Two members of the maize and blue have a chance to help USA Basketball win gold this summer. Michigan sophomores L.J. Cason and Morez Johnson Jr. are among the 33 players expected to participate in training camp for the 2025 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup in Switzerland.
Training camp begins on June 14 at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs (CO). According to the press release, the 12-man team is expected to be announced before the team leaves for Switzerland.
L.J. Cason and Morez Johnson Jr could play for Team USA in upcoming FIBA World Cup
Cason is coming off a freshman year in which he asserted himself as a player with high potential. In his debut against Cleveland State, Cason put up 14 points, three assists, two rebounds, and two steals in 22 minutes. The stat-stuffing performance foreshadowed his abilities perfectly, as he proved to be a do-it-all guard for the Wolverines off the bench.
Although Cason has never competed for Team USA, Johnson Jr. has a gold medal under his belt from the 2024 FIBA Men’s U18 AmeriCup. Johnson Jr. achieved the accomplishment alongside incoming four-star guard Trey McKenney.
For Johnson Jr., his history with USA Basketball began when he attended training camp for the 2022 USA Men’s U17 National Team. He could be a walking double-double for Michigan in the near future, as he averaged 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game as a freshman at Illinois.
Team USA is in Group D and is set to play Australia, France and Cameroon. The USA and Cameroon have never played before, but the USA holds the all-time advantage over Australia (4-2) and France (6-1).
Team USA is going for its ninth gold medal and first since 2021.
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