Hesperia High School graduate Jaden Shackelford is able to add a U.S. men’s national basketball team jersey to his personal collection.
Listed at 6-foot-3 and a former guard at the University of Alabama, Shackelford is currently playing in the NBA G League and is one of 12 selections for USA Basketball, which will this month begin a two-game qualifying window for the 2027 FIBA World Cup.
“First, I just gotta give thanks to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the wonders he continues to work,” Shackelford told the Daily Press. “Blessed to say the least and I’m just happy knowing I’m making my family proud.”
The other players named to Team USA — Brandon Knight, Garrison Brooks, Javonte Smart, Jeremiah Tilmon, Kessler Edwards, Kyle Guy, MarJon Beauchamp, Nate Hinton, Pedro Bradshaw, Ryan Woolridge and Torrey Craig.
Stephen Silas, who last served as the head coach of the Houston Rockets from 2020 to 2023, followed by an assistant for the Detroit Pistons for the 2023-24 season, is at the helm for Team USA. He led Team USA to bronze in the 2025 AmeriCup back in August. Patrick Mutombo and Marlon Garnett are assistant coaches, while Clay Moser is a scout.
The U.S. will hold training camp in Miami from Nov. 21 through Nov. 26 leading up to the game against Nicaragua on Nov. 28 in Managua, Nicaragua. The teams will then head to the states and will play on Dec. 1 in College Park, Georgia.
There are 80 countries competing for one of 32 berths for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar. This is the first of six World Cup qualifying windows that the U.S. will compete in.
Team USA will host a pair of games in Oceanside against Dominican Republic on Feb. 26 and then Mexico on March 1 for the next window, before playing in those countries for the third window in July.
“It’s truly an honor and privilege to put on the red, white and blue at any capacity,” Shackelford said. “It’s just a testament to staying faithful to all the work and time you put into this game. I’ve loved basketball for a long time and have played in many places but being able to represent my country is something I haven’t had the honor of doing. So I’m just trying to relish in this moment and have fun. You dream of opportunities like this so sometimes you just gotta sit back and admire where you were when you were still just dreaming.”
A local hoops legend
Shackelford began his high school career at Oak Hills and made a splash in his freshman campaign when he averaged 14.7 points per game.
He transferred to Hesperia before his junior season and picked up where he left off, averaging 23.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game.
Shackelford graduated from Hesperia in 2019 after earning the Mojave River League MVP award and leading the Scorpions to a league title. He averaged 45.5 points in 10 league games, and had a four-game stretch of scoring at least 50 points.
He was also named the Daily Press Basketball Athlete of the Year during his senior season.
A career 40.1% shooter from the field and 35.1 from beyond the arc at Alabama, Shackelford made an immediate impact with 466 points — the fourth best mark for a freshman in program history. As a freshman, Shackelford led the SEC with 55 3s made in conference play, and was 10th with 16.5 points per game.
As a sophomore, Shackelford averaged 14 points a game. He helped Alabama to the program’s first SEC title since 2002 and the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Crimson Tide made a run to the Sweet Sixteen, where they lost to UCLA in overtime.
As a junior, Shackelford averaged 16.6 points and 5.4 rebounds and went undrafted after declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft.
Shackelford is currently a member of the Valley Suns, the affiliate for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA G League.
In three games this season with the Valley Sun, Shackelford is averaging 34 minutes a game, 15.7 points, 3.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds, while shooting 40% from the field. He scored a season-best 25 points with two rebounds and two assists in a 123-113 loss to the South Bay Lakers on Nov. 9.
In his last game, Shackelford scored 11 points with five assists and three rebounds. in a 107-104 loss to the Rip City Remix on Nov. 14.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Hesperia’s Jaden Shackelford named to USA hoops roster for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers
Reporting by Jose Quintero, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
