USA MEN'S WORLD CUP QUALIFYING TEAM
The Pros Brand organized an exhibition game between the NJ-Pros and USA's World Cup Qualifying team. The goal was to help the USA get prepared for their upcoming games against the Puerto Rican and Mexican National teams for the first round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifying games.
This is NJ-Pros second match up against a national team as they faced off against the Dominican Republic National team twice before when Dominican Republic were getting ready for the 2016 Olympic Qualifying games back in 2015 at the Atlanta Hawks facilities. The New Jersey Pros now look to fly Men's National Teams and top international teams from around the world to the Prudential Center in New Jersey to give fans a new kind of basketball where fans can see international teams play on US soil all year round. There will be cultural activities/entertainment on game nights pertaining to what ever country the visiting team represents.
They will also be flying out internationally to the National Teams or international team's country. While there they will provide free basketball clinics, backpacks with school supplies, and The Pros Brand merchandise for underprivileged children. The team will be composed of former NBA Players and the best players not currently in the NBA who should be to give them that platform to show not only the NBA but the world their talents while earning the best contracts outside the NBA with the New Jersey Pros.
Under FIBA’s new competition system, a total of 80 national teams from FIBA’s four regions of Africa, Americas, Asia (which now includes Oceania) and Europe will compete in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers over 15 months looking to earn a qualifying berth in the 32-team World Cup competition that will be held Aug. 31-Sept. 15 in China.
The USA men were drawn into Group C for the Americas’ zone World Cup Qualifying first-round and are joined by Cuba, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The United States is scheduled to open World Cup Qualifying play facing Puerto Rico in San Juan on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017, and the USA will host Mexico in Greensboro on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017.
The second first-round window features the USA playing home games (USA sites TBA) against Cuba on Feb. 23, 2018, then versus Puerto Rico on Feb. 26, 2018. The third and final first-round window will see the USA travelling to play Mexico on June 28, 2018, and Cuba on July 1, 2018 (the full Americas World Cup Qualifying schedule is available at http://www.fiba.com/basketballworldcup/2019/americas-qualifiers/groups.
The top three finishing teams from each of the four America’s World Cup Qualifying first-round groups will advance to form two second-round groups consisting of six teams each. The top three finishing teams in each second-round group, and the highest-ranked fourth-place team, will earn qualification berths to the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
Each FIBA zone will qualify a set number of teams for the 2019 World Cup based on finishes in the zone World Cup qualifiers. The top seven placing teams in the Americas, the top five finishing teams in Africa; the top seven finishing teams plus host China in the Asia zone; and the top 12 finishing teams from Europe will qualify for the 2019 World Cup.
Results from the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 will then qualify seven teams for the 12-nation 2020 Olympic Tokyo Games. The seven qualifying berths for the 2020 Olympics have been designated for the top World Cup Africa zone finisher, and the top two World Cup Americas zone finishers, the top World Cup Asia zone finisher, the top two World Cup European zone finishers and the top World Cup Oceania finishing team qualify. Japan earns an automatic qualifying berth as the host country, and the remaining four Olympic berths will be determined through four FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments to be held in 2020.
USA National Teams currently are the three-time defending Olympic champions (2008, 2012, 2016) and two-time FIBA World Cup champs (2010, 2014).
About USA Basketball
Based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA Basketball, chaired by ret. General Martin E. Dempsey, is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for men’s and women’s basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the U.S. by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA teams that compete in FIBA-sponsored international competitions, as well as for some national competitions, and for the development of youth basketball initiatives that address player development, coach education and safety.
For further information about USA Basketball, go to the official website of USA Basketball at www.usab.com
