MSU Basketball player, sophomore guard Shannon Brown, made the first cut for the USA Young Men's National Team.
Sixteen finalists remain, but the team will eventually consist of only 12. The finalists are practicing in East Rutherford, N.J., at the New Jersey Nets' training facility through Friday.
The USA Young Men's National Team, which is limited to players 20-years-old and under, will compete in the 2004 FIBA Americas World Championship from July 28-Aug.1.
"It's been rough ever since we got here," Brown said in a written statement.
"Everyone has been scraping to try and earn a spot on the team. I have to stay humble and stay focused. I've been playing OK, but I expect to play better in the next few days."
Some other players left practicing in New Jersey are Indiana's Bracey Wright, Wake Forest's Eric Williams, Louisville's David Padgett, North Carolina's Sean May, Arizona's Hassan Adams, North Carolina's Rashad McCants, North Carolina-Charlotte's Curtis Withers, Connecticut's Charles Villanueva, Gonzaga's Adam Morrison, Oregon's Aaron Brooks and Wake Forest's Chris Paul.
"The committee did a great job of getting us down to the right 16," USA and Oklahoma head coach Kelvin Sampson said in a written statement.
"Our strengths are our point guard play, our athleticism and we're versatile."
