EL SEGUNDO – Los Angeles Lakers guard Alex Caruso was among one of 14 players chosen to participate in the USA World Cup Qualifying Team training camp June 20-26, USA Basketball announced today. The training will be used to select the 12-man team for the USA’s World Cup Qualifying third-window games including Mexico on June 28 in Mexico City and Cuba on July 1 in Havana.
Caruso averaged 19.0 points, 7.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game in his first season with the South Bay Lakers, en route to All-NBA G League Second Team Honors and a second-place finish in NBA G League Defensive Player of the Year voting. Signed to a two-way contract prior to the 2017-18 season, the Texas A&M product saw action in 37 games with the Los Angeles Lakers where he averaged 3.6 points and 2.0 assists per game.
Jeff Van Gundy, who led the USA to a 5-0 record and the gold medal at the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup and has led the USA to a 4-0 record in the first two windows of the World Cup Qualifiers, returns as head coach. NBA G League Erie Bayhawks head coach Josh Longstaff and former Georgetown University coach John Thompson III will serve as USA assistant coaches.
The USA will hold training camp June 20-26 in Houston, and the team is expected to be announced prior to the team’s departure for Mexico on June 26. The player selections are made by the USA Basketball Men’s World Cup Qualifying Team Committee.