University of Louisville women’s basketball’s Kylee Shook was one of 33 student-athletes invited to the USA Basketball U-19 World Cup Team Trials, it was announced on Wednesday.
Shook will compete for one 12 spots from May 18-21 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in her hometown of Colorado Springs, Colo. Once the team selected, it will contend for its seventh-consecutive gold medal from July 22-30 in Cividale del Friuli and Udine, Italy.
The rising sophomore, Shook played in 35 games last season and averaged 5.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and a team-leading 1.0 blocks per game. Her 34 blocks are third most among freshmen in school history. She recorded double-digit points five times, including 16 against Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament. During the postseason, she contributed 7.3 points and 3.2 boards.
“These athletes represent the top talent our country has to offer at this age level,” George Washington head coach and chair of the selection committee Jennifer Rizzotti said. “This is a very versatile group that will give the coaching staff a lot of options. They are all tough competitors, and it is not going to be easy for us to pare it down to the final 12-member team. The committee feels we will be able to select from this group a team that will represent the USA well on and off the court, and these athletes have what it takes to win a seventh-straight gold medal at the FIBA U-19 World Cup.”
The U.S. opens the event in Group A against Mali on July 22, faces China on July 23, and caps the preliminary round against host Italy on July 25.
Following the preliminary round, teams will be seeded according to group play, and all participating teams will advance to the round of 16 on July 26. Winners will advance to the July 28 medal quarterfinals, while the remaining teams will continue playing out for classification. The medal semifinals will be held July 29, and the gold and bronze medal games are slated for July 30.
Pittsburgh head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio, who led the 2016 USA U-18 National Team to gold, will lead the USA U-19 World Cup Team and will be assisted by collegiate head coaches Kamie Ethridge from Northern Colorado and Charlotte Smith from Elon. Additionally, Georgetown head coach Natasha Adair and Drake head coach Jennie Baranczyk will serve as court coaches during the trials.
USA Basketball
Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., and chaired by retired Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for men’s and women’s basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the U.S. by the International Basketball Federation and the United States Olympic Committee, USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training, and fielding of USA teams that compete in FIBA-sponsored international competitions, as well as for some national competitions, and for the development of youth basketball initiatives that address player development, coach education and safety.
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Ira Green
Asst. Sports Information Director
University of Louisville Athletics