It’s been a good year for USA Basketball. A depleted (and “underdog”) Team USA squad took gold at the FIBA World Cup of Basketball in Spain last summer, despite a gruesome leg injury to key wingman Paul George and the subsequent withdrawals of other high profile stars like Kevin Durant and Kevin Love.
Prior to that, however, the USA Men’s Junior National Team regained the Nike Hoop Summit crown that had belonged to Head Coach Roy Rana and his World Select Team the two previous years. This spring, Team USA will look to tighten its grip on global basketball dominance when they defend their title against the World Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, April 11.
Today, USA Basketball announced its 11-man roster for the event, all of whom have won gold medals at previous USA Basketball tournaments and currently rank in the top 25 of the class of 2015, according to ESPNU. Here’s the complete roster from the USA Basketball press release:
“Suiting up for the USA will be: Isaiah Briscoe (Roselle Catholic/Union, N.J.); Jaylen Brown (Wheeler H.S./Alpharetta, Ga.); Jalen Brunson (Adlai E. Stevenson H.S./Lincolnshire, Ill.); Henry Ellenson (Rice Lake H.S./Rice Lake, Wis.); Chase Jeter (Bishop Gorman H.S./Las Vegas, Nev.); Luke Kennard (Franklin H.S./Franklin, Ohio); Malik Newman (Callaway H.S./Jackson, Miss.); Ivan Rabb (Bishop O’Dowd H.S./Oakland, Calif.); Caleb Swanigan (Homestead H.S./Fort Wayne, Ind.); Allonzo Trier (Findlay Prep/Seattle, Wash.); and Stephen Zimmerman (Bishop Gorman H.S./Las Vegas, Nev.).”
If history is any indication, we can expect big things from these fledging stars. Six of these players have already signed letters of intent to some of the top division one recruiting schools, including Jeter and Kennard (Duke), Brunson (Villanova), Trier (Arizona), Ellenson (Marquette), and Brisco (Kentucky).
Last year’s team was headlined by a trio of current Duke stars: Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow, and Tyus Jones, as well as other top recruits like Cliff Alexander, Kelly Oubre, and Stanley Johnson.
The 2014 game was another star-studded affair that featured current NBA rookies Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle, Dante Exum, and more.
The World Select Team is expected to announce its roster sometime in March.
Will Team USA defend its crown at the Nike Hoop Summit this spring?
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