2012 FIBA Americas U18 Championship - Just the Facts

OFFICIAL TITLE: 2012 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men

OFFICIAL EVENT WEB SITE: www.fibaamericas.com

EVENT SITE: Sao Sebastiáo do Paraiso, Brazil

DATES: June 16-20, 2012

QUALIFIED TEAMS: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, United States, U.S. Virgin Islands.

USA TEAM TRAINING CAMP: June 5-12 @ Colorado Springs, Colo.; June 13-15 @ Sao Sebastiáo do Paraiso, Brazil.

EVENT DESCRIPTION: The FIBA Americas U18 Championship will feature eight national teams from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean. The top four finishing teams will qualify for the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship for Men. Players eligible for this competition must have been born on or after Jan. 1, 1994.

EVENT HISTORY: Originally known as the FIBA Americas Junior World Championship Qualifier, the tournament was held every four years since 1990. FIBA changed its calendar, however, and the tournament is now conducted every other year, followed in the next summer by the FIBA U19 World Championship.

USA men's teams are 38-2 in the U18 / Junior World Championship Qualifiers and have won gold in 1990, 1994, 1998, 2006 and 2010, while capturing silver in 2008 and bronze in 2002. Hosts of prior U18 championships are: San Antonio, Texas in 2010 and 2006; Formosa, Argentina in 2008; Isla Margarita, Venezuela in 2002; Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic in 1998; Santa Rosa, Argentina in 1994; and Montevideo, Uruguay in 1990.

FIBA AMERICAS U18 CHAMPIONSHIP - PLAYERS OF NOTE:
USA Teams: 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); Kyrie Irving (2010); Stephon Marbury (1994); Mike Miller (1998); Quentin Richardson (1998); Austin Rivers (2010); Kyle Singler (2006); Kemba Walker (2008) and Deron Williams (2002).

Other National Teams: 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; Raul Neto (Brazil) in 2010; Peter Ramos (Puerto Rico) in 2002; Luis Scola (Argentina) in 1998; Tiago Splitter (Brazil) in 2002; and Jesse Young (Canada) in 1998.