The 2010 World Select Team was announced today for the 13th annual Nike Hoop Summit, the premier annual basketball game featuring many of the world's leading basketball players aged 19-years-old or younger. The 2010 Nike Hoop Summit will take place on Saturday, April 10 (7 p.m. PDT tipoff) at the Rose Garden, in Portland, Oregon. 

The Nike Hoop Summit is the country's premier annual basketball game for high-school age boys and features America's elite, young athletes against a World Select Team comprised of top international players 19-years-old or younger.

Last year's Nike Hoop Summit proved one of the most memorable in the event's history as the World Team secured their first victory since 1998 in the series, rallying in the fourth quarter to beat the USA 97-89 in front of a national television audience and a Nike Hoop Summit record crowd of 11,246, at the Rose Garden.

This year's version promises to be just as memorable, with the World Select naming a 10-man roster filled with a great deal of experience in international basketball.

Tickets are on sale now for the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit, with reserved courtside seats priced $25 and $50 and all other general admission tickets at $10. Tickets can be purchased through the Rose Quarter Ticket Office, by calling 877-789-ROSE (7673) or by visiting www.rosequarter.com.

The World Select Team roster, which features 10 players from nine countries across four continents, is filled with players owning a great deal of international basketball experience. The World squad has been assembled by Nike's Consultant of Global Basketball Rich Sheubrooks, after consulting with general managers, clubs, federations, scouts and coaches from around the world. The Nike sports marketing team, from around the world, has also given a great deal of input and suggestions on players from their regions.

“For the international players, this game opens their minds to different places and different people and cultures and, hopefully, also opens doors in terms of their professional careers,” said Sheubrooks.

“We will have a competitive team. Many of the players have had extensive experience playing around the world in various competitions. Several of the players have competed against U.S. players over the past year which should be an asset in a game like this. We have solid fundamental players who should match up well with the athletic talent of Team USA.”

The 2010 World roster features four guards - Cory Joseph (6'3", Findlay Prep, Nev. / Canada), Duje Dukan (6'8", Deerfield HS, Ill. / Croatia), Sui Ran (6’4”, Shandong Flaming Bulls / China) and Jason Cadee (6'0", Australian Institute of Sport / Australia).

The World Team also includes forwards Tristan Thompson (6'10", Findlay Prep, Nev. / Canada), Enes Kanter (6'10", Stoneridge Prep, Calif. / Turkey), Nikola Mirotic (6'10", Faymasa Palencia, Spain / Montenegro) and Mael Lebrun (6’6”, Entente Orleans / France).

The global squad is rounded off with centers Dejan Musli (7'0", FMP Zeleznik / Serbia) and Robert Loe (7’0”, JTB/Breakers / New Zealand).

The World Team at the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit will be led for the sixth consecutive year by respected Australian national teams coach Rob Beveridge. Beveridge is currently coach of the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s NBL and last week led the club to the national championship. Beveridge will again be assisted by Serbia's Marin Sedlacek, who is making his 10th Hoop Summit appearance.

Joseph is a member of the Canadian under-19 national team and has appeared for them at two World Championships, in 2007 and 2009. At last year's under-19 World Championship in New Zealand, the guard averaged 13.6 points in 30.0 minutes a game while shooting over 50.0 percent (41-76) from 3-point range.

Croatian guard/forward Dukan is at Deerfield High School in the United States where he is averaging 24.0 points and 10.0 rebounds a game. Dukan has also committed to play college basketball at the University of Wisconsin next season.

From China, Sui Ran plays for the Shandong Flaming Bulls in the CBA, the top division of the professional game in that country. The guard is currently averaging 10.7 points and 2.7 assists a game in 28.5 minutes for the Flaming Bulls and has also represented the under-18 China national team.

The final guard, Cadee, is a countryman of World Select head coach Beveridge and averaged 9.1 points a game over nine games for the Australian under-19 team that reached the semi-finals of last year's World Championship in New Zealand.

Thompson is a teammate of Joseph's, both at Findlay Prep in Nevada and on the Canadian under-19 national team and has committed to play college basketball at the University of Texas next season.

Kanter played for the Turkish under-18 national team in 2009 and was named the championship’s MVP after averaging 18.6 points and a tournament best 16.4 rebounds a game as Turkey won the bronze medal at the European Championships in France. He is now at high school in the United States.

French forward Lebrun had an impressive showing for the France under-18 team that won silver at the European Championships last summer, averaging 12.0 points and 4.4 rebounds a game at the tournament in Metz, France. He currently plays for Orleans, in the top division of French professional basketball and has also gained experienced in Euroleague for the club.

Also at the forward position, Mirotic came through the youth ranks of storied Spanish league club Real Madrid and is currently playing professionally for Faymasa Palenca in the second tier of Spain, where he has averaged 8.3 points in nearly 20.0 minutes a game over 25 games to date this season.

Musli is another vastly experienced young player from the FMP club in Belgrade. This season, he has logged considerable playing time in the EuroChallenge and Adriatic League and was a key member of the Serbia team that won the under-18 European Championship in France last year. Musli averaged 14.8 points and 11.2 rebounds on the gold-medal winning squad.

From New Zealand, Loe plays for the JTB/Breakers in the CBL, the second division of basketball in that country. A 7’0” center, Loe was the star of the New Zealand team that hosted the under-19 World Championships last year, averaging 18.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals a game over four games until injury cut short his tournament.

Nike Hoop Summit History
The premiere event for high-school age players, 99 former USA and World Select Team members have been drafted by NBA teams, including 11 players in 2009 and 13 players in the 2008 draft.

Seven of the first 20 NBA Draft choices in 2009 were Nike Hoop Summit participants. Tyreke Evans was selected No. 4, while Jonny Flynn was No. 5, DeMar DeRozan was No. 9, Gerald Henderson was No. 12 and Tyler Hansbrough was chosen No. 13. The top three picks in the 2008 NBA Draft were Hoop Summit alums, including Derrick Rose as the No. 1 pick by Chicago, Michael Beasley at No. 2 by Miami and O.J. Mayo at No. 3 by Minnesota.

Since the first Nike Hoop Summit in 1995, three Hoop Summit alumni have been chosen No. 1 in the NBA Draft, while five have been selected with the No. 2 pick, and all told, 32 players have been selected among the first 10 draftees.

As of December 14, 2009, 53 former USA players and 15 former World team members are active in the NBA. The Trail Blazers’ roster alone features four Hoop Summit alumni, including U.S. players Jerryd Bayless and Martell Webster and World Team players Nicolas Batum and Patrick Mills.

Some additional American NBA standouts boasting of Hoop Summit experience include: Ron Artest (Los Angeles Lakers); Shane Battier (Houston Rockets); Michael Beasley (Miami Heat); Elton Brand (Philadelphia 76ers); Baron Davis (Los Angeles Clippers); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Monta Ellis (Golden State Warriors); Tyreke Evans (Sacramento Kings); Kevin Garnett (Boston Cetlics); Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies); Tyler Hansbrough (Indiana Pacers); Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks); Rashard Lewis (Orlando Magic); O.J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies); Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls); J.R. Smith (Denver Nuggets); Josh Smith (Atlanta Hawks); Martell Webster (Portland Trail Blazers); Brandan Wright (Golden State Warriors); and Thaddeus Young (Philadelphia 76ers).

World Hoop Summit alums now playing for NBA teams includes All-Stars Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) and Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs), plus Alexis Ajinca (Charlotte Bobcats); Andrea Bargnani (Toronto Raptors); Omri Casspi (Sacramento Kings); Dan Gadzuric (Milwaukee Bucks); Yi Jianlian (New Jersey Nets); Vladimir Radmanovic (Golden State Warriors); Sergio Rodriguez (Sacramento Kings); Mouhamed Saer Sene (Oklahoma City Thunder); Luis Scola (Houston Rockets); Darius Songaila (New Orleans Hornets) and Roko Leni Ukic (Milwaukee Bucks).

Additionally, 28 former Hoop Summit players are currently competing on the collegiate level, including 21 past U.S. players and seven former world team athletes. Four members of the Duke University Blue Devils are Hoop Summit alums –Mason Plumlee (2009), Jon Scheyer (2006), Kyle Singler (2007) and Nolan Smith (2007). Four schools feature three Hoop Summit alums, including Kentucky, DeMarcus Cousins (2009), Patrick Patterson (2007) and John Wall (2009); North Carolina, Ed Davis (2008), John Henson (2009) and Leslie McDonald (2009); Tennessee, Scotty Hopson (2008), world team member Emmanuel Negedu (2008) and J.P. Prince (2005); and UCLA, Jerime Anderson (2008), Malcolm Lee (2008) and Mike Moser (2009). Also playing collegiately are Al-Farouq Aminu (2008) at Wake Forest, Avery Bradley (2009) at Texas, Abdul Gaddy (2009) at Washington, Xavier Henry (2009) at Kansas, Vernon Macklin (2006) at Florida and Greg Monroe (2008) at Georgetown.

World Team alums in addition to Negedu playing at an American college or university include: Solomon Alabi (2007) at Florida State; Ben Allen (2005) at Saint Mary’s; Angel Garcia (2008) at Memphis; Devoe Joseph (2008) at Minnesota; Samardo Samuels (2008) at Louisville and Marvell Waithe (2006) at Tallahassee Community College (has signed to attend Arkansas in 2010-11).