Chinanu Onuaku Invited to Participate in USA Basketball Training Camp

Like Montrezl Harrell before him.

University of Louisville sophomore forward/center Chinanu Onuaku is among 24 players who have accepted invitations to participate in the 2015 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Championship Team training camp that will be staged June 12-26 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The training camp will be utilized to select the 12-member roster for the 2015 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Championship Team. The USA will look to defend the USA's 2013 U19 gold at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship that will be held June 27-July 5 in Heraklion, Crete, Greece. Athletes eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens who are 19 years old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1996). Former UofL forward Montrezl Harrell was a member of the 2013 gold medal winning team.

The 6-10, 230-pound Onuaku from Lanham, Md., started 26 games as a freshman in helping the Cardinals post a 27-9 record last season, reaching the final eight teams in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in the last eight years. An All-ACC Academic team selection, Onuaku averaged 3.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and was ninth in the ACC with 42 blocked shots last season.

"It should be looked upon as a tremendous honor to be selected to tryout for this team, because the competition is so strong," said Jim Boeheim Syracuse Hall of Fame head coach and chair of the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Committee, which is responsible for selecting players and coaches for the team. "Our committee does a great job identifying players who will represent our country in international competition. We know that even in the training camp, the competition will be fierce."

The returning gold medalists include: Isaiah Briscoe (Roselle Catholic H.S./Union, N.J.); Jalen Brunson (Stevenson H.S./Lincolnshire, Ill.); Terrance Ferguson (Homeschooled/Flower Mound, Texas); Harry Giles (Wesleyan Christian Academy/Winston-Salem, N.C.); Josh Jackson (Prolific Prep, Calif./Southfield, Mich.); Diamond Stone (Dominican H.S./Milwaukee, Wis.); Caleb Swanigan (Homestead H.S./Fort Wayne, Ind.); Jayson Tatum (Chaminade College Prep/St. Louis, Mo.); Allonzo Trier (Findlay Prep, Nev./Seattle, Wash.); and Seventh Woods (Hammond School/Columbia, S.C.).

Also attending camp will be: Tyus Battle (St. Bernard's School/Edison, N.J.); Justin Bibbs (Virginia Tech/Dayton, Ohio); Brekkott Chapman (Utah/Roy, Utah); Vince Edwards (Purdue/Middletown, Ohio); Jawun Evans (Kimball H.S./Dallas, Texas); Riley LaChance (Vanderbilt/Brookfield, Wis.); T.J. Leaf (Foothills Christian H.S./Lakeside, Calif.); Silas Melson (Gonzaga/Portland, Ore.); Malik Monk (Bentonville H.S./Lepanto, Ark.); Eric Paschall (Villanova/Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.); L.J. Peak (Georgetown/Gaffney, S.C.); Malik Pope (San Diego State/Sacramento, Calif.); and Thomas Welsh (UCLA/Redondo Beach, Calif.).

Coaching the 2015 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Championship Team will be head coach Sean Miller (Arizona) and assistants Ed Cooley (Providence) and Archie Miller (Dayton).

Training camp will begin on the evening of June 13, followed by two practices each day. Finalists for the team are expected to be announced on June 15, and the roster will be selected prior to the team's departure for Greece.

Rick Pitino also revealed on 93.9 this afternoon that Mangok Mathiang will try out for the Australian National Team this summer.