Robert Woodard II usually doesn’t need a lot of time to make an adjustment.
But when news breaks like the Columbus High School rising sophomore received Tuesday, it takes a little time for it to sink in.
That’s why minutes after Woodard II learned he had been selected to the 12-member, 2015 USA Basketball Men’s U16 National Team, the realization of the enormity of the accomplishment had not kicked in.
“I still have a lot of work to do,” Woodard II told The Dispatch on Tuesday from Colorado Springs, Colorado. “It is not about me. It is about the team and representing my country and bringing home the gold medal.”
The USA U16 National Team will look to continue the USA’s streak of gold medals June 10-14 at the 2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Bahia Blanca, Argentina. The tournament will serve as the Americas zone qualifier for the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championship. The top four nations from the FIBA Americas U16 Championship will earn berths to the 2014 U17 Worlds.
The team will train through Saturday at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs before departing for Argentina.
Woodard II, the son of Robert and Velma Woodard, of Columbus, was picked for the team after 10 training sessions that started May 28, with 29 of the USA’s top 16-and-under players. That list was paired to 17 on May 30.
Woodard II said the players were brought into a room following a training session to learn who made the team. He said the 12 names were then read off in no particular order. That was a relief of sorts for Woodard II, who had to wait until his name was called alphabetically to learn if he was one of the 17 who made the initial cut. He said he wasn’t anxious for either announcement because he put each decision “in God’s hands” and was ready to accept the news.
“It has been a great experience,” Woodard II said. “Everyone out here is talented and is pushing each other to get better every day.
“I think I have hung in pretty well with the bigger guys as well as the guards.”
‘Not a pick-and-choose guy’
USA coach Don Showalter (Iowa City High, Iowa) said he pretty much had seen all of the players who were invited to the training camp, so he had an idea what to expect. He said he knew Woodard II, a 6-foot-5 guard/forward, was a versatile player. It did not take long to discover there are a lot of layers to his game, the coach said.
“I really liked the effort he gives on the court all of the time,” Showalter said. “He is not a pick-and-choose guy in terms of effort. We found out his effort level continued to rise once he got here to Colorado Springs.”
Last October, Woodard II made his presence felt in a mini-camp with the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team in Colorado Springs. He backed that showing up by averaging 15 points and 6.8 rebounds for Columbus High as a freshman. His performance helped the Falcons advance to the second round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A State tournament and finish 22-6.
“There is no more deserving person than him,” said Sammy Smith, who coached Woodard II this past season at Columbus High. “I am probably the proudest person other than his parents and his family. I know he is going to make us proud.”
Smith said he wasn’t surprised Woodard II was selected because he has watched him mature as a player and as a young man. He credits Robert’s parents for instilling core values in him and helping him to become a young man who is much more than a talented basketball player. Smith used the word “intangibles” in describing Woodard II’s work ethic and role in Columbus High’s 2014-15 season.
‘A student of the game’
Robert Woodard, who played basketball at MSU, said he and his wife have stressed playing hard to their son and making sure he gives great effort in everything he does. He said he always tells his son that it does not matter how many points he scores because once he puts the effort in, everything else will come. He believes his son has grasped the importance of playing hard at all times, and that his ability to do that has cultivated his passion for basketball.
“When we have training or are just playing basketball, I try to make it fun,” Woodard said. “He works hard, but I don’t make it a stressful situation for him. It is all about getting better. Everything I know about the game I try to pass it on to him. He is a student of the game, but I don’t make it demanding … I try to make it come at its own time.”
Woodard said his son, who also is a member of Columbus High’s baseball team, approaches everything — hunting, fishing, badminton — with a willingness to learn and improve. He said he and his wife are proud of their son, and that he hopes his experience with USA Basketball is another step in a great journey.
“I don’t want him to be one-dimensional and think sports is everything,” Woodard said. “We are going to work hard and we try to instill it all starts with God and with love. That is my passion, to show love at all times.”
Woodard II is eager to continue to prove himself regardless where we plays. He said he has spent “like 75 percent” of the training time at guard, and that he enjoys playing on the wing or with his back to the basket. He feels his time at guard with USA Basketball will help him make the Falcons even better for the 2015-16 season.
First, though, Woodard II is going to need a little more time to grasp the significance that he will represent his country. If Woodard II has anything to say about it, he and his teammates will return from Argentina with a tangible reward for their hard work.
“I think it will kick in when we are on the stands holding up our gold medals,” Woodard II said.
Held every other year, the FIBA Americas U16 Championship was first contested in 2009, and under the direction of Showalter, the USA has earned the gold medal in all three editions, compiling a 15-0 record.
The USA was drawn into Group A and opens preliminary play against Puerto Rico on June 10, faces Dominican Republic on June 11 and caps the preliminary round with a June 12 clash against Brazil.
Group B features Argentina, Canada, Mexico and Venezuela.
Following the round-robin preliminary games, teams will be seeded, and the top two teams from each group will advance to the July 13 semifinals. The third- and fourth-placed teams in each groups will play in the classification semifinals July 13. The finals are scheduled to be played July 14.
Woodard II will be joined on the squad by Jordan Brown (Woodcreek High School/ Roseville, California); Wendell Carter Jr. (Pace Academy/Fairburn, Georgia); Jalen Hill (Corona Centennial High/Corona, California); Markus Howard (Findlay Prep, Nevada/Chandler, Arizona); Tre Jones (Apple Valley High/Appel Valley, Minnesota); Kevin Knox II (Tampa Catholic High/Tampa, Florida); Jaylen Nowell (Garfield High/Seattle, Washington); Ja’Vonte Smart (Scotlandville High/Baton Rouge, Louisiana); Gary Trent Jr. (Apple Valley High/Apple Valley, Minnesota); Jarred Vanderbilt (Victory Prep School/Houston, Texas); and Connor Vanover (Arkansas Baptist High/Little Rock, Arkansas).
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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