COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The talent is scary good and the USA Men’s U17 training invitees have one mantra: We want the Gold!
The training camp roster for the 2018 USA Basketball Men’s U17 World Cup Team features all 12 members of the gold-medal winning 2017 USA U16 national team, 10 players with experience from at least one prior USA Basketball training camp and two players new to USA Basketball.
Training camp to determine the 12-member roster for the 2018 USA Basketball Men’s U17 World Cup Team will be conducted June 15-18 at the United States Olympic Training Center. Athletes eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens who are 17 years old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 2001).
Featuring 16 national teams, the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup will be played June 26-July 8 in Rosario and Santa Fe, Argentina.
Returning from the team that qualified the USA for the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup by virtue of its 5-0 finish at the 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship are: tournament MVP Vernon Carey Jr. (University School/Southwest Ranches, Fla.); Scottie Barnes (University School/West Palm Beach, Fla.); Jalen Green (San Joaquin Memorial H.S./Fresno, Calif.); R.J. Hampton (Frisco Liberty /Little Elm, Texas); De’Vion Harmon (Guyer H.S./Corinth, Texas); Zion Harmon (Bowling Green H.S./Bowling Green, Ky.); Wendell Moore Jr. (Cox Mill H.S./Charlotte, N.C.); Jeremy Roach (Paul VI Catholic H.S./Leesburg, Va.); Jalen Suggs (Minnehaha Academy/Minneapolis, Minn.); Isaiah Todd (John Marshall H.S./Richmond, Va.); Romeo Weems (New Haven H.S./New Haven, Mich.); and James Wiseman (East H.S./Nashville, Tenn.).
Athletes returning with at least one prior USA Basketball training camp include: Joshua Christopher (Mayfair H.S./Lakewood, Calif.); Eric Dixon (Abington H.S./Willow Grove, Pa.); Anthony Edwards (Holy Spirit Prep School/Atlanta, Ga.); Jalen Johnson (Sun Prairie H.S./Sun Prairie, Wis.); Justin Lewis (Poly Tech H.S./Baltimore, Md.); Nico Mannion (Pinnacle H.S./Scottsdale, Ariz.); Ethan Morton (Butler H.S./Butler, Pa.); Isaac Okoro (McEachern H.S./Powder Springs, Ga.); Isaiah Stewart (La Lumiere School, Ind./Rochester, N.Y.); and Julian Strawther (Liberty H.S./Las Vegas, Nev.).
Evan Mobley (Rancho Cucamonga H.S./Temecula, Calif.) and Jahmius Ramsey (IMG Academy, Fla./Mansfield, Texas) will be taking part in their first USA Basketball training camp.
“The committee is excited that these 24 athletes accepted invitations to the 2018 USA Men’s U17 World Cup Team training camp, and we feel that we will have a strong, competitive group from which to select the 12-member roster,” said Sean Ford , USA Basketball men’s national team director and chair of the USA Basketball Men’s Developmental National Team Committee. “We will have a great mix of athletes, and we look forward to starting the team selection process in June.”
The training camp and team will be led by USA U17 head coach Don Showalter (coach director, USA Basketball youth division) with assistant coaches Scott Fitch (Fairport, N.Y.) and Stan Waterman (Sanford School, Hokessin, Del.).
The staff returns to lead the 2018 USA Men’s U17 World Cup Team after guiding the USA to a gold medal at the 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and a qualifying berth for the USA into the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup.
The finalists, which are expected to be named on June 18, will continue training camp at the USOTC, and the 12-member roster will be named prior to the team’s departure for the competition on June 23. — From USA Basketball Communications
