Future Friar on USA National team?
John Rooke, GoLocalProv Sports Editor
Future Friar on USA National team?
The spotlight continues to shine on a very popular future Friar basketball player.
Providence College announced Thursday afternoon that Kris Dunn is one of 24 players that has accepted an invitation to attend the 2012 USA Basketball Men's U-18 National Team Training camp June 5-12 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, CO. The USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team committee issued the player invitations. And on Friday, Dunn was also named an ESPN High School all-American.
Dunn, from New London, CT, was recently named to the prestigious McDonald's all-American team, and also participated in the Jordan Brand all-star classic in Charlotte, NC. He is ranked as the No. 1 point guard in the nation according to Scout.com, and is ranked No. 23 overall in the class of 2012 by ESPN.com. Along with shooting guard Rick Ledo (ranked No. 21 overall by ESPN.com), the two guards help make up one of the top recruiting classes in the history of Friar basketball. ESPN.com has rated Head Coach Ed Cooley's 2012 class as the sixth best in the nation.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
Following the first three or four days of training camp from June 5-12 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, finalists for the team will be selected by the USA Men's Junior National Team Committee and will continue to train at the USOTC. The official, 12-member 2012 USA Men's U-18 National Team will be selected prior to the team's departure for the 2012 FIBA Americas U-18 Championship, which will be played June 16-20 in Sao Sebastiáo do Paraiso, Brazil. Players eligible for this competition must have been born on or after Jan. 1, 1994.
The 2012 USA Men's U-18 National Team will be coached by former Friar Billy Donovan, currently the head coach at the University of Florida. Dunn will attempt to become the first Friar to participate on a USA National Team since Austin Croshere was a member of the USA U-22 National squad in 1996.