Shelvin Mack Invited To U19 World Championship Team Trials

Butler guard Shelvin Mack has been added to the list of invited players who will participate in the 2009 USA U19 National Team Trials, which will be held June 16-18 at the U. S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.  He joins teammate Gordon Hayward, who was issued an invitation to the trials last month.

Mack, Ashton Gibbs of Pittsburgh and Dante Taylor of Pittsburgh were extended invitations by the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee, chaired by Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, after three previously invited players announced they were unable to attend.  A total of 17 players, including 15 who recently completed their freshman season at NCAA Division I schools, will participate in the national team trials.

“The entire Butler Basketball family is thrilled that Shelvin and Gordon have earned an invitation to participate in the upcoming USA Basketball U19 trials in Colorado Springs,” said Butler head coach Brad Stevens.  “It is a terrific honor, and I know that both young men are looking forward to competing.”

Rounding out the roster for the trials are Kenny Boynton of Florida, Darryl Bryant of West Virginia, DeAngelo Casto of Washington State, Seth Curry of Duke, Drew Gordon of UCLA, Darius Miller of Kentucky, Arnett Moultrie of UTEP, Ralph Sampson III of Minnesota, John Shurna of Northwestern, Tyshawn Taylor of Kansas, Howard Thompkins of Georgia, Klay Thompson of Washington State and Terrico White of Mississippi.  Boynton and Dante Taylor both recently completed their high school careers as 2009 McDonald’s All-Americans.

Mack, a 6-3 backcourt player, started all 32 games in his first season at Butler, while helping the Bulldogs to a 26-6 record, a “Top 25” national ranking, a regular season championship in the Horizon League and a berth in the NCAA Division I national tournament.  He led the Bulldogs in assists, becoming just the third freshman in Butler history to record 100 assists, ranked second in the Horizon League in assist/turnover ratio (1.7) and finished third on the team in scoring (11.9 ppg) and rebounding (4.4).  He was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team, was picked to the league’s All-Tournament Team and was selected to the CollegeHoops.net All-Freshman Team. 

Following the trials, the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee will announce finalists for the 12-member U.S. Team, which will be coached by Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh.  Training camp for the selected finalists will begin June 19, with the USA roster being announced prior to the team’s departure for New Zealand on June 25.

Sixteen nations will battle for the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship for Men title.  The United States has been placed in Group B, along with Egypt, France and Iran.  Angola, Greece, Lithuania and Puerto Rico will make up Group A, Australia, Canada, Spain and Syria are in Group C and Argentina, Croatia, Kazakhstan and host New Zealand make up Group D.  The U.S. will play Iran on July 2, France on July 3 and Egypt on July 4.  The second round will be played July 6-8 with the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship slated for July 10-12.