The 2019 Panam Games Team has been selected.

For the record the 2019 Panam Games USA Basketball team has been selected.  Back in December 2018 USA Basketball and the NCAA selected the Big East to field this years team.  It is the 1st time a single conference has been chosen to represent the USA in the Panam Games.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Pan_American_Games

Providence HC Ed Cooley is the coach of the Panam Games USA team.  He’s had a difficult job as several big stars have graduated or are in the NBA Draft and 5-6 current Big East squads are doing overseas trips this summer, which has depleted the available talent pool from which he can draw his team roster.  Three days ago a complete roster was made public.  It has several surprises in its’ makeup.

The biggest surprise is the selection of a few prior graduates who are Euro pros now.  Tyler Wideman and Geoffrey Groselle both play in Europe, but provide much needed size to this small USA Panam team.

G – Gillespie, Pipkins, Duke
G – Powell, Heron, Malinowski
G – Alexander, Cale, Reeves
F – Diallo, McDermott, Samuels
C – Wideman, Groselle, Watkins

Reaction on the Holyland of Hoops message board was less than ecstatic.  example…

kayako- So we have no real PG, got some much needed size by getting past BE players, and 5 Providence players. I’d have to think Zegarowski and Akinjo weren’t available.

I was personally shocked to see CU’s Ty-Shon Alexander listed, as the Jays have an extended trip to Australia in early to mid August.  I saw a blurb on either GoCreighton.com or the World Herald Jays page stating he would catch up with the team after the Panam Games completed, flying from Peru to Australia.

Generally speaking the USA doesn’t do well in Panam competition, and garnering 3rd place finishes is the best we have mustered in years.  To be fair, most countries are using professional players to make up their teams.  The USA still fields teams with predominantly college level players.*

Ed Cooley, Seton Hall’s Kevin Willard, and Brown Univ.’s Mike Martin are the coaches of the team.

*Correction:  In looking at the Panam Games homepage, I noted that the 2015 Panam Games USA Men’s team consisted of 9 former college and pro players – many of which played overseas – and only 3 college players.  https://www.usab.com/mens/pan-american-games/roster.aspx

The current team information is not yet posted.

Grad Transfer Kelvin Jones Commits to the Jays

Hard work pays off.  Diligence, persistence, and dogged determination wins the day.  The Creighton coaches have been doin’ work these last 2 months after the season ended to fill the frontcourt holes created by the departures of Sam Froling and Martin Krampelj to the pro ranks.  There efforts bore fruit on Monday when, former Idaho State graduate transfer Kelvin Jones, commited to the Hilltop.  Jones is immediately eligible to play.

https://www.omaha.com/creighton/mens-basketball/creighton-basketball-adds-idaho-state-transfer-kelvin-jones-to-fortify/article_e0f12757-d3a8-5a96-b4f6-159739c1b3fc.html

Creighton adds Idaho State grad transfer Kelvin Jones to bolster front court for next season

According to columnist Jeff Goodman, Jones had interest from Virginia Tech, Oregon, Arkansas, Georgia, Washington State, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Boise State, St. John’s, and DePaul.  Kelvin had previously visited VT.  He cancelled other planned visits and commited 1 day after visiting Creighton.

The 6-11/230lb senior is a rugged interior presence.  He averaged 9.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and shot 55.3% from the field in 29 games last season with the Bengals.  IMHO Kelvin seems to have a fire burning within and still untapped potentials to his game.  Fortunately, in joining the Jays, that potential can be tapped by our coaches and our system.

Coach Huss gave me a phone call — and I can tell you right off the bat that I have never been so excited after talking to coach and hearing his spiel about the campus and their situation,” Jones said. “Right from the get go I was excited to go check it out.

Once we went to check it out it was a whole other deal seeing that place.

He followed his instincts and chose the right school to finish his collegiate career.

For my senior year I just wanted to go somewhere like Creighton where the fans are all about the team and all about winning. That’s all this final year is about.

Welcome to the Hilltop Kelvin.

Lok Wur update:  Lok has cut his list to 5 schools – TAMU, Oregon, Hawaii, Creighton, & Virginia Tech.

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