NBA News: Blazers Roy Selected For Rookie-Sophomore Game

This is the eighth year of the rookie-sophomore format, with the Sophomores leading the series 5-2.

Salem-News.com SPORTS

NEW YORK - Toronto Raptors forward Andrea Bargnani, the first overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft, and Milwaukee Bucks forward Andrew Bogut, the first overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, lead a list of 18 players selected to play in the 2007 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday, Feb. 16th at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The participants in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam were selected by the NBA’s assistant coaches, with each team submitting one ballot.

The head coaches for the Rookie and Sophomore teams will be the lead assistants from the 2007 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs.

The T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam will be televised live nationally on TNT and also will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio, while NBA.com will make live audio available to fans in multiple languages.

Joining Bargnani on the Rookie team this year are the Los Angeles Lakers’ Jordan Farmar, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Randy Foye, the Toronto Raptors’ Jorge Garbajosa, the Memphis Grizzlies’ Rudy Gay, the Utah Jazz’s Paul Millsap, the Charlotte Bobcats’ Adam Morrison, the Portland Trail Blazers’ Brandon Roy and the New Jersey Nets’ Marcus Williams.

Teaming with Bogut on the Sophomore team are the Los Angeles Lakers’ Andrew Bynum, the Golden State Warriors’ Monta Ellis, the Charlotte Bobcats’ Raymond Felton, the Indiana Pacers’ Danny Granger, the Houston Rockets’ Luther Head, the New York Knicks’ David Lee, the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets’ Chris Paul -- the 2005-06 T-Mobile Rookie of the Year -- and the Utah Jazz’s Deron Williams.

If any rookie or second-year player is selected to play in the All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 18th, he also will play in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday evening.

In last year’s contest, the Philadelphia 76ers’ Andre Iguodala scored a game-high 30 points on 13-of-17 shooting to lead the Sophomores to their fourth straight win over the Rookies, 106-96.

He was named Most Valuable Player after scoring 24 of his 30 points in the second half.

Chicago’s Ben Gordon added 17 points in the win.

The Toronto Raptors’ Charlie Villanueva and the Houston Rockets’ Luther Head led the Rookies with 18 points each.

This is the eighth year of the rookie-sophomore format, with the Sophomores leading the series 5-2.

The game will be played in two 20-minute halves, with each team allowed one full timeout and one 20-second timeout per half.

There will be one mandatory television timeout in each half.

Individual foul totals will be kept, but a player cannot foul out.

A team will be in the penalty situation after 10 team fouls or after the second foul in the final two minutes of each half.

In the event of a tie game, there will be a two-minute overtime to determine the winner.

The Clock will stop after each successful field goal in the last minute of each half.

For the third consecutive year, NBA.com will provide basketball fans with the opportunity to have their vote count toward selecting the MVP of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, as part of the site's exclusive NBA All-Star 2007 coverage.

The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 18th, will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio beginning at 8:00 PM EST.

The game will also be telecast in over 200 countries and broadcast on NBA.com.

Adding comments to these stories has been disabled. View the current sports stories Salem-News Sports