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Brand, Hamilton, Szczerbiak added to U.S. team

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Posted: Thursday May 27, 1999 08:45 PM

Richard Hamilton, the two-time Big East player of the year, averaged 21.5 points a game for UConn. Tom Hauck/Allsport

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- All-Americans Elton Brand and Richard Hamilton, who led their teams to the NCAA championship game last season, were added to the U.S. Olympic qualifying team Thursday.

Also filling one of the final three spots on the roster was Wally Szczerbiak, of Miami (Ohio).

Brand, AP's college basketball player of the year, led Duke to a 37-2 record with 17.7 points and 9.8 rebounds a game last season.

Hamilton, the NCAA tournament's outstanding player, helped Connecticut win its first national men's title. Joining Brand on the AP All-America team, the two-time Big East player of the year averaged 21.5 points a game for the Huskies, who went 34-2 and beat Duke for the title.

U.S. Olympic basketball roster Players chosen by USA Basketball for the U.S. Men's senior national team that will compete in the Americas qualification tournament from July 14-25 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with name, height, and NBA team or college affiliation: Vin Baker, 6-11, Seattle SuperSonics. Elton Brand, 6-8, Duke University. Tim Duncan, 7-0, San Antonio Spurs. Kevin Garnett, 6-11, Minnesota Timberwolves. Tom Gugliotta, 6-0, Phoenix Suns. Richard Hamilton, 6-6, University of Connecticut. Tim Hardaway, 6-0, Miami Heat. Allan Houston, 6-6, New York Knicks. Jason Kidd, 6-4, Phoenix Suns. Gary Payton, 6-4, Seattle SuperSonics. Steve Smith, 6-8, Atlanta Hawks. Wally Szczerbiak, 6-8, Miami University, Ohio. Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich, Houston Rockets. Assistant coaches: Larry Brown, Philadelphia 76ers; Gene Keady, Purdue University, and Tubby Smith, University of Kentucky.

Both Brand, a sophomore, and Hamilton, a junior, have declared themselves eligible for this year's NBA draft.

Szczerbiak, a second-team AP All-America choice and Brand's teammate in last summer's Goodwill Games, led Miami to a 24-8 record and the third round of the NCAA tournament, where he averaged 30 points a game. In four years at Miami, Szczerbiak scored 1,847 points, the second-highest in school history.

Picked earlier for the U.S. team were NBA stars Vin Baker, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Tom Gugliotta. Tim Hardaway, Allan Houston, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton and Steve Smith.

The squad will play in the Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 14-25. Despite winning the last two Olympic tournaments, the United States must finish in the top two to win a berth in the 2000 Games in Sydney.

 

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