Six Prep Stars Added To 2010 USA Men's U18 National Team Training Camp Roster

-- USA U18 National Team To Begin Training June 14 In San Antonio --

Colorado Springs, Colo. - June 9, 2010

Six of the nation's top 18-and-unders have been added to the 2010 USA Basketball Men's U18 National Team training camp roster, bringing the list of prep stars who will train June 14-16 at the University of Texas at San Antonio to 19. The training camp will be used to select the 12-member team that will represent the USA at the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. The USA U18 National Team will remain in San Antonio June 17-25 to continue training prior to the start of the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, which will be held June 26-30 in St. Mary's University's Bill Greehey Arena in San Antonio. The invitations were issued by the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Committee.

Added to the USA U18 National Team training camp roster were: James Bell (Montverde Academy, Fla. / Orlando, Fla.); Michael Gbinije (Benedictine H.S. / Chester, Va.); Kyrie Irving (St. Patrick's H.S. / Elizabeth, N.J.); Tony Mitchell (L.G. Pinkston H.S. / Dallas, Texas); LeBryan Nash (Lincoln H.S. / Dallas, Texas); and Desmond Simmons (Salesian H.S. / Vallejo, Calif.).

The University of Oklahoma's Jeff Capel has been named as head coach of the 2010 USA U18 National Team, while Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt and University at Buffalo head coach Reggie Witherspoon will serve as assistant coaches.

Acting as court coaches during the June 14-16 training camp are collegiate head coaches Ken Ammann, of Concordia University, Randy Bennett of Saint Mary's College, Francis Flax of Brown Mackie College, Brad Stevens of Butler University and Brooks Thompson of the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Announced on March 18 as accepting invitations to attend the 2010 USA Basketball U18 National Team training camp were: Tracy Abrams (Mount Carmel H.S. / Chicago, Ill.); Keith Appling (Pershing H.S. / Detroit, Mich.); Vander Blue (James Madison Memorial H.S. / Madison, Wis.); Trevor Cooney (Sanford H.S. / Wilmington, Del.); Abdul Gaddy (Washington / Tacoma, Wash.); Joshua Hairston (Montrose Christian School (Md.) / Fredericksburg, Va.); Mikael Hopkins (DeMatha Catholic H.S. / Hyattsville, Md.); Sheldon McClellan (Bellaire H.S. / Pearland, Texas); Quincy Miller (Quality Education Academy / Winston-Salem, N.C.); Jereme Richmond (Waukegan H.S. / Waukegan, Ill.); Austin Rivers (Winter Park H.S. / Winter Park, Fla.); Amir Williams (Detroit Country Day / Detroit, Mich.); and Patric Young (Providence School / Jacksonville, Fla.).

Additionally, Michael Chandler (Lawrence North H.S. / Indianapolis, Ind.); P.J. Hairston (Dudley Senior H.S. / Greensboro, N.C.); Tobias Harris (Half Hollow Hills West H.S. / Brookville, N.Y.); Joe Jackson (White Station H.S. / Memphis, Tenn.); Terrence Jones (Jefferson H.S. / Portland, Ore.); Meyers Leonard (Robinson H.S. / Robinson, Ill.); Joshua Smith (Kentwood H.S. / Kent, Wash.); and T.J. Taylor (Denison H.S. / Denison, Texas), who were originally slated to attend the USA U18 National Team training camp, have withdrawn and will not attend training.

Training camp will get underway at UTSA's Convocation Center on June 14 at 6:00 p.m. (all times listed are local, CDT). On June 15 the invitees will practice twice at the Convocation Center, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and at 4:30 p.m. The final training session will get underway at 8:30 a.m. on June 16. Following the June 16 announcement of the 2010 USA U18 National Team that will compete in the FIBA Americas U18 Championship, the squad will train that afternoon starting at 4:00 p.m. The team is scheduled to remain in San Antonio and train twice a day starting at 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., with scrimmages scheduled against the 2010 USA Basketball Men's U17 World Championship Team in the afternoons of June 21 and 22, and against the Brazil U18 National Team on June 23.

The FIBA Americas Men's U18 Championship will feature eight national teams from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean. On March 5 the draw was held to determine the first round groups, and the USA was placed into Group A, along with Argentina, Mexico and the Virgin Islands. Group B includes Brazil, Canada, Puerto Rico and Uruguay. The U.S. will open preliminary play against the Virgin Islands on June 26 at 7:00 p.m. (all times listed are local, CDT). On June 27 the USA will face Mexico at 7:00 p.m. and will close preliminary play against South American rivals Argentina on June 28 at 7:00 p.m. The semifinals are slated for June 29, and the finals will be held June 30.

Not only will a gold medal be at stake, the top four finishing nations will qualify for the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship. Players eligible for this competition must have been born on or after Jan. 1, 1992.

Syracuse University head coach and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim, an assistant coach for the 2009-12 USA Basketball Men's National Team, chairs the USA Men's Junior National Team Committee. The Committee also includes NCAA appointees Lorenzo Romar, University of Washington head coach; Bruce Weber, University of Illinois head coach; and University of North Carolina head coach Roy Williams; while 2002 USA Basketball World Championship Team member Jay Williams serves as the athlete representative.

FIBA Americas U18 Championship For Men
Originally known as the FIBA Americas Junior World Championship Qualifier, the tournament was held every four years from 1990 through 2006. FIBA changed its calendar, however, and in 2008 FIBA Americas began conducting tournament every other year, followed in the next summer by the FIBA U19 World Championship.

USA men's teams are 33-2 in the U18 / Junior World Championship Qualifiers and have won gold in 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2006, while capturing silver in 2008 and bronze in 2002. Hosts of prior U18 championships are: Formosa, Argentina in 2008; San Antonio, Texas in 2006; Isla Margarita, Venezuela in 2002; Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic in 1998; Santa Rosa, Argentina in 1994; and Montevideo, Uruguay in 1990.

A number of talented athletes have competed on the USA U18 National Teams, including Shareef Abdur-Rahim (1994); Carmelo Anthony (2002); Michael Beasley (2006); Chris Bosh (2002); Dee Brown (2002); Nick Collison (1998); Jonny Flynn (2006); Spencer Hawes (2006); Grant Hill (1990); Allan Houston (1990); Andre Iguodala (2002); Stephon Marbury (1994); Mike Miller (1998); Quentin Richardson (1998); Kyle Singler (2006); Kemba Walker (2008); and Deron Williams (2002).

Additionally, top international players in past U18 tournaments included: Leandro Barbosa (Brazil) in 1994; Jose Barea (Puerto Rico) in 2002; Gregory Echenique (Venezuela) in 2008; Juan Fernandez (Argentina) in 2008; Todd MacCulloch (Canada) in 1994; Jamal Magloire (Canada) in 1994; Peter Ramos (Puerto Rico) in 2002; Luis Scola (Argentina) in 1998; Tiago Splitter (Brazil) in 2002; and Jesse Young (Canada) in 1998.