McKeown Named Assistant Coach For 2008 USA Women's U18 National Team

McKeown will assist Northern Illinois' Carol Owens, who was selected the USA Women's U18 National Team head coach by the USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee

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May 12, 2008

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - George Washington head women's basketball coach Joe McKeown has been named an assistant coach for the 2008 USA Basketball Women's Under-18 National Team, USA Basketball announced Monday.

McKeown will assist Northern Illinois' Carol Owens, who was selected the USA Women's U18 National Team head coach by the USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee, chaired by Sue Donohoe of the NCAA, and approved by USA Basketball's Executive Committee. Marquette head coach Terri Mitchell also will serve as an assistant. "It's exciting for me to work with USA Basketball again. I was a part of the Olympic trials in 1992, and that was a great personal experience for me," McKeown said. "This is another great opportunity, but it will be very different because you are talking about 18-year-old, or even 17-year-old, athletes.

"I think my strength is my 22 years of experience as a head coach. I'm looking forward to contributing to USA Basketball again, and I plan to work with the girls in a very positive way to help them see the bigger picture and what it represents." The trio will coach the nation's elite 18-and-unders (born on or after Jan. 1, 1990) at the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women, which will be held July 23-27 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The top four finishing teams in the 2008 zone qualifier will earn berths to compete in the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship for Women, scheduled for July 23-Aug. 2 in Bangkok, Thailand.

USA Basketball will conduct trials for its 2008 U18 National Team June 9-12 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, where approximately 35 U.S. hopefuls will compete for one of the team's 12 roster spots.

Following trials, the Women's Collegiate Committee is expected to announce the 12-member roster plus alternates, who will train with the team during its July 10-18 training camp in Colorado Springs.

McKeown became the 34th head coach in Division I history to pass the 500-victory mark this season and finished the 2007-08 campaign with 509 career victories, a total which ranks 21st on the active Division I list. His 74.5 winning percentage is 13th on the active list and 12th all-time and his 19 20-win seasons rank tied for 16th on the all-time list. The winningest coach in GW and Atlantic 10 Conference women's basketball history, McKeown has compiled a 441-154 record in 19 seasons as head coach of the Colonials. He has guided GW to 17 NCAA Tournaments, advancing as far as the Elite Eight in 1997, the Sweet Sixteen in 1995, 2007 and 2008 and the second round on nine occasions. Also playing in the WNIT in 1993 and 2002, McKeown has taken his teams to post season play in all but three of his 22 seasons.

GW made its second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 this March and finished with a 27-7 overall record in 2007-08, one victory shy of the program record. The No. 14 final ranking is the third highest in school history behind the No. 10 ranking from 1996-97 and last year's No. 11 final ranking. It marks the third straight season the Colonials have finished the season in the coaches' Top 25.