Lake City's Buchanan picked to play in Nike Hoop Summit

From wire and news services

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Lake City High senior Blake Buchanan was named to the U.S. men’s team that will play in this year’s Nike Hoop Summit, scheduled for April 8 at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore.

Buchanan, who has signed with Virginia, is part of the 13-member U.S. men’s roster, announced Tuesday by USA Basketball.

The U.S. men’s and girls teams will play against international players at the Nike Hoop Summit. The international teams will be selected in the coming weeks, from pools of players representing FIBA Africa, FIBA Americas, FIBA Asia, FIBA Europe and FIBA Oceania.

Bronny James, son of NBA career scoring leader LeBron James, was also named to the U.S. team. James, a senior at Sierra Canyon High in California, has not announced his post-high-school plans.

All the other players for the U.S. men’s team have committed to schools, with Justin Edwards (Philadelphia) and DaJuan Wagner Jr. (Camden, N.J.) choosing Kentucky and Jared McCain (Corona, Calif.) and Sean Stewart (Windermere, Fla.) going to Duke.

Eight other schools have one commit on the USA men’s team: Omaha Biliew (Omaha, Neb.) is going to Iowa State; Buchanan is going to Virginia; Isaiah Collier (Marietta, Ga.) is going to USC; Eric Dailey Jr. (Tampa, Fla.) is going to Oklahoma State; Ron Holland (Duncanville, Texas) is going to Texas; Jackson Shelstad (West Linn, Ore.) is going to Oregon; Ja’Kobe Walter (McKinney, Texas) is going to Baylor; and Cody Williams (Gilbert, Ariz.) is going to Colorado.

Buchanan, James, Shelstad and Williams will make their USA Basketball debuts in Portland, while the rest of the team has a variety of previous USA Basketball (5-on-5 and 3x3) experience.

Dailey Jr. and McCain were on the 2022 U18 National Team that won gold at the FIBA Americas U18 Championships in Tijuana, Mexico.

Holland, Stewart and Wagner were teammates on the 2022 gold-medal winning U17 National Team at the World Cup in Malaga, Spain.

Holland also won gold with the 2021 U16 National Team at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Xalapa, Mexico.

Biliew (Oct. 2022), Collier (March 2022), Dailey Jr. (Oct. 2022), Edwards (Oct. 2022), Holland (March & Oct. 2022; May 2021), McCain (March & Oct.2022), Stewart (March 2022), Wagner (March 2022) and Walter (March 2022) have recently participated in a USA Men’s Junior National Team minicamp.

Additionally, Dailey Jr. is a two-time member of the USA 3x3 U18 National Team (2022, 2021), helping the U.S. to gold at the 2021 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary.

The USA men’s team head coach is Steve Turner (Gonzaga Prep, D.C.) and he will be assisted by Frank Bennett (Chaminade College Prep, MO) and Nick LoGalbo (Lane Technical College Prep, IL).

Held annually since 1995, except for 2001-03 and 2020-21, the Nike Hoop Summit has been in Portland since 2008. The USA men hold a 16-7 series advantage over the World Team.

WOMEN’S TEAM

A trio of schools each had two commits chosen for the USA women’s team, which will be participating in the Hoop Summit for the first time.

Arizona has Breya Cunningham (Chula Vista, Calif.) and Jada Williams (Kansas City, Mo.). Connecticut has Kamorea “KK” Arnold (Germantown, Wis.) and Ashlynn Shade (Noblesville, Ind.). LSU has Aalyah Del Rosario (Danbury, Conn.) and Mikaylah Williams (Bossler City, La.).

Also selected were Duke commit Jadyn Donovan (Upper Marlboro, Md.); North Carolina State commit Zoe Brooks (Plainfield, N.J.); Notre Dame commit Hannah Hidalgo (Merchantville, N.J.); Oklahoma commit Sahara Williams (Waterloo, Iowa); USC commit Judea “Juju” Watkins (Sylmar, Calif.); Stanford commit Sunaja “Nunu” Agara (Minneapolis); and Texas commit Madison Booker (Ridgeland, Miss.).

HISTORY

The summit dates back to 1995 and has seen 253 past participants drafted into the NBA, with 90 top-10 selections and 14 No. 1 picks — including Cade Cunningham (2021), Zion Williamson (2019), Deandre Ayton (2018), Markelle Fultz (2017), Ben Simmons (2016), Karl-Anthony Towns (2015), Andrew Wiggins (2014), Anthony Bennett (2013), Anthony Davis (2012), Kyrie Irving (2011), John Wall (2010), Derrick Rose (2008), Andrea Bargnani (2006) and Elton Brand (1999).

Other alumni of the summit include Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Shane Battier, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Bradley Beal and Tyler Herro.