May 9, 2006

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina forward Demetress Adams (Bishopville, S.C./Lee Central HS) has accepted an invitation from USA Basketball to compete at the 2006 USA Women’s U20 National Team trials May 18-21 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., it was announced Tuesday.

A total of 37 players will compete for spots on the team during the initial trial period. Finalists for the eventual 12-member team will be announced on May 21 and will reconvene in late July for training camp at a site to be determined prior to departing for the FIBA Americas U20 Championship played Aug. 9-13 at a site to be announced. The tournament will feature eight teams from North, South and Central Americas and the Caribbean. The top three finishing teams qualify for the 2007 FIBA U21 Women’s World Championship that will be held July 27-Aug. 5 in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

“This is a big opportunity, especially after playing just one year in college,” Adams said. “I have been working hard and playing hard and will continue that when I get out to Colorado. Hopefully I’ll do well there and things will fall into place. Ever since USA Basketball got in touch with me, I have been thinking about this every day and am very excited about the chance to represent my country.”

A Southeastern Conference all-freshman selection in 2006, Adams averaged 8.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.2 blocked shots and 1.2 steals per game and was a key component of a Carolina defensive unit that ranked second nationally in field goal percentage defense and third in blocked shots per game. She was also a key spark that helped the Gamecocks to a nine-game improvement from the year prior to her arrival. Adams ranked fourth in the SEC and set a new South Carolina freshman record with a .595 field goal percentage. Her 34 blocked shots tied for 10th in the SEC and were the second-most ever for a Gamecock freshman. Adams, who posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds in her first game at the collegiate level, went on to earn SEC Player of the Week and SEC Freshman of the Week honors after posting back-to-back double-doubles against Savannah State and Bethune-Cookman in mid-December.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for Demetress,” Head Coach Susan Walvius said. “We are very proud of her and of what she has accomplished. Demetress is a great player who has a great future at South Carolina. For her to have this chance to get her foot in the door with USA Basketball is a great opportunity and she is working very hard to get ready.”

Michigan State head coach Joanne P. McCallie will serve as the team’s head coach. She will be assisted by California’s Joanne Boyle and Furman’s Sam Dixon; while Loyola University’s (La.) DoBee Plaisance, Grand Valley State University’s (Mich.) Dawn Plitzuweit and Georgia Perimeter College’s James Waldon have been selected as court coaches for USA Basketball’s 2006 FIBA Americas U20 Championship For Women Team Trials.

Invitations to the U20 National Team trials were issued by the USA Basketball Women’s Collegiate Committee, chaired by Sue Donohoe, the NCAA’s vice president of Division I women’s basketball.

Players Competing At The 2006 USA Women’s U20 National Team Trials
Demetress Adams (South Carolina / Bishopville, S.C.); Matee Ajavon (Rutgers / Newark, N.J.); Jolene Anderson (Wisconsin / Port Wing, Wis.); Morenike Atunrase (Texas A&M / Shreveport, La.); DeWanna Bonner (Auburn / Fairfield, Ala.); Sha Brooks (Florida / Jackson, Tenn.); KeKe Carrier (Auburn / Lake Charles, La.); Essence Carson (Rutgers / Paterson, N.J.); Rosalyn Gold-Onwude (Stanford / Queens, N.Y.); Alexis Gray-Lawson (California / Oakland, Calif.); Devanei Hampton (California / Oakland, Calif.); Jillian Harmon (Stanford / Lake Oswego, Ore.); Michelle Harrison (Mountain View High School / Sandy, Utah); JJ Hones (Southridge High School / Beaverton, Ore.); Danielle Hood (Hartford / Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.); Aarika Hughes (Southridge High School / Beaverton, Ore.); Tye Jackson (Houston / Houston, Texas ); Erlana Larkins (North Carolina / Riviera Beach, Fla.); Victoria Lucas-Perry (Michigan State / Flint, Mich.); Dionne Marsh (New Mexico / Flower Mound, Texas ); Renee Montgomery (Connecticut / St. Albans, W.Va.); Jené Morris (California / San Francisco, Calif.); Jordan Murphree (Brock High School / Weatherford, Texas); Marscilla Packer (Ohio State / Pickerington, Ohio); Courtney Paris (Oklahoma / Piedmont, Calif.); Ashley Paris (Oklahoma / Piedmont, Calif.); Allie Quigley (DePaul / Joliet, Ill.); Lindsay Schrader (Notre Dame / Bartlett, Ill.); Megan Skouby (Iowa (Mentor, Ohio ); Amanda Thompson (Whitney Young High School / Chicago, Ill.); Kia Vaughn (Rutgers / Bronx, N.Y.); Ashley Walker (California / Modesto, Calif.); Marcedes Walker (Pittsburgh / Philadelphia, Pa.); Erica White (Louisiana State / Jacksonville, Fla.); Khadijah Whittington (North Carolina State / Roanoke, Va.); Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton (Purdue / Naperville, Ill.) and Tamera Young (James Madison / Wilmington, N.C.)