White a finalist for Pan Am roster

Senior forward D.J. White is one cut away from making the roster for the American team in the Pan American Games after competing in five trial sessions over the weekend. White is one of 14 finalists for the team, which will see two more players sent home before the games begin. The current player pool includes college standouts such as Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert, Michigan State’s Drew Neitzel and Virginia Commonwealth’s Eric Maynor.\n“This was definitely the most difficult choice we’ve ever had to make, but I just love this group,” USA and Villanova coach Jay Wright said in a statement. “I think we have great options. We’ve got shooters, we’ve got penetrators, we’ve got size, we’ve got post people – a guy like Hibbert could be a game-changer. It’s just a really diverse group that has great personality, and I think the committee did a great job of putting together a really strong team. Our staff is excited about working with this team and getting them to come together and think like a team.”\nTeam USA’s training will continue until Wednesday this week at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, where they have been since Thursday. After that they will train from July 19-21 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.\nFrom there, the team will travel to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, to compete in the eight-team tournament from July 25-29. Team USA will play Uruguay, Panama and Argentina in group play. The semifinals will be held on July 28, with the finals on July 29. \nWhite and Team USA will look to improve on the last Pan American Games, which are held every four years, with athletes from North, South and Central America as well as the Caribbean competing in a variety of sports. In 2003, the Americans posted a 2-3 record to finish fourth in the tournament. The American team has not taken home the gold medal from the Pan Am Games since 1983.\nWhite led the Hoosiers in scoring and rebounding last season, averaging 13.8 points per game and coming down with 234 rebounds on the season.