Two Tiders Picked For USA Tryouts

Top college basketball players frequently know other college basketball stars from competitions and all-star games and recruiting trips. That will be the case when 22 collegians begin tryout training camp for the 2011 USA team for the World University Games.

Two players selected know each other particularly well. Among the players accepting invitations are Alabama standouts JaMychal Green and Tony Mitchell.

The training camp will be July 29-August 7 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. A 12-man team will be selected to represent the United States at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China, August 13-23.

This is Green’s second invitation to a USA Basketball training camp. He was a member of the 2008 U-18 National Team that won a silver medal at the FIBA Americas Championship in Argentina. Green recently wrapped up a successful junior season in which he averaged 15.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game en route to earning first team All-Southeastern Conference.

Green said, “This is a tremendous honor and I thank God and my coaches and teammates for putting me in position to compete for the opportunity to represent my country. I know it will be similar to my tryout for the U-18 team with tough competition against great players, but it will be a great team no matter who makes it. Going with a teammate in Tony [Mitchell] will make this a special experience and I look forward to both of us hopefully making the team and adding such a great honor to our resumes.”

The selection is Mitchell’s first by USA Basketball and comes after a sophomore season in which he was named second team all-SEC and averaged 15.2 points and 7.1 rebounds while shooting 52 percent from the field and 32 percent from three-point range.

“It’s an honor to be in this group with some of the top players in the nation,” Mitchell said. “I thank USA Basketball for selecting me and I can’t wait to get started. I’m looking forward to the whole experience – from tryouts to being around the be best coaches and players in the nation – and how that can impact and improve my game.”

The World University Games are held every other year and are organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The United States, which has claimed a medal in every World University Games since beginning play in 1965, has captured a record 13 golds, three silvers and three bronze medals in the 19 University Games in which a USA Basketball men’s squad has competed. Overall, the USA owns a 131-8 won-loss record in World University Games play.

Among the other players in the training camp Green and Mitchell will be familiar with are fellow Southeastern Conference competitors John Jenkins of Vanderbilt and Darius Miller of Kentucky.

The Bama players will also get to know Tennessee’s new head coach, Cuonzo Martin. He and Brad Stevens of Butler will serve as assistant coaches to Matt Painter of Purdue, selected as head coach of the squad.