2012 Men's U17 World Championship Schedule Announced

January 10, 2012

FIBA on Jan. 10 conducted the draw to determine the two first-round pools for the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship For Men and the U.S. has been placed into Group A with Australia, China, Czech Republic, Egypt and France for the June 29 - July 8 tournament, set to be held in Kaunas, Lithuania. Drawn into Group B were: Argentina, Canada, Croatia, Lithuania, South Korea and Spain.

The U.S., currently the defending U17 World Champion after capturing gold with a perfect 8-0 record at the inaugural event in Hamburg, Germany, in 2010, opens play against Australia on June 29. The USA will next face the Czech Republic on June 30 and Egypt on July 1. Following a day off, play continues on July 3, when the USA is pitted against France, and a July 4 contest against China will cap the opening round games for the Americans.

The top four finishing teams from each preliminary round pool will advance to the July 6 medal quarterfinals. Winners of the quarters will compete for the July 7 medal semifinals and the gold medal game will be contested on July 8.

The 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship features U17 national teams that qualified through their FIBA zone tournaments. Players eligible for this competition must have been born on or after Jan. 1, 1995.

The American men qualified for this summer's U17 Worlds by virtue of their gold-medal finish at the 2011 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. Also qualifying from the FIBA U18 Championship were silver medalist Argentina and bronze medalist Canada.

The U.S. squad will be coached by Mid-Prairie High School (Iowa) head coach Don Showalter, who enters his fourth year as head coach of the USA Men’s Developmental National Team having collected gold at the 2009 and 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship. He is being assisted by Rich Gray (St. Louis Eagles AAU, Mo.) and Mike Jones (DeMatha H.S., Md.), both of whom aided Showalter and the Americans last summer at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship.

The eventual 12-member U.S. squad will be selected from the 2011-12 USA Basketball Developmental National Team, which includes: Shaqquan Aaron (Taft H.S. / Apple Valley, Calif.); Beejay Anya (DeMatha Catholic H.S. / Gaithersburg, Md.); Larry Austin (Lanphier H.S. / Springfield, Ill.); Anton Beard (Parkview Magnet H.S. / North Little Rock, Ark.); James Blackmon, Jr. (Bishop Luers H.S. / Fort Wayne, Ind.); Dom Collier (Denver East H.S. / Denver, Colo.); Stephen Domingo (Saint Ignatius Prep / San Francisco, Calif.); DeMonte Flannigan (Villa Angela-St. Joseph H.S. / Richmond Heights, Ohio); Conner Frankamp (Wichita North H.S. / Wichita, Kan.); Aaron Gordon (Archbishop Mitty H.S. / San Jose, Calif.); Justin Jackson (Homeschool Christian Youth Assoc. / Spring, Texas); Rondaé Jefferson (Chester H.S. / Chester, Pa.); Dakari Johnson (Montverde Academy, Fla. / Brooklyn, N.Y.); Stanley Johnson (Mater Dei H.S. / Fullerton, Calif.); Tyus Jones (Apple Valley H.S. / Apple Valley, Minn.); Trey Lyles (Arsenal Technical H.S. / Camby, Ind.); Kendrick Nunn (Simeon H.S. / Chicago, Ill.); Jahlil Okafor (Whitney Young H.S. / Chicago, Ill.); Jabari Parker (Simeon H.S. / Chicago, Ill.); Theo Pinson (Wesleyan Christian Academy / Greensboro, N.C.); Jordan Swopshire (SportsQuest Academy, Va. / O’Fallon, Mo.); Jimmie Taylor (Greenboro H.S. / Greensboro, Ala.); Charles Tucker (Lansing Eastern H.S. / Lansing, Mich.); Paul White (Whitney Young H.S. / Chicago, Ill.); Isaiah Whitehead (Lincoln H.S. / Brooklyn, N.Y.); Johnathan Williams (Southwind H.S. / Memphis, Tenn.); and Justise Winslow (St. John’s School / Houston, Texas).

The twelve members of the 2011-12 USA Men’s Developmental National Team who earned a gold medal at the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship included: Austin, Collier, Frankamp, Gordon, Jackson, Stanley Johnson, Jones, Nunn, Okafor, Parker, Pinson and Williams. After averaging 15.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, Parker was named MVP of the zone qualifier and also was today announced as the 2011 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year. Gordon led five players who averaged double-figure scoring with 17.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. Okafor contributed 14.6 points per game, while Pinson scored 11. 5 points per game and Jackson added 10.4 points per contest. The USA won its five games by an average of 42.2 points, and the first place finish qualified the USA for next summer’s U17 World Championship.

Additionally, Aaron, Jefferson and Swopshire competed in the inaugural FIBA 3x3 Youth World Championship, compiling a 7-5 record for an eighth-place finish Sept. 9-11 in Rimini, Italy.