Basabe to attend USA U19 training camp
Posted on 12. May, 2011 by admin in Iowa Basketball
By Brendan Stiles
HawkeyeDrive.com
Iowa sophomore-to-be forward Melsahn Basabe will take part in a training camp for the 2011 USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Championship Team next month at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Basabe was one of 17 players to receive the invite to the camp, which takes place June 17-24. The team, which will be coached by George Mason’s Paul Hewitt, will consist of 12 players and the official roster is expected to be announced prior to departure for the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship held in Latvia. Should Basabe make the final cut, he would leave for Europe with the team on June 24.
Other players invited along with Basabe to Team USA’s training camp include Michigan’s Tim Hardaway, Jr., Michigan State’s Keith Appling, Creighton’s Doug McDermott, and Connecticut’s Jeremy Lamb.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for me to meet and practice alongside some of the country’s best young players,” Basabe said in a release sent out Thursday from Iowa’s sports information department. “My goal is to work hard and be one of the 12 players selected to represent the U.S. in the World Championship.”
Team USA is one of 16 participating in the tournament and will be grouped in the preliminary round that starts on June 30 with Egypt, Serbia, and China. The Gold Medal Game is scheduled to take place on July 10.
As a freshman last season, Basabe was second to guard Matt Gatens in scoring and led the Hawkeyes in both rebounding (averaging 6.8 boards per game) and in blocked shots with 41 rejections.
Actually, it looks like the coach will be Paul Hewitt from George Mason, Boeheim chaired the committee that selected the players. Still, a great honor for Basabe. I hope there’s a way to watch his games, even if only online, if he can make the team.
You’re right. Good catch, Steve. Thanks for making mention. Should be fixed.