The USA U18 team made its cuts Wednesday and is now down to 12 players.
The 12 finalists include: Vander Blue, Trevor Cooney (pictured), Abdul Gaddy, Josh Hairston, Kyrie Irving, Quincy Miller, Tony Mitchell, LeBryan Nash, Jereme Richmond, Austin Rivers, Amir Williams and Patric Young.
“It feels great and the team is very balanced and talented,” Irving, who is headed to Duke, said by text.
The players who got cut were: Tracy Abrams, Keith Appling, James Bell, Michael Gbinije, Mikael Hopkins, Sheldon McClellan and Desmond Simmons.
The coaches are Jeff Capel of Oklahoma, Paul Hewitt of Georgia Tech and Reggie Witherspoon of Buffalo.
The team will compete in the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men June 26-30 in San Antonio.
The Americans will play Argentina, Mexico and the Virgin Islands in pool play. The other pool has Brazil, Canada, Uruguay and Puerto Rico.
The top four teams in the tourney will qualify for the FIBA U19 World Championships next year.
(Photo courtesy USA Basketball)
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