Written by Ell
| 08 July 2008
JaMychal Green - who will play in the post for Bama this winter - has been selected as one of 12 players for the
USA Basketball Men's U18 (under 18) National Team. Green will play in the FIBA Americas U18 Championship July 14-18 in Formosa, Argentina. The US will attempt to defend their gold medal performance in the 2006 games in San Antonio.
The team is coached by Davidson College head coach Bob McKillop, and his assistants will include Anthony Grant of VCU and John Thompson III of Georgetown.
Eight teams - Argentina, the Bahamas, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuala and, of course, the USA - will vie for the right to play in the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship next summer in New Zealand.
This sort of positive national attention for our program is not without a downside. While Green certainly wouldn't be practicing with the team in the next weeks, he almost certainly would be shooting with Ronald Steele or getting to know Demetrius Jemison.
That lack of chemistry development could hurt Bama short term, but spending time with coaches of that caliber certainly will help his game long term. Being involved in meaninful games is also a nice boon for a young player we'll almost certainly be counting on this basketball season. Hopefully, he'll bring home a gold medal for the USA and himself.
The team
includes:
Named to the USA squad were: Dominic Cheek (St. Anthony H.S. / Jersey City, N.J.); JaMychal Green (St. Jude H.S. / Montgomery, Ala.); Matt Humphrey (Hales Franciscian H.S / Chicago, Ill.); Ryan Kelly (Ravenscroft H.S. / Raleigh, N.C.); Malcom Lee (John W. North H.S. / Riverside, Calif.); Leslie McDonald (Briarcrest H.S./ Memphis, Tenn.); Mason Plumlee (Christ H.S. / Arden, N.C.); Travis Releford (Bishop Miege H.S. / Shawnee Mission, Kan.); Kemba Walker (Rice H.S. / New York, N.Y.); Maalik Wayns (Roman Catholic H.S. / Philadelphia, Pa.); David Wear (Mater Dei H.S. / Santa Ana, Calif.) and Travis Wear (Mater Dei H.S. / Santa Ana, Calif).
Some of the players who've been in this tournament
in the past include:
... Shareef Abdur-Rahim (1994); Carmelo Anthony (2002); Jerryd Bayless (2006); Michael Beasley (2006); Chris Bosh (2002); Dee Brown (2002); Nick Collison (1998); Grant Hill (1990); Alan Houston (1990); Andre Iguodala (2002); Stephon Marbury (1994); Mike Miller (1998); Quentin Richardson (1998); Kyle Singler (2006); and Deron Williams (2002).
