Most members of the USA Basketball select team already leaked out, but today’s official announcement brought 10 new names:
- Malcolm Brogdon (University of Virginia)
- Willie Cauley-Stein (Sacramento Kings)
- Aaron Gordon (Orlando Magic)
- Jerami Grant (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Brandon Ingram (Duke University)
- Doug McDermott (Chicago Bulls)
- Emmanuel Mudiay (Denver Nuggets)
- Jahlil Okafor (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Justise Winslow (Miami Heat)
- Cody Zeller (Charlotte Hornets)
The already known:
- Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Detroit Pistons)
- Kris Dunn (Providence College)
- Gary Harris (Denver Nuggets)
- Rodney Hood (Utah Jazz)
- Brice Johnson (University of North Carolina)
- Stanley Johnson (Detroit Pistons)
- Zach LaVine (Minnesota Timberwolves)
- C.J. McCollum (Portland Trail Blazers)
- Jabari Parker (Milwaukee Bucks)
- Julius Randle (Los Angeles Lakers)
- D’Angelo Russell (Los Angeles Lakers)
- Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics)
- Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers)
- Denzel Valentine (Michigan State University)
That’s 25 players – far more than the 2012 select team (13) or 2008 select team (14). Perhaps, USA Basketball wants more practice players around with the plan to just pick a 12-man national team June 27 rather than hold tryouts.
And that’s what the select team is – a practice squad for the Rio-bound senior team. The select teamers get valuable experience and a chance to impress USA Basketball decision-makers, maybe even working their way up the pipeline onto an Olympic team someday.