EL PASO, TEXAS UTEP senior guard Filiberto Rivera has been selected to participate in Fridays NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) All-Star Game as part of Final Four festivities in St. Louis, Mo.
Rivera will be a member of the 13-man NABC College All-Star Team that will take on the Harlem Globetrotters at 7 p.m. MST (8 p.m. CST) at the Savvis Center. The team will be coached by Connecticuts Jim Calhoun and his staff.
Joining Rivera on the NABC College All-Star Team will be Southern Illinois guard Darren Brooks, Virginia Tech guard/forward Carlos Dixon, Duke guard Daniel Ewing, DePaul forward Quemont Greer, Minnesota center Jeff Hagen, Kentucky forward Chuck Hayes, Iowa State center Jared Homan, Cincinnati forward Jason Maxiell, Oklahoma State Ivan McFarlin, Kansas guard Aaron Miles, Texas Tech guard Ronald Ross and Wisconsin forward Mike Wilkinson.
Rivera averaged 13.5 points and 7.2 assists this past season, helping UTEP to a 27-8 record and its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. He established school records for assists in a game (18 versus Louisiana Tech) and a season (229). A 2005 first team All-WAC honoree and second team All-District choice by the NABC, Rivera rates third in school history with 381 assists. He led the Miners to a 51-16 record over the last two years.
Rivera also faced the Globetrotters as a member of UTEPs 2003-04 squad his second game as a Miner. The native of Carolina, Puerto Rico collected 16 points and five assists in UTEPs 89-88 exhibition victory, which snapped the Globetrotters 288-game winning streak.