Detroit Pistons Center Andre Drummond Selected For 2014 BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge Roster Pool
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The National Basketball Association announced today that Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond has been selected for the 2014 BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge to be held on Friday, Feb. 14, in New Orleans during NBA All-Star 2014.
Drummond has started all 45 games for the Pistons this season averaging 12.6 points, a team-leading 12.7 rebounds, 1.36 steals, 1.82 blocks and 32.6 minutes per game. Among NBA leaders he ranks third in rebounds (12.7), first in offensive rebounds per game (5.1), third in field goal percentage (60.0% FG) and eighth in blocks (1.82). Drummond leads the Eastern Conference and ranks second in the NBA in double-doubles with 33, the third-most by a Pistons player since the 2003-04 season. He recently recorded the first 20-point/20-rebound game of his career with 21 points and 20 rebounds vs. New Orleans (1/24), the first 20/20 performance for a Pistons player since Antonio McDyess in 2009. Drummond currently has the highest rebounding average for a player 20 years old or younger in NBA history.
The BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge -- televised live nationally on TNT at 9 p.m. ET and broadcast live on ESPN Radio, with live audio also available on NBA.com in multiple languages -- features two teams each consisting of nine rookies and sophomores mixed together, drafted from a pool selected by the NBA's assistant coaches.
Joining Drummond among sophomores selected to participate are the Golden State Warriors' Harrison Barnes, the New Orleans Pelicans' Anthony Davis, the Portland Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard, the Washington Wizards' Bradley Beal, the Houston Rockets' Terrence Jones, the Boston Celtics' Jared Sullinger, the Toronto Raptors' Jonas Valanciunas and the Cleveland Cavaliers' Dion Waiters.
Philadelphia's Michael Carter-Williams is joined in the player pool by fellow rookies Steven Adams of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Atlanta Hawks' Pero Antic, the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Utah Jazz's Trey Burke, the New York Knicks' Tim Hardaway, Jr., the Orlando Magic's Victor Oladipo, the Boston Celtics' Kelly Olynyk, and the Brooklyn Nets' Mason Plumlee.
This marks the third straight year rookies and sophomores will be mixed together on teams. The BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge Draft is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 6, televised exclusively on TNT at 7 p.m. ET. General Managers for the teams will be announced at a later date. Last year in Houston, Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried scored 40 points (18-of-22 field goals) and added 10 rebounds en route to MVP honors as he led his team to a 163-135 win.
Following the announcement of each team on Feb. 6, fans will be able to vote online from both their computer and mobile device for the starters of each team. The starting lineups will be determined by the players garnering the top votes for their respective positions, with two backcourt and three frontcourt spots for each team. The announcement of the starting lineup will be made in broadcast and in-arena on the night of the game.
The head coaches for both teams will be the lead assistant coaches from the 2014 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs. The East and West coaching staffs are determined by the best record in each conference through games played Feb. 2. Frank Vogel and his Indiana Pacers staff have secured the honors in the East, while Scott Brooks and his Oklahoma City Thunder staff earned the honors in the West. The Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs staffs, by virtue of having coached at the 2013 NBA All-Star game, are not eligible to coach this year's game.
NBA All-Star 2014 in New Orleans will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league's history for a global celebration of the game. TNT will televise the All-Star Game for the 12th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports' 30th year of All-Star coverage. State Farm All-Star Saturday Night will feature Sears Shooting Stars, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, and Sprite Slam Dunk. Other events at NBA All-Star 2014 will include the Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, and NBA All-Star Jam Session. The 2014 game will mark the second NBA All-Star celebration in New Orleans. The city also hosted the event in 2008.
This year's BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge will feature a three-phase sweepstakes for fans at www.nba.com/BBVACompassRisingStarsSweeps. During the first phase, currently underway, fans can vote for their favorite rookie through Feb. 5. In the second phase, which will begin after the game's team rosters are announced on Feb. 6, fans can vote for the players they want on each starting line-up. The final phase of the sweepstakes will be during the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Feb. 14, when fans can vote for the game's MVP. During each of the first two stages of the sweepstakes, one voting fan will be chosen at random to receive a trip to one game of the 2014 NBA Playoffs. During the final stage, one voting fan will be randomly selected for a trip to one game of the 2014 NBA Finals. Three trips in total will be awarded.
