Eighteen finalists for the 2019 USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Cup Team were announced Tuesday morning following five practice sessions over three days that involved 31 players. The list of finalists include five USAgold medalists, five players who completed their first collegiate season in 2018-19, five athletes from the high school class of 2019 and eight players from the high school class of 2020.

Named as finalists were: Scottie Barnes (University School/West Palm Beach, Fla.); Joshua Christopher (Mayfair H.S./Lakewood, Calif.); Cade Cunningham (Montverde Academy, Fla./Arlington, Texas); Jalen Green (Prolific Prep/Fresno, Calif.); Tyrese Haliburton (Iowa State/Oshkosh, Wis.); Walker Kessler (Woodward Academy/Newnan, Ga.); Kira Lewis Jr. (Alabama/Meridianville, Ala.); Isaac Likekele (Oklahoma State/Arlington, Texas); Evan Mobley (Rancho Christian School/Temecula, Calif.); Casey Morsell (St. John's College H.S./Washington, D.C.); Zeke Nnaji (Hopkins H.S./Hopkins, Minn.); Reggie Perry (Mississippi State/Thomasville, Ga.); Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (IMG Academy, FL/Overland Park, Kan.); Jalen Suggs (Minnehaha Academy/Minneapolis, Minn.); Anton Watson (Gonzaga Prep/Spokane, Wash.); Trevion Williams (Purdue/Chicago, Ill.); Ziaire Williams (Notre Dame H.S./Sherman Oaks, Calif.); and Samuell Williamson (Rockwall H.S./Rockwall, Texas). Jared Butler (Baylor University/Reserve, La.) was also selected a finalist but was unable to participate.

The finalists will continue training twice a day in Colorado Springs, and the final, 12-member USA U19 World Cup Team will be announced prior to the team’s June 24 departure for Greece, and the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup that will take place June 29-July 7.

The finalists selections were made by the USA Basketball Junior National Team Committee.

“I am not overstating things if I say this was an incredibly difficult selection process,” said Matt Painter, USA Basketball Junior National Team Committee chair and Purdue University head coach. “Each of the 31 players involved in this training camp performed at a high level and brought some tangible skill strengths to the training camp for the committee to consider.

“We feel like our group of finalists offers coach Weber and his staff outstanding athleticism and versatility, and the talent to become a very good defensive team.”



The USA U19 squad is being led by head coach Bruce Weber (Kansas State), and assistant coaches Mike Hopkins (Washington) and LeVelle Moton (North Carolina Central).

The USA U19training roster features two-time USA Basketball gold medalists Barnes, Green and Suggs, while Mobley and Robinson-Earl won one gold medal in international play. Additionally, Robinson-Earl helped USA Basketball to a win over the World Select Team in the 2019 Nike Hoop Summit on April 12.





Chaired by Painter, the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee also consists of Shane Battier (Athlete Representative), Tony Bennett (NCAA), Ed Cooley (NCAA) and Sean Miller (NCAA).





FIBA U19 World Cup

First held in 1979 and known as the FIBA Junior World Championship, the U19 World Cup features the world’s top 19-year-old and younger players. FIBA holds U19 World Cups every two years. In the 13 U19 competitions held, USA men’s teams have won six gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal, including gold in three of the past five U19 World Cups (2009, 2013 and 2015), and own a 91-14 all-time record at the event.

The USA earned its qualifying spot for the U19 Worlds in 2018 by capturing gold at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship with a 6-0 record.

The 16 participating teams have beendivided into four groups for preliminary, round-robin games, and the USA was drawn into Group A. The USA will open preliminary play in 2019 against New Zealand on June 29, then face Lithuania on June 30 and Senegal on July 2.

Following the preliminary round, all teams will advance to the round of 16 on July 3. The winners of the round of 16 will advance to the medal quarterfinals on July 5, and the losers will play out for ninth-16th places. The semifinals will be played on July 6, and the gold and bronze medal games on July 7.

Past USA U19 teams have included standouts such as: Stacey Augmon (1987), Vin Baker (1991), MVP of the 2015 U19 World Cup Jalen Brunson (2015), Vince Carter (1995), Nick Collison (1999), Stephen Curry (2007), Terrance Ferguson (2015), Eric Floyd (1979), Aaron Gordon (MVP of the 2013 U19 World Cup), Tim Hardaway Jr. (2011), Montrezl Harrell (2013), Gordon Hayward (2009), Larry Johnson (1987), Jeremy Lamb (2011), Stephon Marbury (1995), Doug McDermott (2011), Jahlil Okafor (2013), Gary Payton (1987), Sam Perkins (1979), Cameron Reddish (2017), J.J. Redick (2003), Marcus Smart (2013), Klay Thompson (2009), Scott Skiles (1983), Austin Wiley (2017), Deron Williams (2003), Justise Winslow (2013), PJ Washington (2017) and James Worthy