Santiago Basket Titanes to return for 2021

Five-time United Cup gold medalist Head Coach Travis McAvene (USA) has been tabbed to return for the 2021 event. He will lead the Santiago Basket Titanes Dorado professional club as they compete in the Copa United of Americas in the hopes of earning a sixth title.

'The committee felt that Travis McAvene has done a tremendous job with the Dominican club over the past two years. Having that kind of continuity within the program has been a key to the success of our teams,' said Copa United Committee Member Jo Fabian Jr. 'With the event moving to La Vega, this means a higher level and more talent. Travis had to be the first order of business.'

The 2021 Copa United of Americas will be held July 22-25, 2021 in La Vega, Dominican Republic. Training camp will be held to determine the 12-member Dominican squad with unlimited import selection.

Over the year, half of the United Cup has been held in Latin America. The Copa United of Americas was first contested in 2015 and, under the direction of McAvene, the USA earned the gold medal in all three editions, compiling a perfect 5-0 record overall (USA, Tonga National Team & Santiago Basket Titanes Dorado). In addition to the USA, teams competing in the championship include: host Dominican Republic, Turks & Caicos, Colombia and Mexico. The top four finishing teams will earn a berth to the finals.

'For me, this gets more exciting every year because you get a new group coming in,' said McAvene, the five-time gold medal winner and LatinBasket.com All-Copa Mitchell Cup Coach of the Year. He has become the only coach in league history to win a championship with three different countries (USA, Tonga, Dominican Republic).

'I depend a lot on the assistant coaches to give me feedback and help with the development of the Dominican players,' continued McAvene. 'Jo Fabian Jr. has been a great supporter of the development of the Santiago Basket Titanes Dorado club. As of today, my first order of business has to be signing Ameth Gil (191-G/F-88) and Oliver Garcia (188-G-96). Those two are the heart of Santiago and I will need them to win it all again. After that is completed, then recruiting for the imports will start.'

In addition to five gold medals over the past six summers, McAvene has earned hardware around the globe. In 2012, he was appointed interim head coach of the USA NT in the FIBA William Jones Cup. In three summers, he earned two bronze medals and one silver. After leaving Taiwan, McAvene was signed by Chabibeh Sporting Club of Lebanon to participate in the 2018 Liga Mediterranean Cup (Barcelona, Spain). He would later be named Eurobasket.com All-Liga Mediterranean Cup Coach of the Year as he won gold over Spain in the finals.

Follow us @ www.theunitedcup.com for more information on the 2021 United Cup.

Tags : TRAVIS MCAVENE, SANTIAGO BASKET TITANES DORADO, UNITED CUP BASKETBALL

Read more: https://www.latinbasket.com/United-Cup/news/666602/Travis-McAvene-Returns-As-Santiago-Basket-Head-Coach
Follow us: @EurobasketNews on Twitter | OfficialEurobasket on Facebook