Minneapolis/St. Paul -The NBA today announced that Minnesota Timberwolves sophomore Karl-Anthony Towns will represent the team in the 2017 BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge. For the second consecutive season, Towns will be on the U.S. Team.
In his second NBA season, Towns currently ranks third in the NBA in double-doubles (33), 18th in scoring (21.8 ppg), eighth in rebounding (12.0 rpg) and ninth in minutes (36.1 mpg). Overall, Towns has scored 40+ points twice and 30+ points five times. Earlier this season, Towns became the second player in franchise history with consecutive 30-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist performances (Garnett 5x, MR: Mar. 18-20, 2005).
Towns scored a career-high 47 points and hauled in a season-high 18 rebounds vs. New York on Nov. 30, becoming the third-youngest NBA player since at least 1983-84 to tally 45+ points and 15+ rebounds in a single game; only Kevin Durant (46 points, 15 rebounds on Jan. 23, 2009) and Shaquille O'Neal (46 points, 21 rebounds on Feb. 16, 1993) were younger. He scored 15 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter (27 in the second half total), including scoring nine of Minnesota's final 11 points, in a 104-101 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on January 19. He finished the night with 37 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, a line that only two other players in club history have matched (Love 3x, Garnett 2x, Towns 2x).
In the 2016 BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge, Towns scored 18 points, on 8-of-15 from the field, and hauled in a team-high seven rebounds as Team USA defeated Team World 157-154. Wolves players have taken home the last two BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge MVP honors, with Andrew Wiggins winning MVP in 2015 and Zach LaVine in 2016.
For the third consecutive year, the league's annual showcase of premier young talent will pit 10 first- and second-year NBA players from the U.S. against 10 first- and second-year NBA players from around the world. The game will be televised live by TNT at 9 p.m. ET and will also be available on the Watch TNT App and on TNT Overtime. In addition, ESPN Radio will broadcast the event from Smoothie King Center, with audio also available on the ESPN app. BBVA Compass, the Official Bank of the NBA, maintains its role as title partner for the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge.
The NBA's assistant coaches chose the rosters for the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge, with each of the league's 30 teams submitting one ballot per coaching staff. Coaches selected four guards, four frontcourt players and two players at either position group for each team. They also picked a minimum of three first-year players and three second-year players for each team.
