University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Twenty-four Of Nation's Top 20-And-Unders, Including UCLA's Ryan Hollins, Slated To Vie For Spots On 2004 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Men Team
June 10, 2004
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Eighteen players with previous USA Basketball experience, including 2003 USA Basketball Junior World Championship Team members Maurice Ager (Michigan State / Detroit, Mich.), Daniel "Dee" Brown (Illinois / Maywood, Ill.),Ryan Hollins (UCLA / Pasadena, Calif.), J.J. Redick (Duke / Roanoke, Va.), Mustafa Shakur (Arizona / Philadelphia, Pa.), C.J. Watson (Tennessee / Las Vegas, Nev.), and Deron Williams (Illinois / The Colony, Texas ), are among the 24 athletes who will vie for positions on the 2004 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Men Qualifying Team, USA Basketball announced today. Chaired by former University of Virginia Athletic Director Terry Holland, the USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee selected the invitees and will make the final roster cuts at the 2004 USA National Team Trials and training camp July 16-23 in East Rutherford, N.J. Athletes eligible for selection to this age-based team include any male who is a U.S. citizen and is 20-years-old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1984).
Hollins is entering his third season as the Bruins' starting center. In 2004, he led UCLA in blocked shots (1.0, No. 8 in Pac-10) and had the third-highest FG% (54.7, 64-117). He started 16 of 28 games, including 13 of the last 15 contests and averaged 25.4 minutes, 6.5 points and 4.3 rebounds (he's UCLA's top returning rebounder/tied with Dijon Thompson). Last season, Hollins scored a career-high 21 points vs. USC (1/28) and had a season-high nine rebounds vs. Loyola Marymount (12/13).
In addition to Ager, Dee Brown, Hollins, Redick, Shakur, Watson and Deron Williams, the 24 players who have accepted invitations to the 2004 USA Basketball Men's National Team Trials include: Hassan Adams (Arizona / Los Angeles, Calif.); Sean Banks (Memphis / Englewood, N.J.); Josh Boone (Connecticut / Mt. Airy, Md.); Aaron Brooks (Oregon / Seattle, Wash.); Shannon Brown (Michigan State / Maywood, Ill.); Justin Gray (Wake Forest / Charlotte, N.C.); Sean May (North Carolina / Bloomington, Ind.); Rashad McCants (North Carolina / Asheville, N.C.); Demetris Nichols (Syracuse / Barrington, R.I.); David Padgett (TBD / Reno, Nev.); Chris Paul (Wake Forest / Lewisville, N.C.); Curtis Sumpter (Villanova / Brooklyn, N.Y.), P.J. Tucker (Texas / Raleigh, N.C.); Charlie Villaneuva (Connecticut / Brooklyn, N.Y.); Eric Williams (Wake Forest / Wake Forest, N.C.); Curtis Withers (UNC Charlotte / Charlotte, N.C.) and Bracey Wright (Indiana / The Colony, Texas).
Seven return from the 2003 USA Men's Junior World Championship Team that journeyed to Thessaloniki, Greece, and finished fifth with a 71 record, a mark that tied gold medalist Australia for the best record in the tournament. The USA squad also went 5-0 to win gold at the 2003 Global Games in Dallas, Texas. Dee Brown led the team at the Junior Worlds in scoring averaging 17.3 ppg. and added 4.1 apg., while Illini teammate Deron Williams contributed 8.4 ppg. and handed out a team best 4.8 apg. Hollins accounted for 7.8 ppg., 6.3 rpg., and 1.1 bpg., Ager added 6.0 ppg. and 3.0 rpg., Watson was credited with 6.0 ppg. and 2.0 apg., Shakur posted averages of 5.0 ppg. and 2.8 apg., while Redick was injured and limited to action in just two games.
Supplying additional USA Basketball experience is Brooks, Dee Brown, Padgett and Deron Williams who helped the U.S. qualify for the 2003 FIBA Junior World Championship after finishing with a 41 record and the bronze medal at the 2002 FIBA Americas Junior World Championship Qualifier in Venezuela.
A four-time USA Basketball team member, Redick, as well as McCants, competed in a pair of USA Basketball Youth Development Festivals. The duo head a list of 12 who got their USA Basketball start at the Festival, including Adams, Banks, Shannon Brown, Gray, May, Nichols, Padgett, Paul, Deron Williams and Wright.
A total of five 2004 All-Americans further underscore the strength of the USA team candidates. May was an ESPN.com All-America third team selection and Associated Press (A.P.) All-America honorable mention; McCants listed as an All-America second team by Basketball Times and third team by the A.P.; Redick was named by the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-America third team and he, along with Paul, were A.P. All-America honorable mentions following the 2003-04 season. The fifth All-American listed among the USA National Team Trials roster is Withers, a Basketball Times All-America third team selection, who will experience his first taste of USA Basketball in July.
Guiding the U.S. squad will be University of Oklahoma head coach Kelvin Sampson, who will be assisted by collegiate head coaches Tom Crean of Marquette University (Wis.) and Dan Monson of the University of Minnesota.
Finalists for the USA Team will be selected following trials July 16-18 at the New Jersey Nets practice facility in East Rutherford. The USA Trials schedule will see the candidates competing twice a day, at 10:00 a.m. (all times local) and 5:00 p.m. Finalists will remain in New Jersey for the team's training camp, which will again feature two-a-days at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and the eventual 12-member squad will be finalized sometime prior to the USA's final New Jersey practice at 10:00 a.m. on July 23.
Following a 2:00 p.m. practice session in Saint John, Canada, on July 24, the U.S. will take on Canada's Young Men's National Team on July 25 in a 2:00 p.m. exhibition game at Harbour Station in Saint John. Tickets for the exhibition game can be purchased at the Harbour Station box office or by calling 800-267-2800 or 506-657-1234 in Canada.
The young American squad will get in a final pair of practices in Halifax, Canada, on July 26 and 27 before tipping off play at the 2004 FIBA Americas World Championship For Young Men Qualifying Tournament on July 28. The U.S. will compete against seven other teams from the Americas for one of the three Americas Zone qualifying berths for the 2005 FIBA World Championships For Young Men, which will be hosted next summer by Argentina. Featuring eight nations divided into two groups of four, the competition schedule, which will be released at a later date, includes a preliminary round with round-robin play between teams in each group July 28-30. The top two finishing teams in each group will advance to the July 31 semifinals and the gold medal will be contested Aug. 1.
The World Championship For Young Men and its zone qualifying tournaments are held every four years. Originally held in 1993 and known as the FIBA 22 And Under World Championship, it was 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. The USA has qualified for all three previous World Championship For Young Men tournaments and has compiled a 22-2 overall record while winning gold medals in 1993 and 2001. United States squads have also compiled a 15-2 win-loss record in the three Young Men Qualifiers, winning gold in 1996 and silver in 2000 and 1993.
2004 USA Basketball Men's National Team Trials Roster
| NAME | POS | HGT | WGT | DOB | YOG | COLLEGE / HOMETOWN |
| Hassan Adams | G | 6-4 | 201 | 06/20/84 | 2006 | Arizona / Los Angeles, California |
| Maurice Ager | G | 6-5 | 195 | 02/09/84 | 2006 | Michigan State / Detroit, Michigan |
| Sean Banks | F | 6-8 | 206 | 01/20/85 | 2007 | Memphis / Englewood, New Jersey |
| Josh Boone | F/C | 6-10 | 230 | 11/21/84 | 2007 | Connecticut / Mt. Airy, Maryland |
| Aaron Brooks | G | 6-0 | 160 | 01/15/85 | 2007 | Oregon / Seattle, Washington |
| Daniel Brown | G | 6-0 | 175 | 08/17/84 | 2006 | Illinois / Maywood, Illinois |
| Shannon Brown | G | 6-3 | 200 | 11/29/85 | 2007 | Michigan State / Maywood, Illinois |
| Justin Gray | G | 6-2 | 185 | 03/31/84 | 2006 | Wake Forest / Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Ryan Hollins | C | 7-0 | 225 | 10/10/84 | 2006 | UCLA / Pasadena, California |
| Sean May | F/C | 6-9 | 260 | 04/04/84 | 2006 | North Carolina / Bloomington, Indiana |
| Rashad McCants | F/G | 6-4 | 207 | 09/25/84 | 2006 | North Carolina / Asheville, North Carolina |
| Demetris Nichols | F | 6-8 | 205 | 09/04/84 | 2007 | Syracuse / Barrington, Rhode Island |
| David Padgett | C | 6-11 | 230 | 02/13/85 | 2007 | TBD / Reno, Nevada |
| Chris Paul | G | 6-0 | 168 | 05/06/85 | 2007 | Wake Forest / Lewisville, North Carolina |
| J.J. Redick | G | 6-4 | 195 | 06/24/84 | 2006 | Duke / Roanoke, Virginia |
| Mustafa Shakur | G | 6-3 | 178 | 08/18/84 | 2007 | Arizona / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Curtis Sumpter | F | 6-7 | 220 | 01/30/84 | 2006 | Villanova / Brooklyn, New York |
| P.J. Tucker | F | 6-5 | 220 | 05/05/85 | 2007 | Texas / Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Charlie Villaneuva | F | 611 | 230 | 08/24/84 | 2007 | Connecticut / Brooklyn, New York |
| C.J. Watson | G | 6-2 | 175 | 04/17/84 | 2006 | Tennessee / Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Deron Williams | G | 6-3 | 210 | 06/26/84 | 2006 | Illinois / The Colony, Texas |
| Eric Williams | C | 6-9 | 275 | 03/26/84 | 2006 | Wake Forest / Wake Forest, North Carolina |
| Curtis Withers | F/C | 6-8 | 230 | 08/02/84 | 2006 | UNC Charlotte / Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Bracey Wright | G | 6-3 | 200 | 07/01/84 | 2006 | Indiana / The Colony, Texas |
Head Coach: Kelvin Sampson, University of Oklahoma
Assistant Coach: Tom Crean, Marquette University (Wis.)
Assistant Coach: Dan Monson, University of Minnesota
NOTE: David Padgett competed for the University of Kansas as a freshman during the 2003-04 season, but announced in April he would transfer to a yet to be announced school.
2004 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Men's Qualifying Team Schedule
2004 USA Men's National Team Trials
| July 16-18 | Trials Sessions 10:00 a.m. & 5:00 p.m. New Jersey Nets Practice Facility, East Rutherford, N.J. |
2004 USA World Championship For Young Men Qualifying Team Training Camp
| July 19-22 | Practice | 10:00 a.m. & 5:00 p.m. | New Jersey Nets Practice Facility, East Rutherford, N.J. |
| July 23 | Practice | 10:00 .m. | New Jersey Nets Practice Facility, East Rutherford, N.J. |
| July 24 | Practice | 2:00 p.m. | TBD, Saint John, Canada |
| July 25 | USA vs. Canada | 2:00 p.m. | Harbour Station, Saint John, Canada |
| July 26-27 | Practice | TBD | TBD, Halifax, Canada |
2004 FIBA Americas World Championship For Young Men Qualifying Tournament
| July 28 Preliminary Round | TBD | Halifax Metro Center, Halifax, Canada |
| July 28 Preliminary Round | TBD | Halifax Metro Center, Halifax, Canada |
| July 28 Preliminary Round | TBD | Halifax Metro Center, Halifax, Canada |
| July 31 Semifinals | TBD | Halifax Metro Center, Halifax, Canada |
| Aug. 1 Finals | TBD | Halifax Metro Center, Halifax, Canada |
For further information contact Craig Miller, Caroline Williams, Dana Rozum or Pete Sousa at USA Basketball (719) 5904800.
*This release is also available on USA Basketball's World Wide Web homepage http://www.usabasketball.com.