From USA Basketball Communications
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Young Americans are good to go.
The 2017 USA Basketball Men’s U16 National Team was finalized Monday. The team will remain in Colorado Springs to continue training for the 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, which will be held June 14-18 in Formosa, Argentina.
Named to the U16 team were:
Scottie Barnes (Cardinal Newman H.S./Welllington, Fla.); Vern Carey Jr. (University School/Southwest Ranches, Fla.); Jalen Green (San Joaquin Memorial H.S./Fresno, Calif.); R.J. Hampton (Little Elm H.S./Little Elm, Texas); De’Vion Harmon (John Guyer H.S./Corinth, Texas); Zion Harmon (Bowling Green H.S./Bowling Green, Ky.); Wendell Moore Jr. (Cox Mill H.S./Concord, N.C.); Jeremy Roach (Paul VI Catholic H.S./Leesburg, Va.); Jalen Suggs (Minnehaha Academy H.S./St. Paul, Minn.); Isaiah Todd (John Marshall H.S./Richmond, Va.); Romeo Weems (New Haven H.S./Chesterfield, Mich.); and James Wiseman (The Ensworth School/Nashville, Tenn.).
“We’ve got a really good group that’s incredibly talented and versatile,” USA Coach Don Showalter said. “When we got down to 16, we put in our system and now with 12 (players) remaining we’re going to sharpen things up over the next few days. We’re going to put a few more things in offensively and defensively and really focus in on our goal.
“Some of the guys got caught in the numbers, as far as making the team. We’re all really pleased with everybody’s work ethic and attitude. Nobody got cut because of those things, it was just what we felt was going to be pieces to fit into our puzzle in order to make the best team.”
The team will practice twice a day at the USOTC through June 9, prior to departing for Argentina and the 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
The top four finishing teams not including Argentina will qualify for the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup for Men. Argentina has earned a bid to host the 2018 U17 World Cup and therefore earned an automatic berth to next year’s U17 World Cup.
USA Basketball has claimed the gold medal in all four editions of the biennial event, which was first held in 2009, and under the direction of Showalter, the USA is now 20-0 in FIBA Americas U16 Championship action.
The U.S. squad will practice in Formosa June 11-13 before tipping off preliminary play June 14 against Puerto Rico. The USA will face Dominican Republic on June 15 and cap preliminary games against Mexico on June 16. Semifinals will be held June 17 and the finals are on June 18.
Playing in Group A will be Argentina, Canada, Paraguay and Venezuela.
