Hokie ClubVirginia Tech signee Montrezl Harrell is one of twenty-four players to haveaccepted invitations to attend the 2012 USA Basketball Men’s U18 National TeamTraining camp June 5-12 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in ColoradoSprings, Colo. The USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team committee issuedthe player invitations.
Harrell, from Tarboro, N.C., signed with the Hokies during the earlysigning period in November. He played this past season on the post-graduateteam at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va.
The 2012 USA U18 National Team will be led by a trio of college coaches atthe FIBA Americas U18 Championship, including Billy Donovan (University of Florida) as head coach, with Mark Few (Gonzaga University) and Shaka Smart (Virginia CommonwealthUniversity) as assistant coaches.
Following the first three or four days of training camp from June 5-12 atthe U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo., finalistfor the team will be selected by the USA Men’s Junior National Team Committeeand will continue to train at the USOTC.
The official, 12-member 2012 USA Men’s U18 National Team will be selectedprior to the team’s departure for the 2012 FIBA Americas U18 Championship,which will be played June 16-20 in Sao Sebastiáo do Paraiso, Brazil. Playerseligible for this competition must have been born on or after Jan. 1, 1994.
Eight teams will compete in the 2012 U18zone qualifier, including the USA, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, Mexico,Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. The top four finishing teams in thetournament will qualify for next summer’s 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship.
In addition to chair Jim Boeheim (Syracuse University), the USA BasketballMen’s Junior National Team Committee includes NCAA appointees Lorenzo Romar(University of Washington), Bruce Weber (Kansas State University) and RoyWilliams (University of North Carolina), as well as athlete representative JayWilliams.