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Get Scouted Scouting CareersNSR Prospect Picked to Represent USA
When the invitation arrived from the USA Junior National Basketball Team Committee, NSR basketball prospect, Alexis Jones from McArthur High in Irvine, Texas, knew she desperately wanted to make the 16U squad. A rising junior at McArthur, the 5’9” guard wanted to compete with the best. Given a chance to try out for the 16’s last summer, Alexis had failed to make the team. This year, she vowed, would be different.
At the tryouts held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, CO, Alexis thought she was competitive with the other girls, but she was pulled aside and given the news that she would not be a candidate for the 16U team. Instead, Alexis was informed that she was being pulled up to compete for a spot on the 18U squad, a jump few players have ever made.
The USA Junior National Team Committee is chaired by Sue Donohoe, the NCAA’s vice president for Division I women’s basketball. Members of the committee itself are Joanne Boyle (University of California head coach), Coquese Washington (Penn State University head coach), Connie Yori (University of Nebraska head coach) and Beth Cunningham (1999 USA Pan American Games Team member) who is the “athlete representative.”
From June 8-11, 27 players battled during three days of trials for the USA U18 National Team, and 36 additional athletes competed in the USA U17 World Championship Team Trials. The USA Junior National Team Committee chose 16 finalists – 12 from the U18 trials and four from the U17 trials – to vie amongst each other for the 12 USA U18 National Team roster spots over four more trials sessions, which culminated with selections which were announced Sunday, June 13.
Alexis had made the 18U team and would represent her country. When asked to comment, Alexis said, “I was surprised that they were going to let me try out for the 18s. I was real shocked but happy.”
The FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women tournament format features eight teams divided into two preliminary round groups: Canada, Chile, Costa Rica and Mexico in Group A; and Argentina, Brazil, Puerto Rico and the USA in Group B. Preliminary round play will be held June 23, 24 and 25, and each team will play the other three teams in its preliminary group. The top two finishing teams in each preliminary round group will then advance to the June 26 medal round semifinals and play for 1st-4th places. Teams placing third and fourth in each preliminary round group will advance to the June 26 consolation semifinals and play for 5th-8th places. The FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women finals will be held Sunday, June 27.
The top four finishing teams in this year’s FIBA Americas U18 Championship will earn berths in the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship.
National Scouting Report is dedicated to finding scholarship opportunities for athletes who possess the talent, desire, and motivation to compete at the collegiate level. We’ve helped connect thousands of athletes with their perfect college.