Five former Duke players and three Kentucky products highlight the 25-man 2016 USA Men’s Select Team that will train July 18-21 with the 2016 USA Basketball Men’s National Team in Las Vegas.
Jabari Parker, Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow, Rodney Hood and Brandon Ingram, a projected top-2 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, all played at Duke, while Willie Cauley-Stein, Devin Booker and Julius Randle played at Kentucky.
Also selected for the 2016 USA Basketball Select squad were: Malcolm Brogdon (University of Virginia); Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Detroit Pistons); Kris Dunn (Providence College); Aaron Gordon (Orlando Magic); Jerami Grant (Philadelphia 76ers); Gary Harris (Denver Nuggets); Brice Johnson (University of North Carolina), Stanley Johnson (Detroit Pistons); Zach LaVine (Minnesota Timberwolves); CJ McCollum (Portland Trail Blazers); Doug McDermott (Chicago Bulls); Emmanuel Mudiay (Denver Nuggets); D’Angelo Russell (Los Angeles Lakers); Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics); Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers); Denzel Valentine (Michigan State University); and Cody Zeller (Charlotte Hornets).
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who on Oct. 23, 2015, was named head coach of the USA Basketball Men’s National Team for the 2017-20 quadrennium, will oversee the Select Team and Spurs assistant coach Ime Udoka and Villanova University head coach Jay Wright will serve as assistant coaches.
“The 2016 USA Basketball Select Team continues to our tradition of featuring some of the game’s brightest and most promising young players. Participation in this camp provides them with valuable experience at the USA Basketball National Team level, while helping prepare the 2016 USA National Team for its upcoming international competition. For many of the Select Team players this is a continuation of their USA Basketball experiences and for others it is an introduction into our pipeline,” said Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball National Team managing director.
“Being chosen for the Select Team is an honor and it is an important step in becoming involved in USA Basketball’s National Team program in the future. Current national team players like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, as well as many other outstanding players, got their USA National Team start through a Select Team.
“We’re also very excited to get our future national team head coach Gregg Popovich involved this summer. Coach Popovich’s coaching success speaks for itself and it will be great to have him be a part of this year’s Las Vegas training camp.”
Members of the USA Select Team will train daily with the USA National Team from July 18-21 (12:00-2:00 p.m. PDT) at UNLV’s Mendenhall Center. All practices are closed to the public.
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