REGENSBURG (David Hein’s Eye on the Future) – International basketball fans who don’t follow high school basketball in the United States need not worry about not knowing anyone from the USA team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. Four of the 11 players starred on the USA team that won the title at the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship.

U17 Worlds MVP Malik Newman is included in the roster released by USA Basketball for the game on April 11 in Portland’s Moda Center as are his fellow U17 world champions Henry Ellenson, Ivan Rabb and Caleb Swanigan.

The other seven players on the Hoop Summit team helped United States to the undefeated crown at last summer’s 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. Luke Kennard was the Americans’ second-leading scorer at the U18 FIBA Americas tournament, followed by Allonzo Trier while Jalen Brunson tied for the most minutes played and was second in assists.

Stephen Zimmermann was second in rebounding and blocks while Isaiah Broscoe was third in assists and tied for fourth in rebounds. The other two players on the USA team in Portland will be Jaylen Brown and Chase Jeter.

Despite playing the fewest minutes on the U18 team last summer, Brown is the highest ranked player from the USA team in the three major scouting services ESPNU, Scout.com and Rivals150. The Georgia native is number two overall in ESPU’s and Rivals150’s rankings and number one for Scout.com.

All 11 of the USA players are among the top 25 of all three services, except for Kennard being No. 26 in ESPNU.

Briscoe has committed to going to Kentucky while Jeter and Kennard will play together at Duke, Trier is planning on attending Arizona, Ellenson is committed to Marquette and Brunson is headed to Villanova.

"Since I have been fortunate to work with these guys a few times in the past, I am extremely excited to watch them put those talents on display in the Nike Hoop Summit. We have very talented post players who can handle the ball extremely well and guards that can score in various ways. With this much talent and versatility it gives a coach many different options during the course of a game."

Flannery said bonding together will be the key for the United States to repeat their victory over the World Team from last year.

"As coaches, it is our job to find the right combinations, and once that’s established the rest takes care of itself. These are the best players in the world, at their age, going at it for a relatively short period. Anything can happen in that time. However, if we limit our mistakes and utilize our strengths, we have a great chance of winning this game."

The USA’s win last spring improved their Hoop Summit record to 12-5 and snapped a two-game losing streak after the World Team had won in 2012 and 2013. The World Select Team also picked up wins in 1996, 1998 and 2009.

The World Select Team will feature 11 players who are 19 years or younger from the five FIBA Regions - Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania – and the roster historically has been announced in mid-March.

Playing in the Nike Hoop Summit gives a player pretty good chances of an NBA career as 165 former USA or World Select Team members have been drafted by NBA teams, including 25 in the 2013 and 2014 NBA Drafts combined.

As of December 5, 94 former Nike Hoop Summit players were active in the NBA. Another 32 are currently competing at the collegiate level in the United States.

So, if international basketball fans don’t know these players now, there are very, very good chances they will know of them in the very, very near future.

David Hein

FIBA

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