USA Basketball Announces 35 Player Roster For 2018-20 Men’s National Team
(Release via USA Basketball) Featuring 35 players, including
(Release via USA Basketball) Featuring 35 players, including
Kansas head coach Bill Self will coach
R.J. Barrett and Canada stunned P.J. Washington
The USA and Canada will meet in the semifinals of the FIBA U19 World Cup on Saturday at 2:30 ET after both teams won their quarterfinal matchups Friday in Cairo, Egypt.
The U.S. defeated Germany, 81-59, after holding Germany to 28 points in the second half. The Americans led 33-31 at the break.
The Americans shot 45.3 percent (34/75) from the field in the win, while Germany hit 39.4 percent (26/66).
“Here’s what happens – you have teams that are going to play with such high intensity and focus, it’s just can they do it for 40 minutes,” asked USA head coach John Calipari of Kentucky. “The way we are doing this, when we are playing 10 or 11 kids and they are playing 22 or 18 minutes, you just keep coming at people in waves.
“We don’t have any weak links on this team. We just don’t. What I’m seeing right now is us pressuring them, and at some point, they will back off. Now, they (Germany) went zone, and it was bang, bang, bang with 3s.”
Auburn sophomore Austin Wiley dominated down low with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Purdue’s Carsen Edwards went for 12 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists and UNLV’s Brandon McCoy added 8 points and 7 rebounds.
“Carsen (Edwards) did a good job playing defense and giving us a lot of energy. Without him, I don’t know if we would have gotten over the hump like we did,” said Cam Reddish, who contributed seven points, six caroms, five assists and three of the team’s 14 steals.
“Carsen Edwards was the one guy that went in and changed the game because of his intensity, and he was dragging people with him,” said Calipari. “Payton (Pritchard) played well, I thought, in that group. In the second half, all those guys that have been starting, played well. I thought Austin (Wiley) rebounded and got baskets and did his usual thing. Cameron (Reddish) played better in the second half. I don’t think anyone played poorly.”
The USA and Canada both rolled in their Round of 16 matches on Wednesday and remain on track for a semifinal matchup in the FIBA U19 World Cup in Cairo, Egypt.
The Americans routed Mali 117-69 as Kentucky’s P.J. Washington notched his second straight 20-point game while UNLV’s Brandon McCoy added a double double with 19 points and 13 rebounds.
The Americans have won their first four games — over Iran, Angola, Italy and Mali — by a combined 182 points. Next up for the USA will be a quarterfinal matchup with Germany (3-1) on Friday after Germany defeated New Zealand, 72-65.
“We’re playing kind of with units,” said USA head mentor John Calipari of Kentucky . “When we started the game that group didn’t have the intensity or fight, they were just playing. Well, Mali plays really hard. They’ve got a couple of really good players and then after that they’re not as good. But, they play hard so they can make you look bad. So, then we went to the other group and that group went in and played out of their minds, so I left them in. They got us up 20, so they stayed in.
“But then in the second half that group that I started played well and so I left them in. I’m not sure I want to play groups like this, but they are getting to learn to play together petty well and maybe it’s six or seven in a group, then I play the other guys and see how they are and give them some minutes,” added Calipari.
