Young Makes Final USA Basketball Roster for U19 World Championships
Thursday, June 23, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Florida rising sophomore Patric Young (Jacksonville, Fla.) has made the final 12-man roster of the USA Basketball U19 World Championship Team and will compete in the FIBA U19 World Championships in Latvia, USA Basketball announced on Thursday. The USA will depart on Friday looking to defend its 2009 gold medal at the event, held June 30-July 10.
Young was one of 13 finalists announced on Sunday, and the final 12-man roster was reached when head coach Paul Hewitt of George Mason determined that Buffalo's Javon McCrea would not make the roster.
"I like the depth and versatility of this team, in particular our big guys. I think our big guys are a great presence around the basket and do an excellent job of screening," said Hewitt. "Defense will have to be a staple for this team and we have work to do. I'm not happy with where we are defensively. I think we made steps, we're doing some good things, but in order to compete for the gold medal we have to get better.
"The selection was harder than I expected. The young man we decided not to keep, Javon McCrea, it was really just a numbers situation, he played more than well enough to make the team. We just didn't feel comfortable going over there without three point guards," Hewitt stated.
The team will complete its domestic training Thursday at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., and then depart for Europe on June 24. The USA squad will train June 25-28 in Lithuania. The Americans will face the Lithuania U20 National Team in an exhibition game on June 26 in Panevrzys, Lithuania, and then meet the Lithuania U19 National Team on June 28 in Vilnius, Lithuania. The 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship for Men is being held June 30-July 10 in Valmiera, Liepaja and Riga, Latvia.
USA Basketball U19 World Championships Final Roster
Keith Appling (Michigan State/Detroit, Mich.)
James Bell (Villanova/Orlando, Fla.)
Anthony Brown (Stanford/Huntington Beach, Calif.)
Jahii Carson (*Arizona State/Phoenix, Ariz.)
Tim Hardaway, Jr. (Michigan/Miami, Fla.)
Joe Jackson (Memphis/Memphis, Tenn.)
Jeremy Lamb (Connecticut/ Norcross, Ga.)
Meyers Leonard (Illinois/Robinson, Ill.)
Khyle Marshall (Butler/Davie, Fla.)
Doug McDermott (Creighton/Ames, Iowa)
Tony Mitchell (North Texas/Dallas, Texas)
Patric Young (Florida/Jacksonville, Fla.)
*Signed NLI
