USA Men’s AmeriCup Team Earns 2017 USA Basketball Team of the Year Honor
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Capturing a perfect, 5-0 record and the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup gold medal, the 2017 USA Basketball Men’s AmeriCup Team was awarded the 2017 USA Basketball Team of the Year honor.
The USA topped five-straight opponents by an average of 19.6 points per game from Aug. 28-Sept. 3 in Montevideo, Uruguay, and Cordoba, Argentina, including wins over Uruguay and Argentina on their home courts.
“The grit and the determination that the players on this team showed, is really a model for any player to follow,” said Jeff Van Gundy, USA head coach. “Nothing is easy for these guys. Every day and every year presents different challenges, and my respect level for them couldn’t be higher. I really admire what they stand for, how they conduct themselves and, most importantly, the determination and grit they showed.”
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USA Basketball Team of the Year Award History
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| 2017 | USA Men’s AmeriCup Team |
| 2016 | *U.S. Men’s & Women’s Olympic Teams |
| 2015 | *USA Men’s & Women’s U19 World Championship Teams |
| 2014 | *USA Men’s World Cup & Women’s World Championship Team |
| 2013 | USA Men’s U19 World Championship Team |
| 2012 | *U.S. Men’s & Women’s Olympic Teams |
| 2011 | USA Women’s U19 World Championship Team |
| 2010 | *USA Men’s & Women’s World Championship Teams |
| 2009 | USA Men’s U19 World Championship Team |
| 2008 | *U.S. Men’s & Women’s Olympic Teams |
| 2007 | *USA Men’s FIBA Americas Championship/National Team & Women’s FIBA Americas Championship/National Team |
| 2006 | USA Men’s World Championship/National Team |
| 2005 | USA Women’s U19 World Championship Team |
| 2004 | U.S. Women’s Olympic/National Team |
| 2003 | USA World Championship for Young Women Team |
| 2002 | USA Women’s World Championship Team |
| 2001 | USA World Championship for Young Men Team |
| 2000 | U.S. Women’s Olympic/National Team |
| 1999 | USA Men’s Pre-Olympic Tournament of the Americas Team |
| 1998 | USA Men’s Goodwill Games Team |
| 1997 | USA Women’s Junior World Championship Team |
| 1996 | U.S. Women’s Olympic/National Team |
| *Co-recipients | |
2017 marks the 22nd time USA Basketball has presented its Team of the Year award, which was established in 1986.
“In just a short training period, this group of players and coaches became an impressive team,” said Jim Tooley, USA Basketball CEO. “In the gold-medal game when they were down by as many as 20 points, they fought back to win. It was obvious that everyone was committed to the team and its goal of winning a gold medal. We are grateful to all of the team members for their effort and commitment.”
The 2017 USA Men’s AmeriCup Team featured Billy Baron (Eskisehir Basket, Turkey), Alec Brown (Movistar Estudiantes, Spain), Larry Drew II (Sioux Falls Skyforce), Reggie Hearn (Reno Bighorns), Darrun Hilliard (San Antonio Spurs), Jonathan Holmes (Maine Red Claws), Kendall Marshall, Xavier Munford (Wisconsin Herd), Marshall Plumlee (Agua Caliente Clippers), Jameel Warney (Texas Legends), C.J. Williams (Los Angeles Clippers) and Reggie Williams, with Ty Ellis (Phoenix Suns) and Mo McHone rounding out Van Gundy’s staff as assistant coaches.
“We had a lot of talent on that team,” said Warney, who was named AmeriCup MVP and the 2017 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year. “Me personally, I came off of the bench, so you had to kind of adjust to your role. You had to play hard every possession.”
Hilliard joined Warney on the prestigious, five-member all-tournament team.
The USA opened FIBA AmeriCup Group C preliminary-round play in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Aug. 28 with a 97-56 victory over Panama, followed that up with a 74-66 win against host Uruguay and concluded preliminary play by topping Dominican Republic 72-56. Advancing to the medal round in Cordoba, Argentina, the USA bested U.S. Virgin Islands 90-62 in the semifinals on Sept. 2. In the USA’s gold medal game against Argentina, the USA fell by 20 points early in the third quarter, but rallied for a remarkable comeback and an 81-76 victory.
Overall, the USA led all 12 teams at the AmeriCup in scoring defense (63.2), field goal percentage defense (.345) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (.215).
