Liberty Flames men’s basketball head coach Ritchie McKay will serve as a training camp court coach for the USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team, according to a May 14 announcement. The training camp is set to begin on May 21 at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The selection of McKay as one of four court coaches highlights his ongoing involvement in national basketball development programs. The training camp will determine the final roster for the team that will compete at the 2026 USA FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup from June 1-7 in Leon, Mexico.
McKay joins Dusty May (Michigan), Dennis Gates (Missouri), and Greg Kampe (Oakland) as court coaches during the opening phase of the camp. Anthony Grant (Dayton) will lead as head coach with assistant coaches Nate Oats (Alabama) and Matt Langel (Colgate). This marks McKay’s return to USA Basketball since he won gold as an assistant coach at the 1997 World University Games in Sicily, Italy.
A total of 35 athletes representing graduating classes from 2026 through 2028 are expected to participate in this year’s camp. These athletes were selected by the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee.
FIBA has announced that Group A play for the AmeriCup will include matchups against Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico starting June 1. The top four teams from this event will qualify for the 2027 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup.
McKay recently signed a contract extension through the 2031-32 season and holds a record of success with Liberty men’s basketball, including nine seasons with over twenty wins and multiple conference titles.
