart (Garfield, Seattle.).
Class of 2024 athletes who also participated in the May minicamp include:
James Brown (St. Rita, Chicago); Isaiah Elohim (Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif.); Johnuel “Boogie” Fland (Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y.); Jahki Howard (Norcross, Ga.); Tre Johnson (Lake Highlands, Texas); Ryan “R.J.” Jones Jr. (The Rock School/Gainesville, Fla.); Liam McNeeley(Pearce, Richardson, Texas); James Moore (The Patrick School, Hillside, N.J.); Cameron Scott (Lexington, S.C.); and Bryson Tucker (Mount St. Joseph, Baltimore).
The three USA Basketball rookies are Wesley Yates III (Beaumont United, Texas) from the class of 2023 and class of 2024 members Naasir Cunningham (Gill St. Bernard’s, Gladstone, N.J.) and Khani Rooths (Georgetown Prep, North Bethesda, Md.).
The USA is led by Sharman White (Pace Academy, Atlanta), with assistant coaches Eric Flannery (St. Edward, Lakewood, Ohio) and Steve Turner (Gonzaga, Washington, D.C.).
Serving as court coaches during training camp will be Dom Amorosa (Strake Jesuit, Houston), Chet Mason (Brush, Ohio) and the legendary Don Showalter (USA Basketball Youth & Sport Development coach director).
At the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship teams are divided into two groups of four for the Aug. 23-25 preliminary round.
After playing each of the teams in its groups, all eight teams advance to the quarterfinals on Aug. 27. The semifinals are and the gold and bronze medal games are Aug. 29.
The USA men are 31-0 in FIBA Americas U16 Championship play and have won the gold medal in all six editions of the tournament since its debut in 2009.
