COLORADO SPRINGS, COL. (May 29, 2002) -- NCAA collegiate head coaches Bobby Gonzalez of Manhattan College (N.Y.) and Robert McCullum from Western Michigan University, NAIA head mentor John Moore from Westmont College (Calif.), NJCAA head coach Mark Nelson from Wabash Valley College (Ill.) and University of Oregon assistant coach Scott Duncan have been selected court coaches for the 2002 USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Trials. The selections were made by the USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee that is chaired by Terry Holland, University of Virginia athletic director emeritus.
"Our court coaches represent the life-blood of the trials process - they are the 'hands-on' teachers on the courts and they also stay in the dorms and eat their meals with our trials participants," said Holland. "These coaches represent a cross-section of outstanding intercollegiate basketball coaches - NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, NAIA and junior college. Serving as a court coach has proved to be the important first step to serving as a coach for one of the teams representing the United States and/or serving on the selection committee itself."
The five will serve as court coaches during the 2002 USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Trials that will be held May 31-June 2 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Trials court coaching staff is responsible for conducting drills, coaching scrimmages and working with players who will be vying for spots on the USA team.
The first Trials session will be held on Friday, May 31 from 4:30-7:00 p.m. (All times are MDT), with two sessions, 9:00-11:00 a.m. and 4:00-6:00 p.m., scheduled for Saturday, June 1, and one final practice session to be conducted 8:30-10:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 2.
The 2002 Trials will feature approximately 35 of the nations top 18-year-old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1984) players and will be used to select finalists for the 2002 USA Basketball Men's Junior World Championship Qualifying Team. The final 12-member USA team will be named during the team's training camp which will be held on dates and at sites to be determined.
The USA junior squad will compete July 24-28 in Venezuela at the 2002 COPABA (Confederation of Pan American Basketball Associations) Men's Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament. Featuring eight teams from North, South and Central America, and the Caribbean, the United States will attempt to earn one of the Americas Zone's four qualifying spots for next year's 2003 FIBA Junior World Championship that will be held in Malaysia (city and dates TBD).
University of Oregon mentor Ernie Kent will serve as head coach of the 2002 USA Basketball Men's Junior World Championship Qualifying Team, and will be assisted by Bob McKillop of Davidson College (N.C.) and Gary Waters of Rutgers University (N.J.).
The USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee, in addition to chair Holland, consists of: NCAA appointees Jim Boeheim (head coach, Syracuse University, N.Y.); Rob Evans (head coach, Arizona State University); Jim O'Brien (head coach, Ohio State University) and Tubby Smith (head coach, University of Kentucky); NABC appointee Oliver Purnell (head coach, University of Dayton, Ohio); NAIA appointee Ralph Turner (head coach, Union University, Tenn.); NJCAA appointee Dan Sparks (head coach, Vincennes University, Ind.), and athlete representatives Steve Wojciechowski (1995 Junior World Championship team / assistant coach, Duke University, N.C.) and A.J. Wynder (1995 Pan American Games team / head coach, Nassau Community College, N.Y.).
2002 USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Trials Coaching Staffs
2002 USA Men's Junior World Championship Qualifying Team Coaching Staff:
Head Coach: Ernie Kent, University of Oregon
Assistant Coach: Bob McKillop, Davidson College (N.C.)
Assistant Coach: Gary Waters, Rutgers University (N.J.)
2002 USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Trials Court Coaches:
Scott Duncan, University of Oregon
Bobby Gonzalez, Manhattan College (N.Y.)
Robert McCullum, Western Michigan University
John Moore, Westmont College (Calif.)
Mark Nelson, Wabash Valley College (Ill.)
