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Issac Baldizon/Getty ImagesDerrick Rose saw one of his career goals realized when he was named to the U.S. national team roster.

Derrick Rose has said many times that he would love to be on the Olympic team for the 2012 London Games.

Now he will get his chance to prove that he belongs on the team.

The Chicago Bulls point guard was one of 27 players named to the U.S. national team roster on Wednesday. Rose and the rest of the group will head to Las Vegas for a mini training camp in July, and the roster will be pared down from there as the team gets ready for the World Championships this summer.

"I think we've taken a step up from the pool that we had in the last quad," U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said during a conference call Wednesday. "It's exciting to see this many people interested in being part of the program."

Obviously, one of those people is Rose.

"Yeah, that's something I would love to play [in]," Rose told me in November, regarding the possibility of playing on the Olympic team. "Hopefully, they have me on the team."

It was clear to Krzyzewski that the 21-year-old is only getting better and truly wants to be part of the National team.

"He's improved a great deal," Krzyzewski said of Rose's progression. "He's having a sensational year, especially in this second half [of the season] in bringing the Bulls back into playoff contention."

Rose's passion for the national program made an impression on the head coach.

"Derrick has made a commitment to us by being on the select team," he said. "He was there this past summer. Having these type of [national] teams get these younger players involved, then they feel the spirit and they also feel that we want them. They feel like they belong.

"One of the great sights in the last quad was leaving one of the little high school gymnasiums in Las Vegas and at the end of the practice seeing 25-30 NBA players from the Olympic team and from the select team all on that little court at the same time and building the camaraderie. We believe that Derrick has felt that, and he's a welcome addition to the pool."