Rizzotti to Coach USA Basketball U-19 Team This Summer

Jennifer Rizzotti

After leading the 2010 USA Basketball Women's U18 National Team to a perfect 5-0 slate, the gold medal, and berth in the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship, University of Hartford head coach Jennifer Rizzotti will return to USA Basketball to head up the 2011 USA U19 World Championship Team.

Rizzotti will rejoin her assistants from last summer, Sue Semrau of Florida State University and Joi Williams of the University of Central Florida, on the sideline during the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championships in Chile.

“The committee felt the coaching staff did a tremendous job last summer in qualifying USA Basketball for the FIBA U19 World Championship," said Sue Donohoe, NCAA vice president for Division I women’s basketball. "Jen, Sue and Joi built their team into a cohesive unit in a short period of time. We feel these three coaches will be able to continue to build on last summer's success and extend the USA's streak of gold medals at the U19 World Championship."

Rizzotti, who is finishing out her 12th season at the University of Hartford, led the Hawks to their fifth America East Championship emerging as the conference champion after entering the tournament as a four seed.

USA Basketball will conduct trials for the 2011 USA U19 World Championship Team May 22-25 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo., with approximately 30 U.S. hopefuls participating. Only U.S. citizens who are 19 years old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1992) are eligible. The USA U19 World Championship Team training camp will be held July 11-15 at the USOTC, before the team travels to Chile for its final preparations.