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Alyssia Brewer received a revised summer itinerary Thursday.

The Tennessee women’s basketball incoming freshman will be taking the long route to Knoxville — via South America.

Brewer and fellow UT classmate Shekinna Stricklen were two of 12 players named to USA Basketball’s U18 team. The team will reconvene for training July 10-16 in Colorado Springs, Colo., and July 17-20 in Washington, D.C. The U.S. will play in an FIBA Americas Championship event July 23-27 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“I wasn’t expecting this at all, I was actually in shock,’’ said Brewer, from Sapulpa, Okla., “I think this is awesome because I’m one of 12 out of the whole country on this team.”

Brewer and Stricklen were two of 35 players who took part in three days of team trials in Colorado Springs.

“It’s an amazing feeling to be a part of the USA team,’’ said Stricklen, from Morrilton, Ark.

Two Lady Vols freshmen who didn’t make the cut are Amber Gray and Alicia Manning. They will be arriving at UT next month for the second session of summer school, along with fellow freshman Briana Bass. Former Webb School star Glory Johnson, the sixth member of the Lady Vols’ freshman class, is attending both summer sessions.

Brewer and Stricklen will be studying abroad.

“I think it will be a valuable learning experience,’’ UT coach Pat Summitt said. “The international competition will be good. It should be a competitive, challenging environment. It will be a good time for them to grow up.”

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.