Apple Valley, Minn., forward Gary Trent Jr. was MVP of the FIBA Americas U16 championship last summer (Photo: File photo)
Fifteen players who were selected to the American Family Insurance ALL-USA state teams in their respective states, including three state Players of the Year, are among the 39 players scheduled to participate in the USA Basketball Men’s U17 World Championship Team training camp next month.
The camp runs June 10-22 at the United State Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The top players will be selected to compete for Team USA at the world championship, June 23-July 3 in Zaragoza, Spain.
RELATED: American Family Insurance ALL-USA State Teams
The state Players of the Year among the participants are Darius Garland (Brentwood Academy; Nashville, Tenn.), Javonte Smart (Scotlandville; Baton Rouge, La.); and Robert Woodard (Columbia, Miss.). Including those three, the ALL-USA state first-team selection are Troy Brown (Centennial, Las Vegas), Wendell Carter Jr. (Pace Academy; Fairburn, Ga.), Markus Howard (Findlay Prep; Henderson, Nev.), Tre Jones (Apple Valley, Minn.), Alexander Reese (Pelham, Ala.), Gary Trent Jr. (Apple Valley, Minn.) and Austin Wiley (Spain Park, Ala). The ALL-USA second-teamers participating are Gerald Liddell Jr. (Steele; Cibolo, Texas), Jaylen Nowell (Garfield; Renton, Wash.), Charles O’Bannon Jr. (Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas), D’Shawn Schwartz (Sand Creek; Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Connor Vanover (Baptist Prep; Little Rock, Ark.).
Eleven players were part of the gold medal winners at the 2015 FIBA Americas Men’s U16 Championship last summer that allowed Team USA to quality for the U17 worlds. That team went 5-0 and was led by most valuable player Trent. Seven-time USA Basketball gold medalist head coach Don Showalter, who coached the U16 team last summer, will serve as head coach.
Here are the 39 players, according to USA Basketball:
- Michael Barber (Jackson Academy/Jackson, Miss.);
- Jordan Brown (Woodcreek/Roseville, Calif.);
- Marquis Brown (Simeon Career Academy/Chicago);
- Troy Brown (Centennial H.S./Las Vegas);
- Wendell Carter Jr. (Pace Academy/Fairburn, Ga.);
- Taeshon Cherry (St. Augustine/San Diego);
- Daejon Davis (Garfield/Seattle);
- Nojel Eastern (Evanaston Township/Evanston, Ill.);
- Darius Garland (Brentwood Academy/Nashville);
- Carte’Are Gordon (Webster Groves/St. Louis);
- Justyn Hamilton (Independence/Mint Hill, N.C.);
- Elijah Hardy (Bishop O’Dowd/Oakland);
- Markus Howard (Findlay Prep/Henderson, Nev.);
- Jaren Jackson Jr. (Park Tudor School/Carmel, Ind.);
- Brandon Johns (East Lansing, Mich.);
- Tre Jones (Apple Valley, Minn.);
- Kevin Knox II (Tampa Catholic/Riverview, Fla.);
- Romeo Langford (New Albany, Ind.);
- Jaedon LeDee (The Kinkaid School/Spring, Texas);
- Gerald Liddell Jr. (Steele/Cibolo, Texas);
- Montez Mathis (Oak Hill Academy/Joppa, Md.);
- Miles Norris (Mater Dei Catholic/San Diego, Calif.);
- Jaylen Nowell (Garfield/Renton, Wash.);
- Charles O’Bannon Jr. (Bishop Gorman/Las Vegas, Nev.);
- Immanuel Quickley (John Carroll School/ Havre De Grace, Md.);
- Cameron Reddish (Westtown School/Norristown, Pa.);
- Alexander Reese (Pelham, Pelham, Ala.);
- Nazreon Reid (Roselle Catholic/Asbury Park, N.J.);
- D’Shawn Schwartz (Sand Creek/Colorado Springs, Colo.);
- Collin Sexton (Pebblebrook/Mableton, Ga.);
- David Sloan (Ballard/Campbellsville, Ky.);
- Javonte Smart (Scotlandville/Baton Rouge, La.);
- Jalen Smith (Mount Saint Joseph/Baltimore);
- Gary Trent Jr. (Apple Valley, Minn.);
- Jarred Vanderbilt (Victory Prep/Houston);
- Connor Vanover (The Baptist Prep School/Little Rock, Ark.);
- Kaleb Wesson (Westerville South/Westerville, Ohio);
- Austin Wiley (Spain Park/Hoover, Ala.);
- Robert Woodard II (Columbus, Miss.).