UConn point guard Kemba Walker of New York and a pair of players from Bob Hurley’s storied St. Anthony program — Villanova commit Dominic Cheek and Kansas freshman Tyshawn Taylor — have been selected to attend the 2009 USA U19 National Team Trials.
The 12-man team will compete in the U19 World Championship later this summer in New Zealand.
Walker, out of Manhattan Rice High School, was named MVP of the 2008 FIBA Americas Championship that qualified for this year’s World Championship. He averaged 13.4 ppg., 5.0 apg., and 4.6 rpg. while leading the USA to a silver medal in the 2008 FIBA Americas.
The 6-5 Cheek (pictured), a McDonald’s All-American who will join Jay Wright’s team this summer, also played on the U18 team last summer in Argentina. Taylor had a breakout year at Kansas but did not play for the USA last summer.
That makes four players from Hurley’s undefeated 2008 national championship team that will compete in this event because Rutgers guard Mike Rosario and soon-to-be-ex Fordham guard Jio Fontan will compete for Puerto Rico.
All four will be featured in the upcoming documentary, “The Street Stops Here.”In addition to Walker, Cheek and Taylor, Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest / Norcross, Ga.) and Drew Gordon (UCLA / San Jose, Calif.) have previously represented the USA. Rounding out the 2009 USA Men’s U19 World Championship Team Trials roster are newcomers: Kenny Boynton (Florida / Pompano Beach, Fla.), Darryl Bryant (West Virginia / Brooklyn, N.Y.), DeAngelo Casto (Washington State / Spokane, Wash.), Seth Curry (Duke / Charlotte, N.C.), Gordon Hayward (Butler / Brownsburg, Ind.), Darius Miller (Kentucky / Maysville, Ky.), Arnett Moultrie (UTEP / Memphis, Tenn.), Ralph Sampson III (Minnesota / Duluth, Ga.), John Shurna (Northwestern / Glen Ellyn, Ill.), Howard Thompkins (Georgia / Lithonia, Ga.), Klay Thompson (Washington State / Ladera Ranch, Calif.) and Terrico White (Mississippi / Memphis, Tenn.). JONES ADDED TO WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES ROSTER
In other USA Basketball news, South Florida guard Dominique Jones (Lake Wales, Fla.) has accepted an invitation to attend the 2009 USA Men’s World University Games Team training camp June 16-24 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Announced on May 20 as participants in the 2009 USA Men’s World University Games Team Trials were: James Anderson (Oklahoma State / Junction City, Ark.); Talor Battle (Penn State / Albany, N.Y.); Trevor Booker (Clemson / Whitmire, S.C.); Craig Brackins (Iowa State / Palmdale, Calif.); Da’Sean Butler (West Virginia / Newark, N.J.); Sherron Collins (Kansas / Chicago, Ill.); Mike Davis (Illinois / Alexandria, Va.); Corey Fisher (Villanova / Bronx, N.Y.); Lazar Hayward (Marquette / Buffalo, N.Y.); Robbie Hummel (Purdue / Valparaiso, Ind.); JaJuan Johnson (Purdue / Indianapolis, Ind.); Quincy Pondexter (Washington / Fresno, Calif.); Deon Thompson (North Carolina / Torrance, Calif.); Evan Turner (Ohio State / Chicago, Ill.); and Jarvis Varnado (Mississippi State / Brownsville, Tenn.).
