SoCalHoops Recruiting News

USA Basketball Announces 2000
Youth Development HS Teams--(June 14, 2000)

Tyson Chandler, likely NBA lottery pick, class of 2001 Photo Larry Gray, UltraStudent Athletes

So what exactly is "USA Basketball"?   Based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA Basketball is a non-profit organization and the national governing body for men's and women's basketball in the United States, recognized as such by the International Basketball Federation ( FIBA),  and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).  USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA teams which compete in FIBA sponsored international basketball competitions, as well as many other national events, including   Men's and Women's Olympic teams,  Men's and Women's USA National teams which compete in the FIBA World Championships every four years, the World Championship for Young Men, which is a 22 and under World Championship scheduled for 2001 in Japan, the Pan American Games, held every four years, the World University Games, held for men and women every two years (the next one is scheduled for August 22-September 1, 2001, in Bejing, China), the Junior National Teams which compete in FIBA Junior World Championships every four years and other events that emphasize player development, and USA Basketball Select Teams that tour foreign countries and participate in international tournaments in the hope of gaining valuable foreign experience and cultural exposure.

One such event is the 2000 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival, which will be held this year in Colorado Spring, Colorado, and the players and teams who will participate in the event were announced officially today (although PacWestHoops should get some credit for leaking the names of the West Team members a day early).  The "USA Basketball Men's and Cadet and Youth Committee" today announced that 45 of the nation's top high school players were seletcted and have accepted invitations to participate, and the names of the players, particularly the ones from Southern California should be especially familiar to many of you, considering they are some of the best to ever come out of SoCal.

Four regional 12-man teams representing the North, South, East and West will compete in three games of round-robin preliminary games before being seeded and then competing in the Festival's semifinals and medal round. Each team is assigned a head and an assistant coach from its region, and the West Team will be coached by Russell Otis of Dominguez High School as head coach and by Ray Johnson from Oceanside El Camino.

Here are the team selections:

The Youth Development Festival will give participants exposure to USA Basketball and international basketball rules, and an opportunity to go head-to-head with some of the best prep players in the country.   The USA Basketball entry-level event will also combine off-court seminars on topics such as the meaning of representing your country, the Olympic experience, drug education, gambling awareness and media training, with practice sessions and the aforementioned four-team, five game tournament. 

According to the official press release (why re-write it when we can quote it), "This year's roster boasts 45 players from 24 states, 38 were high school juniors in 1999- 2000 and seven were sophomores. Twenty-seven of the participants earned USA Today Honorable Mention All-USA, one was named Parade All-American (Latimore), and one earned Gatorade state player of the year honors (Chandler).  Six juniors were listed in the Top 25 of Bob Gibbons' All Star Report, while The Recruiters Handbook lists 30 participants at the top of their respective classes.  CNN/SI named Chandler,  Childress, Rickert, and Latimore tops at their positions in the class of 2001, while Bender, Brown and Spears received honorable mentions.  Returning for their second Festival are Bender, Latimore and Sampson. Bender averaged 2.2 points and 3. 8 rebounds in his five games while Latimore had 8.2 ppg. and 5.4 rpg. for the bronze-medalist North team. Sampson averaged 7. 8 points, 8.2 rebounds and a festival- leading 2.4 blocks per game for the West."

In addition to Otis and Johnson, other coaches include some of the nation's top high school and AAU team coaches. "Bringing a wealth of experience to the Festival are: North team head coach Criss Beyers (AAU Bloomington Red / Bloomington, Ind.); North team assistant coach Dennis Wahlgren (South Salina High School / Salina, Kan.); South team head coach Phil McNeely (Duncanville High School / Duncanville, Texas); South team assistant coach Clifford Knight (AAU Charlotte Royals / Charlotte N.C.); East team head coach Ron Jenkins (Bayside High School / Hampton, Va.); East team assistant coach Carl Parker (AAU Maine Hoops / Lincoln, Maine).

The Festival opens this coming Saturday, June 17 with player orientation at 4 p.m., followed by a practice session at 5:30 p.m. MDT. Practice continues on Sunday, June 18, with the first game sessions beginning on Monday, June 19, at 11 a.m. Semifinals are scheduled for Tuesday, June 20, at 5 p.m., with the gold and bronze medal games on Wednesday, June 21, at 8:30 a.m.

Here's the 2000 USA Basketball Men's Youth Development Festival Schedule of Events:

All practice sessions and games will be conducted at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, Sports Center II.  All times listed are Mountain Daylight Time.

 
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