ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV

Duke-bound center Patrick Ngongba was among four incoming college freshmen USA Basketball kept on for its U18 AmeriCup team. Arizona and Duke are scheduled to meet on Nov. 22 at McKale Center.

The other high school class of 2024 players to make the final USA U18 cut included guard center Daniel Jacobsen (Purdue), center Morez Johnson Jr. (Illinois) and forward Derrion Reed (Alabama). Five-star ASU-bound center Jayden Quaintance made the cut to 18 but not the final roster.

Texas wing forward Hudson Greer, who has received a scholarship offer from the Wildcats, was not among the eight 2025 players USA Basketball kept on its final roster. USA also did not keep any of its three 2026 players, including 2026 guards Kaden and Kalek House of Phoenix Desert Mountain, who have received recruiting interest from UA.

AZ Compass Prep guard Jeremiah Fears, an Illinois commit, was among the eight class of 2025 players who made the team. Others included guard Darius Acuff, wing Nate Ament, guard Mikel Brown Jr., forward Shelton Henderson, guard Jasper Johnson, forward Nikolas Khamenia and forward Trey McKenney. 

USA will open AmeriCup play on June 3 against host Argentina, then face Belize on June 4 and Brazil on June 5 as part of Group B competition. The Americans have won six straight gold medals in the U18 AmeriCup, formerly known as the 18 Americas Championship, and 10 gold medals in 12 appearances overall.

The U18 AmeriCup is a qualifier for the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup, to be played in Switzerland next summer. Lloyd is also expected to coach that team, which could have many of the same players in addition to Gilbert Perry's Koa Peat, a top 2025 UA recruiting target who is expected to play in the U17 World Cup this summer.