And 17 Remain!

Following four training sessions May 28-30, which featured 29 of the USA’s top 16-and-unders, 17 finalists were selected for the 2015 USA Basketball Men’s U16 National Team. Finalists will continue training at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the final 12-member USA U16 squad will be named prior to the team departing for Bahia Blanca, Argentina, and the 2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. Athlete selections were made by the USA Basketball Men’s Developmental National Team Committee.

Selected as finalists from the 33-member 2015-16 USA Junior National Team roster were:Jordan Brown (Woodcreek H.S./ Roseville, Calif.); Wendell Carter Jr. (Pace Academy/Fairburn, Ga.); Carte’Are Gordon (St. John Vianney H.S./St. Louis, Mo.); Jaylen Hands (Mater Dei Catholic H.S./Chula Vista, Calif.); Elijah Hardy (Bishop O'Dowd H.S./Oakland, Calif.); Jalen Hill (Corona Centennial H.S./Corona, Calif.); Markus Howard(Findlay Prep, Nev./Chandler, Ariz.); Brandon Johns (East Lansing H.S./Lansing, Mich.); Tre Jones (Apple Valley H.S./Appel Valley, Minn.); Kevin Knox II (Tampa Catholic H.S./Tampa, Fla.); Jaylen Nowell (Garfield H.S./Seattle, Wash.); Charles O’Bannon Jr. (Bishop Gorman H.S./Las Vegas, Nev.); Ja’Vonte Smart (Scotlandville HS/Baton Rouge, La.); Gary Trent Jr.(Apple Valley H.S./Apple Valley, Minn.); Jarred Vanderbilt (Victory Prep School/Houston, Texas); Connor Vanover (Arkansas Baptist H.S./Little Rock, Ark.); and Robert Woodard(Columbus H.S./Columbus, Miss.).

Training Camp Begins

Thirty-two of the nation’s best high school boys basketball players from throughout the country arrived on Thursday, May 28 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for the 2015 USA Basketball Men’s U16 National Team training camp.

On the floor leading the 32 players through drills and scrimmages are the USA U16 coaching staff of head mentor Don Showalter (Iowa City H.S., Iowa) and assistant coaches Miles Simon (California Supreme AAU) and Sharman White (Miller Grove H.S., Ga.), along with court coach Horace Neysmith (Atlanta Celtics, Ga.).

Named to the 2015-16 USA Junior National Team were: Marvin Bagley III (Corona del Sol H.S./Tempe, Ariz.); Michael Barber (The Veritas School/Jackson, Miss.); Jordan Brown(Woodcreek HS/ Roseville, CA) Troy Brown Jr. (Centennial H.S./Las Vegas, Nev.); Marquis Brown (Simeon Career Academy/Chicago, Ill.); Wendell Carter Jr. (Pace Academy/Fairburn, Ga.); Nojel Eastern (Evanston Township/Evanston, Ill.); Darius Garland(Brentwood/Academy/Nashville, Tenn.); Carte’Are Gordon (St. John Vianney H.S./St. Louis, Mo.); Jaylen Hands (Mater Dei Catholic H.S./Chula Vista, Calif.); Elijah Hardy (Bishop O'Dowd H.S./Oakland, Calif.); Markus Howard (Perry H.S./Chandler, Ariz.); Brandon Johns(East Lansing H.S./ Lansing, Mich.); Montez Mathis (Mount Carmel/H.S./Baltimore, Md.); EJ Montgomery Jr. (Montverde Academy/Port St. Lucie, Fla.); Jaylen Nowell (Garfield H.S./Seattle, Wash.); Charles O'Bannon Jr. (Bishop Gorman H.S./Las Vegas, Nev.);Cameron Reddish (The Haverford School/Norristown, Pa.); Nazreon Reid (Roselle Catholic H.S./Asbury Park, N.J.); David Sloan (Taylor County H.S./Campbellsville, Ky.); Ja’Vonte Smart (Scotlandville HS/Baton Rouge, La.); Gary Trent Jr. (Apple Valley H.S./Apple Valley, Minn.); Jarred Vanderbilt (Victory Prep School/Houston, Texas); Connor Vanover(Arkansas Baptist H.S./Little Rock, Ark.); Kaleb Wesson (Westerville South H.S./Westerville, Ohio); Austin Wiley (Spain Park H.S./Hoover, Ala.); Robert Woodard (Columbus H.S./Columbus, Miss.).

Argentina!

The 2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship will be held June 10-14 in Bahia Blanca, Argentina. Training camp to determine the 12-member USA squad will be held May 27-June 6 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Held every other year, the FIBA Americas U16 Championship was first contested in 2009, and under the direction of Showalter, the USA has earned the gold medal in all three editions, compiling a perfect 15-0 record overall. In addition to the USA, teams competing in the U16 zone championship include: host Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Venezuela. The top four finishing teams will earn a berth to the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championship.

Bahia Blanca, Argentina