March 17, 2011
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By Pat Salvas
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF head coach Joi Williams will return to the sidelines of USA Basketball this summer as an assistant coach at the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship. Williams will join Florida State's Sue Semrau as an assistant coach with Jennifer Rizzotti of the University of Hartford tabbed as head coach for the second straight summer.
"I am extremely honored and excited about the opportunity to work with USA Basketball again this summer and reunite with Jen and Sue," Williams said. "We have great chemistry and share the vision to win a gold medal at the U19 World Championship."
The U.S. is the three-time defending U19 gold medalists and will look to make it four in a row when they take to the floor in Chile from July 23-31. The U19 World Championship is held every other year with the U.S. earning gold in 2009 with an 8-1 record.
Williams, who recently guided the Knights to the 2011 Conference USA Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, will reunite with Rizzotti and Semrau after the three led the U18 National Team to gold last summer in Colorado Springs, Colo., and a perfect 5-0 mark during the tournament.
Trials for approximately 30 U.S. hopefuls are set to get underway May 22-25 in Colorado Springs. Only U.S. citizens who are 19 years old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1992) are eligible. The USA U19 World Championship Team training camp will be held July 11-15 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, before the team travels to Chile for its final preparations.
The U.S. will be one of 16 teams in the field this summer, including the hosts from Chile as well as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Italy, Japan, Nigeria, Russia, Slovenia, Spain and Taiwan.
Williams will lead the No. 13 seeded Knights as they take on No. 4 Ohio State Saturday in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. UCF and the Buckeyes tip-off from St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, March 19 at 1:30 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.