Greg Oden To Attend USA Senior National Team Training, Lamar Odom, Paul Pierce And J.J. Redick To Miss 2006 Camp – Ohio State Buckeyes
7/12/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
July 12, 2006
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Basketball Senior National Team Managing Director Jerry Colangelo announced today that consensus 2006 Prep Player of the Year and Ohio State University freshman Greg Oden (Indianapolis, Ind.) has accepted an invitation to attend the 2006 USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team training in Las Vegas, Nev., and that USA Senior National Team members Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers), Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) and J.J. Redick (Orlando Magic/ Duke) will not participate in the 2006 USA training camp set to open July 19.
Odom, a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team that captured the bronze medal, will miss the 2006 training camp for personal reasons. Pierce, the leading scorer on the 2002 USA World Championship Team, is expected to have minor surgery on his left elbow in August. Redick is unable to participate while rehabilitating his back.
“We’re excited to have Greg attend our senior team training. He is one of the top young big men in basketball. Although he will not participate at this year’s training camp because of his recent wrist surgery, we nonetheless feel it is important to have him attend so he can become more comfortable with the coaches, players and staff,” Colangelo said.
“We are disappointed about Lamar, Paul and J.J. not being able to participate in the training camp. All three remain members of the USA Senior National Team, and we’ll look forward to their participation in 2007 and 2008,” added Colangelo. Oden, an 18-year-old, 7-foot, 250-pound center, will attend the USA training July 18-20, but will not actively participate in practices. Oden underwent surgery on a torn ligament in his right wrist June 16 and is not expected to be back playing until late fall.
“We feel badly that Greg will not be able to train with the team this summer, but he has huge potential and will be a valuable player for the United States in the future. We’re delighted that despite his surgery he can come and spend a few days and get accustomed to the culture of USA Basketball. He’s a great young man and he will be a credit to our country and USA Basketball,” said USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
As a member of the USA White Team that competed in the 2005 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival that was held in San Diego, Calif., as part of the International Sports Invitational, Oden led the White Team to a 5-0 record and the gold medal, recording wins over teams from Canada, China and Russia, as well as the USA Red and USA Blue teams. Averaging a team best and Festival fourth best 17.0 ppg., he added a Festival fifth best 7.6 rpg., a Festival second best 2.8 bpg. and 1.8 apg., all while shooting a Festival high 74.4 percent from the floor.
A four-year standout at Lawrence North High School (Indianapolis, Ind.), Oden helped his teams to an overall record of 103-7 (.936 winning percentage) and three straight state championships. Named the consensus 2006 high school player of the year, as a senior he helped lead Lawrence North to a 29-0 record, a third consecutive state championship and a No. 1 ranking in the final USA Today Super 25.
The historic 2006-2008 USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team includes: Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets); Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards); Shane Battier (Houston Rockets); Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons); Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors); Bruce Bowen (San Antonio Spurs); Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers); Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers); Kirk Hinrich (Chicago Bulls); Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); Antawn Jamison (Washington Wizards); Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks); Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns); Brad Miller (Sacramento Kings); Adam Morrison (Charlotte Bobcats/Gonzaga University); Odom; Chris Paul (New Orleans/ Oklahoma City Hornets); Pierce; Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks); Redick; Luke Ridnour (Seattle SuperSonics); Amaré Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns); and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat).
Krzyzewski was named on Oct. 26, 2005, head coach of the USA Senior Team program for 2006-2008, and named assistant coaches were Syracuse University (N.Y.) and Hall of Fame mentor Jim Boeheim, Phoenix Suns head mentor Mike D’Antoni and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan.
The USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team will open training in Las Vegas on July 19 and train through July 25.
Following a five-day break, finalists for the USA World Championship Team will reconvene in Las Vegas on July 31 for the start of the second phase of the team’s domestic training. The USA will train July 31-Aug. 2 and meet Puerto Rico in the 2006 State Farm USA Basketball Challenge at the Thomas & Mack Center on Aug. 3 (8 p.m. PDT).
The USA’s training will move to Guangzhou, China, where the team will train Aug. 6, and play two games as part of the China Basketball Challenge, facing China on Aug. 7 and Brazil on Aug. 8.
From Aug. 11-15 the USA will participate in the five-team World Basketball Challenge 2006 that will be held in Seoul, Korea, at Jamsil Gymnasium, site of the 1988 Olympic Games basketball competition. The Challenge features national teams from the United States, Italy, Korea, Lithuania and Turkey.
The World Basketball Challenge 2006 officially gets underway Friday, Aug. 11, when Korea plays Turkey (6 p.m., all times local). On Saturday, Aug. 12, Korea will take on Lithuania (2 p.m.), while Italy and Turkey (4 p.m.) will clash in the evening’s second game. The USA opens its play on Sunday, Aug. 13, against Lithuania (2 p.m.), and Korea versus Italy (4 p.m.) caps the day’s schedule. The Challenge concludes Tuesday, Aug. 15, with Korea meeting the U.S. (3 p.m. local time). The U.S. squad is also scheduled to train in Seoul on Aug. 11, 12, 14 and 16.
The USA’s visit to China and Korea mark the first time that a USA men’s senior national basketball team comprised of NBA players has visited either country.
The United States will depart on Aug.17 for Sapporo, Japan, where it will play its preliminary round games of the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Men from Aug. 19-24.
