Team USA Roster For 2011 Pan-Am Games Finalized

Team USA finalized its roster for the 2011 Pan-Am Games at the end of the month. As those following along should remember, the team is made up entirely of players signed to play in the NBA Development League this season and will be led by Nate Tibbetts, head coach of the Tulsa 66ers.

The final roster seems to have a focus on defense and shooting as the 12 men included to represent Team USA includes guards Justin Dentmon, Blake Ahearn, Donald Sloan and Jerome Dyson; wings Renaldo Major, Moses Ehambe and Curtis Sumpter; forwards Leo Lyons, Marcus Lewis and Lance Thomas; and bigs Brian Butch and Greg Stiemsma.

"Obviously this is a tough selection just because guys have competed at such a high level. They're doing what we've asked, they're all good guys, but we can only take 12. At the same time you've got to get 12 so we can relax, catch our breath, guys don't have to press now, this is our team and we can really focus on competing in the Pan Ams," Tibbetts said in a press release.

"I think what excites me about this team is our commitment to defense, our guys have really bought into that. And then we've got some guards that can really push it and we've got some bigs that are really, really playing hard and are game changers just with their effort."

Late Wednesday night, the team announced that D-League free agent Chris Daniels, Ron Howard of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and the Bakersfield Jam's Luke Zeller were the team's final three cuts.

The team's first game will be against the Dominican Republic on Oct. 26. Their other preliminary round games include match-ups with Brazil and Uruguay before the next round begins on Oct. 29.