Mark Pope and two Kentucky recruits were invited to USA Basketball's U19 training camp
Mark Pope and two Kentucky recruits were invited to USA Basketball's U19 training camp
The KEntucky Wildcats have long represented Team USA Basketball. From Anthony Davis to Devin Booker, a long line of Kentucky products have represented the United States at the international level.
That's set to continue this year, as two Kentucky recruits, Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno, have been invited to the 2025 USA Basketball Men's U19 National Team training camp, as has head coach Mark Pope.
"Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope and incoming freshmen Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno will take part in the 2025 USA Basketball U19 National Team training camp at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center beginning on June 14. Pope will serve in an on-court coaching role, while the freshmen are vying for spots on the 12-player roster on Team USA's squad that will compete at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland," said the University of Kentucky in a press release. "This will serve as Pope's first official role with Team USA, while Moreno will be making his second training camp appearance. Johnson earned a gold medal at the 2024 FIBA U19 AmeriCup."
Johnson and Moreno, both four-star recruits signed to Kentucky as part of their 2025 class, have previously played for Team USA, including at this year's Nike Hoop Summit. They'll both vie for a spot on the 12-man roster headed to the U19 World Cup in Switzerland against 31 other athletes.
Pope will serve in an on-court coaching role at training camp. Arizona's Tommy Lloyd will serve as at the team's head coach, with Texas Tech's Grant McCasland and Notre Dame's Micah Shrewsberry serving as his assistants. Pope, alongside Alabama head coach Nate Oats and North Carolina's Hubert Davis, will feature as on-court coaches throughout training camp.
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