MaxWire National Blog

Two of the country's top rising senior high school basketball prospects will get a chance to play for one of the college game's top coaches next week in the Czech Republic.

Jahlil Okafor of Whitney Young (Chicago) and Justise Winslow of St. John's (Houston) earned a spot on USA Basketball's U19 team, which will compete June 24-July 6 in the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship in Prague.

The American squad will be coached by Billy Donovan, a two-time national champion at Florida. Donovan has led seven Gator teams to the Sweet 16 or beyond.

The headliner of the squad is Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart, the Big 12 Conference player of the year as a freshman in 2012-12. Smart bypassed an opportunity to be a top 10 pick in the NBA Draft to return to Stillwater.

In addition to Smart, Okafor and Winslow will join Class of 2013 standouts Aaron Gordon and Nigel Williams-Goss, as well rising college stars Michael Frazier (Florida), Jerami Grant (Syracuse), Montrezl Harrell (Louisville), Elfrid Payton (Louisiana-Lafayette), Jarnell Stokes (Tennessee), Rasheed Sulaimon (Duke) and Mike Tobey (Virginia).

Okafor, a 6-foot-10, 270-pound center, earned All-American honors from MaxPreps as a junior for nationally-ranked Whitney Young after posting 20.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

Winslow, a 6-6, 210-pound power wing, piled up 28.6 points and 15.7 rebounds per game as a junior at St. John's.

Both players helped the United States capture gold at last summer's FIBA U17 World Championship in in Lithuania.

Donovan will be assisted by Tony Bennett of Virginia and Shaka Smart of Virginia Commonwealth.

The wide receivers at Mission Viejo (Calif.) will be getting more firsthand NFL knowledge this season - and maybe some tips on how to talk on live television.

Current ESPN analyst and former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson has been confirmed as an assistant coach at the Orange County powerhouse, according to a blog from the Orange County Register. Legendary coach Bob Johnson confirmed Johnson's hiring, and said that he will work with receivers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. His ESPN commitments will prevent him from coaching every day, and he is likely to attend about half the team's games.

Johnson went to USC (about 50 miles north of Mission Viejo) and played his high school ball at Dorsey High in Los Angeles. He will join a coaching staff that features Rob Johnson, the coach's son, who played quarterback from 1995-2003 in the NFL and also went to USC.

Mission Viejo went 11-1 last season, taking a perfect record into the Pac-5 playoffs before losing to Long Beach Poly. The Diablos averaged 50.3 points per game and even scored 84 against Aliso Niguel.

The Newark Star-Ledger reported that the Columbia (Maplewood, N.J.) girls ran the second-fastest sprint medley relay in high school history (3:52.07) on Saturday while notching the title during the annual New Balance National Championships in Greensboro, N.C. The record of 3:51.90 has stood since 2007.

Rising senior Olivia Baker continued her quest to gain legendary status when she ran the 400-meter leg in 53.1 seconds. Shanika Dessein ran the 800-meter anchor leg in 2:09.34. Baker also ran a 2:13.03 anchor as Columbia won the 4x800 national title in 9:01.12

Baker had reached superstar status when she became the first athlete ever to win four gold medals in the New Jersey Meet of Champions. She also is involved in music, astronomy and wants to become a neurosurgeon.

Union Catholic (Scotch Plains, N.J.) won the boys shuttle hurdles relay in 56.63 seconds, No. 3 all-time.

Another New Jersey star, Keturah Orji of Mount Olive (Flanders, N.J.), won the girls triple jump at 43-9 1/4, which is No. 6 all-time.

University of Pittsburgh football fans have a special treat awaiting them, because dynamic Tyler Boyd will be playing for the Panthers in the fall.

However, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound running back took a slight detour Saturday to help the Pennsylvania All-Stars demolish their Maryland counterparts in the 56th annual Big 33 game by a shocking 58-27 margin. Pennsylvania had lost the last four meetings.

The two-time Pennsylvania Mr. Football, who led Clairton (Pa.) to the nation's current longest winning streak (63 games and four consecutive Class A state titles), ran the opening kickoff back 91 yards and was off to the races. He soon snared a 16-yard touchdown pass, later scoring on a four-yard run and firing a 68-yard halfback pass for another touchdown.

Boyd told the Harrisburg Patriot-News, "It felt really great. My team told me they were going to block for me and they gave me a huge lane on that opening kick. I took full advantage of it."

He finished with 244 all-purpose yards, including 144 on returns.