Texas Longhorns head coach Shaka Smart was officially named as the head coach for the 2016 U-18 Men's Basketball Team. The team will compete at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship, held in Valdivia, Chile from July 19-23. Smart will be flanked by assistants Kevin Ollie (Connecticut) and Mark Turgeon (Maryland).
Smart takes over coaching duties from Billy Donovan, who helmed the past two U-18 squads in 2014 and 2012. Smart served as an assistant to Donovan on the 2012 team.
Beyond the opportunity to showcase his coaching prowess, Smart also gets a chance to boost recruiting efforts.