The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Hepa named to USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team training camp roster
05.09.2018 | Men's Basketball
Incoming freshman forward is one of 32 athletes invited to Colorado Springs.
2018 USA Basketball Men's U18 National Team Training Camp Roster
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — University of Texas incoming freshman Kamaka Hepa is one of 32 athletes invited to the 2018 USA Basketball Men's U18 National Team training camp, USA Basketball announced this week. Training camp will take place May 31-June 2 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Hepa earned Gatorade Player of the Year accolades for the state of Oregon in his senior season at Jefferson High School in Portland. He averaged 16.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, 6.2 blocks and 3.5 assists while leading his team to a 25-4 record and a runner-up finish at the Class 6A state championship. Hepa was the Iolani Classic Most Outstanding Player and claimed a spot on USA Today's All-USA Oregon First Team. He previously was a two-time Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year in Alaska in his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Finalists for the team are expected to be announced June 2, and the team will continue training June 3-8 in Colorado Springs until departing for the 2018 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. Athletes eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens who are 18 years old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 2000).
The USA, which will be in the hunt for a fifth-straight U18 gold medal at the 2018 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, will compete in Group A against Dominican Republic, Panama and Puerto Rico in preliminary round play. Drawn into Group B were Argentina, host Canada, Chile and Ecuador.
Following the June 10-12 round-robin preliminary games, teams will be seeded within each group and all eight teams advance to the June 14 quarterfinal games. The semifinals will be played June 15 and the finals on June 16.
