The 12-man team set to go for the gold medal in Spain later this month has been finalized. Check below for the official announcement from our friends at USA Basketball:
Following four training sessions involving 18 finalists, the 2016 USA Basketball Men’s U17 World Championship Team was announced and includes six members of the gold medalist 2015 USA Men’s U16 National Team, which qualified the U.S. for the 2016 FIBA Men’s U17 World Championship. The team, which will attempt to defend gold at the 2016 FIBA Men’s U17 World Championship from June 23-July 3 in Zaragoza, Spain, was selected by the USA Basketball Developmental National Team Committee, chaired by USA Basketball men’s national team director Sean Ford.
Athletes eligible for this team must be 17 years old or younger (born on or after 1/1/99) and U.S. citizens.
Named to the 2016 USA Basketball Men’s U17 World Championship Team were: Jordan Brown (Woodcreek H.S./Roseville, Calif.); Troy Brown (Centennial H.S./Las Vegas, Nev.); Wendell Carter Jr. (Pace Academy/Fairburn, Ga.); Carte’Are Gordon (Webster Groves H.S./St. Louis, Mo.); Markus Howard (Findlay Prep, Nev./Chandler, Ariz.); Jaren Jackson Jr. (Park Tudor School/Carmel, Ind.); Kevin Knox II (Tampa Catholic H.S./Riverview, Fla.); Immanuel Quickley (John Carroll School/Havre De Grace, Md.); Collin Sexton (Pebblebrook H.S./Mableton, Ga.); Javonte Smart (Scotlandville H.S./Baton Rouge, La.); Gary Trent Jr (Apple Valley H.S./Burnsville, Minn.); and Austin Wiley (Spain Park H.S./Hoover, Ala).
The USA Basketball Men’s U17 World Championship Team training camp will continue through June 17 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
“This was the fourth USA U17 World Championship Team that we’ve put together, and this is by far the hardest decision,” said Ford. “The players really competed and gave it everything they had. We are very excited about the final roster. It gives us great athleticism and versatility, and we will need it as this will be a very difficult competition.
“We appreciate the efforts of everyone who came out to training camp. It’s really tough when there are so many great players, and we appreciate their commitment to USA Basketball.”
Seven-time USA Basketball gold medalist head coach Don Showalter (USA Basketball), who in 2015 coached the USA U16 National Team to a gold medal at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship, is the head coach of the 2016 USA U17 World Championship Team. Also on the staff after assisting Showalter and the 2015 USA U16 team to a gold medal and a berth in the 2016 U17 World Championship is prep head coach Miles Simon (California Supreme AAU), along with Mike Jones (DeMatha Catholic H.S., Md.), who has been a member of six previous USA Basketball team coaching staffs, including as an assistant for the gold medalist 2012 USA U17 World Championship Team.
