May 9, 2006
Hawkeye sophomore Megan Skouby has accepted an invitation to participate in the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Trials at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, May 18-21. Skouby is one of 37 top American players who have accepted invitations. The Trials will be used to select finalists for the USA Under-20 National Team.
The squad will compete in the 2006 FIBA Americas U20 Championship, with the top three finishing teams earning a berth to the 2007 FIBA U21 World Championship. This summer’s competition will take place August 9-13 in Costa Rica or Guatemala.
“I am really excited about this opportunity to play against some of the top players in the nation,” Skouby said. “This should be one of the most eye-opening experiences because I will be able to truly compare myself to other post players from other conferences. I am looking forward to being surrounded with other great players in everyday competition.”
The native of Mentor, OH, became just the third Iowa player to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after averaging 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. Skouby, who started the last 18 games of her freshman campaign, was also the only league freshman to be recognized on the all-Big Ten second team. Skouby, who stands 6-6 and is the tallest women invited to the Trials, netted double figures 23 times, including the last 16 contests. Skouby’s 414 points scored in 2005-06, were only two points shy of Lisa Becker’s single-season school record of 416 for a Hawkeye freshman.
Four other Big Ten standouts (Michigan State’s Victoria Lucas-Perry, Purdue’s Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton, Wisconsin’s Jolene Anderson and Ohio State’s Marscilla Packer) are on the Trials roster. Furthermore, Skouby (Big Ten), Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris (Big 12), California’s Alexis Gray-Lawson (Pac-10) and Connecticut’s Renee Montgomery (Big East) are the only players invited named their respective conference’s Freshman of the Year.
Invitations to the Trials were issued by the USA Basketball Women’s Collegiate Committee. Following the four-day Trials the committee will name 15-17 finalists and then narrow the squad down to the final 12-member team during training camp held July 28-August 6.
“The list of players who will vie for a spot on the USA’s FIBA Americas U20 Championship Team is full of talent,” said USA U20 National Team and Michigan State University Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie. “I’m excited about seeing them all at the trials in a few weeks. I know with this kind of talent, the Committee will have a tough time narrowing it down to just 12 players. Looking at the 37 athletes, I really like our chances for a gold medal later this summer.”
Among the 37 under consideration for a final roster spot, Skouby is amongst a list of 22 players who have competed in a USA Basketball Youth Development Festival.
Iowa junior Krista VandeVenter was invited to the trials in 2005, but did not make the squad.