Arizona head coach Sean Miller and incoming freshman Allonzo Trier helped the U.S. win its second-straight FIBA U19 World Championship gold medal with a 79-71 win over Croatia on Sunday.
The U.S. has now captured a record six FIBA U19 World Championship gold medals. After winning the gold medal in 2013 behind an MVP effort from former Arizona star Aaron Gordon, the Miller-led team became just the second team in the history of the tournament to defend its title (the U.S. did so in 1979 and 1983, when the tournament was held every four years).
Trier, who won his first gold medal last summer at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship to help the U.S. qualify for the FIBA U19 World Championship, scored seven points and handed out two assists in the title game.
Miller now has three gold medals in his time as a player and coach with USA Basketball, adding the FIBA U19 World Championship to the golds he won in 1991 as a player at the World University Games and 2014 as an assistant coach at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship.
In addition to Miller and Trier, Arizona staff members Justin Kokoskie and Austin Carroll also earned gold medals at the FIBA U19 World Championship, serving Team USA as an athletic trainer and video coordinator, respectively.
Since 2013, players, coaches and staff with Arizona ties have combined to collect eight gold medals with USA Basketball. Gordon was named MVP of the FIBA U19 World Championship in 2013, while Stanley Johnson was named MVP of the FIBA Americas U18 Championship in 2014.
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