US Basketball 18 and under

Washington point guard Abdul Gaddy made the 2010 USA Basketball Men's U-18 National Team following a three-day tryout in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Incoming Washington freshman Desmond Simmons, who received a late invitation to the tryout, did not make the team.

Gaddy is one of 12 players that will play for the U.S. in the 2010 FIBA U-18 Championship in San Antonio from June 26-30.

"It felt great," Gaddy said of his selection. "I'm honored. I'm just trying to go out there and play hard and win a gold medal."

The Washington sophomore is one of three players on the team that has previous USA Basketball experience after having played in the annual Nike Hoop Summit. Gaddy was a member of the 2009 USA Junior National Select Team that fell to the World Select Team 97-89.

Gaddy struggled during much of his freshman year at Washington. Strength, defense and jump shooting were challenges for the young point guard. He shot 41.7 percent from the field, 56.4 percent from the free-throw line and 15 percent from behind the three-point line. He averaged 4.4 points per game and 2.2 assists per game.

He also had trouble maintaining his confidence, which Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said was low and that Gaddy may have been surprised by the level of competition in Div. I.

"There's no question he will have much better seasons individually than he had this year," Romar said after the season. "I think he learned a lot about himself."

Playing, and doing well, in this tournament could be a step for a player who has the potential to take a tremendous leap on the floor in his second season for Washington.

To be eligible for the tournament, players must have been born on or after Jan. 1, 1992. Gaddy turned 18 on Jan. 26, 2010.

Also selected to to the team were: Vander Blue (James Madison Memorial H.S. / Madison, Wis.); Trevor Cooney (Sanford H.S. / Wilmington, Del.); Joshua Hairston (Montrose Christian School (Md.) / Fredericksburg, Va.); Kyrie Irving (St. Patrick's H.S. / Elizabeth, N.J.); Quincy Miller (Quality Education Academy / Winston-Salem, N.C.); Tony Mitchell (L.G. Pinkston H.S. / Dallas, Texas); LeBryan Nash (Lincoln H.S. / Dallas, Texas); Jereme Richmond (Waukegan H.S. / Waukegan, Ill.); Austin Rivers (Winter Park H.S. / Winter Park, Fla.); Amir Williams (Detroit Country Day / Detroit, Mich.); and Patric Young (Providence School / Jacksonville, Fla.).