University of North Carolina Athletics
Staton Named Head Trainer For USA Basketball U19 Team
April 13, 2017 | General
CHAPEL HILL—The University of North Carolina's Geoff Staton will serve as the head trainer for the 2017 USA Basketball U19 Team, the governing body announced recently. Staton, a staff athletics trainer for the Carolina softball and swimming & diving teams, will be part of the coaching staff led by Kentucky's John Calipari, Colorado's Tad Boyle and Wake Forest's Danny Manning.
The coaching staff was selected by the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Committee and approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors.
“USA Basketball has assembled an outstanding staff led by Coach Calipari, and the team will excel under their leadership,” said Matt Painter, Purdue University head coach and chair of the USA Basketball Junior National Team Committee.
As the 2013 and 2015 FIBA U19 World Champion, the USA will look to defend its titles at the 16-team 2017 FIBA U19 World Championship from July 1-9 in Cairo, Egypt.
Training camp to select the 12-member USA U19 World Cup Team will be held June 18-25 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Athletes eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens who are 19 years old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1998).
2017 FIBA U19 World Cup
FIBA conducted the draw on Feb. 11 in Cairo, Egypt, and announced the four preliminary round groupings. The United States was drawn into Group D for preliminary round games and will open against Iran on July 1, face Angola on July 2 and will cap preliminary round action versus Italy on July 4 (game times are to be determined).
The United States earned its berth into the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup by virtue of claiming gold at the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, while Iran earned FIBA Asia U18 gold, Angola won FIBA Africa U18 gold and Italy collected FIBA Europe U18 bronze.
Drawn into Group A were France (FIBA Europe gold), New Zealand (FIBA Oceania gold), South Korea (FIBA Asia bronze) and one nation from FIBA Americas to be determined.
Group B includes Egypt (host/FIBA Africa silver), Germany (FIBA Europe fourth), Lithuania (FIBA Europe silver) and Puerto Rico (FIBA Americas fourth).
Finally, Group C features Canada (FIBA Americas silver), Japan (FIBA Asia silver), Mali (FIBA Africa bronze) and Spain (FIBA Europe fifth).
Following the preliminary round, all 16 teams will be seeded according to group play results, and will advance to the July 5 round of 16. Winners will advance to the July 7 medal quarterfinals, while the remaining teams will continue playing out for classification. The medal semifinals will be held July 8, and the gold and bronze medal games are slated for July 9.
Now titled the FIBA U19 World Cup and played every two years, the event originally was known as the FIBA Junior World Championship from 1979 through 2003 and as the FIBA U19 World Championship from 2005-2009, and it was played every four years from 1979 through 2007.
In the 12 previous U19 competitions held, the USA men's teams have won six gold and three silver medals, including gold in three of the past four U19 championships (2009, 2013 and 2015). In 2015, led by Jalen Brunson, Terrance Ferguson, Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum and Josh Jackson, the USA men finished 7-0 to capture gold, and now own an all-time win-loss record of 85-13 in the competition.
Past USA U19 standouts include: Brunson (2015 MVP), Vince Carter (1995), Stephen Curry (2007), Ferguson (2015), Aaron Gordon (2013 MVP), Tim Hardaway Jr. (2011), Montrezl Harrell (2013), Gordon Hayward (2009), Doug McDermott (2011), Jahlil Okafor (2013), Gary Payton (1987), Sam Perkins (1979), J.J. Redick (2003), Marcus Smart (2013), Klay Thompson (2009), Scott Skiles (1983), Deron Williams (2003), Justise Winslow (2013) and James Worthy (1979).