July 7, 2010

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Senior guard Jacob Pullen was one of 20 college players selected to the USA Men’s Select Team that will train against the 2010 USA Basketball Men’s National Team during its July 19-24 training camp in Las Vegas, Nev., the organization announced on Thursday. 

Pullen was one of three Big 12 players named to the squad, including Baylor’s LaceDarius Dunn and Kansas’ Marcus Morris.  The league was one of three with more than two players on the team, including the Big Ten (five) and ACC (four).  Other members of the team include Lavoy Allen (Temple), William Buford (Ohio State), Jimmer Fredette (BYU), Scotty Hopson (Tennessee), Scoop Jardine (Syracuse), JaJuan Johnson (Purdue), Jon Leuer (Wisconsin), Shelvin Mack (Butler), John Shurna (Northwestern), Kyle Singler (Duke), Chris Singleton (Florida State), Nolan Smith (Duke), Howard Thompkins (Georgia), Mike Tisdale (Illinois), Kemba Walker (Connecticut), Chris Wright (Dayton) and Tyler Zeller (North Carolina).  The Select team will be led by college head coaches, Lorenzo Romar (Washington) and Jay Wright (Villanova).

“The USA Basketball Junior National Team Committee is thrilled to be able to five some of the top older college players this opportunity to be involved with USA Basketball this summer,” said Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, chair of the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee and an assistant coach with the USA National Team.  “These 20 players now have an opportunity to be involved with USA Basketball in a summer when they normally wouldn’t and they’ll get a chance to play against some great NBA players.  It will help them improve and it will help our national team be better prepared for this summer’s World Championships.” 

Pullen and the rest of the team will converge on Las Vegas and conduct a private training session July 19 (11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. PDT), then train with the USA National Team July 20-23 (12-3 p.m. PDT).  All practices will take place at UNLV’s Cox Pavilion.  The National Team is preparing for the FIBA World Championship, set for Aug. 28 through Sept. 12, in Istanbul, Turkey.

Pullen is one of nine lettermen returning to the Wildcats in 2010-11 from a squad that posted a school-record 29-8 overall record and advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in 22 years.  A multiple All-American his junior season, he paced the Wildcats in eight categories, including scoring (19.3 ppg.), double-figure scoring (37), 20-point games (16), 3-point field goals (110), free throws (203) and steals (67).  One of just four players in school history to top 700 points in a single season, he finished the past season in the Top 10 in seven single-season categories, including setting school records for double-digit scoring games (37) and 3-point field goals (110).  He was named a third team All-American by The Sporting News, to the Lute Olson All-America team by CollegeInsider.com and an honorable mention pick by The Associated Press.  He was also a consensus first team All-Big 12 selection, while he was selected to both the NCAA West Regional and Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship All-Tournament teams.  He was also named to the league’s six-man All-Defensive Team.