The newly expanded 2018 USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team October minicamp is expected to feature 87 participants, including 22 international gold medalists and athletes from the high school classes of 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, from Oct. 5-7 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
In addition to 22 USA Basketball gold medalists, 19 other participants have attended at least one prior USA Basketball training camp. Forty-six participants are new to USA Basketball, including all members of the class of 2022 and all but Zion Harmon (Marshall County H.S./Benton, Ky.) from the class of 2021.
The class of 2019 participants are highlighted by 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup All-Tournament Team selection Vernon Carey Jr. (University School/Southwest Ranches, Fla.); as well as 2018 U17 gold medalists De’Vion Harmon (Guyer H.S./Corinth, Texas), Wendell Moore Jr. (Cox Mill H.S./Charlotte, N.C.), Isaac Okoro (McEachern H.S./Powder Springs, Ga.), Isaiah Stewart (La Lumiere School, Ind./Rochester, N.Y.) and Romeo Weems (New Haven H.S./Chesterfield, Mich.); and 2018 FIBA Americas U18 Championship gold medalists Cole Anthony (Oak Hill Academy/New York, N.Y.), Armando Bacot (IMG Academy, FL/Richmond, Va.), Matthew Hurt (John Marshall H.S./Rochester, Minn.), Josiah James (Porter-Gaud School/Charleston, S.C.), Tyrese Maxey (South Garland H.S./Garland, Texas), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (IMG Academy, Fla./Overland Park, Kan.) and Mark Watts Jr. (Old Redford Academy/Pontiac, Mich.).
Also expected to participate from the class of 2019 is 2017 USA U16 gold medalist James Wiseman (East H.S./Memphis, Tenn.); as well as Bryan Antoine (Ranney School/Tinton Falls, N.J.), Will Baker (Westlake H.S./Austin, Texas), Keion Brooks (North Side H.S./Fort Wayne, Ind.), DJ Carton (Bettendorf H.S./Davenport, Iowa), Scottie Lewis (Ranney School/Hazlet, N.J.), Jaden McDaniels (Federal Way H.S./Fife, Wash.), Justin Moore (DeMatha Catholic H.S./Accokeek, Md.), Casey Morsell (St. John’s College H.S., D.C./Fort Washington, Md.) and Kahlil Whitney (Roselle Catholic H.S./South Amboy, N.J.).
Participating from the class of 2020 are 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup MVP Jalen Green (San Joaquin Memorial H.S./Fresno, Calif.) and his 2018 U17 teammates Scottie Barnes (University School/Wellington, Fla.), R.J. Hampton (Little Elm H.S./Little Elm, Texas), Evan Mobley (Rancho Christian H.S./Temecula, Calif.), Jeremy Roach (Paul VI Catholic H.S./Leesburg, Va.), Jalen Suggs (Minnehaha Academy/St. Paul, Minn.); as well as 2017 USA U16 gold medalist Isaiah Todd (Trinity Academy/Raleigh, N.C.); and Jabri Abdur-Rahim (Blair Academy/Short Hills, N.J.), Brandon “BJ” Boston (Norcross H.S./Norcross, Ga.), Greg Brown III (Vandergrift H.S./Austin, Texas), Joshua Christopher (Mayfair H.S./Cerritos, Calif.), Sharife Cooper (McEachern H.S./Powder Springs, Ga.), Cade Cunningham (Montverde Academy, Fla./Arlington, Texas), Hunter Dickinson (DeMatha Catholic H.S., Md./Alexandria, Va.), Isaiah Jackson (SPIRE Academy, Ohio/Waterford, Mich.), Johnny Juzang (Harvard Westlake H.S./Tarzana, Calif.), Justin Lewis (Polytech H.S./Baltimore, Md.), Caleb Love (Christian Brothers College H.S./St. Louis, Mo.), Adam Miller (Morgan Park H.S./Chicago, Ill.), Moses Moody (Montverde Academy, Fla./Little Rock, Ark.), Ethan Morton (Butler H.S./Butler, Pa.), Jaden Springer (IMG Academy, Fla./Charlotte, N.C.) and Cameron Thomas (Oak Hill Academy/Chesapeake, Va.).
Taking part from the class of 2021 will be 2017 USA U16 gold medalist Zion Harmon; as well as Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Hamilton H.S./Sussex, Wis.), Paolo Banchero (O’Dea H.S./Seattle, Wash.), Nathan Bittle (Crater H.S./Central Point, Ore.), Luther Burden Jr. (Cardinal Ritter College Prep/St. Louis, Mo.), Max Christie (Rolling Meadows H.S./Arlington Heights, Ill.), Terrence Clarke (Brewster Academy/Roslindale, N.H.), Michael Foster (Washington H.S./Milwaukee, Wis.), AJ Griffin (Archbishop Stepinac H.S./Ossining, N.Y.), Jaden Hardy (Coronado H.S./Henderson, Nev.), Will Jeffress (McDowell H.S./Erie, Pa.), Trevor Keels (Paul VI Catholic H.S., Va./Clinton, Md.) and Dallas Turner (American Heritage H.S./Davie, Fla.).
Below you’ll find the 87-player roster for USA Basketball’s expanded October 5–7 junior national team minicamp, spanning high school classes of ‘19, ‘20, ‘21 and ‘22. This is the first camp under new USA/NBA/NBPA/NCAA collaboration, with another to follow at the Final Four. pic.twitter.com/2yl2Fyzmkm
— Jeremy Woo (@JeremyWoo) September 12, 2018
Expected from the high school class of 2022 are: Dylan Anderson (Perry H.S./Chandler, Ariz.), Emoni Bates (Lincoln H.S./Ypsilanti, Mich.), Jaden Bradley (Cannon School/Concord, N.C.), Jameel Brown (Haverford H.S./Philadelphia, Pa.), Andre Casey Jr. (Simeon Career Academy/Tinley Park, Ill.), De’Vontes Cobbs (Shadow Mountain H.S./Buckeye, Ariz.), Jalen Drane (Simeon Career Academy/Chicago, Ill.), Jalen Duren (Roman Catholic H.S., Pa./New Castle, Del.), Gregg Glenn III (Renaissance Charter School/Pompano Beach, Fla.), DeMari Henderson (Sanford H.S./Sanford, Fla.), Ja’Cari Henderson (Sanford H.S./Sanford, Fla.), Trejuan Holloman (Cretin Derham Hall H.S./South St. Paul, Minn.), Jalen Hood-Schifino (Northside Christian Academy/Charlotte, N.C.), Jett Howard (University School/Miami, Fla.), Dilon Hunter (Westlake H.S./Atlanta, Ga.), Richard Isaacs Jr. (Coronado H.S./Las Vegas, Nev.), Kamari Lands (La Lumiere School/Indianapolis, Ind.), Tamin Lipsey (Ames H.S./Ames, Iowa), Chris Livingston (Buchtel H.S./Akron, Ohio), Mark Mitchell Jr. (Immaculate Catholic School/Lansing, Kan.), Shy Odom (Beaver Country Day/Roxbury, Mass.), Marquise “MJ” Rice (Durham Academy/Creedmore, N.C.), Ty Rogers (Grand Blanc H.S./Saginaw, Mich.), Jonathan Starling (Baldwinsville H.S./Baldwinsville, N.Y.), Jarace Walker (IMG Academy, Fla./New Freedom, Pa.), Dariq Whitehead (Montverde Academy, Fla./Newark, N.J.), Justice Williams (Roman Catholic H.S./Philadelphia, Pa.) and Kijani Wright (Windward School/Los Angeles, Calif.).
The rosters also are available online.
Twenty-four athletes will graduate in 2019, 23 are set to graduate in 2020; 13 are from the high school class of 2021; and 28 are class of 2022.
On hand to assist Showalter will be court coaches: Sam Brand (Polytech H.S., Md.), Rob Brost (Bolingbrook H.S., Ill.), Jeff Culver (University of Colorado Colorado Springs), Kevin Eastman (former NBA assistant coach and director of operations), Steve Dagostino (Dags Basketball), Scott Fitch (Fairport H.S., N.Y.), Eric Flannery (St. Edward H.S., Ohio), L.J. Goolsby (KC Run GMC), Aaron Gray (former NBA athlete), Herman Harried (Lake Clifton H.S., Md.), Mike Jones (DeMatha Catholic H.S., Md.), Noah LaRoche (Integrity Hoops), Rodney Perry (Summit Christian Academy, Okla.), Stan Waterman (Sanford H.S., Del.), Sharman White (Pace Academy, Ga.) and Chad Yates (Loyola H.S., Calif.).
The minicamp, which is the first training camp following USA Basketball’s announcement of its collaboration with the NBA, National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and the NCAA to expand its Men’s Junior National Team program will tip off the health and wellness and life skills component of the expanded program. In addition to on-court instruction, players will participate in three life skills sessions covering topics including social media use, healthy relationships, NCAA recruiting and eligibility and character development.
The parent program, which also was introduced as part of the expansion, will include two working sessions featuring presentations on collegiate eligibility and recruiting, health and wellness and Game Plan, an eLearning platform that will be utilized for year-round player and parent development. There will also be a parent panel discussion led by former NBA player and 2000 Olympic gold medalist Shareef Abdur-Rahim and his wife Delicia, Christine Drummond, the mother of 2014 FIBA World Cup gold medalist and NBA All-Star Andre Drummond, and Tonja Stelly, the mother of USA Basketball U18 gold medalist Quentin Grimes.
The program’s Director of Player Health & Performance Ed Lacerte will provide players and parents with an overview of the health and wellness programming that will begin at the October minicamp and continue throughout the year.
The athletes will be split into groups according to their high school graduation class, and practices will take place in both Sports Center 1 and 2 at the USOTC. The USA will practice from 4:30-7 p.m. (all time listed are MDT) on Oct. 5; from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4:30-7 p.m. on Oct. 6; and from 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and 4-6:30 p.m. on Oct. 7.
“This will be a very different minicamp than the previous camps as we have more than 80 elite players attending from four classes,” said Don Showalter, head coach of the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team, who won 10-straight gold medals from 2009-2018 at the helm of the USA Basketball Men’s U16 and U17 National Teams. “We are not only concentrating on basketball skills, but also health and wellness, life skills education and a parent education program. Working together with the NBA, NCAA and NBPA will certainly be beneficial for the players. We have outstanding coaches working the camp, so the basketball skills work will be conducted at a very high and advanced level.
“Our goal is to provide the necessary skills both on and off the court to help each player improve and be closer in reaching their full potential as a player and person.”
Following the 2018 October minicamp, the next scheduled USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team training camp will take place during the NCAA Men’s Final Four in April 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The USA Basketball Men’s Developmental National Team Committee is responsible for selecting athletes and coaches for the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team program.
(Release via USA Basketball)
