The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Aldridge, Durant named to USA Basketball Select Team
07.21.2008 | Men's Basketball
July 16, 2008
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- A pair of former University of Texas basketball stars, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Durant, are two of the 10 young NBA players who have been named to the 2008 USA Basketball Men's Select Team, USA Basketball announced Wednesday. The squad was selected to help prepare the 2008 USA Senior National Team for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, scheduled for August 10-24 in Beijing, China.
Texas is the only university represented by more than one former player on the Select Team. Aldridge and Durant will be joined on the squad by Jeff Green (Oklahoma City NBA), Luther Head (Houston Rockets), Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks), Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers), Kevin Martin (Sacramento Kings), O.J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies), Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) and Rodney Stuckey (Detroit Pistons). USA Basketball Senior National Team managing director Jerry Colangelo also announced that two rising stars from the 2008 NBA Summer League will be chosen to join the 2008 USA Select Team.
The Select Team will begin training July 20 in Las Vegas and is expected to train and scrimmage against the USA Senior National Team from July 21-24. Oklahoma City head coach P.J. Carlesimo will serve as head coach of the USA Select Team, while Toronto Raptors assistant coach Jay Triano will assist Carlesimo.
"We also brought into the senior team's training camp last summer a select group of young NBA superstars, and it proved to be a valuable preparation for our Senior Team," Colangelo said. "Some of these players have represented USA Basketball in the past and there are others who will. This is an opportunity for them to get into the USA Basketball pipeline. We expect many of these players to be part of the next generation that make up the USA Basketball Senior National program."
Aldridge recently completed his second season with the Portland Trail Blazers. He averaged 17.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg and 1.2 bpg in 76 games for Portland last season. Aldridge started for the sophomore team in the 2008 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge at All-Star Weekend in New Orleans and posted 18 points and a team-high nine boards.
Durant earned 2007-08 NBA Rookie of the Year honors while averaging a team-best 20.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg and 2.4 apg in 80 contests for the Seattle Sonics. He was added to the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team program on May 27, 2007, and he participated in the July 20-22, 2007 and Aug. 15-21, 2007 USA Men's Senior National Team training camps in Las Vegas.
