Blake On His Way To USA Men's Trials This Weekend
5/25/2000 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
May 25, 2000
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Maryland guard Steven Blake is among twenty-eight of the nation's top men's basketball players aged 20-year-old or younger will convene May 26-28 in Colorado Springs, Colo. for the USA Basketball Men's National Team Trials and to compete for a spot on the 2000 USA Basketball World Championship for Young Men Qualifying Team.
Originally 30 athletes had been announced as accepting invitations, however LaVell Blanchard (Michigan / Ann Arbor, Mich.), St. John's University (N.Y.) freshman-to-be Omar Cook (Christ the King H.S. / Brooklyn, N.Y), Steve Logan (Cincinnati / Cleveland, Ohio) and University of North Carolina freshman-to-be Jason Parker (Fork Union Academy / Charlotte, N.S.), will not attend the Trials but are expected to apply for a waiver. The USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee also announced today that 2000 Mountain West Conference co-Freshman of the Year Dalron Johnson (UNLV / Los Angeles, Calif.) and two- time USA Basketball participant and consensus All-American prep standout Marcus Taylor (Waverly H.S. / Lansing, Mich.) were added to the 2000 USA Basketball Men's National Team Trials roster.
Johnson earned 2000 Mountain West All-Tournament Team honors after helping UNLV to the tournament title. UNLV's fourth leading scorer and second leading rebounder, averaging 11.1 ppg. and 6.9 rpg. in 1999-00, Johnson was also named to the 2000 Mountain West All-Newcomer Team. Michigan State University freshman-to-be Taylor, a 2000 All-American first team selection by USA Today, Parade Magazine and McDonald's, most recently helped the 2000 USA Basketball Men's Junior Select National Team edge an International Select Team 98-97 in the sixth annual Nike Hoop Summit. Starting for the USA team, Taylor scored 11 points, while adding four rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes of action. He was also a member of the 1998 USA Basketball Men's Youth Development Festival North Team and averaged a team leading 18.0 ppg. and 4.6 apg. Additionally, he finished the Festival ranked seventh among all Festival players for scoring.
Chaired by University of Virginia athletic director Terry Holland, the Committee will select finalists for the 2000 USA Basketball World Championship for Young Men Qualifying Team following the three- day Trials. The 2000 USA Basketball Men's National Team Trials will begin Friday, May 26 from 5:00- 7:00 p.m. (all times MDT). Sessions will follow from 9:00-11:00 a.m. and from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 27, and will conclude on Sunday, May 28 with a session from 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Syracuse University (N.Y.) head coach Jim Boeheim will serve as head coach of the 2000 U.S. squad, and he will be assisted by recently named University of Houston head coach Ray McCallum and Hofstra University (N.Y.) head coach Jay Wright. The final 12- member team will be named during the July 10-17 training camp which will be held at a site to be determined.
Included among the expected Trials participants are: Steve Blake (Maryland / Miami Lakes, Fla.), Blanchard, Keith Bogans (Kentucky / Hyattsville, Md.), Carlos Boozer (Duke University / Juneau, Alaska), Nick Collison (Kansas / Iowa Falls, Iowa), Brian Cook (Illinois / Lincoln, Ill.), Omar Cook, Josh Davis (Wyoming / Salem, Ore.), Patrick Doctor (American / Brandywine, Md.), Mike Dunleavy (Duke / Lake Oswego, Ore.), Drew Gooden (Kansas / Richmond, Calif.), Eddie Griffin (Roman Catholic H.S., Pa. / Philadelphia, Pa.), Brooks Hall (Dayton / Troy, Ohio), Kirk Hinrich (Kansas / Sioux City, Iowa), Steve Hunter (DePaul / Maywood, Ill.), Dalron Johnson, Joe Johnson (Arkansas / Little Rock, Ark.), Dahntay Jones (Rutgers / Hamilton Square, N.J.), Logan, Parker, Tayshaun Prince (Kentucky / Compton, Calif.), Zach Randolph (Marion H.S., Ind. / Marion, Ind.), Jason Richardson (Michigan State / Saginaw, Mich.), Kenny Satterfield (Cincinnati / Bronx, N.Y.), Johnnie Selvie (Southeastern C.C. / Flint, Mich.), Bobby Simmons (DePaul / Chicago, Ill.), Taylor, B. B. Waldon (South Florida / Lakeland, Fla.), Damien Wilkins (North Carolina State / Washington, N.C.), Chris Williams (Virginia / Birmingham, Ala.), Jason Williams (Duke / Plainfield, N.J.), and Vincent Yarbrough (Tennessee / Cleveland, Tenn.).
The 2000 USA Young Men's Team will compete July 19-23 in Riberao Preto, near Sao Paulo, Brazil, in the 2000 COPABA World Championship for Young Men Qualifying Tournament. The finalists for the USA team, which will compete against seven other teams from the Americas for one of the three Americas Zone qualifying berths for the 2001 FIBA World Championship for Young Men, will be announced following the final Trials session on May 28. Any male athlete who is a U.S. citizen and is 20-years-old or younger (born on or after January 1, 1980) is eligible for the 2000 USA Basketball World Championship for Young Men Qualifying Team.
Held every four years, the U.S. qualified for the previous competition which was initiated in 1993 as the FIBA 22 And Under World Championship and originally designed for men 22-years-old or younger. FIBA lowered the age eligibility to 21-years-old or younger in December 1998 and changed the competition name to the World Championship for Young Men. Featuring 12 teams, the next FIBA World Championship for Young Men is scheduled for 2001 in Japan.
| 2000 USA Basketball Men's National Team Trials Roster | ||||||
| NAME | POS | HGT | WGT | DOB | YOG | SCHOOL / HOMETOWN |
| Steve Blake | G | 6- 3 | 175 | 02/26/80 | 2003 | University of Maryland / Miami Lakes, Florida |
| #LaVell Blanchard | F | 6- 7 | 205 | 02/22/81 | 2003 | University of Michigan / Ann Arbor, Michigan |
| Keith Bogans | G | 6- 5 | 205 | 05/12/80 | 2003 | University of Kentucky / Hyattsville, Maryland |
| Carlos Boozer | F | 6- 9 | 260 | 11/20/81 | 2003 | Duke University / Juneau, Alaska |
| Nick Collison | F | 6- 9 | 240 | 10/20/80 | 2003 | University of Kansas / Iowa Falls, Iowa |
| Brian Cook | F | 6-10 | 231 | 12/04/80 | 2003 | University of Illinois / Lincoln, Illinois |
| #Omar Cook | G | 6- 1 | 185 | 01/28/82 | 2000 | Christ the King H.S. / *St. John's / Brooklyn, New York |
| Josh Davis | F/C | 6- 7 | 230 | 08/10/80 | 2002 | University of Wyoming / Salem, Oregon |
| Patrick Doctor | F/C | 6- 9 | 230 | 02/11/80 | 2002 | American University / Brandywine, Maryland |
| Mike Dunleavy | G/F | 6- 7 | 200 | 09/15/80 | 2003 | Duke University / Lake Oswego, Oregon |
| Drew Gooden | F | 6- 9 | 221 | 09/24/81 | 2003 | University of Kansas / Richmond, California |
| Eddie Griffin | C/F | 6- 9 | 220 | 05/30/82 | 2000 | Roman Catholic H.S. / *Seton Hall / Philadelphia, Pa. |
| Brooks Hall | F/G | 6- 6 | 205 | 07/23/81 | 2003 | University of Dayton / Troy, Ohio |
| Kirk Hinrich | G | 6- 3 | 180 | 01/02/81 | 2003 | University of Kansas / Sioux City, Iowa |
| Steve Hunter | C | 7- 0 | 215 | 10/31/81 | 2003 | DePaul University / Maywood, Illinois |
| Dalron Johnson | F | 6- 9 | 205 | 06/27/81 | 2003 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas / Los Angeles, California |
| Joe Johnson | G/F | 6- 8 | 225 | 06/29/81 | 2003 | University of Arkansas / Little Rock, Arkansas |
| Dahntay Jones | G/F | 6- 5 | 210 | 12/27/80 | 2002 | Rutgers University / Hamilton Square, New Jersey |
| #Steve Logan | G | 5-10 | 200 | 03/20/80 | 2002 | University of Cincinnati / Cleveland, Ohio |
| #Jason Parker | F | 6- 8 | 203 | 08/10/80 | 2003 | Fork Union Academy /*North Carolina / Charlotte, North Crolina |
| Tayshaun Prince | G/F | 6- 9 | 215 | 02/28/80 | 2002 | University of Kentucky / Compton,California |
| Zach Randolph | C/F | 6- 9 | 215 | 07/16/81 | 2000 | Marion H.S. / *Michigan State / Marion, Indiana |
| Jason Richardson | G/F | 6- 6 | 210 | 01/20/81 | 2003 | Michigan State University / Saginaw, Michigan |
| Kenny Satterfield | G | 6- 2 | 175 | 04/10/81 | 2003 | University of Cincinnati / Bronx, New York |
| Johnnie Selvie | C/F | 6- 7 | 225 | 02/15/80 | 2002 | Southeastern CC / Flint, Michigan |
| Bobby Simmons | G/F | 6- 7 | 210 | 06/02/80 | 2002 | DePaul University / Chicago, Illinois |
| Marcus Taylor | G | 6- 3 | 185 | 11/25/81 | 2000 | Waverly H.S. / *Michigan State / Lansing, Michigan |
| B. B. Waldon | F | 6-7 | 210 | 01/17/80 | 2002 | University of South Florida / Lakeland, Florida |
| Damien Wilkins | F | 6- 6 | 220 | 01/11/80 | 2003 | North Carolina State University / Washington, N.C. |
| Chris Williams | F | 6- 6 | 198 | 07/09/80 | 2002 | University of Virginia / Birmingham, Alabama |
| Jason Williams | G | 6- 2 | 190 | 09/10/81 | 2003 | Duke University / Plainfield, New Jersey |
| Vincent Yarbrough | F | 6-7 | 210 | 03/21/81 | 2002 | University of Tennessee / Cleveland, Tennessee |
| Head Coach: Jim Boeheim, Syracuse University (N.Y.) | ||||||
| Assistant Coach: Ray McCallum, University of Houston (Texas) | ||||||
| Assistant Coach: Jay Wright, Hofstra University (N.Y.) | ||||||
| Head Coach: Jim Boeheim, Syracuse University (N.Y.) | ||||||
| Assistant Coach: Ray McCallum, University of Houston (Texas) | ||||||
| Assistant Coach: Jay Wright, Hofstra University (N.Y.) | ||||||
| * Player has signed a national letter of intent to attend designated
school # Player is expected to apply for a waiver | ||||||
