High school basketball: DeMatha coach Mike Jones returns to lead USA Men's U16's National Team

USA basketball announced that Mike Jones of DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) will return to lead the U16 men's National Team coaching staff along with assistant coaches Eric Flannery of St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) and Sharman White of Pace Academy (Atlanta).

The trio already helped USA Basketball men's U16 and U17 teams to a combined seven gold medals, including in 2019 when they led the USA U16 National team to a 6-0 record.

Team USA will compete in the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, where the top four finishers earn a berth into the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup. The coaching selections were made by the USA Basketball Men's Developmental National Team Committee.

"The committee felt these three coaches were the right group to lead the USA U16 National Team in 2021," said Sean Ford, committee chair and USA Basketball Men's National Team director per the official press release. "More than the fact that they were not able to coach in 2020 as expected, Mike, Eric and Sharman have outstanding experience coaching with USA Basketball, and they will lead this U16 team by exemplifying and developing the values of the USA Basketball Junior National Team program that they have been a huge part of creating."

This is Jones' 22nd USA Basketball coaching assignment, including winning the 2019 U16 gold medal, serving as a lead coach at the 2019 USA Men's Junior National Team July minicamp and as a court coach at the 2019 USA Men's Junior National Team October minicamp. He also served as head coach of the USA Nike Hoop Summit Team in 2013, 2014 and 2018, and as a USA Hoop Summit assistant in 2012 and 2017.

"I am truly honored to represent our country and to work with such a great staff and tremendous young men," Jones said. "We know that we have a challenge ahead of us, and we will embrace it, prepare for it, and we look forward to competing with some of the best talent from the Americas. We are very excited and anxious to get back on the court and chase a gold medal."

Jones has coached DeMatha for 20 years where he owns an all-time record of 511-119 (.811 winning percentage). He led the Stags to their fourth consecutive MaxPreps Top 25 finish this past season, finishing No. 4 with a 9-0 record in an abbreviated 2020-21 campaign.

Flannery enters his 14th coaching role for USA basketball in 2021 after recently completing his 25th season with St. Edward where he's compiled a 483-132 overall record.

White will undertake his 10th USA basketball coaching assignment. White is 449-106 overall with nine state titles in 23 seasons as a high school basketball head coach.

The coaches will look to continue the tradition of the USA U16 men's basketball program that has compiled an all-time record of 31-0 in FIBA Americas Championship competition since its debut in 2009.