2012 USA Select Team Helps Prepare U.S. For Olympics
Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavliers) and the 2010-11 NBA Rookie of the Year runner-up John Wall (Washington Wizards), USA Basketball selected 13 NBA players to form its 2012 USA Men’s Select Team that trained against the 2012 USA Men’s National Team during its July 6-11 training camp in Las Vegas, Nev.
F Participating on the 2012 USA
Basketball Select squad were: DeJuan Blair (San Antonio Spurs); DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings); DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors); Derrick Favors (Utah Jazz); Paul George (Indiana Pacers); Taj Gibson (Chicago Bulls); Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz); Jrue Holiday (Philadelphia 76ers); Irving; Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs); Lance Thomas (New Orleans Hornets); Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors); and Wall.
Serving as co-head coaches of the
USA Select Team were 2010 USA Basketball World Championship Team assistant coach Jay Triano and longtime Syracuse University assistant coach Mike Hopkins. Triano, who served for three seasons as head coach of the Toronto Raptors, helped coach the 2007 and 2008 USA Select Teams. Hopkins, who completed in 2011-12 his 15th sea- son as an assistant for the Orange, served as a court coach at the USA Basketball National Team training camps in 2006 and 2010, and was a court coach at USA Basketball’s 2000 U20 National Team and 2001 U21 World Championship Team Trials.
“The USA Select Team was a vital
part of the USA Men’s National Team’s training in 2007, 2008 and 2010, and again in 2012 we’ll utilize this team of select NBA players to help get our National Team ready for the very competitive summer that is ahead of us,” said USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo when the Select Team roster was announced.
“Being chosen for the Select Team
is quite an honor, and it’s an important step in becoming involved in USA
USA Basketball News
eaturing nine players owning USA Basketball experience, including the 2011-12 NBA
Basketball’s National Team program in the future. In the past, national team members like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Derrick Rose, LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Iguodala, as well as many other outstanding players got their USA National Team start through the Select Team.”
“The 2012 Select
Team has an excellent collection of talents. The group has outstanding speed and versatility, some excellent shooters, and some very good size,” added Colangelo. “It will be great to have them involved in USA Basketball and in the national team pipeline for our next quadrennium, 2013-16.”
USA Select Team member Klay Thompson drives against USA National Team player Kobe Bryant during the national team’s July training in Las Vegas, Nevada.
2012 Select Team members with
prior USA Basketball included Thomas who played on three USA teams - 2011 USA Pan American Games, 2006 USA U18 National Team and 2005 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival Blue Team; Hayward and Thompson were part of the USA’s gold medalist U19 World Championship Team; and Cousins (2009), DeRozan (2008), Holiday (2008), Irving (2010) and Wall (2009) were members of USA Junior National Select teams that competed in the Nike Hoop Summit. Additionally, Irving (2010) was a member of USA U18 National Team, while Cousins (2007) and Holiday (2007) participated in USA Basketball’s Youth Development Festival.
Former Duke Standout Irving earned
the 2011-12 NBA Rookie of the Year honors, while Wall finished second in the voting for the 2010-11 Rookie of the Year. Wall was named 2010-11 All- Rookie first team, and Favors and George collected All-Rookie second team honors. Gibson was an All-Rookie
first team pick in 2009-10 and Blair claimed second team honors. Since the development of the USA
Basketball Men’s National Team program in 2006, USA Basketball has selected and utilized three USA Select teams to help the USA national teams prepare for its major international competitions. The first USA Select Team was used
in 2007 and featured up-and-coming players like Iguodala, Al Jefferson, David Lee and J.J. Redick. The Select squad returned in 2008 and this time fea- tured future NBA All-Stars like Aldridge, Durant, Iguodala, Love, Rose, and Westbrook. In 2010 and to help prepare the USA
for the FIBA World Championship, a 20-member Select Team was assembled and was comprised by top returning collegiate players. Among players on the 2010 roster were BYU guard Jimmer Fredette; Syracuse guard Scoop Jardine, Wisconsin center Jon Leuer, Butler guard Shelvin Mack, Duke’s Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, Florida State forward Chris Singleton, UConn’s Kemba Walker, Temple’s Lavoy Allen and others.
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