Giddens Named to USA Developmental Team; Adds Louisville, Arizona Offers

By JACK LeGWIN

Special to ZAGSBLOG

SUWANEE, Ga. — Daniel Giddens leaves Wednesday to join the USA Basketball Developmental National Team mini-camp in Colorado Springs, Colo., and he can’t wait to get started.

“I’m blessed to be a part of the program,” Giddens told SNY.tv at the Nike Memorial Invitational over the weekend. “I fly out on Wednesday to practice, and to be there for final cuts. It’s a great experience and I’m blessed to play with the best.”

A 6-foot-10 center out of Atlanta (Ga.) Wheeler, Giddens is hoping to make the 2013 USA U16 National Team, which will compete in the FIBA Americas Championship next month in Uruguay. If the U.S. qualifies, the team will also compete in the 2014 USA U17 World Championship.

Giddens also had a solid weekend in Suwanee, leading Game Elite with Jaylen Brown and Avery Patterson to the 17U championship before losing to Perry Dozier Jr.’s Upward Stars team in the final.

A five-star recruit and ranked seventh in the nation in the Class of 2015 by Rivals.com, Giddens has been raking in the offers recently and lists Louisville, North Carolina, UCLA, Arizona, Georgia, N.C. State, Georgia Tech, Texas and Maryland as schools who have extended a scholarship his way. Louisville and Arizona were the most recent additions.

“The schools that I have heard the most from are the hometown schools for the most part, Georgia, Georgia Tech,” he said. “I have seen a lot from Florida as well.”

Perhaps most importantly, Giddens feels like he has improved quite drastically  after attending the Adidas Nations Camp in Miami.

“Miami was my second Adidas Nations session, and I feel like I’ve learned more in that session than I have learned in a year,” Giddens said. “We’re training with all of the good pros, with Andre Drummond, as well as a host of other pro players. Learning from the best helps make you the best.”

Here is the 2013-14 USA Men’s Developmental National Team Roster