MSU's Drew Neitzel came one step closer to making the final 12-man roster for the 2007 USA Basketball Pan-American Games men's basketball team Sunday. The 6-foot,180-pound combo guard is one of 14 finalists who survived the first cut.

"This is a great feeling," Neitzel said in a press release. "I didn't know what to expect. I've never really been in a situation where I faced a tryout and cut."

Other notable finalists include North Carolina's Wayne Ellington, Georgetown's Roy Hibbert, and Indiana's D.J. White.

Brian Butch (Wisconsin), Chris Lofton (Tennessee), and Mario Chalmers (Kansas) all failed to make the cut.

Tryouts took place over five sessions during a three-day period from July 12-14 at Haverford College (Pa.). The selection committee included MSU head coach Tom Izzo, Kansas head coach Bill Self, and Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim.

After the final cut to narrow the roster to 12 players, the team will compete in the 2007 Pan American Games from July 25-29.