USA Basketball also announced the withdraw of two previously announced USA U19 Trials participants. Drew Gordon (Archbishop Mitty H.S. / San Jose, Calif.), who injured his hand over the weekend at the 2007 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival, and 2006 USA U18 Trials finalist James Hickson (Wheeler H.S., Ga. / Marietta, Ga.) have withdrawn from the Trials leaving 18 players set to contend for USA U19 Team roster positions.

Eighteen of the nation's top basketball players 19 years old and younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1988) are confirmed to participate in the June 28-30 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Championship Team Trials that will be held at the Dallas Mavericks' practice facility (American Airlines Center). The Trials will be used to select finalists for the USA Basketball U19 World Championship Team that will compete in the 2007 FIBA U19 World Championship that is being held in July 12-22 in Novi Sad, Serbia.

The first USA Basketball Men's U19 World Championship Team Trials session will be held on June 28, 5-7 p.m. (all times local, CDT). Two trials sessions (10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.) are scheduled for June 29 and 30. Selected USA finalists will remain for the USA's July 1-7 training camp, which will include the USA playing an exhibition game on July 1 against the China Senior National Team, and participating in the 2007 Global Games in Dallas.

Previously announced as having accepted invitations to participate in the 2007 USA Basketball U19 World Championship Team Trials were: Lavoy Allen (Pennsbury H.S., Pa./ Morrisville, Pa.); Darrell Arthur (Kansas / Dallas, Texas); Michael Beasley (Notre Dame Prep, Mass./ Frederick, Md.); Patrick Beverley (Arkansas / Chicago, Ill.): Matt Bouldin (Gonzaga / Highlands Ranch, Colo.); Dwayne Collins (Miami / Miami, Fla.); Stephen Curry (Davidson / Charlotte, N.C.); Tyreke Evans (Aston American Christian, Pa. / Aston, Pa.); Jonny Flynn (Niagara Falls H.S. / Niagara Falls, N.Y.); Donte' Greene (Towson Catholic H.S. / Baltimore, Md.); Damian Hollis (George Washington / Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.); DeAndre Jordan (Bellaire Episcopal H.S. / Humble, Texas); David Lighty (Ohio State / Cleveland, Ohio); Raymar Morgan (Michigan State / Canton, Ohio); Tajuan Porter (Oregon / Detroit, Mich.); Corey Stokes (St. Benedict's H.S. / Newark, N.J.); Deon Thompson (North Carolina / Torrance, Calif.); and Brad Wanamaker (Roman Catholic H.S. / Philadelphia, Pa.).

Wainwright, who served as an assistant for the 2006 USA U18 National Team, will lead the 2007 USA U19 World Championship Team, and collegiate head coaches Bruiser Flint of Drexel University (Pa.) and George Washington University's (D.C.) Karl Hobbs will serve as assistant coaches.

"Without question in the game of basketball China is certainly an emerging power. With the influence Yao Ming has had not only in the NBA but also in terms of his world wide notoriety, I would certainly believe he has inspired a lot of young people in China to begin to look at basketball as a serious pursuit. Additionally people are saying that one of the top 10 NBA draft picks this year will be China's Yi Jianlian," said USA U19 head coach Jerry Wainwright (DePaul University). "So based on their age, experience and talent; for a our group of kids coming together for the first time and playing internationally; there's no appetizers, we're going to the main course in a very short period of time.

"What the game versus China and our games in the Global Games will do is it will allow our kids to see how good people from other countries are in the game of basketball and how we're going to have to play together to beat these teams. I think the mind set that we're going to take is why not play the best and why not be challenged? If we're going to prove our team can be the best then it's good to play these kinds of teams. I think our kids will treat it as a great honor and be excited about playing a team of that caliber."

"The field of teams in the 2007 Global Games is challenging. Argentina, Brazil and Puerto Rico have already left a mark on international basketball, and the kids from Africa are the next great emerging talent pool. The ability to acclimate ourselves to what we're going to be facing is only going to help us. What we have to do then is take that experience and now do it away from American soil. It's one thing to do it in Dallas, but now to take what we learn there and do it in another country is probably the greatest challenge for our team, especially noting the age of these kids.

"I'm going to tell our players there's no reason to just kind of dip your toes into the water to see what the temperature is, we've got to jump right in and that's how we're going to approach it, Wainwright added.

Meeting China in a 5 p.m. (CDT) game on July 1, the U.S. is certain to have its hands fulls when it faces Houston Rockets star and NBA All-Star Yao and the rest of his teammates. China, the defending FIBA Asia zone champions, most recently finished ninth in the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

Tickets for the Sunday, July 1 USA versus China game and for the July 7 Global Games finals are $5, and just $3 for the USA's games on July 5 and July 6. Tickets will be available by calling (214) 768-GAME (4263), or through the Moody Coliseum Box Office (6024 Airline Road, Dallas, Texas).
The USA squad will also participate in the 2007 Global Games and will meet team Africa on July 5 (8 p.m.), Puerto Rico's U19 National Team on July 6 (6 p.m.), and the Global Games finals will be conducted on July 7. Also competing in the Global Games are Argentina, the Global Games AA team, and a team to de determined. All of the Global Games action will be held at Moody Coliseum on the campus of SMU.

The USA's participation in the 2007 Global Games marks the fourth time a USA Basketball squad has competed in the event. In 2005, the U.S. U21 World Championship Team finished 4-0 to capture the title and in 2003 the USA's Junior World Championship Team rolled to a 5-0 mark to take home top honors. In 2001 the USA World Championship For Young Men Team won a pair of games, defeating Lithuania and Yugoslavia.
The U.S. earned its 2007 FIBA U19 World Championship berth by claiming gold at the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. The 2007 USA squad will be comprised of males 19-years-old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1988) who are citizens of the United States.

The official 12-member USA U19 World Championship team will compete in the July 12–22 FIBA U19 World Championship in Novi Sad, Serbia. The draw for the tournament was held on Feb. 27, and the United States was placed in Group B for preliminary round action along with China (FIBA Asia gold medalist), Mali (FIBA Africa silver medalist) and host Serbia (FIBA Europe fifth place finisher).

In addition to the USA's pool, included among the 16 national teams that qualified through their FIBA zone tournaments are Brazil (FIBA Americas bronze medalist), France (FIBA Europe gold medalist), Lebanon (FIBA Asia bronze medalist) and Lithuania (FIBA Europe silver medalist) in Group A; Group C consists of Australia (FIBA Oceania gold medalist), Canada (FIBA Americas fourth place finisher), Nigeria (FIBA Africa gold medalist) and Turkey (FIBA Europe fourth place finisher); while Group D includes Argentina (FIBA Americas silver medalist), Puerto Rico (FIBA Americas fifth place finisher), South Korea (FIBA Asia silver medalist) and Spain (FIBA Europe bronze medalist).

The USA will open play against Mali on July 12 at 6 p.m. (All times listed are local times. Novi Sad, Serbia, is six hours ahead of EDT), followed by China on July 13 at 8:30 p.m,. and will cap preliminary play against host Serbia on July 14 at 6 p.m. The top three teams from each of the four preliminary round groups advance to the July 16-18 second round. The top three teams from Groups A and B will compete in round-robin play in second round Group E; while the top three teams from Groups C and D will play each other in Group F. The preliminary round results carry over to the second round standings, and teams will only face advancing squads from the opposite group in second round action. Quarterfinals will be contested on July 20, the semifinals on July 21 and the gold medal tilt is slated for July 22.

FIBA U19 World Championship for Men
Originally known as the FIBA Junior World Championship, the tournament has been held every four years since 1979 and will now be contested every other year beginning in 2009. USA men's teams are 45-10 in the U19/Junior World Championships and have won three gold and two silver medals in seven U19/Junior Worlds, while placing fifth with a 7-1 record most recently in 2003.

Some of the athletes who have represented the United States at the U19/Junior World Championships include: Stacey Augmon (1987); Vin Baker (1991); Dee Brown (2003); Vince Carter (1995); Nick Collison (1999); Paul Davis (2003); Eric Floyd (1979); Larry Johnson (1987); Stephon Marbury (1995); Gary Payton (1987); Sam Perkins (1979); Wesley Person (1991); Kevin Pittsnogle (2003); J.J. Redick (2003); Bobby Simmons (1999); Scott Skiles (1983); Deron Williams (2003); and James Worthy (1979).

USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee
The USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee, in addition to chair Boeheim, consists of: NCAA appointees Fran Dunphy (head coach, Temple University, Pa.); Tom Izzo (head coach, Michigan State University); Ernie Kent (head coach, University of Oregon) and Tubby Smith (head coach, University of Minnesota); NABC appointee Bill Self (head coach, University of Kansas); NAIA appointee Bob Burchard (head coach, Columbia College, Mo.); NJCAA appointee Scott Schumacher (head coach, Kilgore C.C., Texas), and athlete representatives Steve Wojciechowski (1995 Junior World Championship team / assistant coach, Duke University, N.C.) and A.J. Wynder (1995 Pan American Games team / head coach, Nassau Community College, N.Y.).