Nike Hoop Summit Returns To Portland In 2009 For April 11 Battle At The Rose Garden

Colorado Springs, Colo. - Jan. 12, 2009

Tickets go on sale Tuesday for the 2009 Nike Hoop Summit, with reserved courtside seats priced $25 and $50 and all other lower bowl tickets are $6 if purchased before April 11, and are $10 day of the game. Tickets can be purchased through the Rose Quarter Ticket Office, by calling 877-789-ROSE (7673) or by visiting www.rosequarter.com.

'USA Basketball is excited to return the Nike Hoop Summit to Portland in 2009,' said USA Basketball executive director Jim Tooley. 'We had a great game and a great crowd in 2008, and we know basketball fans in the Portland area enjoyed the chance to see NBA stars of the future in a meaningful game.

'Any fan of basketball will appreciate the competitive spirit that characterizes this event. This is not an all-star game. It's an opportunity for the world's best 18 and 19 year-olds to compete at the highest level under international rules in a one-game, crowd-pleasing rivalry,' Tooley added.

The Nike Hoop Summit will make its second consecutive appearance in Portland in 2009. Overall, USA teams have won seven consecutive games and nine of the previous 11 Hoop Summit match-ups.

Held annually from 1995-2000, the Nike Hoop Summit was resumed in 2004 after a three year hiatus. In 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2004, the Nike Hoop Summit was held in the city hosting the men's NCAA Final Four, and then at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., from 2005 through 2007.

The 2009 USA Basketball Men's Junior National Select Team roster is expected to be announced in early February, with the 2009 World Select Team announcement to follow in March.

The USA Select Team will consist of 10 players, a head coach and an assistant coach, while the World Select Team will consist of 11 players age 19-years-old or younger from FIBA's five geographic zones: FIBA Africa, FIBA Americas, FIBA Asia, FIBA Europe and FIBA Oceania, with the approved sanctioning of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the world governing body of international basketball.

Check out more Nike Hoop Summit Action in our  NBA Alumni Photo Gallery!

The premiere event for high-school age players, 87 former USA and World Select Team members have been drafted by NBA teams, including 13 players in the 2008 draft.

In fact, the top three picks in the 2008 NBA Draft were Hoop Summit alumni, 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. Also drafted in 2008 were Kevin Love at No. 5 by Memphis, Jerryd Bayless at No. 11 by Indiana, Brandon Rush at No. 13 by Portland, Alexis Ajinca at No. 20 by Charlotte, Nicolas Batum at No. 25 by Houston, Donté Greene at No. 28 by Memphis, D.J. White at No. 29 by Detroit, Malik Hairston at No. 48 by Phoenix, Richard Hendrix at No. 49 by Golden State and Semih Erden at No. 60 by Boston.

As of January 2009, 47 former USA players and 13 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 Sergio Rodriguez.

Some additional American NBA standouts boasting of Hoop Summit experience include: Ron Artest (Houston Rockets); Shane Battier (Houston Rockets); Elton Brand (Philadelphia 76ers); Baron Davis (Golden State Warriors); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Jordan Farmar (Los Angeles Lakers); Kevin Garnett (Boston Cetlics); Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies); Daniel Gibson (Cleveland Cavaliers); Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks); Rashard Lewis (Orlando Magic); J.R. Smith (Denver Nuggets); Josh Smith (Atlanta Hawks); Brandan Wright (Golden State Warriors); and Thaddeus Young (Philadelphia 76ers).

World Hoop Summit alums now playing for NBA teams include: Alexis Ajinca (Charlotte Bobcats); Andrea Bargnani (Toronto Raptors); Dan Gadzuric (Milwaukee Bucks); Yi Jianlian (New Jersey Nets); Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks); Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs); Vladimir Radmanovic (Los Angeles Lakers); Mouhamed Saer Sene (Oklahoma City Thunder); Luis Scola (Houston Rockets); Darius Songaila (Washington Wizards); and Roko Leni Ukic (Toronto Raptors).
Additionally, 38 former Hoop Summit players are currently competing on the collegiate level, including 25 U.S. players and 13 foreign athletes. Six members of the Duke University Blue Devils are Hoop Summit alums - Gerald Henderson, Greg Paulus, Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith and World Team member Martynas Pocius. Four 2008 Hoop Summit team members play for UCLA, including Jerime Anderson, Drew Gordon, Jrue Holiday and Malcolm Lee; while four former Hoop Summit players play at North Carolina - Ed Davis, Wayne Ellington, Tyler Hansbrough and Tywon Lawson.
Also playing collegiately are Al-Farouq Aminu at Wake Forest, Jon Brockman at Washington, Demar DeRorozan at Southern California, Tyreke Evans at Memphis, Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris at Syracuse, Scotty Hopson, J.P. Prince and World Team member Emmanuel Negedu at Tennessee, Vernon Macklin at Florida, Greg Monroe at Georgetown, Patrick Patterson at Kentucky and Mike Williams at Cincinnati.

In addition to Negedu and Pocius, World Team alums playing at an American college or university include: Ben Allen at Indiana, Patrick Mills at Saint Mary's College, Devoe Jospeh at Minnesota, Jevohn Shepard at Michigan, Marvell Waithe at Tallahassee Community College, Samardo Samuels at Louisville, K.J. Matsui at Columbia, Solomon Alabi and Uche Echefu at Florida State, Churchill Odia at Oregon and Angel Garcia at Memphis.

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.