Coach Shaka Smart with players trying out for USA Basketball’s U18 team. (Photo: USA Basketball)
Three players who were named to the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Boys Basketball Teams are among the 18 finalists for USA U18 National Team will compete in the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship July 19-23 in Valdivia, Chile.
The 18 finalists were named Thursday during training camp in Colorado Springs, Colo. The group will resume training July 11 in Houston with the final 12-man roster being set.
RELATED: 2015-16 ALL-USA Boys Basketball Teams
Michigan State-bound Miles Bridges (Huntington Prep; Huntington, W.Va.) and Washington-bound Markelle Fultz (DeMatha Catholic; Hyattsville, Md.) were second-team ALL-USA choices. Michael Porter Jr., who led Father Tolton to a Missouri state title, was third-team ALL-USA. Porter is transferring to a school in Washington for his senior year.
Named as finalists were:
- Jarrett Allen (St. Stephen’s Episcopal School/Round Rock, Texas);
- Mohamed Bamba (Westtown School/New York, N.Y.);
- James Banks (La Lumiere School, Ind./Decatur, Ga.);
- Miles Bridges (Huntington Prep, W.Va./Flint, Mich.);
- Matt Coleman (Oak Hill Academy/Norfolk, Va.);
- Hamidou Diallo (Putnam Science Academy/Corona, N.Y.);
- Markelle Fultz (DeMatha Catholic/Upper Marlboro, Md.);
- Quade Green (Newmann-Goretti/Philadelphia);
- Kevin Huerter (Shenendehowa Central/Clifton Park, N.Y.);
- Brandon McCoy (Cathedral Catholic/Sacramento);
- John Petty (J.O. Johnson/Huntsville, Ala.);
- Michael Porter Jr. (Father Tolton Catholic/Columbia, Mo.);
- Lonnie Walker (Reading, Pa.);
- J. Walker (Jonesboro/College Park, Ga.);
- Paul ‘P.J.’ Washington (Findlay Prep, Nev./Frisco, Texas);
- Kris Wilkes (North Central/Indianapolis);
- Cassius Winston (University of Detroit Jesuit/Detroit);
- Trae Young (Norman North/Norman, Okla.).
“This was a great group, one of the most competitive groups we’ve ever had for this age group,” said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, chair of the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee. “This will be a really good team. They have a great coaching staff and this is a group of finalists that has size, it’s got quality point guards and shooting guards, it’s got very good depth. It’s a really well balanced group. I think it’s one of the most well balanced groups we’ve ever had at U18.
“It is the hardest thing to make cuts, even a few guys. There are no bad players here, they’re all good, and the next cut will really be hard. We’re very blessed in this country, we have great, great depth of players, quality players at all levels and that’s what separates U.S. basketball from other countries – just the depth that we have, no one else has that.”