ACC Basketball: USA Basketball dominated by deepest conference in nation

Every four years the USA basketball roster sets to compete for the gold medal. This year, it’s dominated by ACC basketball players.

The senior USA basketball team unveiled their 2016 12-man roster for the upcoming Rio Olympics. Some of the finalists were chosen on the basis of players such as LeBron James and Stephen Curry, who decided to use the summer for some much needed rest.

In response to this, many question the talent featured on the roster, but fans forget that USA could take a team of role players and still be the favorite for the gold medal.

For the first time in a while, every player on the twelve man roster will have played some sort of college ball during their career.

In dominating fashion, the ACC flexed it’s muscles by having the most players on both the 12-man squad and the USA Select Team (the squad that practices against the senior team).

In all, there are 37 players combined on both teams. The ACC claims 11 of them, giving them 29.7 percent of the roster. The team with the next highest percentage (13.5) has just five players between the two teams, not even half of what the ACC has.

This year’s ACC alumni include Kyrie Irving (Duke), Harrison Barnes (North Carolina) and Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse) on the 12-man roster. The Select Team will feature Brandon Ingram (Duke), Jabari Parker (Duke), Jahlil Okafor (Duke), Justise Winslow (Duke), Brice Johnson (North Carolina), Jerami Grant (Syracuse) and Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia).

Not only do the players dominate, but head coach Mike Krzyzewski (Duke) leads the team along with assistant coach Jim Boeheim (Syracuse).

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In terms of recruiting and publicity, this means so much for the ACC.

When Coach K took over in 2008, with a few exceptions here and there, he wasn’t recruiting at the highest level of college hoops. After he won gold in both 2008 and 2012, high school players realized what Coach K and the ACC could offer them, and USA Basketball proves it.

For example, Harrison Barnes may be the biggest surprise selection on the team this year.

What people forget is that Coach K actually recruited Barnes out of high school and lost out on his services. While the forward had a down series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the most recent NBA Finals, a summer with Coach K could be extremely beneficial to Barnes and what he is able to accomplish at the NBA level in the coming years.

Just last year, Duke had three first round picks in Jahlil Okafor, Justice Winslow and Tyus Jones, which shows how they are now a factor in the new one-and-done way of life.

Despite UNC losing the National Championship in a tightly contested battle against Villanova, the USA Basketball roster proves that the ACC still produces the best talent and rules college basketball.

Next: Summer top 25

The team starts training July 18th in Las Vegas, Nevada.