2011 FIBA U19 Women's World Championship

[sinobball]

Here are the final few posts from this tour. The U19 Aussie girls looked very good.

http://www.netscoutsbasketball.com/b...ey-the-pandas/

http://www.netscoutsbasketball.com/b...-game-tonight/

Thanks for the articles, good read as always.

All Tourney Teams

Shang Luo
MVP - Gretel Tippett, Australia - 6’4 PF
Janae Young, USA - 6’0 SG
Zuo Jia Yi, China - 5’11 PG
Rebecca Cole, Australia - 5’10 PG/SG
Sun Meng Ran, China - 6’6 PF
Petra Zaplatova, Czech Republic - 5’8 G
Robin Murphy, USA - 6’1 SF/PF

Shuo Shou
MVP - Janae Young, USA - 6’0 SG
Tayla Roberts, Australia - 6’4 C
Zhang Li Tang, China - 6’7 C
Yang Li Wei, China - 5’10 PG/SG (15 years old)
Sara Blicavs, Australia - 6’4 SF/PF
Kamila Stepanova, Czech Republic - 6’4 C/PF
Teena Wickett, USA - 6’3 C

Ya’an
MVP - Yang Xi, China - 6’1 SG/SF
Kristi Fallin, USA - 5’10 SG
Tayla Roberts, Australia - 6’4 C
Janae Young, USA - 6’0 G
Yu Dong, China - 6’4 C
Kamila Stepanova, Czech Republic - 6’4 C/PF
Shen Yi, China - 5’8 PG

Basically all players that played in the games are selected to the All-Tourney teams. Classic Chinese way

The Shangluo selections are probably more indicative of the best players in the tourney. Zuo Jiayi and Sun Mengran are perhaps the only Chinese players (that I know) who played in the WCBA last year, and they both did well.

[carlo]

Following the intensive tour of China, the Australia has chosen the definitive team that will compete in the next U19 World.
http://www.basketball.net.au/index.p...ash=70e4ced28b

There are no significant news in this team, as the final players were already known and have simply been confirmed for the championship.

[carlo]

Here's a table summarizing the main stats of the 12 Gems (U19 Australian team) scored in the past two years internationally.
All selected players have accumulated international experience.
7 come from the 2010 U17 team and 5 from the U18/19 team that toured Europe last June winning two tournaments in France.
Stats are uncomplete for the 2010 Fiba Qualifier games vs New Zealand and for one tournament in France.

[carlo]

12 players have been selected to represent Nigeria in the next U19 Fiba World.
The athletes are all based in the USA and will train in Washington DC, before leaving to Europe to play some test games.
http://chile2011.fiba.com/pages/eng/...1/article.html

The team is again led by 6-2 Fw Uju Ugoka and 6-1 Ijeoma Uchendu, captain of the U18 squad that earned the second place at the 2010 Africa Qualifier (narrowly losing to the home team, Egypt). Both athletes have played the last season in the NJCAA as freshmen at Grayson County College (Tex).

Other well known athletes:

Afure Jemerigbe (6-0 G) who has played as a freshman at the U. of California, averaging 4.8ppg. She was an All American in 2010, playing at the McDonald's game and was invited by USAB to the 2010 U18 Fiba Americas tryouts.

Loliya Briggs (5-11 G) a senior HS player, who was #50 overall in the ESPN rankings. She had been invited by USAB in 2009 at the U16 Fiba Americas trials.

Sarah Imovbioh (6-2 F/C) a senior HS player as well, with outstanding stats (29ppg and 22.6rpg), ranked #56 overall by ESPN

Promise Amukumara (5-8 G) an All Arizona HS senior, who averaged 21.6ppg

Sandra Udobi (6-3 C) a junior HS, averaging more than 21ppg and 10.9rpg

Unfortunately center Temitope Oladele, who recorded 9.2ppg and 8.3rpg at the 2010 Africa Qualifier is not present in the 2011 roster.

If this team finds the proper chemistry among players and is well coached, could be an interesting surprise at the next U19 World Ch'ship.

[carlo]

...further scouting of Nigeria players roster...

5-8 G Ezinne Kalu, played in the 2010-11 season at Savannah State (NCAA DivI) as a freshman. She started all 26 games and was the team's leading scorer with 15.4ppg, nearly 3apg and 3.1spg, her only negative stats being more than 4topg.
http://ssuathletics.com/roster.aspx?...52&path=wbball

6-4 C Elem Ibiam, HS senior averaging 11.5ppg, 12.2rpg and 4.6bspg
http://www.maxpreps.com/athletes/Ve2...elem-ibiam.htm

'5-7 Peace Amukumara (or Amukamara), is a HS Jr at the same school of sister Promise (see previous post) and she's the team's second leading scorer.
Btw, Senior Promise Amukumara has committed for Arizona State University.
http://www.azcentral.com/photo/Sport...s/18438/467184
Curiosity: both players are sisters of recent NY Giants 1st. Draft pick, cornerback Prince Amukamara.
http://phxfan.com/2011/04/ny-giants-...ister-promise/


P.S. the stats reported in my previous post for T. Oladele refer to the U18 Africa 2008 games. The same player was part of the 2010 team but I don't have her complete stats.

[carlo]

Promise Amukumara and Sarah Imovbioh (Nigerian U19 roster) have been selected to the Parade All American team, comprising the top 40 HS seniors of the 2010-11 season.
Imovbioh is a signee (LoI) at the University of Virginia.
http://www.virginiasports.com/ViewAr...CLID=205151820

[CKR13]

The Nigerian U-19 squad will also hold camp in Washington DC from June 7 - 14 and then fly to France for two tune up games before the U-19 Tournament.

[carlo]

...

Afure Jemerigbe (6-0 G) who has played as a freshman at the U. of California, averaging 4.8ppg. She was an All American in 2010, playing at the McDonald's game and was invited by USAB to the 2010 U18 Fiba Americas tryouts.

....

She also was a 2nd team Parade All America and not only she tried out for USAB but was selected for the finalists team of 16 players, but didn't make the final cut.
Nevertheless, her 2010-11 performances as a freshman have failed to impress.

[carlo]

Here's the updated France U19 players list for the tryouts that will start on June 3.
http://www.ffbb.com/_actu/page_m.php...p=actu&id=7275

Among the 21 invitees Fw Adja Konteh (with experience from several Euro championships and the 2009 U19 Worlds) is back.
4 players were part of the 2010 U16 team that earned the Euro bronze.
Best missing players from 2010 U18 - U17 teams are Christelle Diallo, Olivia Epoupa (2010 U16 as well), Margaux Galliou-Loko and Esther Niamke.

[carlo]

Not much is known about the U19 team the Italian Federation will send to Chile.
16 players were selected to a preliminary camp last March, while other 8 athletes were named as available alternates.
http://www.fip.it/public/38/1910/u19...o%20norcia.pdf

Backbone of the 2011 U19 Italian selection should be the team that brilliantly won the gold last year at the U18 Euro championship.
That U18 team was quite surprising, beating twice France in hard fought games and then winning over favorite Spain in the title game.
Well coached by Giovanni Lucchesi, in his words the 2010 U18 wasn’t the most talented or physical team in the tournament, but players showed a great attitude to perform together, great determination and were super in defense.
Best players from that golden U18 team were 6-0 F Gaia Gorini, named to the All Tournament team, 5-7 G Beatrice Carta, 6-1 C Lucia Morsiani, 6-0 F Marta Masoni and 5-7 Guards Chiara Zanin & Francesca Dotto. One of the most representative players, 5-6 G Debora Carangelo torn her ligaments in the first game but stayed with the team for the rest of the tournament.
Several players from that 2010 U18 team are now missing in the 2011 U19 selection. Some of the best guards like Carta, Carangelo and Zanin are not there, either due to injuries or other reasons. The positive note is the presence of 6-3 C Alessandra Formica (1993) and of 5-11 F Giovanna Pertile, both unavailable in 2010, as well as of G/F 5-9 Giulia Maffenini who has had an excellent season in the B-1 (III Div.) Italian Championship with 23ppg.
Looking forward to further developments in the next weeks.

[carlo]

In the Eurobasket News about the recent China tournaments there's an evident mistake concerning the USA team, as that selection has nothing to do with the U19 NT (which will be finalized just on May 25, at the end of the tryouts set to open today).
http://www.asia-basket.com/China/bas...owcomments=1#c

[carlo]

Some more news on the U19 Italian players.

Debora Carangelo and Chiara Zanin, two of the 2010 U18 Euro winners, have recovered from previous injuries and played well in the 2011 U19 National Championship for clubs, that ended yesterday.
Carangelo was the capt of the winning team, VIS Cervia, scoring 13pts in the title game.
Italian Coach Giovanni Lucchesi, interviewed at the end of the tournament, was satisfied how some his players are recovering and announced that the U19 hopefuls will regroup on June 11, to start the final tryouts.
Hope that at least Carangelo will be added to the official players list.

Unfortunately, another 2010 Euro Champion, F/C Lucia Morsiani, is lost for the season with a torn ACL.

[carlo]

The U19 Spain preliminary team (13 players) and 5 U18 athletes will attend a two days training on May 27-28.
The U19 girls will train together with 8 players from the U20 team.
http://www.feb.es/NoticiaDesarrollo....dNoticia=37830
http://www.feb.es/documentos/archivo...NU19F-U20F.pdf

[carlo]

USAB has released the names of 15 finalists for the squad that will defend the World title.
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/...finalists.html
http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/u19/roster.html

It's a very young team, with only 3 players having collegiate experience (Dolson, Hartley and Simmons). And the 2012 HS class accounts for more players (6) than 2011 (5).
Most of the selected athletes come form the 2010 U17 & U18.
Once again 16 year old DeShields has made the finalists team...

[JGX]

In a pair of recent friendlies, Brazil beat Chile 86-34 and 63-48. Brazil U16 (coached by Janeth Arcain) then beat Chile 69-56. Brazil U17 will face Chile today.

[JGX]

Brazil beats the US 64-61 in a scrimmage:
http://rise.espn.go.com/all-sports-g...uit=GirlsOther

Real game on Sunday. US beat Brazil 89-46 and 81-38 at the FIBA-Americas last year.

[carlo]

Brazilian players scores in their winning scrimmage with USA:
http://www.cbb.com.br/noticias/showr...sp?artigo=8591

Center Damiris do Amaral (25pts) and guard Tassia Carcavalli (13pts) led their team.

[JGX]

USA and Brazil 7-7 after the first quarter. Very ugly. I'm sure the four different three-point lines on the court aren't confusing at all.

Announcers say that the Brazilian team has been living and training together since February.

[JGX]

USA wins 49-37. I'd always wondered why ESPNU doesn't show any of the junior basketball games over the summer...I guess that's why. Final US roster will be announced later today.

[carlo]

Either Brazil has grown a lot from last year (their best players took part to the U18 Fiba Americas) or the USA 15 finalists still have to adjust their play.
It is true that these exhibitions don't show so much (the 2010 USA U17 team that won so brilliantly the championship went on to badly lose an exhibition game to Australia), but I don't think this first game was a good one from the Americans.
After the 3rd. quarter Williams had 11 points and Stewart 9.