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There is excitement surrounding the Pistons' first-round pick, and there is hope the team found a franchise center with the ninth pick of the 2012 draft. But he won't turn 19 until August, so expectations shouldn't be through the roof this early in his development. Monroe, who wrestled with him in the post during practices, said he likes what he sees so far. "He's a Brahma bull down there," Monroe said. "What you see is what you get. He's definitely strong. He's hard to move. He's athletic. All the assumptions about him have been true so far." Detroit Free Press

Detroit Pistons, Greg Monroe, Andre Drummond 

Monroe, who was here through today practicing with younger Pistons in preparation for the Orlando Pro Summer League, admitted that USA Basketball leaving him off the Select Team – the young NBA players hand-picked to help the U.S. Olympic team prepare for the upcoming London Games – will serve as an everlasting snub in his memory. “Always, always, it always will,” Monroe said, when asked if he might use the oversight as personal motivation. “I don't forget anything – anything. I remember what people said from high school.” Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Greg Monroe, USA Basketball 

What most irked the 22-year-old Monroe was not even being invited to try out. “No disrespect to those guys on the roster, but looking at the guys on the Select Team roster, I should have been on there,” he said. “That's just how I feel. That's just the confidence I have in myself. The season I had, I don't know if I was considered, but at least (I should have been) invited. That's how I feel. Some people might feel differently but I think I should've been invited.” Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Greg Monroe, USA Basketball 

“If I can't get on the Select Team, I'm not expecting to get on the (Olympic) team for 2016,” Monroe said. “That's four years ahead. I'm not going to sit here, and wait, and think about that. There's much more I need to worry about here, in Detroit, and getting this organization where it needs to be.” Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Greg Monroe, USA Basketball 

Greg Monroe: Welcome to the NBA young fella...lol @dre_drummond http://instagr.am/p/MyDfUvjYK7/ Twitter

Detroit Pistons, Greg Monroe, Andre Drummond 

They will leave the door open for Ben Wallace to return for another season, in the hope he can serve as a mentor to Drummond, along with Greg Monroe and assistant coach Roy Rogers. Detroit News

Detroit Pistons, Free Agency, Greg Monroe, Ben Wallace, Roy Rogers, Andre Drummond 

Greg Monroe: Andre Drummond.... Welcome to the #Pistons Twitter

Detroit Pistons, Greg Monroe, Andre Drummond 

Greg Monroe: The Doritos taco is life changing!! Twitter

Detroit Pistons, Greg Monroe 

Chris Tomasson: Colangelo said Greg Monroe in mix for Select Team but nothing is assured with him of yet. Colengelo said has 18 names will cut to 15. Twitter

Detroit Pistons, Greg Monroe, USA Basketball 

In the wake of an injury crisis, USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said Tuesday that he's likely to add "one or two players" to the list of finalists for Team USA's Olympic roster. The U.S. announced 20 finalists in January, but has since lost five of those candidates. Starting center Dwight Howard recently had back surgery and point guard Derrick Rose tore a knee ligament Saturday. ESPN.com

Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, Draft, DeMarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, USA Basketball, Anthony Davis 

Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that Sacramento Kings power forward DeMarcus Cousins, Detroit Pistons center Greg Monroe and incoming Kentucky star Anthony Davis -- widely regarded as a lock to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft -- are among the young big men under consideration to be among the late additions Colangelo mentioned. ESPN.com

Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, Draft, DeMarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, USA Basketball, Anthony Davis 

Martin was wearing a hoodie, which prompted Miami Heat players to take a photo wearing hoodies in support of the teen. "I think they (Heat players) speak for more than just the NBA family," Pistons center Greg Monroe said. "I think they speak for a nation, for communities everywhere. This country is founded on 'justice will always be served,' and that's not what's happening here." "If you killed an unarmed kid who's just walking through a neighborhood, you should be put in jail. … You can't justify it." Detroit News

Detroit Pistons, Greg Monroe, Trayvon Martin 

"We are millionaires, but these kids come from the same neighborhoods we walked — or worse," Monroe said. "And we see the same news everybody sees. When we turn on CNN, we don't have a special CNN channel. When we get pulled over, there's no special millionaire cops. We're just paid to play basketball." Monroe, who isn't the most vocal person, felt the need to bring up other aspects that haven't been spoken about, wondering what kind of history Zimmerman has that hasn't yet been reported. "This isn't a regular guy, this is supposedly neighborhood watch, who has an outlook like this," he said. "It opens the door to a lot of other stuff because he has that outlook." Detroit News

Detroit Pistons, Greg Monroe, Trayvon Martin 

Monty Williams has sent to the NBA film of the foul in the Hornets’ game against Detroit that sent forward Jason Smith to the injured list. Williams believes Pistons center Greg Monroe, a New Orleans native, should be suspended for flagrantly tossing Smith into another player, giving the Hornets’ energetic forward a concussion in the process. Smith will not play in tonight’s home game against Sacramento (8-15). “I believe the NBA needs to look at that play and maybe suspend Monroe because it was a violent play that should have been penalized and the refs didn’t catch it,” Williams said. “I think that’s one of the things they have to look at on film because that can’t happen. Those kinds of plays can cause fights in the game.” WWLTV.com

Detroit Pistons, Greg Monroe 

A scout for an NBA Western Conference team happened into the breakfast room at the hotel this morning, one day after the Detroit Pistons put up one of their worst performances of the season in a 99-79 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder which, proverbially, wasn't as close as the final score indicated. And the final score indicated it was pretty lousy. Asked which Pistons players his team might be interested in, if something could be done before the trade deadline, the scout gave a predictable answer: “The same two everybody is interested in.” That would be first-year point guard Brandon Knight and second-year big man Greg Monroe, the cornerstones of the rebuilding process, and the two Pistons presumed to be absolute untouchables. Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Greg Monroe, Austin Daye, Brandon Knight 

Riley said Udoh won’t be judged by Monroe. A couple team sources said they take solace in the fact that Udoh is still a good draft pick even if Monroe may have the sexier numbers. Monroe is the better scorer and rebounder. Frankly, he’s the better basketball player. He has the most star potential. He makes opposing teams game plan against him. Contra Costa Times

Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Greg Monroe, Ekpe Udoh 

But Udoh, the Warriors hope, will develop his scoring and rebounding and make up the difference with his intangibles. Over time, Golden State is praying, that will make Udoh the most valuable to them. And make their passing of Monroe that much more palatable. RILEY: “What you have with draft picks, often times you’ll pick a guy and somebody picked two spots or 10 spots behind him will turn out to be a good player. So you know that’s part of the nature of the draft. … You have to work with that. You have to understand that, that happens from time to time and we feel like that Ekpe is still going to grow.” Contra Costa Times

Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Greg Monroe, Ekpe Udoh 

Vincent Goodwill: As an NBA exec told me about the Monroe-Udoh picks, Don Nelson is "the gift that keeps on giving" #Pistons Twitter

Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Greg Monroe, Ekpe Udoh, Don Nelson 

The sight of the Pistons scattering quickly after Tuesday's loss to the reigning NBA champion Dallas Mavericks, before traveling today for Thursday's game against the Bucks, was telling. They had an optional practice today, and with a night at home, several key Pistons, including Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight, were dressed and walking out of the arena by the time head coach Lawrence Frank's frustration-laden press conference was complete. Even Vernon Macklin, who finally got some playing time against Dallas in a 100-86 loss which wasn't that close, escaped before Frank's press conference ended and the media contingent – it's not exactly a horde these days – converged upon the Pistons' locker room. Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight 

The Pistons are actively looking for a big man, but more than likely you will see a veteran's minimum type at some point. What about the trade market? The Pistons are not trading their two most valuable commodities -- Knight and second-year big man Greg Monroe. Other players who other teams might want -- Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey and Jonas Jerebko -- were their own free agents and the Pistons just re-signed them, taking them off the market for now. Detroit Free Press

Detroit Pistons, Free Agency, Trade, Greg Monroe, Tayshaun Prince, Jonas Jerebko, Rodney Stuckey