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Denver Nuggets’ Torrey Craig added to USA Men’s Select Team

Torrey Craig’s impressive rise continues.  Saturday, the 28-year-old Denver Nuggets forward was announced as a late addition to the USA Men’s Select Team, replacing the Los Angeles Clippers’ Landry Shamet on the roster. For Craig, the move is the exclamation point of what’s been a meteoric 24 months for the former University of South Carolina Upstate standout.  Craig went undrafted in 2014 and honed his game in the Australian and New Zealand NBL, where he starred for four seasons. He won a championship and numerous accolades during his time in the Oceanic region, including MVP (2015) and Best Defensive Player (2017). It was the latter award that likely drew the Nuggets’ attention as he was offered a spot on Denver’s Summer League roster in 2017. After strong play in Summer League and G League action, Craig was offered a two-year contract with the team in 2018.  Craig took a big step forward in the Nuggets’ 2018-19 season, emerging as a playoff starter for Mike Malone’s team. During the team’s postseason run, he averaged 6.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and shot 47.2 percent from downtown. Craig and Gary Harris often alternated defending the opposing team’s top player, matching up against stars such as DeMar DeRozan and Damian Lillard. Craig also showed flashes he could contribute offensively as his 18-point, five three-pointer outburst helped the Nuggets seal a 117-103 win against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the first round.  Craig will now head to Las Vegas to take part of training camp with the USA Men’s Select Team from Aug. 5-8. He will have a chance to take part of the team’s USA Blue-USA White exhibition game on Aug. 9 at T-Mobile Arena.  Here’s USA Basketball’s Release: 

The USA Basketball Men’s National Team World Cup training roster numbers 15 following Julius Randle (New York Knicks) withdrawing from the training camp due to a family matter. USA Basketball also announced that Denver Nuggets forward Torrey Craig had been added to the USA Select Team roster and that Landry Shamet (Los Angeles Clippers) has withdrawn from the Select Team.

The 15-member USA National Team training camp roster and the 14-member USA Select Team will open training camp Aug. 5 at UNLV’s Mendenhall Center. Daily practices will be held Aug. 5-8 and will be capped by a USA Blue-USA White exhibition game that is scheduled for Aug. 9 (7 p.m. PDT) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, which will feature members of the World Cup training and USA Select teams.  For game ticket information visit usab.com/mnttickets

USA National Team members expected at the World Cup training camp include Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat); Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings); Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics); Kyle Kuzma (Los Angeles Lakers); Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks); Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors); Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks); Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz); Mason Plumlee (Denver Nuggets), Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics); Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics); P.J. Tucker (Houston Rockets); Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers); Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics); and Thaddeus Young (Chicago Bulls).

The 2018-20 USA Basketball National Team coaching staff features USA and San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. Serving as USA assistant coaches are Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce and Villanova University head coach Jay Wright

The 14-man USA Basketball Select Team includes Jarrett Allen (Brooklyn Nets); Marvin Bagley III  (Sacramento Kings); Mikal Bridges (Phoenix Suns); Jalen Brunson (Dallas Mavericks); John Collins (Atlanta Hawks); Pat Connaughton (Milwaukee Bucks); Craig; De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings); Joe Harris (Brooklyn Nets); Jonathan Isaac (Orlando Magic); Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies); Mitchell Robinson (New York Knicks); Derrick White (San Antonio Spurs); and Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks).

Former NBA head coach Jeff Van Gundy, who served as head coach of the 2017-19 USA Basketball’s six World Cup Qualifying Teams and the gold medalist 2017 USA AmeriCup Team, will serve as head coach of the 2019 USA Basketball Select Team. Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, who was head coach of the 2015 U.S. Pan American Games Team,will serve as the USA Select Team assistant coach.

Following the Las Vegas camp, selected team finalists will take a short break and will reassemble in Los Angeles to train Aug. 13-15 and play an exhibition contest versus FIBA’s No. 2 world ranked team, Spain, at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Aug. 16.

The official, 12-member roster for the 2019 USA Basketball Men’s World Cup Team will be announced on Aug. 17.

The American squad will continue its World Cup preparations Aug. 19-24 in Melbourne, Australia, and play a pair of exhibition games versus Australia on Aug. 22 and Aug. 24 at Marvel Stadium. The USA will complete its pre-World Cup tour Aug. 25-28 in Sydney, Australia. Slated to conduct training Aug. 25, 27 and 28, the U.S. will close out its exhibition tour on Aug. 26 facing Canada at Qudos Bank Arena. For game ticket information visit usab.com/mnttickets.