Tye Jackson Invited To U.S. U20 National Team Trials
5/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
May 9, 2006
USA Basketball Release | U20 Trials Roster
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HOUSTON - University of Houston women's basketball player Tye Jackson (Houston, Texas/Westfield HS/Purdue) has accepted an invitation to participate in the team trials for the U.S. Under-20 National Team later this month in Colorado, USA Basketball announced today.
Thirty seven of the nation's top 20-and-unders (born on or after Jan. 1, 1986) will be under consideration for spots on the eventual 12-member 2006 USA U20 National Team that will look to defend the United States' title at the 2006 FIBA Americas U20 Championship. Jackson, a rising sophomore, is the lone representative from Conference USA to make the player pool.
The invitations were issued by the USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee, which is chaired by Sue Donohoe, the NCAA's vice president of Division I women's basketball. The player pool is headlined by All-Americans and gold medalists on the 2005 USA U19 World Championship Team Erlana Larkins (North Carolina / Riviera Beach, Fla.) and Courtney Paris (Oklahoma / Piedmont, Calif.)
"The list of players who will vie for a spot on the USA's FIBA Americas U20 Championship Team is full of talent," said USA U20 National Team and Michigan State University head coach Joanne P. McCallie. "I'm excited about seeing them all at the trials in a few weeks. I know with this kind of talent, the Committee will have a tough time narrowing it down to just 12 players. Looking at the 37 athletes, I really like our chances for success later this summer."
Jackson, who missed Houston's first seven games while fulfilling NCAA transfer requirements, averaged 17.7 points per game in her inaugural campaign with the Cougars and was named All-C-USA First Team.
"I am excited and anxious for the opportunity," Jackson said. "My first goal is to make the team, but I want to enjoy the experience of being with the best players in the country and make myself a better basketball player. I think this experience will help me grow both as a player and a person and allow me to take my game to the next level."
Jackson finished with 30 or more points on two occasions with a career-best 37 coming against Rice on Jan. 15. She also had 35 at UAB on Feb. 26 and failed to reach double digits in scoring only twice in 22 games while netting eight 20-plus point games. In the UAB contest, Jackson tallied 27 second-half points, including hitting for UH's first 24 of the half.
She also dished out 119 assists, ranking second in C-USA with a 5.4 assists per game average. Two of her season averages, points per game (fourth) and assists per game (second), rank in the top five all time in the UH record book. Jackson had a pair of double-doubles on the season and also had two games with double-digit assists.
"This speaks volumes of Tye as a player and more importantly as a person," UH head coach Joe Curl said. "Not only does she have the talent to succeed, she has the character as well. She had one heck of a season this year and the recognition is well deserved. We could not be prouder of her and know she will represent the University of Houston well at the trials."
Trials for the USA U20 Championship Team are scheduled for May 18-21 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Finalists for the eventual 12-member team will be announced on May 21 and will reconvene in late July for training camp at a site to be determined prior to departing for the FIBA Americas U20 Championship.
Scheduled for Aug. 9-13 at a site TBD, the tournament will feature eight teams from North, South and Central Americas and the Caribbean. The top three finishing teams qualify for the 2007 FIBA U21 Women's World Championship that will be held July 27-Aug. 5 in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Trials begin May 18 with a 5:30-7:30 p.m. (all times MDT) session. May 19-20 will feature two-a-days from 8:30-11:00 a.m. and 4:30-7:00 p.m. each day. Trials will conclude with an 8:00 a.m. session on May 21, followed by the announcement of USA team finalists.
McCallie will be assisted by collegiate head coaches University of California's Joanne Boyle and Furman University's (S.C.) Sam Dixon; while Loyola University's (La.) DoBee Plaisance, Grand Valley State University's (Mich.) Dawn Plitzuweit and Georgia Perimeter College's James Waldon have been selected as court coaches for USA Basketball's 2006 FIBA Americas U20 Championship For Women Team Trials.
The 37 athletes include Demetress Adams (South Carolina / Bishopville, S.C.); Matee Ajavon (Rutgers / Newark, N.J.); Jolene Anderson (Wisconsin / Port Wing, Wis.); Morenike Atunrase (Texas A&M / Shreveport, La.); DeWanna Bonner (Auburn / Fairfield, Ala.); Sha Brooks (Florida / Jackson, Tenn.); KeKe Carrier (Auburn / Lake Charles, La.); Essence Carson (Rutgers / Paterson, N.J.); Rosalyn Gold-Onwude (Stanford / Queens, N.Y.); Alexis Gray-Lawson (California / Oakland, Calif.); Devanei Hampton (California / Oakland, Calif.); Jillian Harmon (Stanford / Lake Oswego, Ore.); Michelle Harrison (Mountain View High School / Sandy, Utah); JJ Hones (Southridge High School / Beaverton, Ore.); Danielle Hood (Hartford / Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.); Aarika Hughes (Southridge High School / Beaverton, Ore.); Tye Jackson (Houston / Houston, Texas); Eriana Larkins (North Carolina / Riviera Beach, Fla.); Victoria Lucas-Perry (Michigan State / Flint, Mich.); Dionne Marsh (New Mexico / Flower Mound, Texas ); Renee Montgomery (Connecticut / St. Albans, W.Va.); Jené Morris (California / San Francisco, Calif.); Jordan Murphree (Brock High School / Weatherford, Texas); Marscilla Packer (Ohio State / Pickerington, Ohio); Courtney Paris; Ashley Paris (Oklahoma / Piedmont, Calif.); Allie Quigley (DePaul / Joliet, Ill.); Lindsay Schrader (Notre Dame / Bartlett, Ill.); Megan Skouby (Iowa (Mentor, Ohio ); Amanda Thompson (Whitney Young High School / Chicago, Ill.); Kia Vaughn (Rutgers / Bronx, N.Y.); Ashley Walker (California / Modesto, Calif.); Marcedes Walker (Pittsburgh / Philadelphia, Pa.); Erica White (Louisiana State / Jacksonville, Fla.); Khadijah Whittington (North Carolina State / Roanoke, Va.); Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton (Purdue / Naperville, Ill.) and Tamera Young (James Madison / Wilmington, N.C.).
Jackson is the second UH player to receive national-team consideration this spring. UH soccer player Sophia Mundy (Katy, Texas/St. Pius X HS/Portland State) participated in a training camp for the U.S. Under-21 National Team in late March.
