U17 Team Announced

[Wbbfan1]

Blog - Link
USABasketball - Link
Additional Quotes - Link

50% turnover from last years U16 team. Many of the evaluators were surprised and some said players chosen were not the best during the trial. Same was said last year.

 

[EricLA]

congrats to Harper, McCall and 2014 Turner (UCONN targets) as well as the rest of the team. any surprise cuts? Sort of surprised Jannah Tucker and Courtney Ekmark didn't make the team, altho Courtney is from 2014...

 

[ucdt3]

Cooper, Drummer, Gray, Mavunga, Tucker, & White all added to the U18 Trails roster. So they're not done. Yet.

 

[speedoo]

Blog - Link
USABasketball - Link
Additional Quotes - Link

50% turnover from last years U16 team. Many of the evaluators were surprised and some said players chosen were not the best during the trial. Same was said last year.

Which "evaluators"? I don't respect what they have to say usually, and I don't pay any attention to Flynn... anyone else?

 

[HuskyMJ]

Which "evaluators"? I don't respect what they have to say usually, and I don't pay any attention to Flynn... anyone else?

I don't know Flynn but is he just wrong a lot, biased, or what? In regards to why you don't pay attention.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Hoopgurlz Article - Link

 

[speedoo]

I don't know Flynn but is he just wrong a lot, biased, or what? In regards to why you don't pay attention.

I think he just too full of himself. Also very biased toward kids in his AAU programs vs. kids in other AAU programs, as evidenced by his ranking of Sue Bird around #20 in HS, just because she was not in his program. I have zero respect for him.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Hoopgurlz, BlueStar Reports (Mike Flynn) and even Kenny Kalina have competing agendas to make college coaches and others believe they are the most creditable when evaluating HS players. This causes turf wars.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Cooper, Drummer, Gray, Mavunga, Tucker, & White all added to the U18 Trails roster. So they're not done. Yet.

If they didn't make the U17 team, do they have a shot at U18?

 

[Aluminny69]

Which team is Saniya Chong trying out for?

 

[speedoo]

Which team is Saniya Chong trying out for?

U18.

 

[ucdt3]

If they didn't make the U17 team, do they have a shot at U18?

Yes, but a small one. And certainly some of them have smaller chances than others.

 

[jennyo70]

I am curious and wonder if anyone knows the answer:
Why do kids try out for teams older than they are, i.e. Sonya Chong? Why not try out for a team more age appropriate? I understand you have to be invited, but why are some kids invited to trials that matches their age and others to older ages? DD is a good example of this, too. Her last two years she has been on U18 and U 17 teams. This is the first year she tried out for , and made, the roster with her age appropriate peers.

Thoughts?

 

[speedoo]

I am curious and wonder if anyone knows the answer:
Why do kids try out for teams older than they are, i.e. Sonya Chong? Why not try out for a team more age appropriate? I understand you have to be invited, but why are some kids invited to trials that matches their age and others to older ages? DD is a good example of this, too. Her last two years she has been on U18 and U 17 teams. This is the first year she tried out for , and made, the roster with her age appropriate peers.

Thoughts?

Chong is probably too old for U17 team. DD was slotted by USA Basketball in prior years in older teams, presumably because she was thought to be good enough. This year, the U17 team will have tougher competition in Europe, so she is needed there, as I have read somewhere.

 

[ju6381]

I am curious and wonder if anyone knows the answer:
Why do kids try out for teams older than they are, i.e. Sonya Chong? Why not try out for a team more age appropriate? I understand you have to be invited, but why are some kids invited to trials that matches their age and others to older ages? DD is a good example of this, too. Her last two years she has been on U18 and U 17 teams. This is the first year she tried out for , and made, the roster with her age appropriate peers.

Thoughts?

Saniya was too old for the U17 team.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Saniya was too old for the U17 team.

That's what Jim Fuller reported. I can't find Saniya's birth date, but the cutoff was January 1, 1994.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Bluestar Article - Link

 

[JS]

I can't find Saniya's birth date, but the cutoff was January 1, 1994.

6/27/94

 

[MilfordHusky]

6/27/94

Thanks. It sounds as if she started school late. She'll be almost 19 at high school graduation.

 

[sunshinehoops]

I am curious and wonder if anyone knows the answer:
Why do kids try out for teams older than they are, i.e. Sonya Chong? Why not try out for a team more age appropriate? I understand you have to be invited, but why are some kids invited to trials that matches their age and others to older ages? DD is a good example of this, too. Her last two years she has been on U18 and U 17 teams. This is the first year she tried out for , and made, the roster with her age appropriate peers.

Thoughts?

It has to do with which youth team is participating in the more important event. A world championship will typically draw the best players who are eligible for that team.

 

[easttexastrash]

If they didn't make the U17 team, do they have a shot at U18?

Tucker, Cooper and Gray all made the U18 team. It looks like this was more about getting them to the next level of talent than not wanting them on the U17 team.

 

[sunshinehoops]

Tucker, Cooper and Gray all made the U18 team. It looks like this was more about getting them to the next level of talent than not wanting them on the U17 team.

It was about them not making the U17 team (No. 1 priority this summer), but being able to make the U18 team (No. 2 priority this summer).

They were not moved up because they were better -- at least, in the minds of the powers that be at USA Basketball -- than the girls who will be playing U17 this summer.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

I wonder how Chong did against the competition! I'm sure it was a great experience for her! I hope we get some report on how she did!

 

[Blakeon18]

Didn't Sierra Calhoun participate? I'm a bit surprised she didn't make the 17U team.

 

[JS]

It has to do with which youth team is participating in the more important event. A world championship will typically draw the best players who are eligible for that team.

To elaborate, U17 gets to play against the best European teams in a world championship format. U18 will be a PanAmerican cycle in which USA should romp.

So for those good enough and of the right age to make either team, the more attractive option is U17. And the flip side of that preference is, for those younger players who fail to crack the more desirable U17 field but still have outstanding talent, they may get a second chance with a try-out for U18.