Arizona men’s basketball incoming freshman Aaron Gordon was selected to the U19 World Championship Team Monday, according to USA Basketball.
Gordon, a five-star forward, survived two rounds of cuts to make the 12-player national team. The UA had three players in the camp, the most of any school, but incoming freshman forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and sophomore Brandon Ashley didn’t make it past the first round of cuts.
“We are proud of Aaron making the U19 National Team,” head coach Sean Miller said in a press release. “It is quite an accomplishment to play for your country and compete for a gold medal. I have no doubt that this experience will be invaluable for Aaron as he transitions from high school to college basketball here at the U of A. We wish him and his team the best of luck in their quest to bring home the gold.”
The tryout camp originally featured 26 players but was cut down to 16 on Sunday after four training sessions. The final roster cut was made Monday night.
“We are also proud of Brandon and Rondae for being invited to and competing in the U19 training camp,” Miller said. “They, too, will benefit a great deal from their recent experience and will be more prepared and motivated for our season ahead.”
Team USA will train in Washington D.C., starting June 19. They will then compete in the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship June 24-July 6 in Prague.
Gordon, the No. 4 overall recruit in the 2013 class according to ESPN.com, averaged 21.6 points, 15.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocked shots a game as a senior for Archbishop Mitty High School. The 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward from San Jose, Calif., played in both the McDonald’s High School All-America Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.
Gordon’s teams won both contests and he was named the Most Valuable Player at McDonald’s All-American game, compiling 24 points, eight rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes.
“Getting down to 12 is the real hard part because in a lot of respects we easy could have kept 14-15,” USA/Florida head coach Billy Donovan said in a press release.
The roster features eight 2012-13 college players, two incoming freshmen and two high school players, including Arizona recruit Justise Winslow.
Winslow is the 15th-ranked player in the 2014 class and is still undecided. He has narrowed his list to 10 schools including the UA, Duke, Florida, Kansas, Stanford and UCLA, according to ESPN.com.
Miller given one year extension
After a Sweet Sixteen appearance by Arizona last season, head coach Sean Miller was rewarded Thursday with a one-year contract extension through the 2017-18 season.
The University of Arizona’s Board of Regents approved the extension, though it will not include a raise in pay for the final year. Last season Miller earned $2.2 million plus several performance bonuses, including reaching the fourth round of the NCAA Tournament.
