USA Basketball Names Don Showalter 2009 Developmental Coach Of The Year

Dec. 8, 2009 - Colorado Springs, Colo.

In recognition of the USA's outstanding gold medal performance at the inaugural FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Men, as well as two USA Men's Developmental National Team training camps in 2009, USA Basketball today announced Mid-Prairie High School (Iowa) head coach Don Showalter as the 2009 USA Basketball Developmental Coach of the Year.

Perhaps most importantly, the finish qualified the USA for next summer's 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship.

'The USA Men's Developmental National Team could not have had a more impressive inaugural year, and Don deserves credit for much of the program's success,' said Jim Tooley, USA Basketball Executive Director/CEO. 'With a gold medal performance in the U16 Championship and two training camps this year, Don has prepared USA Basketball for success at the 2010 U17 World Championship.'

In addition to the U16 gold medal, Showalter conducted the first ever USA Developmental National Team training camp on June 6-9 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., as well as an Oct. 10-11 mini-camp, also held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

'Coach Showalter was a great coach,' said James McAdoo (Norfolk Christian H.S. / Norfolk, Va.), USA U16 team co-captain. 'He didn't really put that many restrictions on us. He created structure, and he let us play. That really showed that he trusted in us and believed in us. He was a great example for us on and off the court because most of the time we spent with him was off the court. He took care of us, and he was a great coach.'

USA Basketball will submit Showalter to the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) as a nominee for the 2009 USOC Developmental Coach of the Year award, which is expected to be announced in January 2010. The USA Basketball Board of Directors is responsible for selecting USA Basketball's annual coach, player and team of the year awards.

Showalter's first task for USA Basketball in 2009 was the June DNT training camp, which featured 19 top high school players. The DNT trained twice-a-day as Showalter and his assistant coaches Herman Harried (Lake Clifton High School, Md.) and Kevin Sutton (Montverde Academy, Fla.) worked to instill fundamentals, offenses, defenses and teamwork in order to prepare a 12-man USA team for the 2009 zone qualifier.

Following the training camp, the 12-member 2009 USA Men's U16 National Team was announced on June 9. The team, which practiced twice a day before departing for Argentina on June 13, included: Justin Anderson (Montrose Christian School, Md. / Montross, Va.); Brad Beal (Chaminade College Prep H.S. / St. Louis, Mo.); Quinn Cook (DeMatha H.S. / Bowie, Md.); André Drummond (Capitol Preparatory Magnet School / Middletown, Conn.); Sterling Gibbs (Seton Hall Prep / Scotch Plains, N.J.); Brandan Kearney (Southeastern H.S. / Detroit, Mich.); McAdoo; Johnny O'Bryant (Eastside H.S. / Cleveland, Miss.); Tony Parker (Miller Grove H.S. / Lithonia, Ga.); Chasson Randle (Rock Island H.S. / Rock Island, Ill.); L.J. Rose (Second Baptist School / Houston, Texas); and Adonis Thomas (Melrose H.S. / Cordova, Tenn.).

With Showalter at the helm, the USA dominated the 2009 zone championship. The USA, which averaged 113.0 points per game and won its five games by an average of 33.8 points, led the eight-team tournament in 12 of 19 statistical categories. The USA ranked No. 1 in scoring offense, scoring margin, field goal percentage (.498), defensive field goal percentage (.371), offensive rebounds (24.6), rebounding margin (+20.0), assists per game (16.6), blocks per game (8.2) and assist to turnover ratio (0.89).

Opening play with a 110-82 win over Brazil on June 17, the USA next topped Venezuela 102-76 and wrapped up preliminary play on June 19 with a 126-73 blowout of Puerto Rico. The USA topped Canada 126-78 in the semifinals and then downed host Argentina 101-87 in the gold medal game on June 21.

Along with Showalter and assistants Harried and Sutton, 20 of the 21 DNT members, returned to Colorado Springs for the October 10-11 fall mini-camp. The USA utilized four practice sessions to help prepare for the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship, which will be played July 2-11 in Hamburg, Germany. The 12-member 2010 USA U17 World Championship Team will be comprised of 2009-10 DNT members.

In addition to the USA U16 National Team members, the 2009-10 DNT roster includes: Kyle Anderson (Paterson Catholic School / Fairview, N.J.); K.C. Caudill (Brea Olinda H.S. / Brea, Calif.); Angelo Chol (Herbert Hoover H.S. / San Diego, Calif.); Perry Ellis (Wichita Heights H.S. / Wichita, Kan.); Michael Gilchrist (St. Patrick H.S. / Somerdale, N.J.); Norvel Pelle (Price H.S. / Long Beach, Calif.); Marquis Teague (Pike H.S. / Indianapolis, Ind.); Kevin Ware (Rockdale County H.S. / Conyers, Ga.); and Anthony Wroten, Jr. (Garfield H.S. / Renton, Wash.).

Showalter has a long history of service to the sport of basketball. In 1998, USA Basketball selected Showalter as the head coach of the USA Junior National Select Team that competed against the World Select Team in the 1998 Hoop Summit. He also coached the 1998 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival North Team and was the coordinator for a youth clinic hosted by USA Basketball in New York in 2004.

He served from 2001-08 as the chair of the USA Basketball Cadet and Youth Committee, which selected high school players and coaches for the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival and the USA Junior National Select Team, which competes in the Nike Hoop Summit.

One of the nation's most accomplished high school coaches, Showalter began his 36th year (1974-present) as a high school head coach in 2009-10. Through the 2008-09 season, he had compiled an overall record of 521-262 (.667) and won 15 district titles.

In 2008-09 Showalter led his Mid-Prairie High School Golden Hawks (Wellman, Iowa) to a 17-6 record, losing in overtime in the District 9 finals. He garnered national honors when he was recognized as the National High School Athletic Coaches Association 2009 National Basketball Coach of the Year.

He currently serves as chairman of the NABC High School Committee and is on the McDonald's High School All-America Game Selection Committee and the Iowa All-Star Steering Committee. The past president of the Iowa Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA), he now serves on the IBCA Board of Directors and on the National Federation of High Schools Publications Committee. Additionally, he is a member of the selection committee for the Hall of Fame of the National Federation of State High School Associations.

USA Basketball's Development Coach of the Year award was established in 1996 to recognize a USA Basketball head coach who, during the year of the award, made significant impact on the success of individual athlete and team performance at the developmental level.

Showalter adds his name to an impressive list of award recipients that includes Carol Owens (2008); Doug Bruno (2007); Joanne P. McCallie (2007); Lorenzo Romar (2006); Kathy Delaney-Smith (2005); Jay Wright (2005); Kelvin Sampson (2004); Jim Foster (2003); Marsha Sharp (2002); Debbie Ryan (2001); Geno Auriemma (2000); Oliver Purnell (1999); Jim Boeheim (1998); Rene Portland (1997); and Mike Montgomery (1996).

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.