Fans are accustomed to seeing sophomore forward Javon McCrea tear up the court in blue and white. For a week in June, however, the dominant forward's uniform included a third color – red.
McCrea may have looked like a man on the court last year, but he's still only 18 years old. The young sensation was invited to training camp for the 2011 USA Basketball Men's Under-19 World Championship Team.
A total of 21 athletes were invited to the training camp. The camp took place from June 17-24 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO. Twelve players made the squad and those athletes are busy representing Team USA at the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship. The field was narrowed from 21 to 13 and McCrea remained on the squad with one cut to go. A few days later, McCrea was named as the final cut.
McCrea was the youngest of the 21 players to try out for the team. Despite his remarkable success at such a young age, McCrea remains true to himself.
"He earned a lot of attention last year, but it never phased him," said assistant coach Jim Kwitchoff. "He stayed with his feet on the ground; [he is] very humble and very hardworking. Despite all of that success, he never changed the person that he was."
Kwitchoff added that McCrea grew substantially as a person because of his experience with USA basketball. Kwitchoff said people were making a huge deal out of it and giving McCrea all sorts of hype even before he stepped foot on the court in Colorado Springs.
McCrea's time with Team USA was rewarding for his teammates, too.
"Him going over there and getting Buffalo press, it shows the talent that we have," said sophomore guard Jarod Oldham.
Senior center Mitchell Watt concurred. He said everyone on the team is glad that McCrea's experience spreads knowledge of the Buffalo program. Watt said McCrea is willing to learn from older players and he has an undying love for the game of basketball.
The mountain climate of Colorado was a change of pace for McCrea, but he was pleased with the trip.
"It was really hard to breathe out there," McCrea said. "It was a good experience, though. It just lets me know that I'm not that far from [players from top-tier programs]."
Jeremy Lamb from the NCAA Champion UConn Huskies, Keith Appling from Michigan State, and Patric Young from Florida are just three of the recognizable players to make the U19 squad this year.
Just how good is the competition at Team USA teenage camps? In 2006, Blake Griffin tried out for the U18 team and he was cut. That's right – the former No. 1 overall NBA draft pick and 2011 Rookie of the Year was cut.
McCrea's fate may have been the same in USA trials as Griffin's, but he anticipates one day playing in the same league as Griffin. When asked if he thinks it's feasible for him to play in the NBA in the future, McCrea responded without hesitating.
"I want to play in the NBA," McCrea said. "That's definitely my goal."
Senior guard Zach Filzen, who was one of the nation's best 3-point shooters last year, said the camp helped McCrea improve and consequently it helped the team improve.
Though McCrea has rare talent, it's his humility and team-first attitude that set the forward apart. "As long as we're winning, I don't care if I'm the guy or if I'm sitting on the bench," McCrea said.
Kwitchoff said the coaching staff has major expectations for McCrea this season.
"We want Javon to think of himself as one of the best players in America," Kwitchoff said. "We want him to view himself as unstoppable on the court."
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