KK Arnold gears up for U16 FIBA Americas Championship

 

GERMANTOWN, Wis. (CBS 58) - Soon to be Germantown junior KK Arnold has one thing in mind before she heads off to play for Team USA. 

"Be ready for a gold medal when I come back," said KK Arnold with a smile. 

Arnold made the U16 Team in June after a stellar season leading Germantown to its first state championship in girls basketball. 

She watched this summer as Team USA on both the men's and women's side brought home gold medals in the Olympics, and wants that feeling.

"Kinda feels good just to watch, especially the women's side, just seeing them win, how hard they play. Can't wait to be down there and be a part of something like that," said Arnold. "Always when I was little, I dreamed of putting on that Team USA jersey on, so this just feels good". 

UWM recruit and Hamilton grad Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Wisconsin's Jonathan Davis won gold with the USA U19 team in the FIBA World Cup earlier this summer as well. 

Arnold, the Wisconsin girls basketball Gatorade Player of the Year, will leave for training camp on Aug. 13 and train twice a day in Washington, D.C. from the 14th-19th before departing for the championship site in Mexico. The tournament was originally planned for Chile but was moved due to COVID-19. 

USA is in Group B with Argentina, Chile and Mexico. Group A is made up of Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico. Team USA opens pool play with Chile on Aug. 23. 

In July, Arnold announced her top 12 schools after fielding offers from 30 schools. She's narrowed her list down to Baylor, Connecticut, Duke, Florida, Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Ohio State, South Carolina and Wisconsin. She's talked with most of these schools since eighth grade and it felt right to narrow the list down to these twelve and focus on them.

"Playing styles that those colleges have played, matching my playing style. The coaches, how well I know the coaches, how well I like talking to them. How well I bond with them and everything. Just the type of stuff they'll do for me to further on my future, going onto the WNBA and everything," said Arnold. 

She plans to take her time and let the process work itself out before she makes her final decision.