NEW YORK – The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Andrew Wiggins, last season’s Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, and teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, who has won two straight Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards, highlight the list of 20 players selected to play in the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 12 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto during NBA All-Star 2016.

The New York Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis, who has earned two Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month awards in a row, joins Wiggins on the World Team.  Minnesota’s Zach LaVine, the dunk champion at NBA All-Star 2015, will play alongside Towns on the U.S. Team, giving the Timberwolves three players in the game, all 20 years old.

For the second consecutive year, the league’s annual showcase of premier young talent will pit 10 first- and second-year NBA players from the United States against 10 first- and second-year NBA players from around the world.  TNT will televise the game live at 9 p.m. ET, part of Turner Sports’ 31^st year of All-Star coverage.  BBVA Compass is the Official Bank of the NBA in the U.S. and maintains its role as title partner for the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge.

The World Team is anchored by Wiggins, who ranks 15^th in the NBA in scoring (20.8 ppg), and Porzingis, who is third among rookies in scoring (14.0 ppg) and first in blocked shots (2.0 bpg).  In last year’s BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge, Wiggins scored 22 points and earned MVP honors in the World Team’s 121-112 victory over the U.S. Team.

Wiggins is one of two Toronto-born players on this year’s World Team roster, along with Dwight Powell of the Dallas Mavericks.  Rounding out the World Team are Bojan Bogdanovic of the Brooklyn Nets, Clint Capela of the Houston Rockets, Mario Hezonja of the Orlando Magic, Nikola Jokic and Emmanuel Mudiay of the Denver Nuggets, Nikola Mirotic of the Chicago Bulls and Raul Neto of the Utah Jazz.

Towns, the No. 1 overall pick in NBA Draft 2015 presented by State Farm, is one of three NBA players averaging at least 16.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks (Anthony Davis and Pau Gasol are the others).  Towns and LaVine are joined on the U.S. Team by the Philadelphia 76ers’ Jahlil Okafor, who leads all rookies in scoring (17.4 ppg), and Sixers teammate Nerlens Noel, the only NBA player averaging at least 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals.  The U.S. Team also includes Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell of the Los Angeles Lakers, Rodney Hood of the Jazz, Jabari Parker of the Milwaukee Bucks, Elfrid Payton of the Magic and Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics.

The NBA’s assistant coaches chose the rosters for the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge, selecting four guards, four frontcourt players and two players at either position for each team.  The coaches also picked a minimum of three first-year players and three second-year players for each team.

NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game.  Along with the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge, Air Canada Centre will also host State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 13 and the 65^th NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 14.  Other events at NBA All-Star 2016 include the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and the NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire.  This will be the first NBA All-Star held outside the U.S.

Below are the rosters for the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge and a list of previous results:

U.S. TEAM ROSTER

Player                                     Team                Pos.        Ht.         Wt.            School                             Experience
Jordan Clarkson                    Lakers              G            6-5         194            Missouri                              1

Rodney Hood                        Jazz                   G            6-8         206            Duke                                    1

Zach LaVine                          T’wolves           G            6-5       189               UCLA                                    1

Nerlens Noel                          76ers                 F/C         6-11       228            Kentucky                           1

Jahlil Okafor                          76ers                 C            6-11       275            Duke                                   R

Jabari Parker                          Bucks               F             6-8         250           Duke                                     1

Elfrid Payton                         Magic               G            6-4         185            UL-Lafayette                        1

D’Angelo Russell                  Lakers              G            6-5         195            Ohio State                           R

Marcus Smart                        Celtics              G            6-4         220            Oklahoma State                 1

Karl-Anthony Towns           T’wolves            C            7-0         244            Kentucky                            R

WORLD TEAM ROSTER

Player                                     Team                Pos.        Ht.         Wt.       School or Team/Country of Origin       Experience
Bojan Bogdanovic                Nets                  G/F         6-8         216       Fenerbahce/Croatia                                1

Clint Capela                           Rockets            F/C         6-10       240       Elan Chalon/Switzerland                        1

Mario Hezonja                      Magic               G/F         6-8         218       FC Barcelona/Croatia                             R

Nikola Jokic                          Nuggets            C            6-10       250       KK Mega Vizura/Serbia                           R

Nikola Mirotic                       Bulls                 F             6-10       220       Real Madrid/Montenegro                      1

Emmanuel Mudiay               Nuggets            G            6-5         200       Guangdong/Rep. of Congo                  R

Raul Neto                               Jazz                   G            6-1         179       UCAM Murcia/Brazil                             R

Kristaps Porzingis                 Knicks              F/C         7-3         240       Cajasol Sevilla/Latvia                             R

Dwight Powell                       Mavericks        F/C         6-11       240       Stanford/Canada                                   1

Andrew Wiggins                   T’wolves          G/F         6-8       199           Kansas/Canada                                    1

 

                                  BBVA COMPASS RISING STARS CHALLENGE RESULTS

1994 – Phenoms 74, Sensations 68
1995 – White 83, Green 79 (OT)
1996 – East 94, West 92
1997 – East 96, West 91
1998 – East 85, West 80
2000 – Rookies 92, Sophomores 83 (OT)
2001 – Sophomores 121, Rookies 113
2002 – Rookies 103, Sophomores 97
2003 – Sophomores 132, Rookies 112
2004 – Sophomores 142, Rookies 118
2005 – Sophomores 133, Rookies 106
2006 – Sophomores 106, Rookies 96
2007 – Sophomores 155, Rookies 114
2008 – Sophomores 136, Rookies 109
2009 – Sophomores 122, Rookies 116
2010 – Rookies 140, Sophomores 128
2011 – Rookies 148, Sophomores 140
2012 – Team Chuck 146, Team Shaq 133
2013 – Team Chuck 163, Team Shaq 135
2014 – Team Hill 142, Team Webber 136
2015 – World Team 121, U.S. Team 112