Nigel Hayes Heading to Pan American Games Training Camp

Wisconsin Badgers forward Nigel Hayes has been invited and will attend training camp with USA Basketball ahead of the 2015 Pan American Games.

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Practice kicks off this week at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado; the Pan Am Games are set for July 21-25 in Toronto, Canada.

Coaching a group of 16 current collegians and six players who have played professionally will be Gonzaga’s Mark Few. Colorado’s Tad Boyle and NBA coach Mike Brown will serve as assistant coaches. Jason Flanigan (Holmes Community College), Ron Hunter (Georgia State) and Mark Turgeon (Maryland) will assist the training as court coaches.

Only 12 of the 22 players at the camp will be selected for team USA, so Hayes will have his work cut out for him.

Also heading to training camp are (courtesy UWBadgers.com):

NAME	POS	HGT	WGT	*AGE	TEAM/SCHOOL (YOG)	Hometown
Ron Baker	G	6-4	220	22	Wichita State University (2016)	Scott City, KS
Malcolm Brogdon	G	6-5	217	22	University of Virginia (2016)	Atlanta, GA
Bobby Brown	G	6-2	175	30	Dongguan Leopards (China)	Los Angeles, CA
Isaiah Cousins	G	6-4	192	21	University of Oklahoma (2016)	Mount Vernon, NY
Micah Downs	F	6-8	200	28	Avtodor Saratov (Russia)	Bothell, WA
Kellen Dunham	G	6-6	185	22	Butler University (2016)	Pendleton, IN
Rico Gathers	F	6-8	275	21	Baylor University (2016)	LaPlace, LA
Isaac Haas	C	7-2	297	19	Purdue University (2018)	Hokes Bluff, AL
Nigel Hayes	F	6-8	235	20	University of Wisconsin (2017)	Toledo, OH
Malcolm Hill	G	6-6	230	19	University of Illinois (2018)	Fairview Heights, IL
Ryan Hollins	C	7-0	240	30	Sacramento Kings	Pasadena, CA
Keith Langford	G	6-4	198	31	UNICS Kazan (Russia)	Fort Worth, TX
Shawn Long	F	6-8	245	22	University of Louisiana (2016)	Morgan City, LA
Monte’ Morris	G	6-2	170	20	Iowa State University (2017)	Flint, MI
Taurean Prince	F	6-7	215	20	Baylor University (2016)	San Antonio, TX
Anthony Randolph	F	6-11	225	26	Lokomotiv-Kuban (Russia)	Pasadena, CA
Joshua Scott	F	6-10	245	22	University of Colorado (2016)	Monument, CO
Kaleb Tarczewski	C	7-0	245	22	University of Arizona (2016)	Monument, CO
Romelo Trimble	G	6-2	175	20	University of Maryland (2018)	Upper Marlboro, MD
Denzel Valentine	G	6-5	220	21	Michigan State University (2016)	Lansing, MI
Fred Van Vleet	G	6-0	195	21	Wichita State University (2016)	Rockford, IL
Damien Wilkins	F	6-6	225	35	Indios de Mayaguez (Puerto Rico)	Orlando, FL

The team will be determined following the training camp.

The Pan Am Games uses an eight-team tournament to decide the winner. Teams are split into two pools of four teams for round-robin play, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a single elimination tournament.

USA is in group A, and will play against Brazil, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. The U.S. will open play against Venezuela 8 p.m. (central time) July 21, then play Puerto Rico at 8 p.m. July 22, before finishing group play against Brazil at 8 p.m. July 23.

Should team USA advance, round one of the single-elimination tournament takes place July 24, with the championship and runner-up games July 25.

In the last Pan Am Games — in 2011 — a pair of Badgers helped USA take the bronze medal. Both Brian Butch and Greg Stiemsma played on the team as team USA defeated the Dominican Republic in the third place game.

Nigel Hayes is hoping to make it another year of a Badger playing in the Pan Am Games, and will need to have a strong showing in training camp to make it happen.

Next: Frank Kaminsky has Big Summer League Debut

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