Cody Zeller Added to USA Select Team

Charlotte Hornets forward Cody Zeller has been invited to join the USA Select Team to practice against the US Mens National Basketball Team. This is an honor, but it also means that Zeller will have to witness the regular beatdowns that the LeBron led National Team might administer. He will also get to learn from those guys.

Jun 15, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) shoots against the San Antonio Spurs in game five of the 2014 NBA Finals at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

The USA Select team is 13 players strong. It has an interesting history. Its most famous accomplishment was probably its defeat of the 1992 Dream Team in a game that most believe Coach Chuck Daly threw in order to keep the super Dream Team motivated. That must have worked, given the historic amount of success the Dream Team enjoyed.

May 1, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) shoots the basketball during the second quarter in game six of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Clippers 100-99. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The current USA Select Team will have Zeller but also Duke alumni Mason Plumlee of the Brooklyn Nets and Miles Plumlee of the Phoenix Suns. Also invited to this year’s team was North Carolina Tar Heel Harrison Barnes of the Golden State Warriors.

Zeller’s competition on the National Team will include Duke’s Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavs, Wake Forest’s Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers, and Davidson’s Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors. The National Team is set to play in the FIBA World Championships at the end of August in Spain.

The seven foot Zeller averaged 6 pts and 4 rbs in 17 minutes per game as a rookie.