July 15, 2007
Vanderbilt rising senior Shan Foster has been selected as a finalist for the United States men’s basketball team competing at the Pan American Games later this month in Brazil USA Basketball announced Sunday.
Foster, a native of Kenner, La., is one of 14 finalists competing for 12 positions on the USA Basketball squad that will represent America during competition July 25-29 at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The finalists were selected from a pool of 32 players who took part in five trail sessions from July 12 to 14 at Haverford College (Pa.). The USA Basketball Men’s Collegiate Committee, chaired by Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, determined the group of finalists.
“I’m ecstatic to be making it to this point,” Foster said. “It’s a great honor just to be invited to this competition and I’m very happy to be among a great list of players moving on to the next part of the selection process.
“I’ve been trying to show the coaches that I’m a hard worker and I’m dedicated,” Foster added. “I’m continuing to do the things I’ve done at Vanderbilt – shoot the ball well, take care of the basketball, defend and be a good teammate.”
The 13 other finalists joining Foster were: Josh Carter (Texas A&M / Dallas, Texas); Joey Dorsey (Memphis / Baltimore, Md.); Wayne Ellington (North Carolina / Wynnewood, Pa.); James Gist (Maryland / Silver Spring, Md.); Roy Hibbert (Georgetown / Adelphi, Md.); Maarty Leunen (Oregon / Redmond, Ore.); ; Derrick Low (Washington State / Honolulu, Hawaii); Eric Maynor (Virginia Commonwealth / Fayetteville, N.C.); Drew Neitzel (Michigan State / Grand Rapids, Mich.); Scottie Reynolds (Villanova / Herndon, Va.); Bryce Taylor (Oregon / Encino, Calif.); Kyle Weaver (Washington State / Beloit, Wis.); D.J. White (Indiana / Tuscaloosa, Ala.).
“The trials were as competitive as any we have ever had. With the group of 14 finalists there is really good balance. We’ve got good inside guys, we’ve got good wing players and the point guards have really come on,” said Boeheim. “I don’t know that we have a superstar type player, but we’ve got really good balance and the players worked very hard and they look like they’ll be good teammates, guys who will play well together which is tremendously important.”
“This was definitely the most difficult choice we’ve ever had to make, but I just love this group. I think we have great options. We’ve got shooters, we’ve got penetrators, we’ve got size, we’ve got post people – a guy like Hibbert could be a game changer,” stated USA and Villanova University head coach Jay Wright. “It’s just a really diverse group that has great personality and I think the committee did a great job of putting together a really strong team. Our staff is excited about working with this team and getting them to come together and think like a team.”
Wright is being assisted on the USA bench by University of Alabama head mentor Mark Gottfried and Yale University head coach James Jones.
The finalists will train twice daily from July 16 to 18 at Haverford College (Pa.) before the official 12-member squad will be announced. That team will practice the remainder of the week in Washington, D.C. before departing for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 22.
Foster ranks as the Southeastern Conference’s third-leading returning scorer for the 2007-08 campaign after averaging 15.6 points last season. A Second Team All-SEC selection as a junior, Foster finished among the league leaders in 3-pointers per game (ninth at 2.18), field goal shooting (11th at 44.9 percent) and 3-point shooting (14th at 34.6 percent). The Kenner, La., native scored in double figures in eight of Vanderbilt’s 10 games against ranked opponents, averaging 16.7 points and 4.4 rebounds He helped lead the Commodores to a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament highlighting a 22-12 season and second-place finish in the SEC Eastern Division.
The Pan American Games, held every four years in the year prior to the Olympics and organized by the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO), is a multi-sport competition open to men and women representing countries from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean. The 2007 Pan American Games will be held July 13-29 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the men’s basketball competition slated for July 25-29.
Official USA Basketball release and audio interviews with the finalists:
http://www.usabasketball.com/news.php?news_page=07_mpag_finalists
