PhD Hoops USA Announces Teams for 2026 Costa Rica Challenge Tour
LOS ANGELES, CA – May 30, 2026 – PhD Hoops USA announces the teams, coaches and players who will represent the USA in the Boys (U22 & U19) Basketball divisions on the Costa Rica Challenge Tour. Both teams will be on tour in Costa Rica from July 22-28, 2026 and competing in a series of exhibition games in the country! The group will experience both high-level basketball and cultural sightseeing throughout the week.
PhD Hoops USA
(U22 Boys Team)
PLAYERS
Frankie Denvir (Holland Township, NJ)
Rich Garcia (Flagstaff, AZ)
Gregory Latimore II (West Palm Beach, FL)
Jiovanni Lira (Carrizo Springs, TX)
Jamari Malone (Carrizo Springs, TX)
Drew Martin (Wichita, KS)
Chase Orton (Kansas City, MO)
Angel Smith (Bridgeton, NJ)
Kamaury Thompson (Tupelo, MS)
Isaac Wilson (Angola, IN)
Coach Matt O’Brien, Head Coach (Winfield, KS), has proven to be one of the best college basketball coaches in the nation. He is the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Southwestern College (KS) and is the all-time winningest coach in program history. He has coached Southwestern to 20+ win seasons in 10 of the last 12 years, 17 straight winning seasons, several conference championships and numerous National Tournament appearances. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, he also serves as the Director of Athletics. Coach O’Brien was awarded the Kansas Basketball Coaches College Coach of the Year in 2019. He has coached numerous All-Americans and will have coached on 5 of our unique PhD Hoops USA trip experiences by summer’s end, including last year’s Gold Medal at the Barbados Basketball Festival. He graduated from Friends University with both a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and a Master’s Degree in Management.
Coach Nick Duncsak, Assistant Coach (Toms River, NJ), is joining PhD Hoops USA this summer for the first time. He is currently the Head Coach at Marlboro Memorial Middle School (NJ) as well as the Jersey Shore Predators AAU program in the Hoop Group Academic League. Additionally, he coached for a season at Stockton University in which they won the conference championship and went to the NCAA Tournament. As a player, he had a stellar 4-year career at Stockton, where he was coached by the late PhD Hoops USA legend, Bob Hutchings, and competed in the conference championship game every season. Coach Duncsak has spent a lot of time on the camp circuit, including PGC, Duke University and the High School All-American Showcase. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Stockton University in Historical Studies with a concentration in Secondary Education.Â
PhD Hoops USA
(U19 Boys Team)
PLAYERS
Caliph Armstrong (Greensboro, NC)
Elijah Catungal (Odessa, TX)
Tommy Denvir (Frenchtown, NJ)
Jason Francisco-Hayes (Nottingham, ND)
Mike Kirby, Jr. (Sacramento, CA)
Tristan Lambon (Grand Canyon, AZ)
Jayce Newton (Denver, NC)
Hayden Stroud (Goldsboro, NC)
Brandon Tennon (Tremont, IL)
Cooper Yeomans (Beaver, OK)
Coach Rob Fry, Head Coach (Glendale, AZ), is coaching with PhD Hoops USA for the 4th consecutive year and is a recent recipient of the prestigious Coach Hutch Passion Award. Last summer, he coached two teams to undefeated Gold Medals. He has spent nearly two decades coaching basketball in different areas across the country, mostly as Head Coach and Program Director for both the Grand Park Premier (IN) and Arizona Premier (AZ). Additionally, he has served as the Head Girls Basketball Coach at Catalina High School in Tucson, Arizona. Coach Fry takes great pride in having assisted over 150 players achieve their goal of receiving a basketball scholarship, many of whom have gone on to play professionally in either the NBA or WNBA. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology while playing collegiately at Western Michigan University, followed by a short stint playing in the United States Basketball League (USBL).
Coach Sam Kirby, Assistant Coach (Sacramento, CA), is going on his 4th PhD Hoops USA tour in the past 3 years. Over the last couple of summers, he has led two different U16 Girls Teams (United World Games and Euro Youth Basketball Cup) to undefeated Gold Medals. He is currently the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Cosumnes River College (CA), where he recently led his program to one of the best seasons in school history. Before becoming a head coach, he spent many years as an assistant coach on the men’s side at Sacramento State, Seattle University, Cal Poly, Cañada College and Shoreline Community College. As a player, Coach Kirby was All-State and a State Champion in high school, a 2x All-Conference player at the JUCO level and was a Team Captain at Seattle, where he still ranks Top-5 in 3-point percentage and steals per game. He graduated from Seattle with a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies and a Minor in Psychology while receiving his Master’s Degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University-Irvine.
TRIP LEADER - Ruben Leyva (Fort Stockton, TX)
Ruben Leyva is a longtime Trip Leader for PhD Hoops USA and has spent a lifetime making an impact as a coach and teacher in his hometown community. He currently serves as an Athletic Director and Head Coach, while also staying active as a Personal Trainer at TTA Sports, his private gym and training facility. He possesses nearly ten certifications in a variety of areas pertaining to coaching or training and has coached multiple sports for over two decades. He has established himself as a coach who demands discipline, hard work, respect, high integrity and great character. Last Fall, Coach Leyva was inducted into the distinguished PhD Hoops USA Ring of Honor. He graduated from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin with a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology.
Every PhD Hoops USA player goes through an extensive Player Profile process. Click here for more information on PhD Hoops USA and our Upcoming Tours or contact us at travel@phdhoops.com or (310) 620-6639.
