PhD Hoops USA Announces Teams for 2026 Spain Cup Tour
LOS ANGELES, CA – May 1, 2026 – PhD Hoops USA announces the teams, coaches and players who will represent the USA in the Girls (U18 & U16) and Boys (U18, U16 & U14) age divisions of the Euro Youth Basketball Cup. All five teams will be on tour from June 14-22, 2026 traveling to Spain and competing at the EYBC, one of the most competitive basketball tournaments in all of Europe! The group will experience both high-level basketball and cultural sightseeing before and after the event.
PhD Hoops USA
(U18 Girls Team)
PLAYERS
Haileigh Allen (Lynn, IN)
Charlie Bennett (Cadillac, MI)
Lauren Burnside (Rigby, ID)
Violet Gordon (Reno, NV)
Wrigley Green (Bartonville, TX)
Maddy Leo (Dayton, OH)
Kashlyn Mack (Bella Coola, BC)
Ailina Rabang (Bellingham, WA)
Deanna Shaddock (Corning, NY)
Coach Sam Kirby, Head Coach (Sacramento, CA), is serving as a PhD Hoops USA Head Coach for the 3rd year in a row. 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.Â
Coach Bella Reed, Assistant Coach (Broken Arrow, OK), is a young coach who is excited to assist our PhD Hoops USA girls teams this summer. This past season, she was an Assistant Girls Coach at Rejoice Christian High School while also serving as Head Coach within the Tulsa Basketball Academy. As a player, she helped lead her prep team to a national championship before playing collegiately at the University of Puget Sound. Last Spring, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree with an impressive 4.0 GPA from Oral Roberts University in Sociology with a Minor in Christian Counseling and Caregiving.
PhD Hoops USA
(U16 Girls Team)
PLAYERS
Sydney Brandt (Campbellsport, WI)
Brooke Bridges (Hull, GA)
Rylynn David (Winfield, KS)
Maiya Gampong (Honolulu, HI)
Kobi Green (Bartonville, TX)
Lena McGee (Grenola, KS)
Hannah Mulligan (Edgewood, TX)
Maddie Nenstiel (Telford, PA)
Sofia Ogamba (Surrey, BC)
Faith Pavalonis (Moosic, PA)
Coach Liz Flooks, Head Coach (East Stroudsburg, PA), has had an impressive journey through the WBB coaching ranks. She is currently the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at East Stroudsburg University (PA) and has turned the program around in just her 2nd season. Previously, she coached at Sacred Heart University, Army/West Point, NJIT, Pitt-Johnstown and White Plains HS. In addition to being a part of multiple conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances, Coach Flooks has also served as an NCAA Academic Liaison and in the role of Athletics Administration for Basketball Support. She was a highly decorated player at Niagara University, finishing with over 1,200 career points, Top-10 in several statistical career categories and a 2x All-MAAC selection. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Niagara in Sociology with a Minor in Psychology and her Master’s Degree from Liberty University in Elementary Education.
Coach Bella Reed, Assistant Coach (Broken Arrow, OK), is a young coach who is excited to assist our PhD Hoops USA girls teams this summer. This past season, she was an Assistant Girls Coach at Rejoice Christian High School while also serving as Head Coach within the Tulsa Basketball Academy. As a player, she helped lead her prep team to a national championship before playing collegiately at the University of Puget Sound. Last Spring, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree with an impressive 4.0 GPA from Oral Roberts University in Sociology with a Minor in Christian Counseling and Caregiving.
PhD Hoops USA
(U18 Boys Team)
PLAYERS
Wayd Bailey (Preston, ID)
Jarrell Best (Roscoe, TX)
Owen Dowel (Melbourne, Australia)
Justin Gonzalez (Boston, MA)
Caleb Horton (North Little Rock, AR)
Jace Jones (Dulles, VA)
Oliver Stevens (The Dalles, OR)
Gabe Taylor (Bend, OR)
Jerome Ward IV (Durham, NC)
Kendrick Williams Jr. (Charlotte, NC)
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).
PhD Hoops USA
(U16 Boys Team)
PLAYERS
Kian Andreassen (Leesburg, VA)
Donovan Brown (Norfolk, VA)
Pierce Combs (Winston-Salem, NC)
Jacques Goodreau (Sonoma, CA)
Richard Jones (Sarasota, FL)
Isaiah Robertson (Champaign, IL)
Christian Smith (Durant, OK)
Johnathan Soileau (Camdenton, MO)
Hudhaifa St. Juste (East Orange, NJ)
Landon Williams (Nacogdoches, TX)
Coach Tony Jones, Head Coach (Fayetteville, NC), who most recently served as the Interim Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Winston-Salem State University, is coaching with PhD Hoops USA for the first time. He has had a lot of success in his young career, including stints as Assistant Coach at Winston-Salem State, St. Pauls High School and UNC Pembroke. At UNCP, he served as Associate Head Coach before being named as the Interim Head Coach, where he led the program to their first-ever regular season championship and was named the Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year. At the high school level, Coach Jones led Seventy-First High School to the State Championship (NC) game in his lone season while being honored as the District 4 Coach of the Year. He earned both his Bachelor’s Degree (Exercise Science and Sports Science in Sports Management) and Master’s Degree (Physical Education in Exercise/Sports Administration) at UNC Pembroke.Â
PhD Hoops USA
(U14 Boys Team)
PLAYERS
Cortt Best (Roscoe, TX)
Avery Brown (Norfolk, VA)
Lao Charles (Chula Vista, CA)
Rajon Cissoko (Fabens, TX)
Bobby Diaz (Manchester, NH)
Leo Kouyoumjian (Saddle Brook, NJ)
Sean Seabrooks (Leesburg, VA)
Colton Simmons (Bel Air, MD)
Buddy Smith (Preston, ID)
Tyson Tucker (St. Louis, MO)
Coach Atom Johnston, Head Coach (Elmwood Park, NJ), is coaching with PhD Hoops USA for the 2nd year in a row, fresh off a Bronze Medal showing with our U16 Boys team at the United World Games last summer. He is a highly experienced basketball coach and trainer with over 25 years of experience. He has coached several levels, including both high school boys and girls varsity basketball. Currently, he serves as a STACK Basketball Certified Coach & Trainer and Head Coach/Director of the STACK AAU program. For 25 years, Coach Atom taught sign language after graduating from Union College (NJ) with his Associate’s Degree in American Sign Language.
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.
TRIP LEADER - Jay Newberry (Cincinnati, OH)
Jay Newberry is another one of our most trusted PhD Hoops USA Trip Leaders. Additionally, he recently coached a couple of our oldest teams after a 15-year career at both the collegiate and high school levels. For over a decade, he spent time coaching all 3 NCAA levels while at Ball State University, Augusta University, Belmont Abbey College and Thomas More College. Currently, he balances his time between being a high school Math teacher, raising his 6 children and coaching them in various sports. Newberry was a 5-sport athlete in high school while setting the school basketball records in scoring and rebounding. He played collegiately at Rollins College for 4 years where he was the Team Captain and earned the Most Outstanding Senior award. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from Rollins College and a Master’s Degree in Health & Physical Education from Augusta State.
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.
