Collins, Taylor eye USA Basketball team trials

By Gary Bedore     May 8, 2009

Look for Kansas University’s Sherron Collins and Tyshawn Taylor to compete at a pair of USA Basketball Team Trials this summer.

Taylor, a sophomore-to-be from Jersey City, N.J., will be one of 20 players to attend the Under 19 World Championship team trials June 16-18 in Colorado Springs, KU coach Bill Self confirmed Friday.

Those who make the team will play at the Under 19 World Championships July 2-12 in New Zealand.

Collins, a senior-to-be from Chicago, is tentatively slated to participate in the World University Games team trials June 16 to 18 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The World Games trials will feature 20 to 25 of the United States’ top players between the ages of 17 and 24. The players will compete for spots on the World Games team. The Games will be held July 1-12 in Serbia.

KU coach Bill Self said Cole Aldrich would not be trying out for the World University Games team as he’s ticketed for some rest as he heals bumps and bruises from last season.

“He had some sore shoulders and his lower leg is still bothering him a bit,” Self said of the stress reaction that had Aldrich in a boot much of the season. “We told Cole to take some time off.”

Zagsblog.net had Collins and Taylor on USA Basketball’s confirmed list of invitees on Friday morning.

USA Basketball, however, has not yet released its official list and likely will not do so until sometime next week. The only way Collins would not go is if he decides it’d be too much of a time commitment, considering he’d planned on completing coursework toward his college degree this summer.

“He wants to do it. He’ll see how the schedule falls. He is planning on going,” Self said.

Zagsblog.net said Friday that other confirmed players for the World Games tryouts include Trevor Booker of Clemson, Da’Sean Butler of West Virginia, Mike Davis of Illinois, Devin Ebanks of West Virginia, Corey Fisher of Villanova, Lazar Hayward of Marquette, Robbie Hummel and JaJuan Johnson of Purdue, Quincy Pondexter of Washington, Deon Thompson of North Carolina and Evan Turner of Ohio State.

Zagsblog said others confirmed for the Under 19 trials include Kemba Walker of UConn, Darryl Bryant of West Virginia, Larry Drew of North Carolina, Klay Thompson of Washington State, Seth Curry of Duke, Kenny Boynton of Florida, Maalik Wayns of Villanova, Gordon Hayward of Butler, Sylven Landesberg of Virginia, Al Farouq-Aminu of Wake Forest, Howard Thompkins of Georgia, Drew Gordon of UCLA and Arnett Moultrie of UTEP.

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