COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Following four training camp sessions, USA Basketball announced Tennessee basketball sophomore Tobe Awaka and redshirt freshman Freddie Dilione V as two of its 18 finalists for the 2023 USA Men’s U19 National Team Monday.
The finalists, selected from 35 training camp invitees, will vie for 12 spots on the final roster, with competition at the 2023 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup scheduled for June 24-July 2 in Debrecen, Hungary.
Finalists were selected by the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee.
Collegiate players on the list of finalists—which also includes unsigned prospects not listed here—are Mark Armstrong (Villanova), Tobe Awaka (Tennessee), Omaha Biliew (Iowa State), Kylan Boswell (Arizona), Myles Colvin (Purdue), Eric Dailey Jr. (Oklahoma State), Freddie Dilione V (Tennessee), Jeremy Fears Jr. (Michigan State), Trentyn Flowers (Louisville), Ven-Allen Lubin (Vanderbilt), Ernest Udeh Jr. (TCU) and Cody Williams (Colorado).
Along with the USA and host Hungary, teams that will take part in the FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup are Argentina, Canada, Egypt, Korea, Madagascar, Slovenia, Turkey, Brazil, China, France, Japan, Lebanon, Serbia and Spain.
The USA was drawn into Group B, alongside Lebanon, Madagascar and Slovenia for the June 24-27 FIBA U19 World Cup preliminary round. The USA will open play against Madagascar on June 24, followed by Slovenia on June 25 and close preliminary play against Lebanon on June 27.
The USA will face off against Lebanon and Madagascar for the first time at a 2023 FIBA Men’s U19 World Cup, owning a 2-0 record against Slovenia at the U19 World Cup.
The United States has won the competition eight times, including three of the last four competitions—in 2015, 2019 and 2021. Former Tennessee point guard and 2022 NBA Draft pick Kennedy Chandler was a member of the gold-medal-winning U.S. squad in 2021.
-UT Athletics
