Butch Named to USA Men's Pan American Games Team
Published on October 20, 2011 under NBA G League (G League)
Bakersfield Jam News Release
BAKERSFIELD - The official 12-man USA Basketball Men's Pan American Games Team was announced Wednesday night after six days of training in Tulsa, Okla. The U.S. squad, comprised for the first time in Pan American Games history of NBA Development League players who are under contract to play in the NBA D-League in 2011-12, will continue training in Tulsa through Oct. 22 and will compete Oct. 26-30 in the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Selected as a finalists for the USA team were: Blake Ahearn (Erie BayHawks/Missouri State '07); Brian Butch (Injured for 2010-11 season/Wisconsin '08); Justin Dentmon (Texas Legends/Washington '09); Jerome Dyson (Tulsa 66ers/Connecticut '10); Moses Ehambe (Iowa Energy/Oral Roberts '08); Marcus Lewis (Tulsa 66ers/Oral Roberts '09); Leo Lyons (Austin Toros/Missouri '09); Renaldo Major (Dakota Wizards/Fresno State '04); Donald Sloan (Reno Bighorns/Texas A&M '10); Gregory Stiemsma (Sokhumi Tbilisi, Georgia/Wisconsin '09); Curtis Sumpter (Maroussi BC, Greece/Villanova '07); and Lance Thomas (Austin Toros/Duke '10).
"It's a great opportunity to be able represent your country in something like this and represent Bakersfield. The NBA D-League is such a great opportunity and this is just one of the many great opportunities that the NBA D-League gives us. I'm looking forward to going down there and playing well and bringing back the gold medal and then start training camp," said Bakersfield Jam Center, Brian Butch.
Butch appeared in 39 games, 38 starts, for Bakersfield during the 2009-10 season, averaging 17.7 points, 11.9 rebounds (second in the NBA D-League) and 1.7 assists in 33.9 minutes. The 2010 NBA D-League All-Star Most Valuable Player, Butch received a GATORADE Call-Up to the Denver Nuggets on April 11, 2010.
21 NBA D-League players entered the USA Men's Pan American Games Training Camp and competed for 12 spots on the roster. "I just really focused on where I left off with Bakersfield and when I got called up - the need to be a vocal leader, concentrate on rebounding and making shots, the same things I did in Bakersfield. Even though the fans didn't get to see me last year, they can expect the same thing when I come back there," Butch added. "I feel great, my knee is healthy and I'm ready to go. So I'm looking forward to bringing a gold medal home and starting the season."
The Pan American Games, held every four years in the year prior to the Olympics, are being held Oct. 13-30 in Guadalajara, Mexico. The men's basketball competition, which features eight teams, is being conducted Oct. 26-30.
The USA men were drawn into Group B for the Pan American Games and are joined by national teams from Brazil, Dominican Republic and Uruguay. Competing in Group A are Argentina, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The U.S. men open preliminary round play Oct. 26 facing Dominican Republic (5:30 p.m. CDT), then face defending Pan American Games champion Brazil on Oct. 27 (8 p.m. CDT), and conclude preliminary play versus Uruguay (5:30 p.m. CDT) on Oct. 28. Semifinals action will be played Oct. 29, and the finals will be contested on Oct. 30.
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