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Northwestern head coach Chris Collins will coach USA Basketball Select Team

Chris Collins

Northwestern coach Chris Collins watches during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Iowa, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

AP

Northwestern head coach Chris Collins has been named the head coach of the USA Basketball Select Team that will face the members of USA Basketball National Team training for the 2014 FIBA World Cup. The news of Collins being named the head coach was announced by Northwestern athletics in an official release.

Collins will coach a group of NBA stars on the Select Team who are practicing against the National Team in training camp beginning on Monday and going through Thursday. The former Duke assistant coach and second-year head coach at Northwestern is a logical choice to coach the Select Team thanks to his experience on the USA Basketball National Team staff under Coach K during the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

Although Collins coaching a group of young NBA all-stars has little bearing on college basketball this season, this continues to help the Northwestern coach on the recruiting trail. There aren’t many college basketball coaches who get to work with NBA stars and Collins getting a chance to work directly with players like that is something recruits are very interested in hearing about.

Players that compete in the Big Ten ultimately want to play professional basketball and Collins can say that he actually worked with a group made up of some of the best players in the world.

The USA Basketball National Team will play in the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain from August 30 through September 14.

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