Jerami Grant and Jim Boeheim are reuniting. No, the former Orange standout doesn’t have any eligibility left. Rather, the two will see each other this summer in preparation for the Olympics as Boeheim returns as an assistant coach for the national team, while Grant earned a spot yesterday as a member of the Select Team. However, this isn’t the Portland native’s first cup of coffee with Team USA. The Select Team marks the third time Grant has participated in the USA Basketball program, with his last stints ending in gold medals with the U18 team in 2012 and the U19 squad in 2013. Grant was a part of the 2013 Final Four team as a sophomore and averaged 12.1 points per game in his final year in Central New York.
The 22-year-old was drafted in the second round of the 2014 Draft and just finished up his sophomore campaign with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he averaged 9.7 points per game in over 25 minutes per contest. Towards the end of the season, Grant started receiving more playing time and even eclipsed the 20 point mark three times in his final six games.
The purpose of the USA Select Team is to scrimmage against the national team in preparation for this year’s Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The Select Team usually comprises of up and coming players as well as draft hopefuls that Jerry Colangelo and company look at as candidates for future Olympic squads. Grant is one of eight former ACC players on this year’s roster.
While it is a nice honor to be playing amongst the cream of the crop in the NBA, it is unlikely Grant ever finds his way onto the national team. He did not start on the 76ers, the NBA’s worst team in 2016, and is still a ways away from sniffing the upper echelon talent in the league. The forward figures to be in the bottom half amongst frontcourt players on the Select Team, which does not bode well for his future chances of playing under Boeheim at the Olympic level.
