Americas talent showed out at 2023 NCAA College Basketball Academies in Memphis

MIAMI (United States) – The 2023 NCAA College Basketball Academies for future male and female student-athletes took place from July 24-31 at the new Memphis Sports and Events Center in Memphis, Tennessee, United States.

The objective of this event was to show young people the college basketball experience through training, skill development and games. In addition, participants and their parents or chaperones attended life skills courses on NCAA eligibility and compliance, the recruitment process, name, image and likeness opportunities, agents, the transfer portal, and the path of opportunities towards professional basketball.

Notably, these College Basketball Academies are the only event NCAA Division I coaches can attend during this period.

More than 400 young players in total will be part of the activity. The event for boys took place from July 24 to 27 and for girls from July 27 to 31. Among the participants, 16 male and 8 female athletes were selected, through the FIBA Youth Development Program (YDP). The rest went through a prior classification process that was carried out through the following three ways:

The National Pathway, in which the national federations of the United States and Canada, chose athletes after training their youth national teams.

The Team Pathway, in which athletes were selected through the U.S. Open Basketball Championships, which is USA Basketball's main 5-on-5 youth national championship, where teams of 10th and 11th graders participate.

The Individual Pathway, in which NCAA Division I coaches vote to select up to 400 players from the classes of 2024, 2025 and 2026. Players who received an invite through this path will be placed on teams and will also compete in the games. The NCAA sent invitations to prospective student-athletes based on votes from coaches and input from the Collegiate Basketball Academies Advisory Board.

The 16 boys who participated through the FIBA YDP are:

Juan Respaud (ARG), Nicolás Petri (ARG), Francisco Espinsa (ARG), Máximo Lomello (ARG), Pedro Fernandez Pastre (BRA), Reynan Dos Santos (BRA), Vitor Hugo Cardoso (BRA), Junior Kemm (BRA), Gustavo Alves Guimaraes (BRA), Caua de Souza Pacheco (BRA), Diego Ferreira Alvez (BRA), Enrico Vicentino Borio (BRA), Gabriel de Andreade Landeira (BRA), Lucas Lopez Atauri (BRA), Francesco Vicentini Borio, Malik Abdullahi (NGR).

And the 8 girls were:

Julia Fernández (ARG), Alma Bourgarel (ARG), Taissa Nascimento Queiroz (BRA), Manuella Fernandes Barros Alves (BRA), Heloisa Duppre Carrera (BRA), Aaliyah Janae Guyton (BRA), Loriette Arrieta (MEX), Lucía Auza Auza Molina (URU).

“We are thrilled that our Youth Development Program in the Americas continues to grow. Participating in this NCAA College Basketball Academy gives our elite international players an opportunity to showcase their skills and talent,” said Carlos Alves, Executive Director of FIBA in the Americas.

FIBA