USA U17 Team Selection

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – There’s a saying that goes “The more things change the more they stay the same”.  That thought process may well have influenced the decisions of the USA Women’s Developmental National Team Committee as they chose the 2012 USA Women’s U17 World Championship team.  Selecting a roster that includes six members who will be seeing their first international action, two of which who made their first appearance in any USA trials, the committee is looking for the same gold medal results that have come to be the standard for U.S. women’s teams of all ages.  Catching many off guard was the decision to bring back just six members of last year’s FIBA Americas U16 Championship team that went undefeated and had no team come closer than 17 points throughout the competition.

Leading the way is a veteran of two international competitions but one who was not part of that U16 team, Diamond DeShields of Norcross, Georgia.  The versatile 6-2 swing player earned gold with both U18 and U19 teams the past two years and will now try to lead her natural age group to the same end result.

Returning from that U16 team is FIBA Americas Tournament co-MVP Rebecca Greenwell of Owensboro, Kentucky.  A 6-1 guard, Greenwell set four different USA Basketball records while pacing the team in scoring with a 15.6 points per game average.  She also participated on the USA 3×3 Youth World Championship team but suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee during the competition in Rimini, Italy.

At the point 5-8 Lindsay Allen of Bowie, Maryland and 5-8 Jessica Washington of Tulsa, Oklahoma got the nod.  Both Allen and Washington will be making their first appearance in a USA uniform.

Adding depth and experience to the backcourt is Chicago, Illinois native Linnae Harper.  The explosive and physical 5-7 guard can play any position on the perimeter and may well be one of the top rebounders in scholastic girls’ basketball despite her size.  DeShields also has the tools take on some ballhandling duties but would seem better fit to be on the receiving end of an entry pass rather than making it.

Greenwell will share some perimeter responsibilities with 6-2 Kaela Davis of Buford, Georgia.  This was the third trials that Davis has participated in and last year she competed not only for the U16 team but for the 3×3 squad as well.

There’s lots of depth to found at the forward spot.  Returners Taya Reimer and Erica McCall are looking to add another gold medal to their collection.  McCall is from Bakersfield, California while Reimer Calls Fisher’s Indiana home.  Rookies Oderah Chidom of Oakland, California and Brianna Turner from Pearland, Texas both add size and agility to the mix.  The 6-3 Turner participated in the U16 trials last year while Chidom, also 6-3, made her first trip to a USA Basketball event this past weekend.

Down low the U17 roster will have both size and power to throw at the opposition.  Mercedes Russell posted a double – double average for the U16 team last year.  The 6-5 Springfield, Oregon native was second in scoring at 11.6 points per game and added 11.4 rebounds a contest as well.  For good measure she also chipped in 20 blocks over the course of five games.  Joining her on the block will be first timer Kai James of West Palm Beach, Florida.  At 6-4 she has both impressive size and strength to call on as needed.

The entire coaching staff from last year’s gold medal winning FIBA Americas U16 Championship team returns intact for a shot at a world championship this time around.  Led by Head Coach Jill Rankin Schneider and assistants Gail Hook and Letitia Hughley, the United States is hoping to duplicate the dominate performance of the undefeated 2010 team in the inaugural U17 World Championships held in Toulouse, France.

Despite having every member of last year’s U16 team competing for a spot on the U17 squad, the final roster shows that the trials were wide open and competitive among all 33 athletes taking part.  Additionally, just two participants were making their first trials appearance in Colorado Springs providing for some experienced efforts in front of the selection committee.  Led by seven hopefuls from California, 18 different states were represented in the five sessions held at the U.S Olympic Training Center.  Next year’s senior class (2013) provided 20 of the athletes on hand with the remaining 13 all entering their junior year next fall.  The final roster features only one underclassman (Turner) while the rest will be looking at their final high school campaign next season.  While nonbinding until they actually sign a National Letter of Intent, nine participating individuals have already made verbal commitments for their colligate future, four  of which (Allen, DeShields, Washington, and Reimer) made the final cut.

The 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship for Women will be held August 17 – 26 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.  For additional coverage from USA Basketball please follow the link below.

http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/u17/12_wu17_team.html

Also check back with Blue Star Media for coverage of the U18 roster selection as well as evaluations later this week on many of the participants in both age groups.