Duke freshman Flagg headlines USA Select team

A year from now incoming Duke freshman Cooper Flagg could be the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft and he’s already adding to his resume. USA Basketball has invited the 17-year-old to practice against Team USA ahead of the Paris Olympics.

Flagg was one of 15 players named to the USA Select team Friday, a group that will help the national team prepare at a training camp next week in Las Vegas. There’s a long history of players from the Select Team eventually joining the national team down the line including current players Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton, who served in the role in 2021 before the Tokyo Olympics.

Flagg, a 6-foot-9 forward from Newport, Maine, is the first collegian to play for the Select Team since 2013 when then Creighton star Doug McDermott and Oklahoma State star Marcus Smart were on the squad.

Joining Flagg will be a group of player just finished with strong rookie seasons. Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller, who finished third in Rookie of the Year voting last season, will be on the team with the Golden State Warriors Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis and Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., all of whom were standout rookies in 2023-24.

Veteran players Trey Murphy of the New Orleans Pelicans, Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons, Keegan Murray of the Sacramento Kings, Jalen Suggs of the Orlando Magic, Micah Potter of the Utah Jazz, Payton Pritchard of the champion Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets‘ young forwards Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. have also been named to the team.

Players with overseas experience in the FIBA-style game will also be on the roster including former NBA players Langston Galloway and Nigel Hayes-Davis.

The team will be coached by Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley.

“As a former member of the USA Select Team, I know how important and fun this opportunity is for each of these players,” said USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill in a statement. “There is a tremendous amount of talent on this Select squad with the significant job of helping the 2024 USA Men’s National Team as they begin their journey to the Olympics. Each of these athletes will play a role in our preparation as we also develop the national team pipeline for the future.”