COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Selecting a dynamic mix of established veterans and remarkable young talent, USA Basketball announced today the addition of eight players to the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team program.

USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team Managing Director Jerry Colangelo officially announced Wednesday in Las Vegas, Nev., the addition of Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz); Tyson Chandler (New Orleans Hornets); Kevin Durant (University of Texas); Jason Kidd (New Jersey Nets); Mike Miller (Memphis Grizzlies); Greg Oden (Ohio State University); Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons); and Deron Williams (Utah Jazz) to the Senior National Team roster.

Colangelo also confirmed that seven USA Senior National Team players would be unavailable to compete this summer because of injuries. Those players included Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards); Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks); Brad Miller (Sacramento Kings); Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers); Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets); Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat).

"One of the reasons for forming and selecting a national team is so you have flexibility. It takes into account the fact that you may have injuries, there may be special circumstances where a player can’t perform, but yet you have other players to pull from," explained Colangelo.

"After the recent meeting our coaches had in Phoenix, we decided to add a couple of bigs, in particular for their rebounding and shot blocking abilities. We also decided to add some leadership in the back court and some shooters. We also recognized several players who had outstanding seasons and who we felt were deserving of this opportunity.

"Greg Oden and Kevin Durant represent the class of this season’s college ranks and are certainly players we have great interest in, both for the present and for future USA Basketball teams," said Colangelo.

"As I said when we announced the first group of players for the Senior National Team, we’re not trying to put a collection of all-stars together but our goal is to put together as good of a basketball team as we possibly can. With the addition of these eight players, I believe we have strengthen our program in several areas, especially leadership, rebounding, defense and shooting,"said USA and Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

The eight announced players will join 17 players previously named to the USA Basketball Senior National Team and who are expected to participate in 2007. Those USA players include: Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets); 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); Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns); Adam Morrison (Charlotte Bobcats); Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks); J.J. Redick (Orlando Magic); Luke Ridnour (Seattle SuperSonics); and Amaré Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns).

Krzyzewski is leading the USA Senior Team for 2006-2008, while Syracuse University (N.Y.) and Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, Phoenix Suns head mentor Mike D’Antoni and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan will serve as assistant coaches.

USA Basketball also announced Wednesday the 2007 training plans for its Senior National Team. The USA Seniors will conduct a three-hour practice on July 20 and on July 21, and will conclude the mini-camp on July 22 with the 2007 State Farm USA Basketball Challenge that will see the USA Senior Team divided for a Blue-White game. The game will be held at Thomas & Mack Center (game time to be announced).

The USA’s July mini-camp will be utilized to determine finalists for the USA squad that will compete Aug. 22 -Sept. 2 in the FIBA Americas Championship 2007 that is also being held in Las Vegas.

Following a three-week break, the selected USA finalists will reconvene in Las Vegas on Aug. 13 for the start of the final phase of the team’s 2007 training. The USA team will train daily Aug. 13-21 in preparation of the FIBA Americas Championship 2007.

FIBA Americas Championship 2007

The FIBA Americas Championship 2007, featuring 10 men’s national teams, is one of five FIBA Olympic qualifying zone tournaments and will determine the two men’s teams from the Americas zone who will earn a qualification spot for the 2008 Olympic Games that are being held Aug. 8-24 in Beijing, China. The third, fourth and fifth place finishers will qualify for the 12-team 2008 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, July 7-13, 2008, site TBD, that will qualify the final three teams for the 2008 Olympics.

The USA was placed in the FIBA Americas Championship Group B and will open play against Venezuela on Aug. 22, followed by games against the U.S. Virgin Islands on Aug. 23, Canada on Aug. 25 and Brazil on Aug. 26. Placed into Group A were Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Panama and Puerto Rico.

The FIBA Americas Championship 2007 will be conducted in three phases. The first phase features the 10 teams divided into two groups of five teams each for the first round. The teams will play round robin within their groups over five days, with each team scheduled for one day off during the first round.

After conclusion of the first round and establishment of first to fifth places for each group, the top four finishers in each first round group will advance to the second round. Teams finishing in the fifth position will conclude their participation in the tournament. The top four finishing teams of Group A and Group B will then form a single second round group, carrying with them the results obtained in the first phase.

In the second round, each team will play against the four advancing teams from the other first round group. At the conclusion of the second round, the top four placed teams will advance to the third phase, and the bottom four teams will conclude their participation in the tournament.

In accordance with the standings after conclusion of the second round, the semifinals will be held on Sept. 1 and feature the No. 1 ranked team playing the No. 4 team, while the No. 2 ranked team will face the No. 3 ranked team. The finals will be played Sept. 2, with the losers in the semifinals playing for third and fourth, and the semifinals winners playing in the gold medal game for first and second places.

The United States men, gold medalists in 12 of the 15 Olympics in which they have competed, have competed in three of the past four FIBA Americas championships that have been used as the Americas zone qualifying tournament for the Olympics.

The USA teams have compiled a perfect 26-0 record in those three competitions. The USA claimed gold medals in 1992 when the qualifier was played in Portland, Ore., and in 1999 and 2003 when it was staged in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Already qualified for the Olympics as the host country in 1996, the United States did not participate in the 1995 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

USA Senior National Team
At the 2006 FIBA World Championship, the USA men compiled an 8-1 record and captured the bronze medal after defeating Argentina 96-81 in the bronze medal game. The USA Senior National Team opened its training July 19 in Las Vegas, and a team of 14 finalists went 5-0 in the team’s pre-World Championship tour. Selected to the 2006 USA Basketball Men’s World Championship Team were: Anthony, Battier, Bosh, Brand, Hinrich, Howard, James, Jamison, Johnson, Miller, Paul and Wade, while Arenas, Bowen and Stoudemire were named finalists for the team.

USA Basketball
Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for men's and women's basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the United States by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA teams that compete in FIBA sponsored international basketball competitions, as well as for some national competitions. For further information, go to the official website of USA Basketball at .
 
USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team Additions

Carlos Boozer
As a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic basketball team that finished 5-3 and won the bronze medal, Boozer played in all eight games in Athens and averaged 7.6 ppg. (sixth on team) and a team second leading 6.1 rpg., while shooting a team leading 62.5 percent from the floor. He was also a member of the 2001 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Men Team that finished 8-0 record and won the gold medal. Starting all eight games, Boozer averaged team highs of 15.9 ppg., 8.0 rpg., and shot a sizzling 66.3 percent from the floor and 77.8 percent from the foul line.

Boozer completed in 2006-07 his fifth NBA season, his third with the Utah Jazz, and helped lead Utah to a NBA fifth best 51-31 regular season record, a Western Conference Northwest Division title and to the 2007 NBA Western Conference Finals. Boozer finished 2006-07 NBA regular season averaging career highs of 20.9 ppg., 11.7 rpg., 3.0 apg., and 1.0 spg., while shooting a career best 56.1 percent from the floor.

He finished 2006-07 ranked third in the NBA in double-doubles (53); fourth in rebounds per game (11.7); fourth in efficiency ranking (25.81); sixth in field goal percentage (.561); sixth in field goals made (647);and 16th in points per game (20.9).

Tyson Chandler
Completing in 2006-07 his fifth NBA season, first with the New Orleans Hornets, Chandler played and started 73 games and finished 2006-07 NBA regular season averaging career highs of 9.5 ppg., 12.4 rpg., and 1.8 bpg., while shooting a career high of 62.4 percent from the field.

Chandler finished the 2007 season ranked first in the NBA in offensive rebounds (320) and offensive rebounds per game (4.4); second in rebounds per game (12.4); third in total rebounds (904); fifth in defensive rebounds per game (8.0); 13th in blocked shots per game (1.77); 14th in blocked shots (129); 14th in double-doubles (34); 30th in efficiency points (1429); and 39th in efficiency ranking (19.58).

Kevin Durant
Expected to be the first or second pick of the 2007 NBA Draft, Durant, as a freshman, led the University of Texas Longhorns in 2006-07 to a 25-10 record and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He became the first freshman in NCAA history to earn consensus National Player of the Year honors, and claimed consensus All-America recognition. Additionally, he was named the 2007 Big 12 Conference Player and Freshman of the Year to become the first freshman in league history to earn Player of the Year honors. Durant was also an unanimous All-Big 12 first team choice, and earned a spot on Big 12 All-Defensive Team and the Big 12 All-Rookie team.

Becoming the first player in the Big 12 to score 400 points or grab 200 rebounds in conference play, Durant recorded a league-record nine 30-point games and set a record for scoring average in league games (28.9 ppg.) .

Leading the Big 12 Conference in scoring (25.8 ppg.), rebounding (11.1 rpg.) and blocked shots (67), Durant was the only player to rank in the Top 10 nationally in both scoring (fourth) and rebounding (fourth).

Durant was one of 10 players selected to play for the USA Basketball Junior National Select Team at the 2006 Nike Hoop Summit. Starting, he tallied 20 points and seven boards in 22 minutes to help the Americans record a 109-91 win against the World Select Team in Memphis on April 8, 2006.

Jason Kidd
A member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team that captured gold and a veteran of four USA Basketball teams, Kidd most recently helped lead the USA to a 10-0 record, the gold medal and a qualifying berth for the 2004 Olympics at the 2003 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico. Starting all 10 games, he averaged 3.4 ppg., 2.7 rpg., a team high 5.0 apg. and 1.2 spg. (third on team). He finished the tournament ranked second overall in assists.

A perennial NBA All-Star, Kidd in 2006-07 completed his 13th NBA season, his sixth with New Jersey.

Helping the Nets in 2006-07 to a 41-41 regular season record and the 2007 NBA Playoffs, Kidd started and played in 80 games and averaged 13.0 ppg., 8.2 rpg., 9.2 apg., 1.6 spg., and shot 40.6 percent from the field, 34.3 percent from 3-point and 77.8 percent from the foul line.

He finished 2006-07 ranked first overall in the NBA in triple-doubles (12); third in assists per game (9.2); fifth in assists per turnover (3.46); 11th in steals (127); 11th in defensive rebounds (520); 12th in steals per game (1.59); 14th in efficiency points (1779); 17th in rebounds per game (8.2); 17th in minutes played (2933); 17th in double-doubles (32); 19th in efficiency ranking (22.24); 19th in 3-point field goal attempts (361); 29th in 3-point field goals made (124); 35th in minutes per game (36.7).

Kidd, who became the sixth fastest NBA player to record 5,000 career assists (531 games), boasts of career numbers of 946 games played, starting 933 times, 13,723 career points (14.5 ppg.), 8,691 assists (9.2 apg.), 1,902 steals (2.0 spg.), 6,308 rebounds (6.7 rpg.), and career shooting percentages of 40.2 percent from the floor, 33.3 percent from 3-point, and 77.9 percent from the foul line.

Named an All-NBA first team member five times (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004), All-NBA second team once (2003), Kidd has earned NBA All-Defensive first team honors five times (1999, 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2007), and second team accolades four times (in 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005). Additionally, he has played in seven NBA All-Star Games (1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004).

Mike Miller
A veteran of two USA Basketball Teams, Miller was a member of the 2001 USA Goodwill Games Team that was comprised of young NBA players and finished 5-0 to capture the gold medal at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia. Playing and starting in all five games, he averaged 9.8 ppg., 2.4 rpg., and 1.0 apg., while shooting 51.4 percent from the floor and a perfect 6-of-6 from the foul line. Miller was also a member of the 1998 USA Junior World Championship Qualifying Team that finished 6-0 and earned the gold medal, and averaged a team fifth best 8.8 ppg., a fourth best 4.7 rpg. and a second best 3.2 apg.

In 2006-07, Miller completed his seventh NBA season, his fourth full year with Memphis. Starting in 69 of the 70 games he played in 2006-07, he finished averaging a career high 18.5 ppg., 5.4 rpg., a career best 4.3 apg., while shooting 46.0 percent from the field, 40.6 percent from 3-point and 79.3 percent from the foul line.

Miller finished 2006-07 ranked third overall in the NBA in 3-point field goals made (202) and attempted (498); 11th in minutes per game (39.1); 19th in 3-point percentage (.406); 29th in points per game (18.5); 32nd in minutes played (2740) and in defensive rebounds per game (4.7); 33rd in assists per game(4.3); 42nd in field goals attempted (1010); 43rd in assists (298); 43rd in points (1293); 43rd in efficiency ranking (18.21); and 44th in field goals made (465).

Greg Oden
Expected to be the first or second pick of the 2007 NBA Draft, Oden after his freshman campaign was named 2007 Associated Press All-America First Team and was one of two freshman selected to the Wooden Award All-American Team. Named by the National Association of Basketball Coaches the nation's 2007 Defensive Player of the Year as well as the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year, he was selected by the Big Ten coaches and media All-Big Ten Conference first team; Conference Freshman of the Year and was the league's Defensive Player of the Year.

Missing Ohio State’s first seven games, he led Ohio State to the 2007 NCAA national championship game, a 35-4 overall record that set an Ohio State record for wins in a season, while capturing outright the Big Ten regular-season title and the 2007 Big Ten Tournament crown as well.

He started 31 of the 32 games he played in, and led the Buckeyes in scoring (15.7 ppg.), rebounding (9.6 rpg.), blocked shots (3.3 bpg.), and field goal percentage (.614). Oden set an Ohio State freshman season record for block shots with 105 and ranks tied for seventh all-time in blocked shots. His 105 blocks were the third most in a season at OSU. Additionally, Oden ranks second in career field goal percentage and fourth in season field goal percentage. His 501 points ranks as the 36th most in a single season at Ohio State.

Tayshaun Prince
Completed in 2006-07 his fifth NBA season, all with the Detroit Pistons, including 2003-04 when Detroit claimed the NBA championship. Prince was one of just 10 players in 2006-07 to play and start in all 82 games. He averaged 14.3 ppg., 5.2 rpg., and 2.8 apg., while shooting 46.0 percent from the field, 38.6 percent from 3-point and 76.8 percent from the foul line. Prince was named for the third consecutive season to the NBA All-Defensive second team.

Prince finished the 2007 season ranked 11th in the NBA in minutes played (3001); 34th in 3-point field goal percentage (.386); 34th in assists per turnover (2.32); 37th in minutes per game (36.6); 39th in offensive rebounds per Game(1.8); 45th in field goal attempted (997); 47th in field goals made (459); 49th in blocks per game (0.67); and 50th in offensive rebounds (144).

Deron Williams
Completed in 2006-07 his second NBA season, both have been with the Utah Jazz. Williams helped lead Utah in 2006-07 to a NBA fifth best 51-31 regular season record, a Western Conference Northwest Division title and to the 2007 NBA Western Conference Finals. He finished 2006-07 NBA regular season averaging career highs of 16.2 ppg., 9.3 apg., 3.3 rpg., 1.0 spg., while shooting career highs of 45.6 percent from the field, and 76.7 percent from the foul line.

Williams finished 2006-07 ranked second overall in the NBA in assists per game (9.3); second in total assists (745); 11th in assists per turnover (3.03); 15th in minutes played (2950); 26th in field goals attempted (1083); 29th in minutes per game(36.9); 33rd in field goals made (494); 41st in efficiency ranking (18.7); 42nd in points (1297); and 47th in points per game (16.2).

Williams was a member of USA Basketball’s 2003 Junior World Championship Team and the 2002 Junior World Championship Qualifying Team. Starting in all eight games for the USA Junior World Championship squad, he averaged 8.4 ppg., a team leading 4.8 apg., and 3.3 rpg. to help lead the USA to a 7-1 record.