Kalkbrenner Invited To USA Basketball Men's U19 World Cup Team Trials
6/3/2021 12:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Rising sophomore led Creighton in blocked shots as a freshman
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – Creighton Basketball rising sophomore Ryan Kalkbrenner is one of 27 athletes who have accepted an invitation to attend the 2021 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Cup Team training camp. The athletes, age 19 years old or younger, will compete June 20-22 at TCU in hopes of being named to the 12-member team that will represent the USA at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup for Men. Also on the list is Millard North High School product and Gonzaga-bound Hunter Sallis.
Kalkbrenner averaged 5.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per game last season in 31 games as a reserve for the Bluejays. He shot 64.5 percent from the field and reached double-figures on seven occasions. The St. Louis, Mo., native had 29 dunks and led CU with 38 blocked shots, which ranked seventh-most nationally among freshmen. Creighton finished the season with a 22-9 record and reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1974.
Creighton's most recent USA Basketball representatives were Ty-Shon Alexander and Geoffrey Groselle, who teamed up to win a bronze medal at the Pan American Games in the summer of 2019. Alexander now plays for the Phoenix Suns, while Groselle is a five-year pro who spent last season in Poland with Enea Zastal. Creighton's last representative on USA Basketball's U19 Team was Doug McDermott, who averaged 11.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in the FIBA U19 World Championships in Riga, Latvia in 2011 prior to his sophomore season. McDermott played for the Indiana Pacers in 2020-21 and recently wrapped up his seventh season in the NBA.
The 27 athletes expected to attend the U19 training camp are: Devin Askew (Texas/Sacramento, Calif.); Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Hamilton H.S./Sussex, Wis.); Kendall Brown (Sunrise Christian Academy /Cottage Grove, Minn.); Kennedy Chandler (Sunrise Christian Academy/Memphis, Tenn.); Jonathan Davis (Wisconsin/La Crosse, Wis.); Derek Fountain (Mississippi State/Holly Springs, Miss.); Caleb Furst (Blackhawk Christian School/Fort Wayne, Ind.); Jordan Hall (Texas A&M/Wildwood, N.J.); Chet Holmgren (Minnehaha Academy/Minneapolis, Minn.); Harrison Ingram (St. Mark's School/Dallas, Texas); Jaden Ivey (Purdue /South Bend, Ind.); Dishon Jackson (Washington State/Vallejo, Calif.); Meechie Johnson (Ohio State/Cleveland, Ohio); Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton/St. Louis, Mo.); Trey Kaufman-Renn (Silver Creek H.S. /Sellersburg, Ind.); Zed Key (Ohio State/Bay Shore, N.Y.); Kenneth Lofton Jr. (Louisiana Tech/Port Arthur, Texas); Langston Love (Steele H.S. /Cibolo, Texas); Mike Miles (TCU/Lancaster, Texas); Adam Miller (Louisiana State/Chicago, Ill.); Trey Patterson (Villanova /Somerset, N.J.); Hunter Sallis (Millard North H.S./Omaha, Neb.); Deivon Smith (Georgia Tech/Loganville, Ga.); Dalen Terry (Arizona/Tempe, Ariz.); Jabari Walker (Colorado/Inglewood, Calif.); Peyton Watson (Long Beach Poly Tech H.S./Long Beach, Calif.); and Jaylin Williams (Arkansas/Fort Smith, Ark.).
"Aside from the Olympics and World Cups, the FIBA U19 World Cup is the most challenging competition on the international calendar, and it will take a team of dedicated, selfless individuals to go to Latvia and try to win gold," said Matt Painter, chair of the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Committee and Purdue University head coach. "The committee feels we have a strong group of players coming into camp in June in hopes of securing a spot on the U19 team, and I'm looking forward to watching them fight to be a part of this USA Basketball team."
Athletes eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens, born on or after Jan. 1, 2002. On the list for training camp are 17 who played for NCAA Division I programs this past season and 10 who will be collegiate freshmen in the fall.
Twelve of the athletes have prior USA Basketball experience. Askew, a member of the 2019 USA 3x3 U19 World Cup Team that captured the gold medal is the lone participant with prior international experience with USA Basketball. Baldwin, Brown, Chandler, Holmgren, Sallis and Watson were named to the 2021 USA Nike Hoop Summit Team, but the competition was not held due to COVID-19. Miles was a member of the 2020 USA Hoop Summit Team that also did not compete due to the pandemic, and Miller was a finalist for the 2017 USA U17 World Cup Team. Additionally, Askew, Baldwin, Brown, Chandler, Furst, Holmgren, Ingram, Ivey, Love, Miller Sallis and Terry previously participated in at least one USA Basketball Junior National Team minicamp.
The team will be led by TCU head coach Jamie Dixon. Stanford University head coach Jerod Haase and Yale University head coach James Jones round out the coaching staff as assistant coaches.
Featuring U19 teams from 16 nations, the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup is scheduled to be held July 3-11 in Riga and Daugavpils, Latvia. In addition to the USA and host Latvia, teams that will take part in this summer's U19 World Cup include Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, France, Japan, Lithuania, Mali, Puerto Rico, Senegal, Serbia, South Korea, Spain and Turkey.
The USA was drawn into Group D, alongside Australia, Mali and Turkey for the July 3-6 FIBA U19 World Cup preliminary round. The USA will open play against Turkey on July 3, followed by Mali on July 4 and close preliminary play against Australia on July 6.
Reigning FIBA U19 World Cup gold medalist, USA men's teams have won seven gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal while compiling an 98-14 overall record in U19 World Cup play since the event was launched in 1979. Even more impressive, the USA has won four of the past six U19 golds since 2009.
In addition to Painter, the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Committee also includes Shane Battier, athlete representative, University of Virginia head coach Tony Bennett; Providence College head coach Ed Cooley and Sean Miller, 2015 U19 World Cup gold medalist head coach.
About USA Basketball
Based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and chaired by retired Gen. Martin Dempsey, USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the U.S. by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA national teams that compete in FIBA-sponsored five-on-five, 3x3 and esports international competitions, as well as for some national competitions and for the development of youth basketball. USA Basketball currently ranks No. 1 in all five of FIBA's world-ranking categories, including combined, men's, women's, boys and girls.
Connect with USA Basketball at USAB.com and on Facebook (USABasketball and USABYouth), Twitter (@usabasketball, @USABYouth, @USAB3x3, @usabgaming), Instagram (@USABasketball, @USAB3x3, @USABYouth, @USABgaming) and YouTube (usabasketball).
2021 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Cup Training Camp Roster
| FIRST | LAST | POS | HGT | WGT | YOG | SCHOOL | HOMETOWN |
| Devin | Askew | G | 6-3 | 190 | 2024 | Texas | Sacramento, CA |
| Patrick | Baldwin Jr. | F | 6-10 | 190 | 2021 | Hamilton H.S./*Wisconsin-Milwaukee | Sussex, WI |
| Kendall | Brown | F | 6-8 | 176 | 2021 | Sunrise Christian Academy/*Baylor | Cottage Grove, MN |
| Kennedy | Chandler | G | 6-0 | 165 | 2021 | Sunrise Christian Academy/*Tennessee | Memphis, TN |
| Jonathan | Davis | G/F | 6-5 | 196 | 2024 | Wisconsin | La Crosse, WI |
| Derek | Fountain | F | 6-9 | 210 | 2024 | Mississippi State | Holly Springs, MS |
| Caleb | Furst | F | 6-8 | 215 | 2021 | Blackhawk Christian School/*Purdue | Fort Wayne, IN |
| Jordan | Hall | G | 6-8 | 210 | 2024 | Texas A&M | Wildwood, NJ |
| Chet | Holmgren | F/C | 7-0 | 175 | 2021 | Minnehaha Academy/*Gonzaga | Minneapolis, MN |
| Harrison | Ingram | F | 6-7 | 200 | 2021 | St. Mark's School/*Stanford | Dallas, TX |
| Jaden | Ivey | G | 6-2 | 165 | 2024 | Purdue | South Bend, IN |
| Dishon | Jackson | C | 6-10 | 235 | 2024 | Washington State | Vallejo, CA |
| Meechie | Johnson | G | 6-2 | 172 | 2024 | Ohio State | Cleveland, OH |
| Ryan | Kalkbrenner | C | 7-0 | 235 | 2024 | Creighton | St. Louis, MO |
| Trey | Kaufman-Renn | F/C | 6-9 | 210 | 2021 | Silver Creek H.S./*Purdue | Sellersburg, IN |
| Zed | Key | C | 6-8 | 245 | 2024 | Ohio State | Bay Shore, NY |
| Kenneth | Lofton Jr. | C | 6-7 | 275 | 2024 | Louisiana Tech | Port Arthur, TX |
| Langston | Love | G | 6-4 | 185 | 2021 | Steele H.S./*Baylor | Cibolo, TX |
| Mike | Miles | G | 6-2 | 195 | 2024 | TCU | Lancaster, TX |
| Adam | Miller | G | 6-3 | 175 | 2024 | Louisiana State | Chicago, IL |
| Trey | Patterson | F | 6-7 | 170 | 2024 | Villanova | Somerset, NJ |
| Hunter | Sallis | G | 6-3 | 175 | 2021 | Millard North H.S./*Gonzaga | Omaha, NE |
| Deivon | Smith | G | 6-1 | 165 | 2024 | Georgia Tech | Loganville, GA |
| Dalen | Terry | G/F | 6-7 | 195 | 2024 | Arizona | Tempe, AZ |
| Jabari | Walker | F | 6-8 | 200 | 2024 | Colorado | Inglewood, CA |
| Peyton | Watson | G/F | 6-7 | 170 | 2021 | Long Beach Poly Tech H.S./*UCLA | Long Beach, CA |
| Jaylin | Williams | C | 6-10 | 235 | 2020 | Arkansas | Fort Smith, AK |
Head Coach: Jamie Dixon, Texas Christian University
Assistant Coach: Jerod Haase, Stanford University
Assistant Coach: James Jones, Yale University
*Committed to attend and play for school indicated in 2021-22.
