Rutgers guard Mike Rosario was named to the World Juniors All-Tournament Team after helping the Puerto Rico U19 national squad to a 3-2 record and a second place finish in the event. Rosario registered 20 points, five rebounds and four assists, as Puerto Rico concluded the tournament with a 73-59 victory over Australia on Sunday.
Puerto Rico also earned victories over USA 2KSports (105-90) and Lithuania (58-56), and dropped a pair of one-point decisions to tournament champion Canada (77-76) and host France (85-84). Rosario averaged 20.4 points and 5.0 rebounds in the six-nation tournament, while shooting 29-of-37 from the free throw line.
The tournament was in preparation for the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championships, set to take place in Auckland, New Zealand July 2-12. Puerto Rico will compete in Group A, along with Angola, Greece and Lithuania in Auckland, known as the “City of Sails.”
GIBBS, TAYLOR NAMED TO U19 TRIALS
Pitt sophomore Ashton Gibbs and incoming freshman Dante Taylor have been named to the USA Basketball Men’s Under-19 National Team Trials roster. Gibbs and Taylor will audition for the squad which is coached by Pitt basketball coach Jamie Dixon.
A West Orange, N.J. native, Gibbs led the Big East Conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.439) and averaged 4.3 points in 35 games played as a freshman in 2008-09. The sophomore guard reached double figure scoring in six games, hit at least one 3-pointer in 19 contests and converted three or more 3-pointers in six games on the year.
Taylor will enter his freshman year at Pitt in September. In February, he became the fifth signee in school history to earn McDonald’s High School All-America accolades after averaging 23.8 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots per game as a senior at National Christian Academy (Md.). Originally from Greenburgh, N.Y., Taylor also shot 65 percent from the floor, registered 23 double-doubles and scored 30-plus points in eight different contests last year.
In addition to Gibbs and Taylor, the 2009 USA Men’s Under-19 World Championship Team Trials roster includes: Kenny Boynton (Florida / Pompano Beach, Fla.), Darryl Bryant (West Virginia / Brooklyn, N.Y.), DeAngelo Casto (Washington State / Spokane, Wash.), Seth Curry (Duke / Charlotte, N.C.), Drew Gordon (UCLA / San Jose, Calif.), Gordon Hayward (Butler / Brownsburg, Ind.), Shelvin Mack (Butler / Lexington, Ky.), Darius Miller (Kentucky / Maysville, Ky.), Arnett Moultrie (UTEP / Memphis, Tenn.), Ralph Sampson III (Minnesota / Duluth, Ga.), John Shurna (Northwestern / Glen Ellyn, Ill.), Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas / Jersey City, N.J.), Howard Thompkins (Georgia / Lithonia, Ga.), Klay Thompson (Washington State / Ladera Ranch, Calif.) and Terrico White (Mississippi / Memphis, Tenn.).
(Photos courtesy Rutgers, Pitt)
