Dishon Jackson invited to U19 World Cup training camp

After earning Pac-12 All-Freshman Honorable Mention honors last season, sophomore big man Dishon Jackson was rewarded with an invite to Team USA’s U19 World Cup training camp. Jackson will ship off in the coming days for a camp that runs June 20 - 22 on the campus of TCU. The entire camp invite list can be found here.

Jackson will compete with 26 others for a roster of 12 for the U19 World Cup in Latvia July 3 - 11. TCU’s Jamie Dixon will be the head coach for Team USA.

Jackson averaged 7.2 points and 4.3 rebounds a game last season, and while those numbers might not jump off the page, he steadily improved as the season wore on. Jackson started the season coming off the bench but earned his way into the starting lineup once Pac-12 play rolled around. Jackson started 13 games for the Cougs last season.

I have no idea if Jackson’s odds of making the team are high or low, but getting an invite is a big honor and a testament to Jackson’s growth and Kyle Smith’s ability to attract talent to Pullman. The last time WSU sent players to the U19 World Cup was 2009 when both Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto made the team.

Stanford head coach Jerod Haase is on Team USA’s coaching staff, and he’ll be familiar with Jackson’s play, particularly the time Jackson pulled 10 rebounds against his Cardinal on Feb. 20.

Best of luck to Dishon and here’s to hoping we see him in the red, white and blue!

Make sure you watch this Pat Chun interview

CJ Elleby is a Coug for life

Links

Gonzaga duo of Chet Holmgren and Hunter Sallis, Washington State's Dishon Jackson earn Team USA U19 camp invites | The Spokesman-Review
Gonzaga incoming freshmen Chet Holmgren and Hunter Sallis and Washington State sophomore Dishon Jackson received invitations to USA Basketball’s U19 World Cup team training camp.

Drinks with Daniels: Pat Chun | king5.com
Chris Daniels catches up with Pat Chun, Athletic Director of Washington State University, who explains how WSU's athletic program has made it through COVID-19.

Pac-12 football: Future nonconference schedules loaded with SEC opponents, including Alabama, Georgia and LSU | The Spokesman-Review
The Pac-12 Hotline compiled all the games for the next dozen years, and there are some whoppers.