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Summer no bummer for Arcidiacono

Villanova guard didn't make the USA Basketball under-19 World Championship team, but enjoyed trying out.

Villanova's Ryan Arcidiacono accepted an invitation to participate in the 2013 USA Basketball Men’s U19 National Team training camp. (Clem Murray/Staff file photo)
Villanova's Ryan Arcidiacono accepted an invitation to participate in the 2013 USA Basketball Men’s U19 National Team training camp. (Clem Murray/Staff file photo)Read more

SUMMERTIME for a typical 19-year-old kid usually includes lounging around, hanging with friends, and making the occasional trip for ice cream. As it turns out, Ryan Arcidiacono is not your typical 19-year-old. While he may still get to see his friends, and splurge on a little ice cream, the rising sophomore at Villanova had bigger things on his plate this June.

Arcidiacono was one of 16 finalists selected to compete for a spot on the USA Basketball under-19 World Championship roster. The Wildcats guard traveled to the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs, Colo., to try out for the team. The reigning Big 5 rookie of the year said the trek played out like any other road trip, even though it was his audition for the national team.

"We got the picture done for USA Basketball, then we got right on the court," Arcidiacono said. "On the court, we went through stretching, then separated guards and forwards. We did that for 10 minutes, and then ran five-on-five for about an hour."

In the end, Arcidiacono was not among the 12 players selected to travel to Prague, Czech Republic, to compete in the next month's FIBA World Championship. Still, the Neshaminy High product said he enjoyed the experience.

"It was the best guys that were out there, the best guys in the country," Arcidiacono said. "I really loved hanging out with the other guys my age. Kids that I haven't met before."

Even though Arcidiacono loved meeting new people, he also had a chance to reacquaint himself with people he had already met. "Arch" said he gelled with with Providence guard Kris Dunn, and head coach Ed Cooley. The Wildcats lost to Providence twice last season.

"Me and Kris had good chemistry together," Arcidiacono said of Dunn. "He hit me for a couple shots. We just simply played well together."

Arcidiacono said Cooley recruited him. "I knew him from before the tryout, with being recruited and stuff like that," Arcidiacono said. "We also played them this year. They ran kind of the same stuff that we run here at Villanova."

That was not the only part of the trip that was familiar for Arcidiacono. He went through the same process last year for the under-18 team, making it to the next-to-last cut. This year was more encouraging, though, as he made it farther along in the process.

Arcidiacono believes that his hard work, and success in his first year at Villanova have helped him progress as a player. He acknowledges that he knows he has to work harder to get his game on the level he wants it to be at for next season.

"I'm working on my entire game," he said. "Pretty much everything. All the coaches have some stuff for me to work on. I'm trying to get in the weight room a little more, get a little bit faster and stronger and quicker."

He said the experience that he went through in Colorado will continue to inspire, and push him in the offseason to get better, and get ready for next season.

"Going out there another year knowing that I did better than I did last year gives me great encouragement," he said. "I'm happy with that. I know I have to keep working hard this summer, but I know I've improved from last summer to this summer."

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