Kennedy Chandler tabbed with USA Basketball U19 Training Camp invite
The gem of Tennessee basketball’s 2021 recruiting class, Kennedy Chandler generated plenty of buzz during his high school career.
Now, that buzz has led to a prestigious honor for the incoming freshman, just days after he arrived in Knoxville.
According to a Thursday afternoon release from Tennessee, Chandler has been invited to USA Basketball’s U19 Training Camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Athletes chosen must be United States citizens, born on or after January 1, 2002.
Chandler is among 27 hand-picked participants, age 19 or younger. Together, they will compete from June 20-22 at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, in hopes of being named to the 12-member team that will represent the USA at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup for Men.
"Aside from the Olympics and World Cups, the FIBA U19 World Cup is the most challenging competition on the international calendar, and it will take a team of dedicated, selfless individuals to go to Latvia and try to win gold," USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Committee Chair and Purdue head coach Matt Painter said in the release. "The committee feels we have a strong group of players coming into camp in June in hopes of securing a spot on the U19 team, and I'm looking forward to watching them fight to be a part of this USA Basketball team.”
Per the release, Chandler is one of six candidates named to the 2021 USA Nike Hoop Summit Team, but the competition was not held due to COVID-19.
Also, he is among 12 candidates who have previously participated in at least one USA Basketball Junior National Team minicamp.
TCU head coach Jamie Dixon will lead the team, with help from Stanford head coach Jerod Haase and Yale head coach James Jones.
Featuring U19 teams from 16 nations, the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup is scheduled to be held July 3-11 in Riga and Daugavpils, Latvia. In addition to the USA and host Latvia, teams that will take part in this summer's U19 World Cup include Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, France, Japan, Lithuania, Mali, Puerto Rico, Senegal, Serbia, South Korea, Spain and Turkey.
For Chandler, this honor is just another feather in an already impressive cap. Ranked as the top point guard in America for the 2021 class, Chandler earned All-America honors from McDonald's, Spalding and Sports Illustrated after leading Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.) to the championship game of the GEICO Nationals tournament in April.
New Tennessee assistant coach Justin Gainey spoke on Chandler’s abilities when he was hired, and he reiterated how Chandler plays the point guard position at a “high, high level.”
Gainey added that Chandler is a guy who “is versatile at that position and can score and make his teammates better,” and that it’s obvious that Chander’s main focus is on winning.
“I’m just so excited,” Gainey said. “I'm pulling out old film, because I know he's going to challenge me too and it's going to be a really fun experience and I can't wait.”
Before taking the floor at Tennessee, though, Chandler will first get an opportunity to go against the world’s best. That competition should breed for an even more fun season from a player that’s raised plenty of eyebrows en route to Knoxville.
