-- 55 Expected For Oct 2-4 USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Minicamp --

• 2015-16 USA Basketball Junior National Team Roster

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Fifty-seven of the nation’s top high school-aged basketball players have been named to the 2015-16 USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team roster and 55 of the 57 are confirmed to participate in the 7^th annual USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team minicamp that will be held Oct. 2-4 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The October minicamp will be used to continue player evaluations and to get a head start on preparations for several 2016 international competitions, including in the 19^th annual Nike Hoop Summit, FIBA U17 World Championship and FIBA Americas U18 Championship.

Accepting invitations to attend the USA Basketball Junior National Team minicamp were: Jarrett Allen (Saint Stephen’s Episcopal H.S./Austin, TX); Marvin Bagley III (Hillcrest Prep/Tempe, AZ); Mohamed Bamba (Westtown School, PA /Harlem, NY); Tyus Battle (Saint Joseph H.S./Edison, NJ); Michael Barber (Jackson Academy/Jackson, MS); Marques Bolden (DeSoto H.S./Dallas, TX); Miles Bridges (Huntington Prep, WV/Flint, MI); Jordan Brown (Woodcreek H.S./Roseville, CA); Marquis Brown (Simeon Career Academy/Chicago, IL); Troy Brown Jr. (Centennial H.S./Las Vegas, NV); Wendell Carter Jr. (Pace Academy/Atlanta, GA); Daejon Davis (Lakeside School/Seattle, WA); Trevon Duval (St. Benedicts H.S./New Castle, DE); Nojel Eastern (Evanston Township H.S./Evanston, IL); Jalek Felton (Mullins H.S./Mullins, SC); Terrance Ferguson (Homeschooled /Dallas, TX); De’Aaron Fox (Cypress Lakes H.S./Katy, TX); Markelle Fultz (DeMatha Catholic H.S./Upper Marlboro, MD); Darius Garland (Brentwood Academy/Nashville, TN); Alterique Gilbert (Miller Grove H.D./Lithonia, GA); Harry Giles (Oak Hill Academy, VA/Winston-Salem, NC); Carte'Are Gordon (St. John Vianney H.S./St. Louis, MO); Justyn Hamilton (Independence H.S./Charlotte, NC); Jaylen Hands (Mater Dei Catholic H.S./Chula Vista, CA); Elijah Hardy (Bishop O’Dowd H.S./Oakland, CA); Jalen Hill (Corona Centennial H.S./Corona, CA); Markus Howard (Findlay Prep, NV/Chandler, AZ); Jonathan Isaac (IMG Academy/Naples, FL); Frank Jackson (Lone Peak H.S./Alpine, UT); Josh Jackson (Prolific Prep, CA/Southfield, MI); Brandon Johns (East Lansing H.S./Lansing, MI); Tre Jones (Apple Valley H.S./Apple Valley, MN); Vincent King Jr. (Paul VI H.S., VA/ Akron, OH); Kevin Knox II (Tampa Catholic H.S./Tampa, FL); Joshua Langford (Madison Academy/Huntsville, AL); Jaedon LeDee (The Kinkaid School/Houston, TX); Gerald Liddell (Byron P. Steele II H.S./Cibolo, TX); Montez Mathis (Oak Hill Academy, VA / Essex, MD); Malik Monk (Bentonville H.S./Lepanto, AR); EJ Montgomery Jr. (Montverde Academy/Port Saint Lucie, FL); Jaylen Nowell (Garfield H.S./Seattle, WA); Charles O’Bannon Jr. (Bishop Gorman H.S./Las Vegas, NV); Michael Porter Jr. (Father Tolton Catholic H.S./Columbia, MO); Cameron Reddish (The Haverford School/Norristown, PA); Alex Reese (Pelham H.S./Pelham, AL); Nazreon Reid (Roselle Catholic H.S./Asbury Park, NJ); D’Shawn Schwartz (Sand Creek H.S./Colorado Springs, CO); Kobi Simmons (Saint Francis H.S./Alpharetta, GA); David Sloan (Taylor County H.S./Campbellsville, KY); Javonte Smart (Scottlandville H.S./Baton Rouge, LA); Omari Spellman (St. Thomas More School, CT/Middletown, NY); Jayson Tatum (Chaminade College Prep/ St. Louis, MO); Gary Trent Jr. (Apple Valley H.S./Apple Valley, MN); Jarred Vanderbilt (Victory Prep/Houston, TX); Connor Vanover (Arkansas Baptist H.S./Little Rock, AR); Kaleb Wesson (Westerville South H.S./Westerville, OH); Austin Wiley (Spain Park H.S./Hoover, AL); and Robert Woodard II (Columbus H.S./Columbus, MS). Bagley and O’Bannon are unable to attend the Oct. 2-4 minicamp.

“The USA Basketball Junior National Team October minicamp has become a vital part of our preparations for international competitions and keeping our pipeline to future USA Basketball teams full,” said Sean Ford, USA Basketball Men’s National Team Director and Chair of the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee. “The roster is again a collection of talented players and impressive young men. The minicamp is an important part in the success USA Basketball has been able to achieve and maintain for the U16, U17, U18 and Nike Hoop Summit competitions.”

The 2015 USA Basketball Junior National Team minicamp will again be led by Don Showalter (Iowa City H.S./Iowa City, Iowa), who has directed USA teams to seven gold medal finishes as head coach of the USA Basketball Junior National Team since 2009. Under Showalter, USA teams have won three straight FIBA U17 World Championships (2010, 2012, and 2014), four consecutive FIBA Americas U16 Championships (2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015), while compiling a remarkable 43-0 overall win-loss record.

Showalter will be assisted during the minicamp by USA Junior National Team assistant coaches Miles Simon (California Supreme) and Sharman White (Miller Grove H.S., Ga.). Named as court coaches for the 2015 minicamp were Edward Francis (Orlando, Fla.), Eric Flannery (St. Edward H.S., Ohio) and LJ Goolsby (KC Run GMC, Kansas).

“The annual October Junior National Team minicamp is an important component in the success USA Basketball has been able to achieve and sustain at the U16-U18 international competitions,” said Showalter. “We have many of the top players for three different age groups attending the minicamp and not only will this help us get an early start in its preparations for next year’s competitions, but it also affords the players with an opportunity to work and improve their games.

“I’m really looking forward to working with this group of players. This minicamp roster includes a lot of players who already have USA Basketball experience and who have won gold medals. It will also again be a pleasure to work with a great group of coaches who are helping out at the minicamp. This will be a great weekend for all of the players and it will help us get a head start with our preparations for the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit, the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championship and the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship,” added Showalter

The 2015 minicamp schedule will see players arrive on Friday, Oct. 2, with training sessions conducted from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 4:30-7 p.m. (times listed are Mountain Daylight) on Saturday, Oct. 3, and from 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and 4:30-7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4.

The collection of players for the 2015 USA Basketball Junior National Team minicamp features 18 members of the Class of 2018, 22 from the Class of 2017, and 18 players from the Class of 2016.

Thirty-six of the players attending the minicamp are eligible for selection for the 2016 USA Basketball Men’s U17 World Championship Team (born on or after Jan. 1, 1999). Forty-nine are eligible for consideration for the 2016 USA Basketball U18 National Team (born on or after Jan. 1, 1998), while all 17 players from the Class of 2016 are eligible for consideration for the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit that will be help April 9 in Portland, Ore.

Forty-five of the 57 players have been involved in USA Basketball previously, including 24 who participated in the 2014 USA Basketball Junior National Team October minicamp (Bagley III, Barber, Jordan Brown, Marquis Brown, Troy Brown Jr., Carter Jr., Duval, Eastern, Felton, Garland, Gordon, Hands, Howard, Johns, Montgomery Jr., Porter Jr., Reddish, Reid, Sloan, Smart, Vanderbilt, Vanover, Wiley, and Woodard). 

Four players from the gold medalist 2015 USA U19 World Championship Team (Ferguson, Giles, Jackson and Tatum) are featured among the 57 players. All 12 members of the 2015 USA U16 National Team (Jordan Brown, Carter, Hill, Howard, Jones, Knox II, Nowell, Smart, Trent Jr., Vanderbilt, Vanover and Woodard II) that captured the FIBA Americas U16 Championship gold medal and qualified the United States for the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championship, and six members of the gold medalist 2014 USA U17 World Championship Team (Battle, Ferguson, Giles, Jackson, King Jr., and Tatum), are also included on the roster.

Twenty-seven states have players included on the 2015-16 USA Junior National Team roster, led by Texas with seven; California has four; Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Missouri have three each; Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Washington each have two; and Colorado, Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah each have one player included on the roster.

All 17 of the Class of 2016 players rank among ESPN’s top 36 prospects, including 14 of the top 20 ranked players – Giles (#1), Tatum (#2), Jackson (#3), Monk (#5), Fox (No. 7), Isaac (No. 9), Ferguson (No. 10), Fultz (No. 12), Jackson (No. 14), Spellman (No. 16), Langford (No. 17), Simmons (No. 18), Allen (No. 19), Bolden (No. 20), King (No. 27), Gilbert (No. 28), and Battle (No. 36).

Among ESPN’s Class of 2017 rankings, 16 players are among the top 50 - Porter (No. 2), Vanderbilt (No. 3), Carter (No. 4), Troy Brown Jr. (No. 6), Trent (No. 8), Felton (No. 9), Bamba (No. 10), Duvall (No. 13), Hands (No. 23), Howard (No. 26), O’Bannon Jr. (No. 31), Wiley (No. 33), Eastern (No. 39), Knox II (No. 45), Davis (No. 48), and Nowell (No. 49).

Additionally, 12 players from the Class of 2018 are found among ESPN’s top 25 ranked players for the class, including Bagley III (No. 1), Montgomery Jr. (No. 3), Jordan Brown (No. 4), LeDee (No. 5), Smart (No. 6), Reid (No. 7), Reddish (No. 8), Liddell (No. 9), Garland (No. 10), Johns (No. 12), Gordon (No. 20) and Vanover (No. 24).

Since the inception of the FIBA Americas U16 Championship in 2009 and the FIBA U17 World Championship in 2010, USA Basketball men’s teams have dominated the competitions and won seven consecutive gold medals and compiled a perfect 43-0 record at the U16 and U17 championships. Additionally, the United States has won three consecutive FIBA Americas U18 Championships and two straight FIBA U19 World Championships.

The USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee issued invitations to attend the minicamp. In addition to Ford, the committee includes National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) appointees John Olive (Torrey Pines H.S., Calif.) and Herman Harried (Lake Clifton Campus H.S., Md.); Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) representatives Rich Gray (St. Louis Eagles AAU, Mo.) and Boo Williams (Boo Williams AAU, Va.); At-large committee member Evan Daniels (Scout.com), and athlete representatives Chauncey Billups, a 2010 FIBA World Championship gold medalist and a member of three USA Basketball teams, and Gerry McNamara, who played on the 2005 USA World University Games Team.