By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Florida Gators sophomore center Patric Young has made the final cut for the 2010 USA U19 World Championship Team, USA Basketball officials announced today.
The USA squad, features five players - including Young - with prior USA Basketball experience. The team will try to defend the gold medal won by the U.S. in 2009 at the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship.
"The selection was harder than I expected,'' said Paul Hewitt, the USA U19 head coach. "The young man we decided not to keep, Javon McCrae, it was really just a numbers situation. He played more than well enough to make the team. We just didn't feel comfortable going over there without three point guards.'
Young was part of USA Basketball's 2010 U18 team, and also participated on the USA Junior National Select Team that won the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit.
The team will complete its domestic training Thursday at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., and then depart for Europe on June 24. The USA squad will train June 25-28 in Lithuania. The Americans will face the Lithuania U20 National Team in an exhibition game on June 26 in Panevrzys, Lithuania, and then meet the Lithuania U19 National Team on June 28 in Vilnius, Lithuania. The 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship for Men is being held June 30-July 10 in Valmiera, Liepaja and Riga, Latvia.
"I like the depth and versatility of this team, in particular our big guys,'' Hewitt said. "I think our big guys are a great presence around the basket and do an excellent job of screening," said Hewitt. "Defense will have to be a staple for this team and we have work to do. I'm not happy with where we are defensively. I think we made steps, we're doing some good things, but in order to compete for the gold medal we have to get better.''
Here is the full USA U19 World Championship Team roster:
Keith Appling (Michigan State/Detroit, Mich.); James Bell (Villanova/Orlando, Fla.); Anthony Brown (Stanford/Huntington Beach, Calif.); Jahii Carson (Mesa High School/*Arizona State/Phoenix, Ariz.); Tim Hardaway, Jr. (Michigan/Miami, Fla.); Joe Jackson (Memphis/Memphis, Tenn.); Jeremy Lamb (Connecticut/ Norcross, Ga.); Meyers Leonard (Illinois/Robinson, Ill.); Khyle Marshall (Butler/Davie, Fla.); Doug McDermott (Creighton/Ames, Iowa); Tony Mitchell (North Texas/Dallas, Texas); and Patric Young (Florida/Jacksonville, Fla.).
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