THREE BALL: USA Basketball selects participants for 3×3 U18 National Tournaments

From USA Basketball Communications: 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo, — Featuring 82 athletes from 16 different states, rosters were today announced for the teams that will compete in the 2015 USA Basketball Men’s and Women’s 3×3 U18 National Tournaments. Held May 1-3 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the tournament champions will earn the right to represent USA Basketball at the 2015 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Championship, June 4-7 in Debrecen, Hungary.

Athletes from the winning teams will reconvene at the USOTC May 29-June 1 to train prior to representing USA Basketball at the FIBA 3×3 U18 World Championship.

The USA 3×3 U18 National Tournament will include 13 men’s and eight women’s teams, which qualified through 3×3 tournaments across the nation hosted by Give n Go, GYBBL, Hard2Guard, Hoopla, Hoop it Up, Highlands Ranch, Ponderosa, Southwest Select and Winston-Salem Stealers.

Teams will be drawn into preliminary-round pools — two pools of four teams each for the women and one pool of six and one of seven for the men — based on each team’s FIBA 3×3 ranking. Following the round-robin play within the groups on May 2, teams will be seeded within each pool and the top four teams from each pool will advance to the championship round, held on May 3. The remaining teams will compete in the consolation round.

In addition to the tournament, the 3×3 U18 weekend will include a skills challenge, 3-point shooting competition and a partner hot-shot competition, all of which will be contested on May 1.

Men

Competing in the men’s tournament are: Richard Aubert (Dallas/Americas H.S./El Paso, Texas); Cedarious Barfield (Aztecs/El Dorado H.S./El Paso, Texas); Noah Beck (Denver Snipers/Rock Canyon H.S./Castle Rock, Colo.); Nik Blake (Hoopla Wildcats/Sherwood H.S./Sherwood, Ore.); Mitchell Bloom (Tradition/ThunderRidge H.S./Littleton, Colo.); Isaiah Brooks (Dallas/Parkland H.S./El Paso, Texas); Derrick Bussey (MCL/Sandra Day O’Conner H.S./Newark, N.J.); Zach Collins (Stars/Bishop Gorman H.S./Las Vegas, Nev.); Jacob Conger (Wildcats/Sandra Day O’Conner H.S./Peoria, Ariz.); Nick Conger (Wildcats/Sandra Day O’Conner H.S./Peoria, Ariz.); T.J. Connaker (MCL/Sandra Day O’Conner H.S./Glendale, Ariz.); Cliff De Groot (Arch Ryvals/Westminster H.S./St. Louis, Mo.); Andrew Ekmark (Arizona Warriors/Phoenix Country Day/Phoenix, Ariz.); Samson Enis (MCL/Sandra Day O’Conner H.S./Phoenix, Ariz.); Jalek Felton(Stars/Mullins H.S./Mullins, S.C.); Brock Gardner (Arizona Warriors/Tri-City Christian Acdemy/Gilbert, Ariz.); Danny Garrick (Titans/Legend H.S./Parker, Colo.); Matt Gregory(Dallas/Chapin H.S./El Paso, Texas); Devon Howard (Aztecs/El Dorado 9^th Academy/El Paso, Texas); Darren Huntley (Arch Ryvals/College Prep H.S. at Madison/St. Louis, Mo.); Jamigh James (Ballerz/Chapin H.S./El Paso, Texas); Devante Jones (D-Town Blazers/Dakota Ridge H.S./Littleton, Colo.); Dylan Jordan (Hoopla Wildcats/Wilsonville H.S./Wilsonville, Ore.); Michael Kirkland (Ballerz/Austin H.S./El Paso, Texas); Mark Lambros (Wildcats/Sandra Day O’Conner H.S./Glendale, Ariz.); Corbin Lewis (Wildcats/Sandra Day O’Conner H.S./Phoenix, Ariz.); Wyatt Lowell (Arizona Warriors/Williams Field H.S./Gilbert, Ariz.); Joel Martinez (Ballerz/Eastlake H.S./El Paso, Texas); Sam Masten (Denver Snipers/Rock Canyon H.S./Highlands Ranch, Colo.); Riley Matticks (Titans/Legend H.S./Parker, Colo.); Tyler McFarland (D-Town Blazers/Dakota Ridge H.S./Littleton, Colo.); Joe Miks (Tradition/Chatfield H.S./Littleton, Colo.); DaSean Moore (Aztecs/El Dorado H.S./El Paso, Texas); Zach Mucha (Ballerz/Jefferson/Silva H.S./El Paso, Texas); Matt Newkirk (D-Town Blazers/Dakota Ridge H.S./Littleton, Colo.); Kkyle Noah (Arch Ryvals/River Gardens H.S./St. Louis, Mo.); Cam Pearson (Tradition/Chatfield H.S./Lakewood, Colo.); Monroe Porter (Titans/Legend H.S./Parker, Colo.); Ben Potts (Denver Snipers/Denver East H.S./Denver, Colo.); Payton Pritchard (Stars/West Linn H.S./West Linn, Ore.); Teagan Quitoriano (Hoopla Wildcats/Sprague H.S./Salem, Ore.); Zach Reichle (Hoopla Wildcats/Wilsonville H.S./Wilsonville, Ore.); Joe Sajkowski (MCL/Sandra Day O’Conner H.S./Peoria, Ariz.); Jared Small (Titans/Legend H.S./Parker, Colo.); Jeremiah Tolbert (Dallas/Parkland H.S./El Paso, Texas); Padiet Wang(Denver Snipers/Overland H.S./Aurora, Colo.); Mica Ward (Aztecs/Chapin H.S./El Paso, Texas);P.J. Washington (Stars/Findlay College Prep/Frisco, Texas); Tyree White (Arch Ryvals/North County Tech H.S./Wellston, Mo.) and Will Wittman (Tradition/Arvada West H.S./Arvada, Colo.).

Women

Competing in the women’s 3×3 U18 tournament are: Kristine Anigwe (Defend/Desert Vista H.S./Phoenix, Ariz.); Vanessa Barriga (Next Level/Franklin H.S./El Paso, Texas); Nailah Beyah-Blount (Next Level/Franklin H.S./El Paso, Texas); Taylor Blakely (Winston-Salem Stealers/Wallertown H.S./Belews Creek, N.C.); Erin Boley (Southern Starz/Elizabethtown H.S./Hodgenville, Ky.); Blaire Braxton (CBC/Highlands Ranch H.S./Highlands Ranch, Colo.); Kristina Cavey (Colorado Elite Blue/Berthoud H.S./Berthoud, Colo.); Natalie Chou (Defend/Plano West H.S./Plano, Texas); Kala Doub (Winston-Salem Stealers/Forbush H.S./East Bend, N.C.); Asia Durr (Defend/St. Pius X Catholic H.S./Douglasville, Ga.); Ciara Fields (Elite Force/El Dorado H.S./El Paso, Texas); Kennedy Gavin (Southern Starz/Petal H.S./Petal, Miss.); Nia Hollie(Southern Starz/Hopkins H.S./Brooklyn Park, Minn.); Kylie Jimenez (Colorado Elite Blue/Horizon H.S./Thornton, Colo.); Patterson Jones (Winston-Salem Stealers/Davie County H.S./Advance, N.C.); Kyra Lewis (Elite Force/Midland Lee H.S./Midland, Texas); Takiyah Lopez (Elite Force/Chapin H.S/El Paso, Texas); Meleah Morgan (Next Level/Andress H.S./El Paso, Texas); Nicole Nanos (Hard2Guard/Palm Harbor University H.S./Palm Harbor, Fla.); Arike Ogunbowale(Defend/Divine Savior Holy Angels H.S./Milwaukee, Wis.); Tommi Olson (CBC/Highlands Ranch H.S./Highlands Ranch, Colo.); Elaina Perez (Hard2Guard/Zephyrhills H.S./Wesley Chapel, Fla.); Alyssa Rader (Colorado Elite Blue/Horizon H.S./Thornton, Colo.); Alexa Rodriguez(Hard2Guard/Bishop McLaughlin H.S./New Port Richey, Fla.); Ariel Scott (Hard2Guard/Oldsmar Christian H.S./Tampa, Fla.); Jonni Smith (Colorado Elite Blue/Bishop Machebeuf H.S./Denver, Colo.); Symone Starks (CBC/Highlands Ranch H.S./Lone Tree, Colo.); Leilah Vigil(CBC/Highlands Ranch H.S./Aurora, Colo.); Shaquera Wade (Southern Starz/Huntsville H.S./Huntsville, Ala.); Miracle Walters (Winston-Salem Stealers/Elkin H.S./Elkin, N.C.); Alexis Winters (Elite Force/Chapin H.S./El Paso, Texas) and Cierra Winters (Next Level/Chapin H.S./El Paso, Texas). 

FIBA 3×3 U18 World Championship

 The FIBA 3×3 U18 World Championship has been held on an annual basis since 2011, except in the years of the Summer Youth Olympic Games (2010, 2014). Twenty-four men’s and 24 women’s teams are expected to compete in the four-day event.

In order to be eligible, athletes must participate in at least one FIBA-sanctioned 3×3 tournament in 2015 prior to participating in the 2015 USA Basketball 3×3 U18 National Tournament that is scheduled to be held May 1-3 at the USOTC. To receive an invitation to participate in the 2015 USA Basketball 3×3 National Tournament, teams must be selected through a qualifying 3×3 tournament and approved by USA Basketball. Athletes eligible for this team must be 18-years-old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1997) and U.S. citizens.            

In addition to host Hungary, teams qualified for the 2015 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Championship for Men include: Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, New Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, USA and Vietnam.

In addition to host Hungary, teams qualified for the 2015 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Championship for Women include: Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Chinese Taipei, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, France, Germany, Guam, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Syria, Tunisia, USA and Venezuela.            

Including results from the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, which was a 3×3 U18 competition, and results from the 2011-2013 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Championships, the USA men are 27-10 all-time and earned the silver medal in 2012 and placed 4th in the 2010 Youth Olympic Games. The USA women’s 3×3 U18 teams have compiled a 41-5 overall record and captured gold at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, and the 2012 and 2013 FIBA U18 World Championships, while winning a pair of bronze medals at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games and 2011 FIBA U18 World Championship. 

 Some of the athletes who have competed on USA 3×3 U18 World Championship Teams include:Cliff Alexander (2013), Larry Austin (2012, 2013), Napheesa Collier (2014), Kaela Davis (2011, 2012), Diamond DeShields (2012), Sterling Gibbs (2010), Rondaé Hollis-Jefferson (2011), Arike Ogunbowale (2013, 2014), Katie Lou Samuelson (2013, 2014), Kiah Stokes (2010) and Brianna Turner (2012, 2013).