|
USA Basketball Announces Court Coaches For The 2006 USA Men's U18 National Team Trials
May 15, 2006 Champaign, Ill. - The USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee, chaired by Syracuse University's (N.Y.) head coach Jim Boeheim, has selected Bruce Weber of the University of Illinois, Ron Cottrell of Houston Baptist University (Texas), Mike Dunlap of Metropolitan State College of Denver (Colo.), James Jones of Yale University (Conn.), Scott Gernander of San Jacinto College (Texas) and Reggie Witherspoon of the University at Buffalo (N.Y) as court coaches for the 2006 USA Men's U18 National Team Trials. Trials for the USA U18 Team will be held June 16-18 in San Antonio, Texas, with approximately 25 U.S. hopefuls, born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, participating. Following selection of finalists for the USA squad, the Americans will continue to train June 19-27 in San Antonio. The FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men, which will qualify four teams for the 2007 FIBA U19 World Championship, is being held June 28-July 2 at the Bill Greehey Arena on the campus of St. Mary's University in San Antonio. The University of Washington's Lorenzo Romar was named head coach of the 2006 USA Men's U18 National Team, while Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt and DePaul's (Ill.) Jerry Wainwright were selected as assistant coaches. After 26 years as a head and assistant coach (1979-80 to present) and an overall record 607-246 (.712 winning percentage), Illini coach Bruce Weber will undertake his first USA Basketball assignment. "To me it's a great honor to work with the best basketball players and coaches in the country," Weber said. "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity." With a record of 192-70 over eight seasons as a head coach, the University of Illinois from 2003-04 to present and at Southern Illinois University from 1998-99 through 2002-03, Weber holds the seventh-best winning percentage (.733) among active Division I coaches and has captured the third-most wins in Division I history over a coach's first eight years. After three seasons (2003-04 to present) at the University of Illinois, Weber has tallied a record of 89-16 (.848 winning percentage), making him the winningest Big Ten Conference coach ever over a coach's first three seasons and the second winningest Big Ten coach over any period of three consecutive seasons. With 141 wins, Weber is also the second winningest coach in the nation over the past five seasons. The 2005-06 Fighting Illini recorded their third consecutive 25-win season, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Holding opponents to an average of 58.7 points per game, Illinois ranked 11th nationally and led the Big Ten in scoring defense. Illinois' 29 straight wins to start the 2004-05 season was the 12th-best start in Division I history and the third-best start in Big Ten history. Weber also became the first coach in the Big Ten's 100-year history to win consecutive regular season conference titles in his first two seasons. Weber's 2004-05 squad finished 37-2, tying the NCAA record for wins in a season. After capturing the 2005 conference tournament title, Illinois reached its first Final Four in 16 years and its first national championship game in school history. Weber was rewarded for Illinois' outstanding 2004-05 season as the recipient of the Naismith Award, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's Henry Iba Award and the Adolph F. Rupp Cup. He was also named National Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the Associated Press, The Sporting News, Basketball Times, CBS/Chevrolet, Victor Awards and the Nike Basketball Clinic. Capturing the program's first regular season Big Ten title in 52 years, Weber led the 2003-04 Fighting Illini to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, finishing 26-7. Weber's first head coaching position was at Southern Illinois University, where he was 103-54 (.656 winning percentage) in five seasons (1998-99 through 2002-03). Weber led his Salukis to two regular season Missouri Valley Conference championships (2002 and 2003) and two NCAA Tournament appearances (2002 and 2003), including the 2002 Sweet Sixteen. He was the 2003 conference coach of the year. Following one season (1979-80) as an assistant coach at Western Kentucky University, Weber spent 18 seasons (1980-81 through 1997-98) as an assistant to Gene Keady at Purdue University (Ind.). He was 394-168 (.701 winning percentage) at Purdue, helping the program capture six Big Ten regular season titles and reach 14 NCAA Tournaments, including two Sweet Sixteens (1988 and 1998) and an Elite Eight (1994). 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship For Men Some of the top players who have represented the United States in past U18 tournaments include former Illini Dee Brown (2002) and Deron Williams (2002), and others such as Shareef Abdur-Rahim (1994); Carmelo Anthony (2002); Chris Bosh (2002); Nick Collison (1998); Grant Hill (1990); Allan Houston (1990); Andre Iguodala (2002); Stephon Marbury (1994); Mike Miller (1998); and Quentin Richardson (1998). 2006 USA Basketball Men's FIBA Americas U18 Championship Coaching Staff
|
