The event, which features America’s premier high school seniors playing against elite international players under the age of 19, is slated for Saturday, April 20 at 4 p.m. at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore.

The USA will be led by four players with past experience in international basketball events, including medalists Aaron Gordon (Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif./uncommitted), Rondae Jefferson (Chester, Pa./Arizona), Jabari Parker (Simeon, Chicago, Ill./Duke), and Julius Randle (Prestonwood Christian Academy, McKinney, Texas/uncommitted).

The roster also features Kentucky commits Aaron and Andrew Harrison (Travis High School, Richmond, Va.) — both of whom were 2012 training camp invites – as well as Florida-bound point guard Kasey Hill (Montverde Academy, Montverde, Fla.), Demetrius Jackson (Marian High School, Mishawaka, Ind./Notre Dame), Bobby Portis (Hall High School, Little Rock, Ark./Arkansas), and forward Noah Vonleh (New Hampton, N.H./Indiana).

“I think, first and foremost, looking at so much international basketball experience on this team, with the guys having played on the last U16, U17, and U18 teams, their familiarity with the international game is really going to benefit us,” USA coach Mike Jones of DeMatha Catholic (Md.) said. “So many of the guys actually having played with each other will be a benefit to us as well.”

Jones was an assistant for last year’s squad, which fell to the World Team, 84-75. That combination of standouts also consisted of the NBA Draft’s top three picks this past summer: Anthony Davis (Kentucky/New Orleans Hornets), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky/Charlotte Bobcats) and Bradley Beal (Florida/Washington Wizards).

“I learned a lot last year,” he said. “I know our guys will be able to look at the World roster and recognize some of the players and have respect for their talent. We are going to be focused on making sure the USA wins. We don’t want to lose two in a row.”

Since the first Hoops Summit in 1995, six alumni have been chosen No. 1 in the draft and five have won the NBA Rookie of the Year award – including former St. Patrick (N.J.) and Duke star Kyrie Irving and former Simeon (Ill.) and Memphis phenom Derrick Rose.

(Release/photo courtesy USA Basketball)

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Jahlil Okafor

The 6-foot-10 Chicago Whitney Young star scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds and was named the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship MVP after helping the USA Basketball Men’s U17 World Championship Team beat Australia, 95-62, to win the U17 World Championship title Sunday night in Kaunas, Lithuania.

Kansas-bound guard Conner Frankamp’s led the Americans with 22 points and uncommitted junior Jabari Parker scored 12 after missing the semifinals with a sore foot.

“Just walked down the streets of Lithuania with my gold medal around my neck! Received so much love,” Okafor Tweeted.

Bradley Beal, the No. 3 pick in the recent NBA Draft, won the tournament’s MVP in 2010, when the USA also won.

The Americans finished a perfect 8-0 at the event and joined their U18 counterparts in winning gold this summer. The U18 team — led by Julius Randle — won the FIBA Americans Championship last month in Brazil.

Okafor’s USA teammate, Justise Winslow (St. John’s School / Houston, Texas), was also named to the All-U17 World Championship Team after finishing the night with 13 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and four steals.

“This is almost a little more enjoyable than our win two years ago in the gold medal game, just because this team had to overcome some adversity, some injuries and various things,” American head coach Don Showalter said. “I was really proud with our kids for hanging in there. We really didn’t have a star, because they all bought into the fact that they were all playing for USA Basketball. I think that showed in the final game.

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Justise Winslow, a 6-foot-6, 2014 forward from the St. John’s School in Houston, led the way with 17 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots.

Also contributing double-digit scoring were Conner Frankamp (Wichita North H.S. / Wichita, Kan.) with 13; Stanley Johnson (Mater Dei H.S. / Fullerton, Calif.) and Jahlil Okafor (Whitney Young H.S. / Chicago, Ill.), who played limited minutes after being whistled for his third foul less than three minutes into the contest, each chipped in 12 points; while Johnathan Williams (Southwind H.S. / Memphis, Tenn.) scored 10.

The USA will face Australia (6-1)  in the July 8 gold medal game (1:30 p.m. EDT).

“I thought Spain was very, very prepared for us,” U.S. head coach Don Showalter said.

“They did a lot of very interesting things to us defensively and kind of threw us off a little bit. Of course without Jabari Parker playing today, we kept him out for precautionary reasons, then you have Jahlil Okafor in foul trouble and Dakari Johnson, who will likely not play in the rest of the tournament, I thought our kids played through some adversity tonight. We really showed what kind of team we are, especially in the second half.”

Johnson, a 6-10 2014 big man from Montverde (Fla.) Academy, has a strained right groin but his mother, Makini Campbell, told SNY.tv  he is “fine” and “day-to-day.”

The No. 1 player in the Class of 2013, Parker has a sore foot.

“Words can’t really describe how proud I am of this group of kids,” Showalter said. “First, we’re without Aaron Gordon. Then, we’re without Jabari Parker. Those are arguably two of the best players in the country. Then you have Dakari Johnson, a seven-footer, who can’t play and Jahlil Okafor gets into foul trouble. What a rallying point for our kids. I think this game really showed it wasn’t about any individual; it was all about ‘we.’

“When you wear that USA across your chest, these kids really buy into that. They don’t really care who gets the points and I think you especially saw that in the second half today.

Davis, the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft  by the New Orleans Hornets, was cut from the Olympic roster Saturday along with Rudy Gay and Eric Gordon, according to The Associated Press. Davis had recently sprained his ankle during a workout with the Hornets and was not able to practice in Las Vegas with the Americans.

Andre Iguodala, Blake Griffin and James Harden took the last three Olympic team spots.

“We projected we would have difficulty getting down to a roster of 12, regardless of the number of injuries that have taken place, because they are such an outstanding group of people and athletes,” USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said. “The final selections keep us in concert with our game plan to have athleticism, versatility and strong depth on our roster. I think our final roster epitomizes all of that.”

LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant headline the team that will head to London to try to defend Team USA’s gold medal won in Beijing in 2008.

“We think we’re deeper; we think we’re better [than in 2008],” Colangelo said, according to reports. “Only time will tell. The journey is just beginning.

The guards include Bryant, Harden, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Deron Williams.

James leads a group of forwards that includes Durant, Iguodala, Griffin, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Love.

Knicks center Tyson Chandler, the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, is the lone center on the team after a series of injuries knocked out Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh and Lamarcus Aldridge.

The USA roster features five members of the 2008 gold medalist U.S. Olympic Team (Anthony, Bryant, James, Paul and Williams), five members of the gold medalist 2010 World Championship team (Chandler, Durant, Iguodala, Love and Westbrook), and two newcomers (Griffin and Harden).

The average age of the 12 U.S. players is 26.1 years of age.

Spain, Russia and Brazil are likely to have more size than Team USA, but head coach Mike Krzyzewski will have a plethora of athletic players who can play multiple positions and could create mismatches for opposing teams.

“We have benefited so much from having a pool of outstanding players who are committed, and as a result the selection is difficult. But it’s the best challenge that you could have because everyone has been so committed,” Krzyzewski said.

“The guys who were not selected are in our pool, and if someone did get hurt, they are already part of our team and could be seamlessly woven in at a later date. We really appreciate the commitment of all of these guys.”

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Texas forward Justise Winslow added 17 points and 13 rebounds, Florida guard Joel Berry had 15 points and Chicago natives Jabari Parker and Jahlil Okafor scored 10 apiece.

The U.S. will face Spain (4-2) in the July 7 medal semifinals at 6:10 p.m. (11:10 a.m. EDT), while Australia (5-1),  which defeated Argentina (3-3) 78-59, will square off in the other medal semifinal against the winners of tonight’s quarterfinals contest between Croatia (6-0) and Czech Republic (2-3).  The entire medal round is available live online via FIBATV.com.

“I give Canada a lot of credit,” said Don Showalter, USA and Iowa City High School head coach. “They came out very strong in the first half. They really powered the boards in the first half. Of their 30 points, they had 24 in the paint. We had to shore some things up in the second half. We respect all of our opponents a great deal, so we felt that at halftime we had to come out right away and establish our game. Fortunately we did that.”

“Shots were just falling for me,” said Jones. “I was putting the ball in the hole. It was just one of those nights for me. I take what the defense gives me. Setting up my teammates, just running the team is what I do. But I’ll take what the defense gives me and they were giving me shots tonight.”

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Jahlil Okafor

Johnson, a 6-foot-6 forward from Mater Dei (Calif)., contributed 12 points and 10 boards and Okafor, out of Chicago Whitney Young, posted game-highs of 21 points and 13 rebounds. Conner Frankamp (Wichita North H.S. / Wichita, Kan.) scored 12 points; while Justise Winslow (St. John’s School / Houston, Texas) hauled in 10 boards, seven on the offensive end, and tied a FIBA U17 World Championship record for steals with seven.

“I just wanted to be super aggressive on the offensive boards and on the defensive boards,” said Okafor, who had seven offensive rebounds. “Because when Jabari’s (Parker) out, it puts much more pressure on me.”

The Americans, who are assured of advancing to the quarterfinals, will close preliminary play against China (3-1) today at 1:25 EST. The top four finishing teams from each group will advance to the medal round with the quarterfinals staged on July 6, the semifinals on July 7 and the finals on July 8.

For features on Okafor, Stanley Johnson, Dakari Johnson, and Tyus Jones and recruiting updates on them, click here.

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Uncommitted junior Jahlil Okafor added 10 points and 14 rebounds.

“Good overall defens[ive] performance from us today, played great as a team 2 down 7 more to go,” Johnson Tweeted.

Four other players scored at least 10 points.

Kansas-bound point guard Conner Frankamp tallied 11 points, 4 steals and 3 assists and Stanley Johnson, Joel Berry and Tyus Jones each tallied 10 points.

For features on Dakari Johnson, Parker, Stanley Johnson, Jones and recruiting updates on them, click here.

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Stanley Johnson

“August 6 I’m taking a visit to Arizona and then hopefully I’ll make it to Oregon,” the 6-foot-6, 230-pound Johnson said from the U.S. U17 practices in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“After that I hope I can get in to [see] other schools later in the year.”

When college coaches were first permitted to contact recruits last Friday, Johnson heard first from San Diego State, followed by several others.

“San Diego State was the first one, they offered,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of phone calls and text messages. I’ve had a lot of calls from Colorado, I’ve had a lot of calls form Arizona, calls from Syracuse and different things. They’re calling me and stuff but I gotta really see [the schools] when I visit.”

Still, Arizona figures to be in the mix for Johnson, who attends Mater Dei High School and runs with the Oakland Soldiers AAU program.

“Coach Sean Miller’s a great guy,” Johnson said. “He’s one of those guys that when the first time I talked to him, I felt like he was sincere, he was a good person, straightforward. He wasn’t gonna give it the runaround.

“That’s really an upside for me and my parents. Arizona’s been a great school. They’re close to home, so that’s really the positive about them.”

Still, Johnson has plenty of time to decide and says he remains open.

“USC’s really involved,” he said. “I want to give every school a chance to get involved and an opportunity to every school.”

For now, he’s excited about playing with Team USA on a U17 team that also features Jabari Parker, Dakari Johnson, Tyus Jones, Beejay Anya and others.

“It’s the ultimate goal for me as a player to represent the USA,” Johnson said. “All the other teams are cool but my favorite team is representing my country. I’m playing with all good plaeyrs and it’s a family out here so it’s great.

“I’m hoping I make it [to the Olympic team] when I’m older.”

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“Rondae Jefferson getting hurt, I think he definitely would’ve made the team and would’ve been with us,” Team USA assistant Mike Jones, the head coach at DeMatha Catholic, told SNY.tv Wednesday after the roster was finalized at 12 players.

“He hurt his shoulder. Something with his labrum. He was definitely somebody we were looking forward to having.”

The 6-foot-7 Jefferson out of Chester (Pa.) had been excited about making Team USA for the first time.

“There’s nothing like it,” Jefferson told DelcoTimes.com. “You’re representing your country. It’s very special to have this opportunity.”

Jefferson averaged 12.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.7 blocked shots last year to help Chester (Pa.) win its second straight PIAA Class AAAA championship.

He holds numerous scholarship offers, and recently took an unofficial to Rutgers.

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“Michigan State, Ohio  State, Minnesota, Baylor, Indiana, Duke, Arizona, those are kind of the ones that are showing the most interest,” the 6-foot-1 Jones said from the USA U17 practices in Colorado Springs, Colo.

He said Duke, Michigan State, Kentucky, Kansas, Baylor, Indiana, Ohio State, Minnesota and Nebraska all reached out after midnight last Friday, when coaches were permitted to contact rising juniors and seniors.

Jones said all of the aforementioned schools have offered him a scholarship except for Kentucky, Kansas and Nebraska.

“I’m open to everything right now,” Jones, out of Apple Valley (Minn.) High, told SNY.tv. “I haven’t started to narrow it down yet.”

Still, Duke and Michigan State are among those that have established strong ties early.

“Coach K called me,” Jones said. “It’s a great feeling. I have a good relationship with Coach K  and continue to talk with him. Definitely it’s easier for them being able to reach out now after June 15 so he gave me a call.”

Michigan State is also on his radar.

“I have got a good relationship with [Coach Tom Izzo],” Jones said. “Michigan State’s a great school. I like they’re playing style and everything like that.”

As for Minnesota, he has already visited unofficially and conceded there was pressure at home to consider the Gophers.

“Oh, definitely,” he said. “I think there’s always some pressure to stay at home. Definitely Minnesota and all the Minnesota fans are showing me a lot of support and a lot of love and definitely want me to stay at home. So there’s definitely some pressure I would say.”

Jones made the final 12-man roster for the U.S. U17 team that will compete in the FIBA U17 World Championship in Lithuania.

He injured his shooting thumb during a drill and had to sit out for a bit.

“It’s getting better every day, slowly, slowly getting better,” he said. “It’s tough to play with but I’m making it work.”

For now, Jones is less concerned with his college list and more concerned with winning a gold with Team USA.

“That’s my focus right now,” Jones said. “Just trying to lead this team and be a point guard and a quarterback out there on the floor.”

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