INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin and center Oscar Tshiebwe will play in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 16 during NBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis.
The event is a three-game tournament between four teams featuring 28 of the best young players in basketball. 11 NBA rookies, 10 second-year players and seven G League players will participate.
Mathurin is in his second year with the Pacers, averaging 14.3 points and 3.9 rebound per game. He participated in last year's Rising Stars in Utah, playing on the winning-team.
Tshiebwe is on a two-way contract, splitting time between the Pacers and G League Indiana Mad Ants. The rookie's averaging 12.0 points and a league-best 12.1 rebounds per game with the Mad Ants.
This year's top draft pick, San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama, last year's rookie of the year, Orlando's Paolo Banchero and former Purdue standout, Detroit's Jaden Ivey will also play in the showcase.
Basketball Hall of Famers, Pau Gasol and Tamika Catchings will serve as honorary head coaches, along with former Pacers Jalen Rose and Detlef Schrempf.
Catchings played 15 seasons for the Fever, leading the team to the 2012 WNBA championships and winning the 2011 league MVP. Rose played parts of six season for the Pacers. He was part of the 2000 NBA Finals team and won the Most Improved Player award that season. Schrempf played in Indiana for five seasons, winning Sixth Man of the Year in 1991 and '92.
Gasol, Catchings and Rose will pick their seven-man teams in a draft on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. Schrempf will coach the NBA G League team.
The three games will be played to a final target score, so each game will end with a made basket or free throw. The two semifinal games will be played to 40 with the final played to 25. The mini-tournament tips off at 9 p.m. at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.