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Reddish learns from USA Basketball opportunity

06/07/2015, 10:15am EDT

By Josh Verlin

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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Though he didn’t make the final roster of the USA Basketball U-16 National Team, Cameron Reddish learned a lot from his three-day stint out in Colorado Springs from May 28-30.

The talented 2018 guard, who played his freshman season at The Haverford School but will be playing elsewhere as a sophomore, was one of 33 players invited to try out for head coach Don Showalter and staff.

But he was cut before the 12-man roster--which will compete in 2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Argentina starting this Wednesday--was finalized.

“It was a good experience, a lot of good competition,” he said. “It’s a blessing, for me to be chosen out of a lot of people in the country, it’s great.”

At 6-foot-6 and 170 pounds, with the basketball IQ of a point guard but the size and scoring ability to play multiple perimeter positions at a very high level, Reddish certainly has the look of a player who has the potential to play at the highest levels of basketball in a few years.

But he found that the buckets he can get rather easily at times on the high school and AAU circuit don’t come so easily when playing against the other top players from the 2018 and 2017 classes. And so he’s got work to do if he wants to see his name included on the final 12-man roster the next time around.

“I’ve got to get stronger and more athletic, and I’ve got to give 110 percent every single time, every single play,” he said. “No plays off...you had to play hard every possession, otherwise you’re not going to look good.”

The tryout was Reddish’s second experience with USA Basketball, after he was selected to a 53-man, two-day tryout camp last October.

And as the only player from the Philadelphia area in his age group to get on the national team radar thus far, the opportunity has allowed him to start forming relationships with players from across the country.

“I’m pretty cool with a lot of people down there, I like playing with [New Jersey forward] Naz Reid and [Louisana guard] Je’Vonte Smart and all them...a lot of kids in my grade are very talented,” he said, mentioning two other top 2018 prospects; Reid, a 6-10 forward, didn’t make the team while Smart, a 6-4 guard, did.

And since he’s coming close to being able to play on a national stage with his country’s name on his chest, Reddish has made that one of his three main goals for his high school career.

“I want to make McDonald’s All-American, make the USA team, and Jordan Brand,” he said. “That’s it right now.”