Young, Wilbekin Head to Colorado Springs Looking to Represent U.S.A. In U19 World Championships
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 | Men's Basketball, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – As a late invitee to training camp for the USA Basketball U19 National Team, if Gators guard Scottie Wilbekin has any last-minute questions about what to expect, he can ask someone who knows.
And someone Wilbekin already knows well.
Wilbekin and UF teammate Patric Young leave this week for the start of camp on Friday at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The two Gators are among 20 players vying for 12 spots on a team that will represent the U.S. at the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championships later this summer in Latvia.
Young, who helped the USA Basketball U18 National Team capture gold at the 2010 FIBA World Championships, has known of his invitation for a while. Wilbekin just learned of his last week after his future Gator teammate, Bradley Beal, withdrew from training camp to focus on his upcoming enrollment at UF.
“I wasn't expecting it at all,'' Wilbekin said Monday. “Any chance to represent my country in anything, I would be excited. It's been awhile since I tried out for a team. It may be a little different experience than I'm used to, so I'm just going out there and try to work hard to make the team.''
Young, a USA Basketball veteran compared to his younger teammate – Wilbekin reminded a few reporters on Monday that he is now 18 after being the youngest UF student-athlete on campus as a freshman – has told Wilbekin to be ready to compete from the opening tip.
“Guys definitely want to make this team,'' Young said. “It's cutthroat. Guys are coming out there and bringing out their A-game. Some guys have great defense, great offense, but it comes down to how great of a team player you are.''
Florida and Cal are the only two schools with more than one player on the training camp roster. Richard Solomon and Allen Crabbe will represent the Golden Bears. Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr., Memphis' Joe Jackson and Butler's Khyle Marshall are other notable invitees.
Marshall played a key role in Butler's win over the Gators in the Elite Eight, scoring 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds. The loss remains a key motivating force this summer for Young, who looked even more muscular on Monday than he did nearly three months ago in the loss to Butler.
Young says he has added about 10 pounds to his 6-foot-9 frame, putting him at around 255 pounds as he works to improve his offensive game following a freshman season in which he provided quality depth behind the senior frontcourt trio of Chandler Parsons, Alex Tyus and Vernon Macklin.
With those three gone, Young is determined to help fill the void.
“I want to be the guy who can push my teammates and help us get to that point to make it to a national championship,'' Young said. “With Vernon Macklin gone and Alex Tyus gone, there's a role to be filled in the big-man position and I have been working on my game to develop my offensive game.''
Gators coach Billy Donovan, serving as an assistant coach during the training camp for a couple of days, has talked to Young his new role.
“He told me it's a really big opportunity for me,'' Young said.
Meanwhile, this is Wilbekin's second non-UF basketball experience of the offseason.
In May, Wilbekin spent two weeks playing on an Athletes In Action squad made up of 10 Division I players, traveling to Macedonia and Kosovo. The team faced international competition and also did missionary work.
The extra playing time this summer can only help Wilbekin when he returns to UF for the start of his sophomore season in what will be a talented backcourt featuring returning starters Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton, plus newcomer Beal and Mike Rosario, a transfer from Rutgers who averaged 16.7 points a game in 2009-10 at Rutgers.
“I watch the Olympics every four years, just to get the opportunity to do something like this is really special to me,'' Wilbekin said. “I've been working on shooting and ball-handling. I can definitely improve my shooting percentage. I just think if I can break the defense down, get in the lane and find open teammates, that's something I can add to my game.''
Both Wilbekin and Young played in all 37 games as true freshmen, helping Florida finish 29-8 and make the Elite Eight for the first time since the Gators won back-to-back national titles in 2006 and '07.
Wilbekin averaged 2.4 points and 1.6 assists – leading the team with a 61-to-28 assists-to-turnover ratio – and Young chipped in 3.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
While Young is considered to have a better shot at making the team since he already has USA Basketball experience, he is taking the same attitude with him that he told Wilbekin to have.
Bring your A-game.
The experience is one neither expects to forget anytime soon.
“There's some national pride,'' Young said of the opportunity. “You go out there and everyone cheers for us because we are the United States. We have that ability to represent the United States at such a young age, it's so great.''
