It may be February, but the Summer Olympics in Tokyo will be here before the Michigan football team gets overhyped yet again — or heck, who knows, maybe around the same time.
In that vein, the folks that run these sorts of things are starting to put together the USA Basketball Team. USA Basketball announced the 44 finalists that will compete for a spot on the team vying for gold in Japan, and there’s a former Ohio State player on the list.
That player is none other than Mike Conley, Jr who is now with the Utah Jazz after spending almost his entire career with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Conley, left Ohio State after one season in Columbus and was drafted as the fourth overall pick of the NBA Draft in 2007. He quickly became one of the better point guards in the league and has had a long and distinguished twelve-year career. He will have his number retired by the Grizzlies after being traded away to Utah last summer.
The former Buckeye guard has done some pretty cool things in his career. He has won an Indiana state basketball championship with another former OSU teammate, Greg Oden. He’s also appeared in a Final Four and national title game with Ohio State in 2007. Now, he has a shot to do something not many have an opportunity for, and that’s to play on the USA Basketball team in the Olympics.
Only twelve players will make the final roster, so the competition and decisions head coach Gregg Popovich has to make will be brutal.
Good luck to Conley as he tries for a very, very cool accomplishment and experience.
