USA Basketball has announced the 12-player roster for the 2025 USA Men’s AmeriCup Qualifying Team, which will play two important matches in February. The team will first face Puerto Rico on February 20, followed by a game against the Bahamas on February 23.
The squad consists of athletes with professional experience in the NBA, NBA G League, and international leagues. Eight of the players have represented the USA in previous basketball competitions.
The 2025 roster includes Keita Bates-Diop, Norris Cole, Robert Covington, Jalen Crutcher, John Jenkins, Miller Kopp, Nassir Little, Ruben Nembhard Jr., Reggie Perry, Jahmi’us Ramsey, Javonte Smart, and Malik Williams.
Several players on the team have experience in FIBA qualifying events. Ramsey participated in the first two qualifying windows for the 2025 FIBA Men’s AmeriCup, while Covington, Smart, and Williams joined during the second window in November. Jenkins, who has extensive USA Basketball experience, has played in three World Cup Qualifying windows and was part of the USA Select Teams for the 2020 Olympic Games and 2023 FIBA World Cup. Perry has also played in World Cup Qualifying ahead of the 2023 tournament, and Cole won a bronze medal in the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup.
Nassir Little will make his competitive debut for the USA, having previously participated in a junior national team minicamp in 2017. Bates-Diop, Crutcher, Kopp, and Nembhard will all be making their USA Basketball debuts.
Stephen Silas, former NBA head coach, will lead the team as head coach for this window. He will be assisted by Patrick Ewing, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and veteran USA Basketball coach Ty Ellis.
The USA team will hold training camp from February 14-18 in Miami. Their game against Puerto Rico will take place on February 20 at 8:10 p.m. ET in San Juan. They will then face the Bahamas in Nassau on February 23 at 7:10 p.m. ET.
Fans in the United States can watch the games for free on Courtside 1891 with a free account.
These games are part of the third and final window of qualifiers for the 2025 FIBA Men’s AmeriCup. The USA currently leads Group A with a 3-1 record and has already defeated Puerto Rico and the Bahamas in Washington, D.C., last November. A win in one of these two February games will help the USA secure a spot in the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup.
FIBA AmeriCup Qualifying consists of 16 teams split into four groups. Each team plays two games against every other team in their group, once at home and once away. The three best teams from each group will qualify for the 2025 FIBA Men’s AmeriCup, which will take place from August 23-31, 2025, in Managua, Nicaragua.
The USA has a strong track record in FIBA AmeriCup Qualifying, with a 9-1 all-time record. The United States has won the FIBA Men’s AmeriCup seven times, with the most recent victory in 2017. They also earned a bronze medal in the 2022 edition of the tournament.
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