Villanova University

June 20, 2005

Guard Allan Ray will join 21 of the country's top basketball players 21-years-old and younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1984) at the July 21-23 USA Basketball Men's U21 National Team Trials in Dallas, Texas. Trials will be used to select the final 12-member U.S. U21 squad that will look to defend the USA's gold medal at the 2005 FIBA U21 World Championship in Mar de Plata, Argentina, Aug. 5-14. Athlete selections were made by the USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee, chaired by Syracuse University (N.Y.) head coach Jim Boeheim.

Ray (St. Raymond's HS/Bronx, N.Y.) was a second team All-Big East choice in 2004-05 and first team All-Philadelphia Big Five choice. He led the Wildcats, who finished 24-8, in scoring with 16.2 ppg.

In addition to Ray, athletes expected to compete for spots on the 2005 USA U21 National Team include: Josh Boone (Connecticut / Mt. Airy, Md.); Aaron Brooks (Oregon / Seattle, Wash.); Shannon Brown (Michigan State / Maywood, Ill.); Rodney Carney (Memphis / Indianapolis, Ind.); JamesOn Curry (Oklahoma State / Pleasant Grove, N.C.); Glen Davis (Louisiana State / Baton Rouge, La.); Jared Dudley (Boston College / San Diego, Calif.); Nick Fazekas (Nevada / Arvada, Colo.); Rudy Gay (Connecticut / Baltimore, Md.); C.J. Giles (Kansas / Seattle, Wash.); Justin Gray (Wake Forest / Charlotte, N.C.); Taj Gray (Oklahoma / Wichita, Kan.); Malik Hairston (Oregon / Detroit, Mich.); Adam Morrison (Gonzaga / Spokane, Wash.); J.J. Redick (Duke/Roanoke, Va.); Terrence Roberts (Syracuse / Jersey City, N.J.); Rajon Rondo (Kentucky / Louisville, Ky.); Darius Washington, Jr. (Memphis / Winter Park, Fla.); Marcus Williams (Connecticut / Los Angeles, Calif.); and Curtis Withers (Charlotte / Charlotte, N.C.).

Of the 13 athletes boasting of prior USA Basketball experience, Justin Gray, Morrison and Withers were members of the 2004 USA U21 World Championship Qualifying Team that captured gold and earned the United States its berth to this year's U21 Worlds. Redick was a member of the 2003 USA Junior World Championship Team that finished fifth with a 7-1 record; Brooks helped the 2002 USA Junior World Championship Qualifying Team earn a bronze medal, and Gay and Hairston were on the USA Junior National Select Team that downed a World Select Team 99-79 in the 2004 Hoop Summit. Additionally, Brown (2002 North), Curry (2002 and 2003 South), Fazekas (2002 West), Hairston (2003 North), Redick (2000 and 2001 East), Roberts (2002 East), Washington (2003 South) and Marcus Williams (2002 West) all got their start in USA Basketball at a Youth Development Festival and Carney participated in the 2004 USA Men's National Team Trials.

Redick is a returning All-American. His accolades include Associated Press (A.P.), Sports Illustrated.com, Dick Vitale's All-Rolls Royce, College Insider.com and Rivals.com first team honors. Redick also was a finalist for the 2005 John R. Wooden Award, named the 2005 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Player of the Year, was a unanimous selection to the All-ACC first team and earned ACC Tournament MVP honors.

Also receiving All-America accolades were Morrison, a College Insider.com first team and Sports Illustrated.com third team selection. The A.P. named Morrison as an All-America honorable mention along with Boone, Dudley and Fazekas; Dudley, Fazekas, Marcus Williams and Withers were Sports Illustrated.com All-America honorable mentions; while Fazekas and Morrison earned All-America honorable mention from Rivals.com.

College Insider.com and Rivals.com recognized Davis, Gay, Hairston and Washington as Freshman All-Americans and Curry was a Rivals.com Freshman All-America honorable mention.

Further, nine athletes were named by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association to their respective all-district squads, including Boone, Dudley, Fazekas, Justin Gray, Taj Gray, Morrison, Ray, Redick and Washington.

The 21 athletes represent 17 NCAA Division I schools and 10 collegiate conferences, with Connecticut and the Big East leading the charge with three and five representatives, respectively.