The Nova Notebook Summer Series checks in with Mark Armstrong and Cam Whitmore as they settle in at Villanova after helping lead USA Basketball to a gold medal at the FIBA U18 Americas Tournament earlier this month.
 
                Seated together in front of a display honoring Villanova's rich history with USA Basketball, Mark Armstrong and Cam Whitmore are in the midst of a whirlwind. A mere 72 hours earlier they were in Mexico, finishing a spectacular three week stretch that showcased some of the gifts each brings to the Nova Nation.
 
                Armstrong, 6-3, served as Team USA's primary point guard, guiding a potent attack that led to convincing victories in all six games it played in Tijuana, Mexico. The product of St. Peter's Prep in New Jersey, who signed his letter of intent to attend Villanova last November and reaffirmed that commitment not long after Kyle Neptune stepped into the head coaching role in April, averaged 10.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per outing in Mexico.
 
                Whitmore, a graduate of Archbishop Spalding High School, was named the event's Most Valuable Player after averaging 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in the tournament. The 6-6 forward notched 30 points and 12 rebounds in the title game triumph over Brazil.
 
                Now, they have arrived at Villanova and are receiving a fast-track introduction to the daily life of college basketball. There have been academic meetings as the pair settles into summer classes. Each has spent time with the Wildcats' coaching staff, including individual time with Neptune. And they are beginning to immerse themselves in the details of the basketball system employed at VU.
 
                Yet the joy of what was accomplished over the previous weeks is there too.
 
                "Just the experience of playing for your country and other teams playing for their countries stands out," Armstrong stated. "Just the whole experience of people coming to see us play, taking pictures with us after the games. It was a once in a life opportunity. I took it all in and enjoyed the moment.
 
                "Even though some of the game were blowouts, it's amazing that you won a gold medal for your country. You see pros getting gold medals and we were able to do that at the high school level."
 
                "It am blessed and I thank God every day for putting me in this position," added Whitmore.  
 
                In prep careers chock full of accolades, neither of the two Wildcats had taken part in a process like this. Twenty-seven candidates were invited to Houston for a training camp that began on May 26. Over the course of the final days of May, the coaching staff, led by Colorado's Tad Boyle, winnowed the roster down to the final 12.
 
                "I'd never been to a training camp like this one before," Whitmore said. "It was a great atmosphere, great competition."
 
                As veterans of the grassroots basketball circuit, both Wildcats knew many of the invited players at the training camp. Together, they went through twice daily practices that allowed the staff to get a handle on which athletes it wished to retain for the FIBA U18 tournament.
 
                "I knew some of the guys, some of the guards and forwards," noted Armstrong. "It was just a group of guys getting together to compete to play at the highest level. It was a great experience."
 
                From the beginning, the message from the coaching staff was direct.
 
                "Basically, the message was that they wanted us to put forth maximum effort," stated Whitmore. "That was true for every drill, every workout. No walking to a drill. They always wanted us running to it. And it was a lot of attention to details."
 
                "There were roles they wanted us to play for the team," added Armstrong. "It's more than just everyone goes to the scoring part of the game. I had to come out, play hard, be vocal on the court, do different things to stand out."
 
                Those selected for the final roster flew directly from Houston to Tijuana, the first international trip for both players.
 
                "It was definitely a culture change for me," said Armstrong. "The food we ate, the different things you do while staying over there. It was different from the States."
 
                A deep and talented roster gave the staff a host of options. Armstrong's speed and quickness was readily apparent on the broadcasts. So too for Whitmore's explosiveness and skill around the basket. Team USA defeated its first two opponents, the Dominican Republic and Ecuador by a combined 150 points. That was followed by a 45-point victory over Puerto Rico. It's next two triumphs over Mexico and Argentina were by 28 and 38 points respectively.
 
                The Americans completed their dominance with a 100-62 win over Brazil in the gold medal clash.
 
                "We came together as a group," Armstrong said. "Everyone liked each other on the team. We put our egos to the side and go get a gold medal. We played defense and that was our key."
 
                "This team really left their egos at home and played together," USA head coach Tad Boyle said. "It's a challenge to come together as a group in such a short period of time and play for each other, but these guys have done a great job at that. This is a testament to them."
 
                Of course, that focus comes as a natural lead-in to their next basketball assignment here at Villanova.
 
                "It's a great transition from USA Basketball from how they practice and how they play to here at Villanova," stated Whitmore. "They do the same things so it's a good transition for us."