Derrick Favors, currently of the Utah Jazz and formerly of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, has been chosen to play in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge, part of the NBA All-Star Weekend of events in Orlando.
For those of you who've forgotten Favors' time in Atlanta, here's a quick reminder from the Georgia Tech web site:
Favors, the No. 1 prep player in the nation in 2009 out of South Atlanta High School, played at Tech in the 2009-10 season and helped lead the Yellow Jackets to the finals of the ACC Tournament and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 12.4 point and 8.4 rebounds per game.
Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal will serve as the general managers the two teams, comprised of a mix of rookies and sophomores.
While Hawks fans have little to look forward to on All-Star weekend, Tech will have a strong showing: Favors joins Chris Bosh (2002-03), who is a reserve in the All-Star Game, and Anthony Morrow (2005-08) is playing in the Three-Point Contest, while Iman Shumpert (2009-11) was going to compete in the Dunk Contest until an injury forced him out.
For more on the NBA All-Star Weekend, check out SB Nation's NBA page, and for Georgia Tech news and notes, head over to From The Rumble Seat.