:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/27711047/161776647.0.jpg)
The BBVA Rising Stars Challenge is a fancy term for the Rookie-Sophomore game. The game is played on the Saturday of All Star Weekend and is supposed to feature the best first and second year players in the NBA. On Wednesday, the league announced the pool of players for that game. Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal will then pick teams out of those players.
Dion Waiters was selected for the game after playing in it last year as well. Despite being the first overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Anthony Bennett will not be a part of the Rising Stars Game. But don't worry -- Bennett is hardly the only high draft pick to not make the cut. Third overall pick, Otto Porter, was also not selected. In fact, nine players in the 2013 lottery were not selected for the team. Tyler Zeller played in the game last year, but was not in the pool this year.
Here's the full list of participants according to the NBA's release. I've also heard that there will be one "wild card" player selected from each conference to play in the game.
2014 BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge Player Pool
Prior to NBA/
Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. Home Country Exp
Steven Adams Oklahoma CityC 7-0 255 Pittsburgh/New Zealand R
Pero Antic Atlanta C 6-11 260 Olympiacos/Macedonia R
Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee G/F 6-9 205 Filathlitkos/Greece R
Harrison Barnes Golden State F 6-8 210 North Carolina/USA 1
Bradley Beal Washington G 6-5 207 Florida/USA 1
Trey Burke Utah G 6-1 190 Michigan/USA R
Michael Carter-Williams Philadelphia G 6-6 185 Syracuse/USA R
Anthony Davis New Orleans F/C 6-10 220 Kentucky/USA 1
Andre Drummond Detroit C 6-10 270 Connecticut/USA 1
Tim Hardaway, Jr. New York G 6-6 205 Michigan/USA R
Terrence Jones Houston F 6-9 252 Kentucky/USA 1
Damian Lillard Portland G 6-3 195 Weber State/USA 1
Victor Oladipo Orlando G 6-4 215 Indiana/USA R
Kelly Olynyk Boston F/C 7-0 238 Gonzaga/Canada R
Mason Plumlee Brooklyn F/C 6-11 235 Duke/USA R
Jared Sullinger Boston F/C 6-9 260 Ohio State/USA 1
Jonas Valanciunas Toronto C 6-11 231 Lietuvos Rytas/Lithuania1
Dion Waiters Cleveland G 6-4 225 Syracuse/USA 1
This game won't be nearly as fun without Kyrie Irving breaking Brandon Knight's ankles. It'd also be much more fun if Matthew Dellavedova were participating. Oh well.
