Rhyne HowardWhile Rhyne Howard was not a McDonald’s All-American or a top-10 recruit her senior season with the Bradley Central Bearettes, the reigning NCAA freshman of the year has been the ultimate gem from the recruiting class of 2018 so far.
The University of Kentucky standout helped USA Basketball’s junior national team go 7-0 and pull out a 74-70 overtime victory over Australia to earn gold at the FIBA U19 World Cup on Sunday night in Bangkok, Thailand.
Howard was selected to the all-tournament team after leading Team USA in scoring throughout the week with 13.1 points per game and a lights-out 44.7% from long range.
The dynamic 6-foot-2 point guard hit a clutch 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter against Australia and drew a nose-breaking foul on defense that helped her team force overtime. She had 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots in the championship game.
The thrilling finish gives the United States eight gold medals in the U19 FIBA World Cups with an all-time record of 86-13. The 2019 team was directed by University of Louisville women’s coach Jeff Walz.