Two former LSU basketball players to compete in 2024 Summer Olympics

The men’s basketball tournament at the 2024 Summer Olympics starts in a week.

Twelve teams qualified for the group stage in Paris — which begins on the 27th — but only eight will advance to the knockout stage. The top two teams in each of the three groups qualify automatically, as do the top two third-place teams.

The knockout stage lasts five days and begins on August 6 with the quarter-finals. The medals will be awarded on August 10, when both the championship and consolation finals will be played.

Two former LSU basketball players are playing in this year’s Olympics. Here’s what you need to know about them before the tournament begins:

Duop Reath

Country: Australia

Years at LSU: 2016-18

After two seasons in Baton Rouge, where he averaged 12.3 points per game, Reath continued his career by playing overseas in four different countries before finally making his NBA debut this season with the Portland Trail Blazers.

He’s no stranger to the Olympics, though: Reath was part of Australia’s bronze medal team in Tokyo three years ago. He’s not the only Tiger down under, either, as LSU associate head coach David Patrick serves as an assistant.

Notably absent from the roster is former LSU guard and first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft Ben Simmons. According to Australian head coach Brian Goorjian, Simmons was set to join the team in March — his first national appearance in 11 years — but withdrew due to the back injury that ended his season with the Brooklyn Nets.

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Tremont Waters

Country: Puerto Rico

Years at LSU: 2017-19

Waters declared for the 2019 NBA Draft after a stellar sophomore season with the Tigers, in which he averaged 15.3 points per game, was named an All-SEC player and defensive player, and won the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year Award. Professionally, he has played for three NBA teams and played overseas in three other countries.

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Despite being born in Connecticut — he plays for Puerto Rico through his mother’s citizenship — Waters helped the team qualify for its first Olympic Games since 2004 with a perfect run in the Olympic qualifying tournament in San Juan, beating Italy, Bahrain, Mexico and Lithuania. For his performance, Waters was named a tournament All-Star.