Colorado Springs — The final cut has been made. The team is now set as four athletes were subtracted from the two-day finalist Camp minus most of the Selection Committee. Twelve young female athletes will represent the USA at the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup In Debrecen, Hungary July 9-17.
Half the 2021 U16 did not return (2) or was cut (4):. KK Arnold, Kendall Dudley, Olivia Olson and Delaney Thomas. Six U16 veterans Madison Booker, Jaloni Cambridge, Breya Cunningham, Jadyn Donovan, Judea Watkins, and Jada Williams welcome six new players in Sunaja Agara, Morgan Cheli, Hannah Hidalgo, Kennedy Umeh and Mikaylah Williams.
No matter what roster was selected from the final 16 players – this team will give veteran Coach Sue Phillips (Archbishop Mitty HS, CA) and Assistant Coaches Tom McConnell (Indiana University, PA), Brittanny Johnson (Evanston HS, IL) a superb opportunity to claim a gold medal for the USA next month.
This is an experienced U17 squad but this time it was selected by a new USAB Developmental Committee, The 2021 U16s was done by the old Committee. These players (new and old) now had a new, different set of eyeballs and attitudes towards who can compete and who can’t.
Being the only accredited Media attendee for the major part of the trials I was only able to view the second of two daily sessions. In the past, the Media was able to view and attend all the sessions. Because of covid and new management, the format was just a part of many changes.
In the past, most player were dog tired by the second day afternoon as the altitude and constant running snuck up on many players not ready for the conditioning it takes to make the team. This year, two-a-days with a long rest and recovery break. As noted, I did not see the first sessions of each day.
I can’t be unhappy with the final selection as eight Blue Star 30s made the final team (the U16s had 10 players last year).
The final selection (remember this you U16s coming here next May) came down what do you choose. When watch high school basketball the game is dominated by the best who, if not making a basket, getting the foul call. In travel basketball many nudges make you miss an easy basket and those expected foul calls don’t get called most of the time. After reviewing my notes, it was obvious anyone who did not play hard most, if not all the time, and those of slim build at the forward, post positions didn’t get a slot.
I could go into each and every player’s analysis from my years of watching youth girls HS, Travel and FIBA international basketball and tell you about who fits and the chemistry needed to produce a great gold medal team. I won’t because the nuances between player A and B really came down to what you see. All I can say is that no one on the Committee has seen as much basketball at this level as I have. In the end, it was an either or situation. Take this player and drop this one.
The surprises came down to inside size in Sienna Betts and Blanca Thomas / Joyce Edwards (both earlier cut) with their length or Agara and Umeh with their strength. The other spot was up for grabs was between vet Kendall Dudley and Riley Nelson, both long lean wing-forwards. I though they’d take one. Both were cut. As for guards, Hannah Hildago took great advantage of KK Arnold’s concussion to claim her spot playing her hardest. Morgan Cheli basically took Olivia Olson’s position.
My only issue (besides not being able to see both sessions) was that there were missing players who deserved to be here as noted in my first story. And, when viewing the USAB U18s 30-player roster (trials and selections still going on) there were a ton of 2023s with bad birthdates not in Colorado Springs. Would they have made the team? Maybe one but we will never know.
Yes, this U17 team should get a gold medal with all their firepower. The U18s when selected playing in the weak Americas later this month should roll to their medal too.
And, what everyone forgets, this is the best and only place where the top players get to compete and do drills with and against each other that helps make the “rankings” a truly valid analysis. Summer basketball and its contentious rankings and subjective matter (circuits, corporation) hide a lot of bad decisions. But that’s another real in-depth story I may get to soon enough.
FIBA NOTES: Because of the covid impact on FIBA regional and world cup basketball many Federations have not had the opportunity to compete as much as in the past. Many of the FIBA u16s team that will attend the U17 World Cup in July will be seen for the first time. With powerhouse Russia not in the event look for perennial teams France, Australia, Spain along with Hungary and Germany. This will be a big event for Canada basketball as they now have a strong contingent of players in their pipeline. It will be important to get a medal with a medal favorite like Russia missing. The four Asia teams have not been selected yet as they may skip their qualifier event and take four of the usual five names: Australia, China, Japan and either New Zealand or Korea.
The USA U17s team will go to training camp June 25-30 before heading to Europe to train and do exhibition games before reaching Debrecen. That means no summer basketball for these players until they return July 20th if they choose to play after that trip at all.
