A special class is the future of USA basketball

LAS VEGAS -- For a lot of the players looking to earn a spot on the squad for next year's World Championships or the 2012 Olympics, USA Basketball's mini-camp is part tryout and part reunion.

While the ages of the players in the gym this week range from 20 to 28, nine of the 20 come from the Draft class of 2008. And when you add Greg Oden, who was drafted No. 1 in 2007 but missed the entire 2007-08 season, half of the 20 players here were rookies this past year. Blazers guard Jerryd Bayless was also invited, but had to pull out with a wrist injury just before camp began.

It will be a while before we know how good this class really is and how they measure up with the classes of 1984, 1996 and 2003. But as evidenced by their rookie seasons and the presence of so many members of the '08 class here in Vegas, the early returns are very positive.

The class is led by Derrick Rose, of course. The No. 1 pick of the Bulls a year ago, Rose was the first Rookie of the Year to make the Playoffs since Amar'e Stoudemire in 2003 and just the fifth in the last 19 years.

U.S. National Team head coach Mike Krzyzewski was effusive with his praise for Rose on Friday, noting how the point guard never seemed to hit the rookie wall through 88 games this season and how much Rose has matured since last summer, when he was a member of the Select Team that helped the Senior Team prepare for the Olympics.

"He's a much better player right now," Krzyzewski said.

Along with Kevin Durant, Rose has been one of the best players in the mini-camp, and is almost a lock to make the Senior Team roster one of the next three years, as there is a clear opening for a third point guard behind Chris Paul and Deron Williams.

Including Rose, 12 rookies, the most since the '92-93 season, averaged at least 10 points per game this year. And three more averaged at least 24 minutes per contest. More than any class in recent memory, this class made an impact on the league right away.

"It's a special class, just looking at the number of players that had outstanding rookie seasons," USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said.

JaVale McGee and Anthony Randolph's seasons weren't as productive as those of a lot of their classmates. But each took a step forward earlier this month in Summer League, earning them last-minute invitations to mini-camp. They're the lowest picks (Randolph was selected 14th by the Warriors and McGee 18th by the Wizards) of the group, but are examples of how we've yet to see how good this class can be.

Randolph is one of five guys here from the high school class of '07, a group for which the memories go much farther back than last year's Draft. They've been playing against each other for years now.

"I've been playing against these guys all my life," O.J. Mayo said Friday. "So for us to come here and get the opportunity to play again, at a higher level, is good for us."

They take pride in their success as a group and don't seem afraid to compare themselves to other classes.

"We feel like our draft class is definitely one of the most talented draft classes ever," Brook Lopez said. "And [the amount of us here] just goes to show it."

"Obviously, we feel strong enough about them that we're giving them a real strong look," Colangelo said.

Colangelo and his staff aren't just looking at them for the next few years. They're all just 20 or 21 years old, so none of them will even be 30 when the 2016 Olympics roll around. A few have a shot at playing for Mike Krzyzewski in 2010, '11 or '12, but for most of them, this is just the start of a long relationship with Men's Senior National Team.

So even though it's only 2009, the Team USA foundation for the 2014 World Championships and the 2016 Olympics is already strong.

"That's what this is about," Krzyzewski said. "They might be on the teams in '10 and '12, but certainly, they're the future of USA Basketball."

And we haven't even seen what's coming up behind this group.

"Each year, there's more and more talent that's coming up through this pipeline," Colangelo said, also noting the recent success of some of the junior national teams. "There's no holding them back. And I think we'll see more and more of that as we go forward."

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