MSU senior center Adreian Payne made the final cut for the USA Basketball Men’s World University Games in Kazan, Russia on Saturday.
Training camp, which began June 24, featured 26 of the best college players in the nation and was narrowed down to the final 12-man roster Saturday.
Payne joins Big Ten athletes Yogi Ferrell and Will Sheehey from Indiana and Aaron White from Iowa.
According to USA Basketball, the team will depart for Russia on Monday and begin tournament play July 7 against United Arab Emirates.
Payne earned second-team All-Big Ten honors last season while leading MSU in rebounds (7.6 rpg) and was third on the team in scoring (10.5 ppg).
With a 7-foot-1 wingspan, Payne is a key defensive presence for the squad, ranking third all-time at MSU in blocks with 113.
The USA team will play against Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Sweden and United Arab Emirates in the preliminary round, according to USA Basketball.
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