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Boone, Gay and Williams Selected to
United States U21 National Team Trials
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 20, 2005)-- A trio of University of
Connecticut performers, juniors Josh Boone and Marcus
Williams and sophomore Rudy Gay, will join 21 of the
country’s top basketball players 21-years-old and younger (born on or
after Jan. 1, 1984) from July 21-23 at the USA Basketball Men’s U21
National Team Trials in Dallas, Texas.
Trials will be used to select the final 12-member U.S. U21 squad that will
look to defend the USA’s gold medal at the 2005 FIBA U21 World Championship in
Mar de Plata, Argentina, Aug. 5-14. Athlete selections were made by the USA
Basketball Men’s Collegiate Committee, chaired by Syracuse University (N.Y.)
head coach Jim Boeheim.
Athletes expected to compete for spots on the 2005 USA U21 National Team
include: Josh Boone (Connecticut / Mt. Airy, Md.); Aaron Brooks (Oregon /
Seattle, Wash.); Shannon Brown (Michigan State / Maywood, Ill.); Rodney Carney
(Memphis / Indianapolis, Ind.); JamesOn Curry (Oklahoma State / Pleasant Grove,
N.C.); Glen Davis (Louisiana State / Baton Rouge, La.); Jared Dudley (Boston
College / San Diego, Calif.); Nick Fazekas (Nevada / Arvada, Colo.); Rudy Gay
(Connecticut / Baltimore, Md.); C.J. Giles (Kansas / Seattle, Wash.); Justin
Gray (Wake Forest / Charlotte, N.C.); Taj Gray (Oklahoma / Wichita, Kan.); Malik
Hairston (Oregon / Detroit, Mich.); Adam Morrison (Gonzaga / Spokane, Wash.);
Allan Ray (Villanova / Bronx, N.Y.); J.J. Redick (Duke / Roanoke, Va.); Terrence
Roberts (Syracuse / Jersey City, N.J.); Rajon Rondo (Kentucky / Louisville,
Ky.); Darius Washington, Jr. (Memphis / Winter Park, Fla.); Marcus Williams
(Connecticut / Los Angeles, Calif.); and Curtis Withers (Charlotte / Charlotte,
N.C.).
Of the 13 athletes boasting of prior USA Basketball experience, Justin Gray,
Morrison and Withers were members of the 2004 USA U21 World Championship
Qualifying Team that captured gold and earned the United States its berth to
this year’s U21 Worlds. Redick was a member of the 2003 USA Junior World
Championship Team that finished fifth with a 7-1 record; Brooks helped the 2002
USA Junior World Championship Qualifying Team earn a bronze medal, and Gay and
Hairston were on the USA Junior National Select Team that downed a World Select
Team 99-79 in the 2004 Hoop Summit. Additionally, Brown (2002 North), Curry
(2002 and 2003 South), Fazekas (2002 West), Hairston (2003 North), Redick (2000
and 2001 East), Roberts (2002 East), Washington (2003 South) and Marcus Williams
(2002 West) all got their start in USA Basketball at a Youth Development
Festival and Carney participated in the 2004 USA Men’s National Team Trials.
The 21 athletes represent 17 NCAA Division I schools and 10 collegiate
conferences, with Connecticut and the Big East leading the charge with three and
five representatives, respectively.
Saint Joseph’s University (Pa.) head coach Phil Martelli has been named as
the USA team’s head coach and acting as his assistants will be collegiate head
coaches James ‘Bruiser’ Flint from Drexel University (Pa.) and Dennis Felton
from the University of Georgia.
Trials will be conducted at the Dallas Mavericks practice facility inside the
American Airlines Center and the first Trials session will be held on Thursday,
July 21 at 10:00 a.m. (all times local), followed by a 5:00 p.m. session that
night. July 22 and 23 will again feature two-a-days with starting times at 10:00
a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Team finalists will remain in Dallas for the USA’s July 24 -
Aug. 1 training camp, which will feature a July 24 scrimmage against the Dallas
Mavericks summer team at the Dr. Pepper Star Center in Frisco, Texas, near
Dallas. The training camp will conclude with a pair of daily practices at the
Dallas Mavericks practice facility at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on July 25 and
July 26. The U.S. squad will then compete in the July 27-31 Global Games at the
Dr. Pepper Star Center. The eventual 12-member USA team will be announced during
the training camp.
Following one more practice session on Aug. 1 (site and time TBD), the
American team will travel to Argentina for its final practices before tipping
off play at the 2005 FIBA U21 World Championship on Aug. 5.
Contested Aug. 5-14 in Cordoba and Mar del Plata, Argentina, the 2005 FIBA
Men’s U21 World Championship will consist of 12 national teams split into two
groups for preliminary round-robin play. The top four teams in each group will
advance to the medal quarterfinals, while the 5th and 6th place finishing teams
in each group will compete for 9th-12th place.
The U21 World Championship draw took place March 10 in Argentina and the USA
(Americas No. 1) will compete in Mar del Plata in preliminary round Group B,
opening up Aug. 5 against China (Asia No. 2). Facing Lithuania (Europe No. 3) on
Aug. 6, the United States will go up against Puerto Rico (Americas No. 2) on
Aug. 7, before closing out the first round against Nigeria (Africa No. 1) on
Aug. 9 and Slovenia (Europe No. 1) on Aug. 10. Group A, which will compete in
Cordoba, includes Argentina (Americas No. 3 & host), Australia (Oceania No. 1),
Canada (Americas No. 4), Greece (Europe No. 4), Iran (Asia No. 1) and Israel
(Europe No. 2).
Initiated in 1993 as the FIBA 22 & Under World Championship, the USA captured
gold in the inaugural tournament with a perfect 8-0 record. In 1997, the
Americans compiled a 5-2 record and finished fifth. Most recently in 2001, with
the event known as the FIBA World Championship For Young Men and Martelli
assisting on the sidelines, the USA was impressive, rolling to an unblemished
8-0 mark to capture gold.
The USA men are not only defending FIBA World Champs at the U21 level, but
the U.S. squad last summer dominated its FIBA Americas competition in striking
gold with a 5-0 record. Overall, in the three previous FIBA World Championships
for this age group, the USA has won gold twice and compiled a 22-2 record.
NOTE: It is expected that finalists for the ‘05 U.S. squad will be announced
following the July 21-23 USA Team Trials. The final 12-member roster will be
announced prior to the team’s Aug. 1 departure for Argentina.
The Dallas Mavericks practice facility is inside the American Airlines Center
in Dallas, while the Dr. Pepper Star Center is located in Frisco, Texas, just
outside of Dallas.
2005 USA Basketball U21 World Championship Team Trials Roster
NAME POS HT WT DOB YOG SCHOOL/HOMETOWN
Josh Boone F 6-10 237 11/21/84 2007 Connecticut / Mt. Airy, Md.
Aaron Brooks G 6-0 160 01/15/85 2007 Oregon / Seattle, Wash.
Shannon Brown G 6?3 200 11/29/85 2007 Michigan State / Maywood, Ill.
Rodney Carney F 6-7 205 04/05/84 2006 Memphis / Indianapolis, Ind.
JamesOn Curry G 6-3 190 01/07/86 2008 Oklahoma State / Pleasant Grove, N.C.
Glen Davis F 6-9 310 01/01/86 2008 Louisiana State / Baton Rouge, La.
Jared Dudley F 6-7 220 07/10/85 2007 Boston College / San Diego, Calif.
Nick Fazekas F 6-11 225 06/17/85 2007 Nevada / Arvada, Colo.
Rudy Gay F 6-9 220 08/17/86 2008 Connecticut / Baltimore, Md.
C.J. Giles C 6-10 220 09/23/85 2008 Kansas / Seattle, Wash.
Justin Gray G 6?2 185 03/31/84 2006 Wake Forest / Charlotte, N.C.
Taj Gray F 6-9 235 03/14/84 2006 Oklahoma / Wichita, Kan.
Malik Hairston G 6-6 200 02/03/87 2008 Oregon / Detroit, Mich.
Adam Morrison F 6-8 205 07/19/84 2007 Gonzaga / Spokane, Wash.
Allan Ray G 6-2 200 06/17/84 2006 Villanova / Bronx, N.Y.
J.J. Redick G 6-4 190 06/24/84 2006 Duke / Roanoke, Va.
Terrence Roberts F 6-9 228 08/14/85 2007 Syracuse / Jersey City, N.J.
Rajon Rondo G 6-1 171 02/22/86 2008 Kentucky / Louisville, Ky.
Darius Washington G 6-2 195 12/06/85 2008 Memphis / Winter Park, Fla.
Marcus Williams G 6-3 205 12/03/85 2007 Connecticut / Los Angeles, Calif.
Curtis Withers F 6-8 230 08/02/84 2008 Charlotte / Charlotte, N.C.
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