Rice Invited To National Team Trials

May 15, 2001

Coral Gables, FL – University of Miami forward Darius Rice (Jackson, MS) has been invited to participate in the USA Basketball National Team Trials, June 1-3, at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO.

Chaired by University of Virginia athletic director Terry Holland, the USA Basketball Men’s Collegiate Committee will select finalists for two teams – the 2001 USA Basketball World Championship for Young Men Qualifying Team and the 2001 USA Basketball World University Games Team.

Rice, a 6-10 freshman, became the first Hurricane since Tim James (1995-96) to be named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie team. He led Miami in scoring (14.1), field goals (140) and three-point field goals (62) last season and established UM freshman single-game records for scoring (35) and three-point field goals (7). He is the first freshman in UM history to record two 30-point scoring games in a season.

A total of eight BIG EAST players have been invited to the 45 person trials including Rice, Andre Barrett (Seton Hall), Troy Bell (Boston College), Todd Billet (Rutgers), Caron Butler (Connecticut), John Linehan (Providence), Preston Shumpert (Syracuse) and Michael Sweetney (Georgetown).

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim will serve as head coach of the 2001 USA World Championship for Young Men squad that will compete August 3-12 in Saitama, Japan. The 12-member team will be announced during the team’s July 22-30 training camp, which will be held at a site to be determined.

This summer’s World University Games will be held August 22-September 1 in Beijing, China. The 12-member 2001 USA Basketball Men’s World University Games team, coached by Penn State head coach Jerry Dunn, will be announced at its August 10-18 training camp. The training camp site has yet to be determined.

2001 USA Basketball Men’s National Team Trials Roster

NAME      POS    HGT     WGT     YOG     SCHOOL / HOMETOWN
*Maurice Baker    G      6- 1    180     2002    Oklahoma State University/Madison, IL
Antwain Barbour   G      6- 5    180     2002    Wabash Valley C.C./Elizabethtown, KY
Earl Barron       C      6-11    230     2003    University of Memphis/Clarksdale, MS
Andre Barrett     G      5- 8    160     2004    Seton Hall University/Bronx, NY
*Lonny Baxter     F/C    6- 8    260     2002    University of Maryland/Silver Spring, MD
Troy Bell         G      6- 1    176     2003    Boston College/Minneapolis, MN
Todd Billet       G      6- 0    180     2003    Rutgers University/Middletown, NJ
LaVell Blanchard  F      6- 7    215     2003    University of Michigan/Ann Arbor, MI
Carlos Boozer     F      6- 9    265     2003    Duke University/Juneau, AK
*Cory Bradford    G      6- 3    200     2002    University of Illinois/Memphis,TN
Caron Butler      F      6- 8    230     2004    University of Connecticut/Racine, WI
Brian Cook        F      6-10    231     2003    University of Illinois/Lincoln, IL
*Dan Dickau       G      6- 1    180     2002    Gonzaga University/Vancouver, WA
*Juan Dixon       G      6- 3    164     2002    University of Maryland/Baltimore, MD
Erwin Dudley      F      6- 8    252     2003    University of Alabama/Uniontown, AL
Chris Duhon       G      6- 1    190     2004    Duke University/Slidell, LA
Mike Dunleavy     G/F    6- 7    200     2003    Duke University/Lake Oswego,OR
*Melvin Ely       C      6-10    256     2002    Fresno State University/Harvey, IL
Reggie Evans      F      6- 8    245     2002    University of Iowa/Pensacola, FL
*Lynn Greer       G      6- 1    170     2002    Temple University/Philadelphia, PA
Rod Grizzard      F      6- 8    215     2003    University of Alabama/Birmingham, AL
Brooks Hall       F/G    6- 6    205     2003    University of Dayton/Troy, OH
Tahj Holden       F      6-10    247     2003    University of Maryland/Little Silver, NJ
Joshua Howard     F      6- 6    191     2003    Wake Forest University/Winston-Salem, NC
Jared Jeffries    F      6-10    220     2004    Indiana University/Bloomington, IN
Donhtay Jones     G/F    6- 5    210     2003    Duke University/Hamilton Square, NJ
Jason Kapono      F      6- 8    206     2003    UCLA/Lakewood, CA
Steve Lepore      G      6- 5    200     2003    Wake Forest University/North Olmsted, OH
*John Lineham     G      5- 9    165     2002    Providence College/Chester, PA
Steve Logan       G      5-10    200     2002    University of Cincinnati/Cleveland, OH
Roger Mason       G      6- 5    205     2003    University of Virginia/Silver Spring, MD
Jameer Nelson     G      6- 0    190     2004    St. Joseph's University/Chester, PA
*Marvin O'Connor  G      6- 4    200     2002    St. Joseph's University/ Philadelphia, PA
*Chris Owens      F/C    6- 8    245     2002    University of Texas/Duncanville, TX
Justin Reed       F      6- 8    235     2004    University of Mississippi/Jackson, MS
Darius Rice       F      6-10    215     2004    University of Miami/Jackson, MS
*Preston Shumpert F     6- 7    200     2002    Syracuse University/Ft. Walton Beach, FL
Tamar Slay        G      6- 9    210     2002    Marshall University/Beckley, WV
Tyler Smith       F      6- 8    230     2002    Penn State University/Lake Forest, IL
Michael Sweetney  F      6- 8    260     2004    Georgetown University/Oxen Hill, MD
Marcus Taylor     G      6- 3    190     2004    Michigan State University/Lansing, MI
David West        F/C    6- 8    232     2003    Xavier University/Garner, NC
Frank Williams    G      6- 3    205     2003    University of Illinois/Peoria, IL
Kelly Wise        F/C    6-10    213     2002    University of Memphis/Ft. Walton Beach, FL
Glen Worley       F      6- 7    220     2004    University of Iowa / Iowa City, IA

*Eligible for only the USA World University Games Team