You’ve got some rooting interests for Ohio State basketball this spring and summer and it comes by way of the USA basketball team’s U-19 squad.
According to an announcement from Ohio State, sophomores Meechie Johnson and Zed Key have both accepted an invitation to compete for a spot on Team USA’s Under 19 roster.
We don’t need to tell you the benefit of playing some basketball against quality competition outside of the program will mean for both kids, not to mention if either one does enough to get on the team and compete internationally.
“This is a great honor for Zed and Meechie,” Chris Holtmann, said in a statement. “I know they are excited about competing with some of the best players in the country at their age for a chance to represent our country. We are excited to follow and support them as they compete for a roster spot on this U19 team.”
Key has already shown that he has a mature game for a kid coming into the Big Ten. He may have gotten a little lost in the shuffle at the end of the year, but prior to that he hit the ground running and more than held his own off the bench against older, more experienced big men in a league stuffed with talented post players. He ended his freshman campaign averaging 5.2 points, and 3.4 rebounds on 61.4 % shooting in 11.7 minutes of playing time per contest.
Johnson did not see the floor as much as Key but showed that he has the athletic ability to step in once the older guys graduate. He spelled some of the guards earlier in the year but then got relegated to sporadic minutes down the stretch of the season. He averaged just 5.8 minutes per game with 1.2 points per contest on 38.9 % from the floor.
Sophomores Meechie Johnson and Zed Key have accepted an invitation to compete for a spot on USA Basketball’s U19 team this summer. pic.twitter.com/dGFRPSEOrH
— Ohio State Hoops Insider (@OSUHoopsInsider) April 26, 2021
Team USA’s U19 squad will compete in 2021 FIBA World Cup in Riga, Latvia July 3-11 and will be coached by Jamie Dixon of Texas Christian University, where the team training camp will be held. Practices begin June 20. The selected members of the USA U19 team will depart for Latvia June 27 with competition beginning July 3. The U19 championship game will be held July 11.
We’ll keep an eye on this as the competition heats up, but for now, good luck to both Buckeyes on their quest to be a part of USA Basketball.
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