Following nine U18 national team training sessions, USA Basketball announced its 12-man roster that will train through June 11 before departing for Brazil on June 12.
There the 2012 USA Men's U18 national team will compete for the 2012 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. The event takes place June 16-20 in Sao Sebastiáo do Paraiso, Brazil.
The eight teams competing in the event include Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The top four finishers qualify for next summer’s 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship.
The following is the official 12-man 2012 USA Men's U18 National Team:
Nate Britt, Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 2013
Sam Dekker, Sheboygan Lutheran (Sheboygan, Wis.) 2012
Shaq Goodwin, Southwest DeKalb (Decatur, Ga.) 2012
Jerami Grant, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 2012
Montrezl Harrell, Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Va.) 2012
Jake Layman, King Philip Regional (Wrentham, Mass.) 2012
Rodney Purvis, Upper Room Christian (Raleigh, N.C.) 2012
Julius Randle, Prestonwood Christian Academy (Plano, Texas) 2013
James Robinson, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 2012
Marcus Smart, Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas) 2012
Jarnell Stokes, Southwind (Memphis, Tenn.) 2011
Rasheed Sulaimon, Strake Jesuit College Prep (Houston) 2012
All players eligible for the FIBA U18 Championship must have been born on or after Jan. 1, 1994.
The USA Basketball Men's U18 National Team is coached by the University of Florida's Billy Donovan. His assistants are Gonzaga's Mark Few and Virginia Commonwealth's Shaka Smart.
The team includes two former high school teammates -- Grant and Robinson. Last season the duo helped DeMatha Catholic to a 30-5 record and No. 13 ranking in the POWERADE FAB 50. The team also includes nine players ranked in the 2012 ESPN 100 and two ranked in the class of 2013 ESPN 100 -- Randle (No. 2) and Britt (No. 22).
One player on the roster has collegiate experience. Stokes was originally a member of the 2012 class, but enrolled at the University of Tennessee mid-term after the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association ruled he was ineligible to play at Southwind for the 2011-12 season. He averaged 9.6 points and 7.4 rebounds for the Vols last season.
The USA Men's U18 National Team is 38-2 since it began competing in 1990. In its previous appearance in the FIBA Americas U18 Championship in 2010, team USA won the Gold Medal when former Baylor forward Quincy Miller hit a game winning 3-pointer in an 81-78 victory over Brazil. Former Duke guard Austin Rivers led team USA to a 5-0 record by averaging 20.2 points per game.
Ronnie Flores is a senior editor for ESPNHS. He can be reached at ronnie.flores@espn.com. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonFloresESPN