The Pac-12 Conference announced on Tuesday that it will be sending an All-Star Men’s Basketball Team to Melbourne, Australia for a series of cultural experiences and exhibition games against the Australia Men’s National Team in July 2016.
“This tour of Australia marks an important step forward in the Pac-12’s mission to use the power of sport to advance our schools’ reach around the world, and to give our student-athletes opportunities to learn about a new culture while playing a sport they love,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott.
Three Arizona products will be represented on the roster headed to Australia. First from the University of Arizona, both guard Kadeem Allen and Forward/Center Chance Comanche will be the Wildcat representation. Point Guard Tra Holder from Arizona State is representing the Sun Devils. Finally, Stanford swingman and Pinnacle High School alum Dorian Pickens will be on the roster as well.
2016 College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Mike Montgomery will serve as head coach of the team with a schedule that will include games on Sunday, July 10 (vs. SEABL team), Tuesday, July 12 (vs. Australia MNT), and Thursday, July 14 (vs. Australia MNT). All three games will be held at Hisense Arena, a 10,500-seat venue that serves as the home of Melbourne United, the city’s franchise in the professional National Basketball League (NBL).
The Pac-12 players will have a great experience facing the Austrailian National Team which include finalists who are NBA players. These players consist of Cameron Bairstow,Aron Baynes, Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Dante Exum, Joe Ingles and Patrick Mills.
Below is the full Pac-12 All-Star roster:
PAC-12 ALL-STAR MEN’S BASKETBALL ROSTER
| NAME | SCHOOL | POS. | HT. | WT. | YR. | HOMETOWN |
| Kadeem Allen | ARIZONA | G | 6-3 | 200 | Sr. | Wilmington, N.C. |
| Chance Comanche | ARIZONA | C | 6-11 | 205 | So. | Beverly Hills, Calif. |
| Tra Holder | ARIZONA STATE | G | 6-1 | 180 | Jr. | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| Stephen Domingo* | CALIFORNIA | G | 6-7 | 217 | R-Sr. | San Francisco, Calif. |
| Wesley Gordon** | COLORADO | F | 6-9 | 220 | R-Sr. | Colorado Springs, Colo. |
| Drew Eubanks | OREGON STATE | F | 6-10 | 240 | So. | Troutdale, Ore. |
| Stephen Thompson Jr. | OREGON STATE | G | 6-4 | 170 | So. | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| Dorian Pickens*** | STANFORD | G/F | 6-5 | 215 | Jr. | Phoenix, Ariz. |
| Jordan McLaughlin**** | USC | G | 6-1 | 170 | Jr. | Etiwanda, Calif. |
| Lorenzo Bonam | UTAH | G | 6-4 | 189 | Jr. | Inkster, Mich. |
| Matisse Thybulle | WASHINGTON | F | 6-5 | 195 | So. | Issaquah, Wash. |
| Josh Hawkinson***** | WASHINGTON STATE | F | 6-10 | 232 | Sr. | Shoreline, Wash. |
* 2016 Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team
** 2016 Honorable Mention Pac-12 Defensive Team
*** 2016 Pac-12 All-Academic First Team
**** 2016 Honorable Mention All-Pac-12
***** 2016 Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 and 2016 Pac-12 All-Academic First Team
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Jared Cohen
A born and bred Arizonan, Jared has had great passion for the hometown teams all his life. He now channel's that passion into covering the pro, college and high school teams around the state as a Multimedia Reporter for Sports360AZ.