Inside Look: USA U16 Tryouts

Marvin Bagley - A lock for the U16 USA team

College is still a few years away for members of the 2017 and 2018 high school classes, but tonight marks the start of tryouts for the USA U16 basketball team. 33 of the top players from the rising sophomore and junior ranks were selected to participate in these tryouts with the goal of forming a 12 man team to compete in the FIBA America’s U16 championship held this June in Argentina. The tryouts take place at the USA Olympic Complex in Colorado Springs, CO under the watchful eye of USA head coach Don Showalter and his assistants. The coaching staff previously conducted the USA Men’s Developmental camp this past October which gave 27 of the current players a chance to show off their skill-set despite having spent no more than a year in high school. While this year’s team will compete against teams such as the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Brazil for the America’s gold medal, the primary objective is to win and qualify for the U17 World Championship that will take place next year.

History:

This year’s USA U16 team has big shoes to fill. Starting with the inaugural 2009 U16 team, the USA has won their FIBA America games by an average of 30 points per game. All three of the U16 teams have won gold medals in both the FIBA America’s and the World Championships. In 2009, the team was led by Bradley Beal and James Michael McAdoo as the USA took out Argentina 101-87 in the championship.

Name	Pos.	PPG	Year	Rank	U17?
Brad Beal	G	19.0	2011	7	Y
James McAdoo	F	16.8	2011	5	Y
Quinn Cook	G	15.6	2011	38	Y
Adonis Thomas	G/F	13.8	2011	10	N
Sterling Gibbs	G	9.2	2011	NR	N
André Drummond	C	8.6	2011	2	Y
Tony Parker	C	8.2	2012	20	Y
Johnny O'Bryant	F	6.8	2011	40	Y
Chasson Randle	G	6.2	2011	61	Y
Brandan Kearney	G	4.4	2011	NR	N
L.J. Rose	G	3.0	2012	62	N
Justin Anderson	G/F	1.4	2012	63	Y

Two years later, the talented 2011 U16 team was led by Aaron Gordon, Jabari Parker, and Jahlil Okafor. They also went 5-0 and defeated Argentina by 40 points in the gold medal game. The team also included players such as Stanley Johnson, Tyus Jones, and Justin Jackson.

Name	Pos.	PPG	Year	Rank	U17?
Aaron Gordon	C	17.0	2013	4	N
Jabari Parker	F	15.4	2013	3	Y
Jahlil Okafor	C	14.6	2014	1	Y
Theo Pinson	F	11.5	2014	19	N
Justin Jackson	G	10.4	2014	10	N
Kendrick Nunn	G	9.6	2013	52	Y
Conner Frankamp	G	8.6	2013	46	Y
Stanley Johnson	F	8.0	2014	3	Y
Larry Austin	G	7.2	2014	NR	N
Johnathan Williams	F/C	5.4	2013	34	Y
Tyus Jones	G	4.6	2014	9	Y
Dom Collier	G	3.2	2014	NR	N

The 2013 team dominated the competition just like their predecessors. While they won their games by an average of 53 points, including a 99 point win over Mexico, they also recorded the first under 100 point scoring effort in their second game against Argentina. Once again, the U.S. was matched-up with Argentina in the gold medal game which they won 94-48. This team, which included current juniors and seniors in high school and was led by Malik Newman, Diamond Stone, and Ivan Rabb. Other top players in the current 2016 class included Josh Jackson, Jayson Tatum, and Harry Giles who suffered a gruesome leg injury in the second game of the tournament.

Name	Pos.	PPG	Year	Rank	U17?
Malik Newman	G	16.2	2015	10	Y
Diamond Stone	F/C	13.6	2015	6	Y
Ivan Rabb	F	12.0	2015	5	Y
Josh Jackson	G/F	11.4	2016	2	Y
Thomas Bryant	F	10.0	2015	28	N
Jayson Tatum	G	10.0	2016	3	Y
V.J. King	G/F	8.2	2016	12	Y
Harry Giles	F	7.0	2016	1	Y
Daniel Giddens	F/C	6.8	2015	53	N
Terrance Ferguson	G	5.8	2016	6	Y
Seventh Woods	G	5.8	2016	29	N
Devearl Ramsey	F	4.2	2016	55	Y

By The Numbers:

43 – Average margin of victory in the U16 FIBA America’s

99 – Largest point differential (2013 – USA 130 Mexico 30)

14 – Smallest point differential (2009 gold medal game against Argentina)

17 – Total number of rising sophomore’s that have been selected (2018 class this year)

19 – Total number of rising juniors (2017 class)

3 / 9 – Rising sophomores / juniors in 2009 (Justin Anderson, Tony Parker, L.J. Rose)

7 / 5 – Rising sophomores / juniors in 2011 (Okafor, Jones, Johnson, Jackson, Theo Pinson, Larry Austin, Dom Collier)

7 / 5 – Rising sophomores / juniors in 2013 (Giles, Tatum, Jackson, King, Terrance Ferguson, Seventh Woods, Devearl Ramsey)

67% - # of players in 2009 that made the U17 team in 2010

58% - # of players in 2011 that made the U17 team in 2012

75% - # of players in 2013 that made the U17 team in 2014

4 - # of Lottery Picks from 2009 and 2011 team (Beal, Andre Drummond, Gordon, Parker)

4 - # of potential 1^st round picks in 2015 (Okafor, Jones, Johnson, Justin Anderson)

19 – Highest points per game by a USA player (Bradley Beal – 2009)

Selection:

One key thing to remember when it comes to selecting the 12 man team is that the coaches are not necessarily selecting the best individual players, but the best players that will make a cohesive unit. Last year for example, point guard Dennis Smith and shooting guard Malik Monk were cut from the U17 team despite both being ranked as top 10 players. Meanwhile, a guy like Devearl Ramsey made the team. Not ranked nearly as high as Smith or Monk, but he brought other characteristics that made him valuable to the coaching staff.

Team USA Predictions:

The Locks:

Marvin Bagley III, 6’10”, PF, Corona del Sol (AZ), 2018

Troy Brown Jr., 6’5”, PG, Centennial (NV), 2017

EJ Montgomery Jr., 6’9”, F, Montverde (FL), 2018

Highly Probable:

Jarred Vanderbilt, 6’9”, PF, Victory Prep (TX), 2017

Wendell Carter Jr., 6’10”, C, Pace Academy (GA), 2017

Jaedon LeDee, 6’7”, SF, The Kinkaid School (TX), 2018

Ja’Vonte Smart, 6’3”, G, Scotlandville (LA)

Naz Reid, 6’8”, PF, Roselle Catholic (NJ), 2018

Good Fits:

Markus Howard, 6’1”, PG, Findlay Prep (NV), 2017

Marquis Brown, 6’1”, PG, Simeon (IL), 2018

Remaining:

Gary Trent Jr, 6’5”, SG, Apple Valley (MN), 2017

Connor Vanover, 7’3”, C, Arkansas Baptist H.S.