COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Georgia forward Trey Thompkins is among 17 of the nation’s most talented 19-and-younger basketball players that have been selected to attend the 2009 USA U19 National Team Trials, held June 16-18 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., according to an announcement Wednesday by USA Basketball.

The athletes, born on or after Jan. 1, 1990, will compete for one of 12 roster spots on the 2009 USA U19 World Championship Team. The 2009 FIBA U19 World Championships for Men will be held July 2-12 in Auckland, New Zealand.

After the trials, the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee is expected to announce finalists for the 12-member USA U19 World Championship Team roster. Training camp for the selected finalists will begin June 19, with the 12-member USA roster being announced prior to the teams’ departure for New Zealand on June 25.

Thompkins, a rising sophomore from Lithonia, was named to the 5-man Coaches’ SEC All-Freshman team in 2009. He ranked second on the Georgia team in scoring at 12.6 points per game and led the Bulldogs in rebounding at 7.4 per contest. He scored 20 or more points on five occasions and had a team-high four double-doubles.

Kemba Walker (Connecticut / New York, N.Y), who was named MVP of the 2008 FIBA Americas Championship that qualified the U.S. for this year’s World Championship, will return in hopes of making his second USA roster. Walker averaged 13.4 ppg., 5.0 apg., and 4.6 rpg. while leading the USA to a silver medal in the 2008 FIBA Americas.

In addition to Walker, Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest / Norcross, Ga.), Dominic Cheek (Villanova / Jersey City, N.J.),and Drew Gordon (UCLA / San Jose, Calif.) have all previously represented the USA. Cheek was a teammate of Walker in the 2008 FIBA Americas, while Aminu and Gordon played together on the 2007 Youth Developmental Festival Red Team that finished 5-0 and captured the gold medal and the 2008 USA Junior Select Team that defeated the World Select Team 98-78 in the 2008 Nike Hoop Summit.

In addition to Thompkins, other USA Basketball newcomers include: Kenny Boynton (Florida / Pompano Beach, Fla.), Darryl Bryant (West Virginia / Brooklyn, N.Y.), DeAngelo Casto (Washington State / Spokane, Wash.), Seth Curry (Duke / Charlotte, N.C.), Gordon Hayward (Butler / Brownsburg, Ind.), Darius Miller (Kentucky / Maysville, Ky.), Arnett Moultrie (UTEP / Memphis, Tenn.), Ralph Sampson III (Minnesota / Duluth, Ga.), John Shurna (Northwestern / Glen Ellyn, Ill.), Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas / Jersey City, N.J.), Klay Thompson (Washington State / Ladera Ranch, Calif.) and Terrico White (Mississippi / Memphis, Tenn.).

- Georgia Sports Communications