June 10, 2004
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VILLANOVA, Pa. - Villanova forward Curtis Sumpter was today invited by USA Basketball to try out for the squad that will represent the United States in the World Championships For Young Men later this summer. Sumpter, who enters his junior year this fall, joins 22 other elite collegians who will bid to represent the U.S. in the prestigious international event.
"We are very proud of Curt and excited about his opportunity," stated Villanova head coach Jay Wright. "He has made incredible improvement due to his hard work and commitment to success since arriving at Villanova. This is a great honor for him and I know he looks forward to the opportunity to try out to represent his country."
Sumpter averaged 14.3 ppg and 7.1 rpg during the 2003-04 campaign. The native of Brooklyn, N.Y. was voted third team All-Big East and cited as the Most Improved Player in the Philadelphia Big Five. In a win over Northeastern on Dec. 12, the 6-7 product of Bishop Loughlin (N.Y.) High School scored 39 points. That represents the most points scored by a Wildcat since Kerry Kittles dropped in 44 points in a 1995 game against Boston College.
Chaired by former University of Virginia Athletic Director Terry Holland, the USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee selected the invitees and will make the final roster cuts at the 2004 USA National Team Trials and training camp July 16-23 in East Rutherford, N.J. Athletes eligible for selection to this age-based team include any male who is a U.S. citizen and is 20-years-old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1984).
In addition to Sumpter, the 23 players who have accepted invitations to the 2004 USA Basketball Men's National Team Trials include: Hassan Adams (Arizona / Los Angeles, Calif.), Maurice Ager (Michigan State / Detroit, Mich.), Sean Banks (Memphis / Oradell, N.J.), Josh Boone (Connecticut / Mt. Airy, Md.), Aaron Brooks (Oregon / Seattle, Wash.), Shannon Brown (Michigan State / Maywood, Ill.), Justin Gray (Wake Forest / Charlotte, N.C.), Ryan Hollins (UCLA / Pasadena, Calif.), Sean May (North Carolina/Bloomington, Ind.); Rashad McCants (North Carolina/Asheville, N.C.), Demetris Nichols (Syracuse / Barrington, R.I.), David Padgett (TBD / Reno, Nev.), Chris Paul (Wake Forest/Lewisville, N.C.), J.J. Redick (Duke/Roanoke, Va.), Mustafa Shakur (Arizona / Philadelphia, Pa.), P.J. Tucker (Texas / Raleigh, N.C.), Charlie Villaneuva (Connecticut / Brooklyn, N.Y.), C.J. Watson (Tennessee / Las Vegas, Nev.), Deron Williams (Illinois / The Colony, Texas ), Eric Williams (Wake Forest / Wake Forest, N.C.), Curtis Withers (UNC Charlotte / Charlotte, N.C.) and Bracey Wright (Indiana / The Colony, Texas).
Guiding the U.S. squad will be University of Oklahoma head coach Kelvin Sampson, who will be assisted by collegiate head caoches Tom Crean of Marquette University (Wis.) and Dan Monson of the University of Minnesota.
Finalists for the USA Team will be selected following trials July 16-18 at the New Jersey Nets practice facility in East Rutherford. The USA Trials schedule will see the candidates competing twice a day, at 10:00 a.m. (all times local) and 5:00 p.m. Finalists will remain in New Jersey for the team's training camp, which will again feature two-a-days at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and the eventual 12-member squad will be finalized sometime prior to the USA's final New Jersey practice at 10:00 a.m. on July 23.
The young American squad will get in a final pair of practices in Halifax, Canada, on July 26 and 27 before tipping off play at the 2004 FIBA Americas World Championship For Young Men Qualifying Tournament on July 28. The U.S. will compete against seven other teams from the Americas for one of the three Americas Zone qualifying berths for the 2005 FIBA World Championships For Young Men, which will be hosted next summer by Argentina. Featuring eight nations divided into two groups of four, the competition schedule includes a preliminary round with round-robin play between teams in each group July 28-30. The top two finishing teams in each group will advance to the July 31 semifinals and the gold medal will be contested Aug. 1.
