Not making Team USA’s U19 basketball roster has fueled Arizona guard Dalen Terry
Arizona guard Dalen Terry admitted he was a little “hot” when he didn’t make Team USA’s U19 roster last summer to play in the FIBA U19 World Cup in Latvia.
Terry tried out over two days in Fort Worth, but was passed over when the roster was trimmed from 26 players to 17. TCU coach Jamie Dixon went on to coach the USA team to a gold medal last summer. Terry recalled the experience during a news conference Saturday.
Arizona, the 1-seed in the South Region, and TCU, the 9-seed, are set to meet in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at 8:40 p.m. Sunday at Viejas Arena.
“I was a little hot about it, but it was a good experience,” Terry said. “USA U19, just to be on that list, I was thankful for even being on there. … I didn’t make the team. It is what it is. It fueled me for this summer.”
Terry has become a starter for the Wildcats, averaging seven points and four assists per game. He scored 16 points in Arizona’s 87-70 victory over 16-seed Wright State on Friday night.
Dixon described Terry as a “talented, athletic” guard but emphasized that a Team USA committee makes the final roster decisions, not the coaching staff. As with building any all-star roster, Dixon said it’s always a “challenge” to trim the roster.
“I guess you’re trying to start some controversy,” Dixon said, smiling. “But I’m not going to fall in the trap. We’re going to respect every guy out there. But ultimately, it wasn’t my decision. They have a committee and they do that for people like you to protect us.”
Dixon spoke at length about the benefits for players such as TCU’s Mike Miles for going through the experience. Arizona had several players represent international teams, too, including Bennedict Mathurin (Team Canada) and Oumar Ballo (Team Mali).
The Wildcats also had twin brothers Azuolas and Tautvilas Tubelis play for Team Lithuania, although it never faced Team USA in the tournament.
“It’s amazing to see what that tournament does to some guys and the confidence that exists,” Dixon said. “When you go and play against the best players in the world, that’s a unique opportunity. When you have success, I think it springboards you.
“It’s been great for Mike (Miles).”
For players such as Terry, the motivation from not making the team has proven to be just as valuable too.
Fans, please
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd called out Wildcat faithful for not turning Viejas Arena into a home-court advantage on Friday night.
It was a late arriving crowd, and Lloyd wasn’t pleased with the environment. Arizona should have the largest following inside the building as the school is within driving distance of San Diego.
“If you get a good seed, you’re close to home. And this is supposed to be a great, advantageous fan base for us,” Lloyd said. “And yesterday we didn’t feel it. Listen, I know we’ve got a great fan base and I know some will take it personal, but they’ve got to be better tomorrow. They’ve got to bring it tomorrow, as fans.
“Our fans have got to be better. And you know what? The fans that are lucky enough to have tickets to this and financially be able to afford it, they need to get out of the seats tomorrow and bring it. They need to help us advance. That’s my message to them: Don’t sit back and wait; help us.”
This story was originally published March 19, 2022 at 7:37 PM.
