Diamond Stone invited to USA Basketball U19 World Championship Team training camp

Maryland basketball recruit Diamond Stone (ranked #6 in ESPN’s top 100 recruits) is one of 25 players invited to tryout for the FIBA U19 World Championship team.

The training camp lasts two weeks, beginning June 12 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team will cut to a twelve man roster before leaving for the championship in Crete, Greece from June 27 to July 5.

Other hopefuls include Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan (#9), Kentucky’s Isaiah Briscoe (#13), Villanova’s Jalen Brunson (#16), Arizona’s Allonzo Trier (#18), and Oklahoma State’s Jawun Evans (#33).

Stone has played extremely well in FIBA tournaments, and is one of ten returning gold medalists.

On last summer's FIBA U17 World Championship team Stone averaged 13.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocks on 51.9% shooting, while starting all seven games. He was named to the All-Tournament team. In a game against China, Stone set two USA U17 shot-blocking records for swatting five shots in one game, and 20 over five games.

The summer before, he averaged 13.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks, on 54% shooting, while starting all five games for the 2013 U16 FIBA World Championship team.

Now Stone looks to land a spot on USA’s U19 team, which holds a 78-13 all-time record, and has won five gold medals and three silver medals in 11 tries.

Previous USA U19 team members include Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Gordon Hayward, Deron Williams and Vince Carter.

Finalists for this year's roster will be selected on June 15, and the team will makes its last cuts before leaving for Greece. Stone is expected to make the cut.