June 5, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. - Rising sophomore Austin Wiley and incoming freshman Chuma Okeke are two of 25 athletes who have accepted USA Basketball U19 World Cup Team training camp invitations June 18-25 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Invitations were issued by the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Committee. Athletes eligible for this team must be 19 years old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1998) and U.S. citizens.
As the 2013 and 2015 FIBA U19 World Champion, the United States will look for a third consecutive gold medal at the July 1-9 event in Cairo, Egypt.
"It's an incredible honor to be given the opportunity to represent your country in international basketball," said Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl. "Austin has experienced this before, and he has come home with gold and the experience of a lifetime.
"I want to thank the U.S. Olympic Committee, Jerry Colangelo, Matt Painter and the selection committee for identifying Chuma Okeke. These invites are typically for McDonald All-American-type players only, but the committee saw through it, and they recognized what a truly outstanding player he is."
Wiley averaged 8.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 18.1 minutes this past season while starting 21 of 22 games. The Hoover, Ala., native, who shot 58.0 percent from the floor, scored a career-high 25 points, including 21 in the second half, at NIT Champion TCU on Jan. 28. He recorded his first double-double in only his 11th game as he had 10 points and a career-best 11 rebounds at No. 23 South Carolina, which reached the Final Four.
He was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Jan. 23 after averaging 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in wins vs. Alabama and LSU.
Wiley played on Team USA's gold medal winner at the FIBA Men's U17 World Championship in Zaragoza, Spain in the summer of 2016 and has participated in the past three minicamps for the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team. Including four gold medalists from this past summer, 14 athletes on the trials roster boast USA Basketball experience.
Okeke, who is ranked 41st nationally, totaled 35 points and 17 rebounds at the Cancer Research Classic on Jan. 11 for Westlake High. He totaled 35 points and 24 rebounds in an 89-83 triple overtime loss to Newton in the state playoffs on Feb. 24. Okeke led Westlake to the 2016 Georgia Class 6A state championship for the first time since 2002.
The Atlanta, Ga., native was named a MaxPreps All-American third-team selection this past season.
For more information, go to www.usabasketball.com.
2017 FIBA U19 World Cup
FIBA conducted the draw on Feb. 11 in Cairo, Egypt, and announced the four preliminary round groupings. The United States was drawn into Group D for preliminary round games and will open against Iran on July 1, face Angola on July 2 and will cap preliminary round action versus Italy on July 4 (game times are to be determined).
The United States earned its berth into the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup by virtue of claiming gold at the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, while Iran earned FIBA Asia U18 gold, Angola won FIBA Africa U18 gold and Italy collected FIBA Europe U18 bronze.
Following the preliminary round, all 16 teams will be seeded according to group play results, and will advance to the July 5 round of 16. Winners will advance to the July 7 medal quarterfinals, while the remaining teams will continue playing out for classification. The medal semifinals will be held July 8, and the gold and bronze medal games are slated for July 9.
Now titled the FIBA U19 World Cup and played every two years, the event originally was known as the FIBA Junior World Championship from 1979 through 2003 and as the FIBA U19 World Championship from 2005-2009, and it was played every four years from 1979 through 2007.
In the 12 previous U19 competitions held, the USA men's teams have won six gold and three silver medals, including gold in three of the past four U19 championships (2009, 2013 and 2015).
Past USA U19 standouts include: Jalen Brunson (2015 MVP), Vince Carter (1995), Stephen Curry (2007), Terrance Ferguson (2015), Aaron Gordon (2013 MVP), Tim Hardaway Jr. (2011), Montrezl Harrell (2013), Gordon Hayward (2009), Doug McDermott (2011), Jahlil Okafor (2013), Gary Payton (1987), Sam Perkins (1979), J.J. Redick (2003), Marcus Smart (2013), Klay Thompson (2009), Scott Skiles (1983), Deron Williams (2003), Justise Winslow (2013) and James Worthy (1979).