May 7, 1998

PROVIDENCE, R.I.- Providence College basketball standout Jamel Thomas (Jr., Brooklyn, N.Y.) has been invited to the 1998 USA Basketball Men's National Team Trials that will be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado from May 29 through May 31.

The 6-6, 210-pound junior guard/forward is one of 33 players competing for a spot on the 12-man USA Basketball team that will compete in the Goodwill Games to be held in New York - July 19 through July 24th.

The Friars' leading scorer and rebounder last season (18.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game), Thomas is one of five BIG EAST players - UConn's Khalid El-Amin and Richard Hamilton, Pitt's Vonteego Cummings and Syracuse's Etan Thomas - trying out for the team that will be coached by University of Minnesota head coach Clem Haskins.

The team will be announced on June 1st and train from July 5 through 12 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. On July 14th the U.S. team will play a team of NBA All-Stars at the Palace of Auburn Hills before moving on to New York for the Goodwill Games. This year's games will feature eight teams, including: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Lithuania, Puerto Rico, Russia and the United States.

Thomas played all five positions for the Friars last season as PC was 13-16 overall and 7-11 in BIG EAST play. Following the season, the Brooklyn native was named the Friars' Team Most Valuable Player. He was a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection, a Third Team All-ECAC selection, as well as Basketball Times All-East Honorable Mention and the U.S.Basketball Writer's District I All-District Team.