Irvin Accepts Tryout With USA Basketball Squad
5/7/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
May 7, 2002
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- TCU forward Sandora Irvin, who set school single-season records in rebounds and blocked shots in her first year at the school, is among 35 of the country's top 20-and-unders who have accepted invitations to try out for the 2002 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Team, USA Basketball announced today.
Following the three days of trials, which will be held May 17-19 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., the Committee will announce finalists for the U.S. squad. USA team training will kick off on July 7 in Colorado Springs and run through July 11. The final 12-member 2002 USA 20-and-under squad will be named after the July camp.
The eventual 12-member team, which will be comprised of U.S. citizens 20-years-old or younger, will compete in the Confederation of Pan American Basketball Associations (COPABA) World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Tournament. Hosted by Brazil in Ribeirao Preto from July 17-21 and featuring eight teams from North, South and Central America as well as the Caribbean, the top three nations will qualify for the inaugural International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Championship For Young Women which is scheduled to be played in Dubrovnik, Croatia in July 2003.
The full list of invitees are: Jacqueline Batteast (Notre Dame); Tera Bjorklund (Colorado); Betsy Boardman (Arizona State); Teresa Borton (Notre Dame); Kala Bowers (Texas); Kara Brown-Braxton (Georgia); Shameka Christon (Arkansas); Ebony Felder (Georgia); Cisti Greenwalt (Texas Tech); Vanessa Hayden (Florida); SeSe Helm (Kentucky); Doneeka Hodges (LSU); Ebony Hoffman (Southern California); Sandora Irvin (TCU); Dionnah Jackson (Oklahoma);Amber Jacobs (Boston College); Temeka Johnson (LSU); Laurie Koehn (Kansas State); Kelly Mazzante (Penn State); Julie McBride (Syracuse); Janel McCarville (Minnesota); Kristen O'Neill (Washington); Amber Obaze (Louisiana Tech); Ugo Oha (George Washington); Nicole Ohlde (Kansas State); Jia Perkins (Texas Tech); Cappie Pondexter (Rutgers); Heather Schreiber (Texas); Stacy Stephens (Texas); Ann Strother (Highlands Ranch H.S.); Kelley Suminski (Stanford); Brandi Teamer (Virginia); Christi Thomas (Georgia); Tanesheia Thompson (Gulf Coast Community College); Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota) and Dee-Dee Wheeler (Arizona).
All told, there are 34 NCAA Division I players, including 20 rising juniors and 14 rising sophomores, one NJCAA athlete and one who has recently completed her prep career; 19 previous USA Basketball participants; six 2002 All-Americans; six 2002 conference Freshman of the Year honorees; one 2002 conference Player of the Year and a total of 25 who were listed among their 2002 all-conference or all-freshmen teams.
