The University of Florida announced Thursday that two basketball players have accepted invitations to the Team USA tryouts for the 2011 FIBA World Championships over the summer.
Sophomore center Patric Young and incoming freshman guard Bradley Beal both accepted invites to the 17-person tryout team.
“I know Patric and Brad are both excited about this invitation,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “It’s a unique opportunity for a player, so it’s an honor for them to be a part of this group.”
Both players have previous experience playing for Team USA in international competition, as Beal is the only one of the 17 players invited who was on the Team USA squad that captured the 2010 FIBA U-17 World Championship title.
Beal also played for the USA Junior Select team that recently competed in the Nike Hoop Summit in April, and he was a member of the USA U-16 team that captured gold at the 2009 championships.
Young is one of three players invited who competed with Team USA’s 2010 U-18 team. He was also a part of the USA Junior Select Team that won the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit.
With two players selected to the 17-man invite list, the Florida Gators were one of only two college programs with multiple players selected. California was the only other program with more than one player invited.
Of the 17 invitees, 14 are already in college. Beal is one of three players yet to play in college. He was ranked as the fourth-best player in the ESPNU rankings for the class of 2011. He led his high school team to an undefeated regular-season record in 2011 and a quarterfinal appearance in the Class 5 state playoffs.
Young averaged 3.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game as a freshman at Florida, while earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman team.
Beal and Young will compete to make the final 12-man roster from June 17-24 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The final roster will be announced on June 24, just before the team departs for Europe. The 2011 FIBA World Championships will take place from June 30 to July 10 in Latvia in the cities of Valmiera, Liepaja and Riga Latvia.
Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, who chaired the USA Men’s Junior National Team Committee was pleased with the 17-man invite list.
“Between the coaching staff and the 17 players that will be participating in the USA U19 training camp, we believe we have assembled another outstanding group who should give us an excellent opportunity to defend our U19 World Championship gold medal,” Boeheim said. “The USA Basketball Men’s Collegiate Committee again did an excellent job of identifying a very talented group of young players who will compete during the first three days of the training camp for a roster position on the USA Basketball U19 World Championship Team.”