In an amazing honor for two young Arizona high school prospects, Pinnacle High School's 6-foot-3 freshman star guard Niko Mannion and Desert Ridge High School's 6-foot-8 freshman forward Jason Harris have both been added to the 2017 USA Men's U16 National Team training camp roster.
Niko Mannion and Jason Harris are regarded as two of the top 2020 prospects nationally by many national scouts and media. This is an incredible honor for both high school prospects.
Mannion participated in the 2016 USA Junior National Team October minicamp.
There will be a total of 32 different athletes that will have the honor of attending the 2017 USA Basketball Men’s U16 National Team training camp. The training camp is set to tip-off June 1 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The training camp will be used to select the 12-member team that will represent the USA at the 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
The 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship will be held June 14-18 in Formosa, Argentina, and the top four finishing teams will qualify for the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup.
Invitations to the training camp were issued by the USA Basketball Men’s Developmental National Team Committee. Athletes eligible for this team must be 16 years old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 2001) and U.S. citizens.
“These players we invited have done very well this spring and over the past year on their high school teams,” said USA U16 National Team head coach Don Showalter, who has coached USA U16/U17 national teams to eight-straight gold medals since 2009. “We felt they would fit in really well with what we’re looking at. They can play different positions. They’re really good defenders. We’re always looking for great defenders on our team. Each one of these players will bring something new to the table, and they’ll compete for a spot on the team.”
The 24 previously announced athletes expected to attend training camp are: Jabri Abdur-Rahim (Seton Hall Prep School/Short Hills, N.J.); Posh Alexander (Our Saviour Lutheran School/Brooklyn, N.Y.); Dudley Blackwell (Westminster Academy/Miramar, Fla.); Gregory Brown III (Vandegrift H.S./Austin, Texas); Vernon Carey Jr. (University School/Southwest Ranches, Fla.); Jyare Davis (Sanford School/Newark, Del.); Eric Dixon (Abington H.S./Willow Grove, Pa.); Xavier Foster (Oskaloosa H.S./Oskaloosa, Iowa); Juwan Gary (Gray Collegiate Academy/Columbia, S.C.); Jalen Green (San Joaquin Memorial H.S./Fresno, Calif.); Lynn Greer III (Roman Catholic H.S./Philadelphia, Pa.); R.J. Hampton (Little Elm H.S./Little Elm, Texas); De'Vion Harmon (John Guyer H.S./Corinth, Texas); Zach Harvey (Hayden H.S./Topeka, Kan.); Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Adolfo Camarillo H.S./Camarillo, Calif.); Justin Lewis (Calvert Hall H.S./Baltimore, Md.); Wendell Moore Jr. (Cox Mill H.S./Concord, N.C.); Isaac Okoro (McEachern H.S./Powder Springs, Ga.); Micah Peavy (DeKaney H.S./Houston, Texas); Jaden Springer (Rocky River H.S./Charlotte, N.C.); Isaiah Stewart (McQuaid Jesuit H.S./Rochester, N.Y.); Jalen Suggs (Minnehaha Academy H.S./St. Paul, Minn.); Isaiah Todd (John Marshall H.S./Richmond, Va.); and James Wiseman (The Ensworth School/Nashville, Tenn.).
The 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship will feature eight national teams from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean.
As of March 1, 2017, 13 of the 48 former USA U16 National Team members were under contract in the NBA, four were competing professionally in international leagues, 20 were competing in the NCAA and 11 were still in high school.
USA U16 team members of note include: Bradley Beal (2009), Quinn Cook (2009), Aaron Gordon (2011), Markus Howard (2015), James Michael McAdoo (2009), Malik Newman (2013), Jahlil Okafor (2011), Jabari Parker (2011), Diamond Stone (2013); Gary Trent Jr. (2015), Jarred Vanderbilt (2015) and Seventh Woods (2013).