Dick Weiss on College Basketball
Zion Williamson, the projected first pick in the June 20 NBA draft, has been invited to USA Basketball’s August training camp as part of a 10-man team of rising stars, and he could make the senior roster for the FIBA World Cup.
“We want to indoctrinate him in terms of USA Basketball,” USA Basketball executive Jerry Colangelo told the New York Times. “We want to give him a platform to see how he can compete with some of the vets that are going to be there.”
If he makes the team, Williamson would be the youngest player on the World Cup roster in 33 years In 1986, Sean Elliott, an 18-year.freshman from Arizona, made the national team, which was composed of college players, and defeated the Soviet Union, 87-85, to win a gold medal in Malaga, Spain.
Center Anthony Davis, who could be Williamson’s teammate with the New Orleans Pelicans, and guards James Harden of Houston, Donovan Mitchell of Oklahoma City and Kemba Walker of Charlotte have all committed to the World Cup team, which will compete in China from Aug. 31 to Sept. 15. San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will coach the team for the first time, taking over for Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski.
The full roster for the training camp will be officially announced next week.
