The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team's roster for the 2008 NBA Summer League presented by EA Sports, which runs from July 11-20 at the COX Pavilion and the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. The summer league includes entries from 21 NBA teams and features a 53-game schedule over a 10-day span in which the Wolves will play five games.
Timberwolves.com will be on hand beginning on July 14, when Minnesota plays its first game against Dallas.
The Timberwolves Summer League roster features Kevin Love, the fifth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, along with the Wolves' 2007 NBA Draft picks Corey Brewer (first round, 7th overall) and Chris Richard (second round, 41st overall). Minnesota's summer league entry will be coached by Jerry Sichting along with assistants J.B. Bickerstaff, Ed Pinckney and Nate Tibbetts (Sioux Falls Skyforce). The complete Timberwolves Summer League roster, schedule and player bios follow.Timberwolves Summer League RosterPlayer - Position (Height, Weight) College
Blake Ahearn - G (6-2, 190) Missouri State
Corey Brewer - F (6-9, 185) Florida
Dan Coleman - F (6-9, 225) Minnesota
Dan Fitzgerald - G/F (6-9, 220) Marquette
Vincent Grier - G (6-5, 200) Minnesota
Pooh Jeter - G (5-11, 175) Portland
Longar Longar - C (6-11, 234) Oklahoma
Kevin Love - F (6-10, 255) UCLA
Drew Neitzel - G (6-0, 180) Michigan State
Chris Richard - F (6-9, 255) Florida
Bryce Taylor - G (6-5, 200) OregonSummer League Schedule (times CDT)
July 14 - Dallas @ COX Pavilion - 9:00 p.m.
July 16 - L.A. Lakers @ Thomas and Mack - 7:30 p.m.
July 17 - Portland @ COX Pavilion - 9:00 p.m.
July 19 - Milwaukee @ Thomas and Mack - 7:30 p.m.
July 20 - New York @ COX Pavilion - 3:00 p.m.2008 Wolves Summer League Bios:Blake Ahearn
Not drafted by an NBA franchise... Began the 2007-08 season with the Dakota Wizards of the NBA D-League, where he appeared in 41 games and averaged 19.0 ppg (.486 FG%, 439 3FG%, .960 FT%), 2.0 rpg and 3.5 apg... Named 2007-08 D-League Rookie of the Year... Signed by the Miami Heat on March 21, 2008... Appeared in 12 games for the Heat, averaging 5.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg and 1.6 apg... Attended Missouri State, where he set the NCAA record for career free-throw percentage by converting 435 of 460 attempts (.946) during his four-year career... He also owns the NCAA single-season record for free throw percentage (.975 in 2003-04).Corey Brewer
Selected in the first round (7th overall pick) by Minnesota in the 2007 NBA Draft... Completed his rookie season by appearing in 79 games, including 35 starts... Averaged 5.8 ppg while hitting 37.4% from the floor and 80.0% from the FT line in 22.8 mpg; he also grabbed 3.7 rpg and ranked 4th among rookies in steals (0.96 spg)... Finished with a flourish, tallying 9.8 ppg (48.3%) and 6.3 rpg in the last four games, with Minnesota going 3-1... Notched 18 double-figure scoring nights, including a season-high 16 points Mar. 30 vs. Utah (also Jan. 11 at Houston)... Hauled in 18 rebounds Dec. 6 at Atlanta, the best single-game total by a Timberwolves rookie since Dean Garrett corralled 20 at San Antonio on Jan. 31, 1997... Swiped a season-high four steals Feb. 29 at Cleveland, and blocked a season-high three shots Dec. 14 vs. Seattle... Averaged 11.3 ppg (.479 FG%, .356 3FG%, 708 FT%), 4.3 rpg, 2.8 apg and 1.6 spg in 108 games (106 starts) over three-year collegiate career at Florida... Was a member of Florida's National Championship teams in 2006 and 2007 when the Gators became the first school to post back-to-back titles in 15 years... Finished his career as Florida's all-time scoring leader in the NCAA Tournament with 198 points.Dan Coleman
Not drafted by an NBA franchise... Played four seasons at the University of Minnesota, averaging 10.4 ppg and 4.8 rpg in 127 collegiate games... Finished his career ranked 15th on the Gophers all-time scoring list with 1,317 career points... His 127 games played are the second-most in school history... Named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten by the coaches and media following his senior season... Named to the 2007-08 NABC All-District First Team... Scored in double figures 69 times during his collegiate career, including 10 games of 20 or more points... Named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team in 2004-05... Attended Hopkins High School and was an All-State selection following both his junior and senior seasons, and was a Mr. Basketball finalist in 2003.Vincent Grier
Not drafted by an NBA franchise... Signed as a free agent with the Miami Heat on July 8, 2006 and appeared in six preseason games, averaging 3.3 ppg and 2.8 rpg in 12.0 mpg... Waived by the Heat prior to the start of the 2006-07 season... Signed with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA D-League and appeared in 17 games during the 2006-07 season, averaging 19.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg and 3.8 apg... Played the 2007-08 season with Gravelines DK in the French ProA League, where he averaged 13.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 2.4 apg in 30 games... Played two seasons at the University of Minnesota after playing for UNC-Charlotte and Dixie State Junior College during his freshman and sophomore seasons, respectively... Averaged 16.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.5 apg and 2.1 spg in his two seasons with the Gophers.Pooh Jeter
Not drafted by an NBA franchise... Signed as a free agent with Sacramento and appeared on the Kings' Summer League roster in 2006 and 2007 but never made the regular season roster... Played in 50 games for the Colorado 14ers of the NBA D-League in 2006-07, averaging 14.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 7.1 apg... Spent the 2007-08 season in Europe playing for BC Kyiv (Ukraine), where he averaged 12.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg and 3.0 apg in 22 Ukranian SuperLeague games... Averaged 14.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 3.0 apg in 115 career games for the University of Portland... Earned First Team All-West Coast Conference following both his sophomore and senior seasons and left Portland as the school's all-time scoring leader with 1,708 points.Longar Longar
Not drafted by an NBA franchise... Spent four years at the University of Oklahoma, where he averaged 7.2 ppg and 4.3 rpg while shooting 53.8 percent from the field... Increased his averages to 11.4 ppg and 5.6 rpg as a senior... Named to the Big 12 Most Improved Team following his junior season... Attended John Marshall High School in Rochester, Minn., where he earned First Team All-State honors as a senior after averaging 18.0 ppg, 10.4 rpg and 4.7 bpg.Kevin Love
Selected by Memphis with the fifth overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft... Traded to Minnesota along with Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal and Jason Collins for the rights to O.J. Mayo, Marko Jaric, Greg Buckner and Antoine Walker... In his lone season at UCLA, averaged 17.5 ppg and 10.6 rpg... Named Pac-10 Player of the Year and Wooden Award All-American... Also named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and was an Honorable Mention selection for the league's All-Defensive Team... Topped the 20-point mark in 11 games in 2007-08 and posted 23 double-doubles on the season... Set school freshman single-season records for points scored (681) and rebounds (415)... Named the 2007 Gatorade National Male Athlete of the Year following his senior year of high school and earned the Naismith, Wooden, USA Today, National High School Coaches Association, McDonald's and Parade Magazine High School Player of the Year Awards.Drew Neitzel
Not drafted by an NBA franchise... A four-year starter at Michigan State... Finished his career as MSU's all-time leader in free throw percentage (.866)... Racked up 582 assists in his collegiate career, 10th in Big Ten history... Averaged 11.1 ppg and 4.2 apg during his career while shooting 39.9 percent from three... Named All-Big Ten First Team following both his junior and senior seasons... Ranked seventh in the nation with a 2.84 assist-to-turnover ratio as a senior... Named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2005.Chris Richard
Selected in the second round (41st overall pick) by Minnesota in the 2007 NBA Draft... Ended his rookie campaign by playing in each of Minnesota's final 28 contests... Saw action in 52 games overall, including three December starts; he averaged 1.9 ppg (on 47.1% shooting) and 2.6 rpg... Equaled his season high with eight rebounds Apr. 12 at Memphis (also Dec. 29 at Seattle); he averaged 13.9 reb/48 in 10 April outings... Recalled from Sioux Falls (Minnesota's D-League affiliate) on Feb. 18... Tallied 10.2 ppg (45.6%) and 11.5 rpg in six games with the Skyforce, having been assigned on Jan. 28... Scored a season-high 10 points (in a season-best 25:17) Dec. 14 vs. Seattle... Made his first start Dec. 21 vs. Indiana, grabbing six rebounds... Left the University of Florida as the winningest player in school history: was a part of 112 wins, three SEC Tournament titles, an SEC East title, an SEC regular season title and two national titles in his four years in Gainesville... Played in 141 games with the Gators and improved his scoring and rebounding averages in each season at Florida... Appeared in 15 NCAA tournament games with the Gators.Bryce Taylor
Not drafted by an NBA franchise... A four-year starter at Oregon, where he finished his career as the 12th-leading scorer in Ducks history... Averaged 12.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 1.6 apg during his collegiate career... Helped lead Oregon to the Pac-10 Championship as a junior, going a perfect 11-for-11 from the field (including 7-of-7 from three) in the championship game against USC... Named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team in 2005.