June 5, 2012
Colorado Springs, Colo. (USA Basketball) – Georgia Tech incoming freshman Robert Carter is among 23 of the nation’s top 18-year-old and younger players convening Tuesday, June 5, at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., for the 2012 USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team Training camp. The camp, which will feature players from 13 different states, will be utilized to select the 12-man 2012 USA U18 Championship Team.
USA Basketball also announced Monday that Austin Nichols (Briarcrest H.S./Eads, Tenn.) had been added to the U18 training camp roster that was originally announced April 19, while Gary Harris (Hamilton Southeastern/Fishers, Ind.) and Devonta Pollard (Kemper County/Porterville, Miss.) had withdrawn from the training camp.
One of the naiton’s top prep big men, Carter signed with Tech in the November early signing period and went on to have a stellar senior season at Shiloh High School, averaging 19 points and 12 rebounds while leading the Generals to a 19-3 record. He was named to the class AAAAA all-state first team by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Thomasville, Ga., native made second-team all-state in class AA in 2011.
Rising University of Tennessee sophomore Jarnell Stokes (Memphis, Tenn.) is the lone collegian attending camp, while graduating high school seniors Gary Harris (Hamilton Southeastern/Fishers, Ind.);James Robinson (DeMatha Catholic H.S./Mitchellville, Md.); and Rasheed Sulaimon (Strake Jesuit College Prep/Houston, Texas) boast of prior USA Basketball having suited up for the USA in April at the 15th annual Nike Hoop Summit.suited up for the USA at the 15th annual Nike Hoop Summit.
Also from the Class of 2012 are: Ryan Arcidiacono (Neshaminy H.S./Langhorne, Pa.); Sam Dekker (Sheboygan Lutheran H.S./Sheboygan, Wis.); Kris Dunn (New London H.S./Oakdale, Conn.); Shaq Goodwin (Southwest Dekalb H.S./Decatur, Ga.); Jerami Grant (DeMatha Catholic/Bowie, Md.); Montrezl Harrell (Hargrave Military Academy/Tarboro, N.C.); Joel James (Dwyer H.S./West Palm Beach, Fla.); Jake Layman (King Phillip Regional H.S./Wrentham, Mass.); Rodney Purvis (Upper Room Christian/Raleigh, N.C.); Marcus Smart (Marcus H.S./Flower Mound, Texas); Robert Upshaw (Edison H.S./Fresno, Calif.); and Adam Woodbury (East H.S./Sioux City, Iowa).
Participants set to graduate in 2013 include: Jabari Bird (Salesian H.S./Vallejo, Calif.); Nathaniel Britt, II (Gonzaga H.S., D.C./Upper Marlboro, Md.); Aaron Harrison (Travis H.S./Richmond, Texas); Andrew Harrison (Travis H.S./Richmond, Texas); Nichols; Julius Randle (Prestonwood Christian Academy/ McKinney, Texas); and Troy Williams (Phoebus H.S./Hampton, Va.).
The 2012 USA U18 National Team will be led by a trio of experienced and successful college coaches at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship, including Billy Donovan (University of Florida) as head coach, with Mark Few (Gonzaga University) and Shaka Smart (Virginia Commonwealth University) as assistant coaches.
Collegiate head coaches Dannton Jackson from Xavier University of Louisiana, Frank Martin from the University of South Carolina, Jay Price from Chattanooga State Community College (Tenn.) and John Thompson from North Carolina Wesleyan College will serve as court coaches for the 2012 USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team training camp.
Following the first three days of training camp from June 5-7, finalists for the team will be selected by the USA Men’s Junior National Team Committee and will continue to train through June 11 at the USOTC.
The official 2012 USA Men’s U18 National Team will be selected prior to the team’s June 12 departure for the 2012 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, which will be played June 16-20 in Sao Sebastiáo do Paraiso, Brazil. Players eligible for this competition must have been born on or after Jan. 1, 1994.
The players represent 13 states, including five from Texas; three from Maryland; two from California, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee; along with one player each from Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.
In addition to rising college sophomore Stokes, who listed on the 2011-12 Southeastern Conference All-Freshman team, the training camp roster includes 15 high school seniors set to graduate in 2012 and seven prep athletes from the Class of 2013.
One set of twins, Aaron and Andrew Harrison, play together at Travis High School (Texas), while Grant and Robinson both attend DeMatha Catholic High School (Maryland).
Smart (Texas) took home his second-consecutive Gatorade State Player of the Year honor in 2012; while Dekker (Wis.), Dunn (Conn.) and Purvis (N.C.) were named their state’s 2012 Gatorade State Player of the Year; and Britt (D.C.) earned the honor in 2011.
Playing in the McDonald’s All-America Game was 3-point shootout champion Sulaimon, along with Dunn, Harris, Purvis and Smart. The Jordan Brand Classic featured Dunn, Grant, Purvis and Sulaimon.
In addition to chair Boeheim, the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee includes NCAA appointees Lorenzo Romar (University of Washington), Bruce Weber (Kansas State University) and Roy Williams (University of North Carolina), as well as athlete representative Jay Williams (2002 USA World Championship Team).
Eight teams will compete in the 2012 U18 Americas zone qualifier, including the USA, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. The top four finishing teams in the tournament will qualify for next summer’s 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship.
In the hunt for a sixth gold medal, USA men’s teams are 38-2 overall in the FIBA Americas U18 Championship (formerly known as the Junior World Championship Qualifier), and have won gold in 1990, 1994, 1998, 2006 and 2010, silver in 2008 and bronze in 2002.
The USA is the reigning champion from the 2010 U18 tournament, when Quincy Miller (Baylor) hit a game winning 3-pointer to help down Brazil, 81-78. The USA brought home silver in 2008 after falling to host Argentina despite a tournament MVP performance by Kemba Walker (Charlotte Bobcats).
Former U.S. players of note in the U18 championship include: Carmelo Anthony (2002); Chris Bosh (2002); Spencer Hawes (2006); Grant Hill (1990); Andre Iguodala (2002); Kyrie Irving (2010); Austin Rivers (2010); Kyle Singler (2006); Walker (2008); and Deron Williams (2002).
About USA Basketball
Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for men’s and women’s basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the United States by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA teams that compete in FIBA sponsored international basketball competitions, as well as for some national competitions.
Since 2008, USA Basketball men’s and women’s teams have compiled a sterling 134-6 win-loss record in FIBA or FIBA Americas competitions. USA teams are the current men’s and women’s champions of the Olympics and FIBA World Championship; FIBA women’s U19 world champions; the men’s and women’s title holders for the FIBA U17 World Championship; and the men’s and women’s U18 and U16 FIBA Americas champions. USA Basketball currently ranks No. 1 in all five of FIBA’s world ranking categories, including combined, men’s, women’s, boys and girls.
