Firstpost Explains: How stints with US colleges, high schools help Indians edge closer to professional basketball-Sports News , Firstpost

Earlier this month, Lalhnehpuia Chhakchhuak became the sixth NBA Academy India graduate to commit to playing high school/prep school/collegiate level basketball in the US.

The Mizoram boy will be at Chicago’s North Point University following in the footsteps of other Indian basketball players, such as Harshwardhan Tomar (KEBA Preparatory School), Jagshaanbir Singh (currently at Point Park University after first committing to Golden State Prep), Pranav Prince and Amaan Sandhu (both at First Love Christian Academy), and Riyanshu Negi (DME Sports Academy).

But just how do these stints help Indian players, looking to make it to the NBA or its developmental league, the G League? Firstpost explains:

How do these youngsters get these opportunities?

All six men’s players were at the NBA Academy India. While there, they would play games against NBA’s other academies. The NBA Academy India also created mix-tapes — a highlight reel — of all the players to send to coaches in US.

“The reality is that many college coaches in USA are not used to going out proactively to India to look for talent,” said Chris Ebersole, senior director for International Basketball Operations and Elite Basketball.

“So we use our contacts (in US basketball circles) to tell colleges or high schools what sort of players are in India,” Marc Pulles, who is the Basketball Operations Team Leader for NBA India, told Firstpost.

If the high school or collegiate coaches show interest after looking at a mix-tape or hearing about a player, the players are asked to follow-up with them. Amaan Sandhu says he had offers from nine or 10 high schools in USA to play for them before he picked First Love Christian Academy.

Pulles pointed out that for many of the Academy players, going to the USA is only a logical progression in their quest to break into the NBA.

“Look at the top pro players in the NBA, look at their skills like athleticism, their ability to run the court and do everything. These things are paramount right now. Basketball has changed a lot in the past few years. Look at players like Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant… they’re seven-footers, but they can dribble, they can shoot, run the floor, pass. All these skills are something that develop when you increase the level of competition, and increase the level of training,” said Pulles.

He went on to add that while currently six male players are in US educational institutions, there were many more women’s players from India currently in USA.

“We have six men’s players, but 20 overall if you look at the girls program, with players like Sanjana Ramesh and Harsimran Kaur also learning in the American educational system.”

Since many of Indians making it to USA education system are young men, a stint in USA only helps them realise that they also need to build other skills to make it to the top.

Age of specialisation

Understanding their role on the team is one of the biggest takeaways for budding Indian players at American high school and university levels.

Ebersole said that while attributes like physical profile and skillset of a player are always in demand, professional basketball teams, be it in NBA or G League, also look for players who have the ability to add value to the team and figure out “what their role is on the team”.

“The G League has only developmental teams for the most part. So, they’re trying to find players that they can mould into a particular role which can end up benefitting their NBA team,” he said.

Sandhu, a seven-foot centre, loves shooting three-pointers.

But in his early days in America, a coach at First Love sat him down and broke down his role on the team.

“It’s not about me. It’s about how the basketball program and the coach want me to play,” Amaan told Firstpost. “When I first came here, I used to play like I would back home. I’d do everything. But then I had a conversation with one of the coaches. He pointed out that I was one of the strongest players in the team. So, they wanted me to finish around the rim, attack the ball and rebound hard. I love shooting threes. But every high school coach doesn’t want their seven-footer shooting threes. The coach told me, ‘When you do these things (that we require from you), you can shoot three pointers if you want to.’”

The understanding that they have to play as per their roles is critical to making the leap into professional basketball, where centres can shoot three-pointers, point guards can dunk, and wings will defend like their life depended on it, but not at the expense of their primary responsibility to the team’s cause. The idea is not to pigeonhole a player into doing only certain things on the court, but to instill work ethic for them to think about the team first.

Pranav Prince, who is Amaan’s teammate at First Love, also remembers an hour-long conversation on similar lines with his coach. He was told he was expected to “stand and shoot. Attack the rim. Play defence. Get rebounds.”

“In India, for me and Amaan, we do everything on the court when we play. Most of the time it’s about me. But here you are not going to be the best player in your team. It’s really hard. You have players of the same calibre in the team. You need to pass, share the ball, work off the ball,” he told Firstpost.

Competitive exposure    

In a normal season, the First Love Christian Academy — a private high school in Washington — would have played 20 to 25 games. But in a coronavirus -interrupted year, Amaan and Pranav say they will get around nine or 10 games.

But more importantly, they get to play in tournaments where college coaches and scouts will be watching. Both the players have already piqued the interest of around 10 coaches from Division I or II colleges, who have let them know they will be watching them in the next tournament, which they are playing in Philadelphia.

“Just as NBA Academy India was trying to get you a NCAA D I scholarship, your coaches are also trying the same thing,” said Amaan.

Even playing in a Division III college (as Lalhnehpuia will be) provides great exposure, said Ebersole.

“Every level in the United States, even the Division III level, is very strong. There are NBA players like Duncan Robinson (who is with last year’s NBA finalists, Miami Heat) who have played at the Division III level. So there’s no shortage of talent. Coaches and scouts keep scouring all levels at the collegiate age group,” he said. “The exposure aspect is very important. Coming to United States, you’re seen by more coaches, more scouts, more people in the basketball world. It only helps them in terms of future opportunities.”

Education

As Ebersole pointed out, the best part of these opportunities is that even if the athletes don’t make the cut as professional basketball players, they’re still simultaneously working on their education in the US.

During his time with Chicago’s North Point University, Lalhnehpuia says he will pursue a degree in psychology. Pranav too said he was keen to go to university and then consider a career in basketball.

“For me, education is very important. At some point in life, you will stop playing basketball. So, I want to go to university after this,” said Pranav.

What do pro teams want?

For most of the young players, playing in the USA provides a chance to leave the sheltered lives they’ve been accustomed to back home in India. But for American educational institutions as well, offering a scholarship to an Indian player is a leap of faith, one which requires them to move out of their own comfort zones.

“They see the talent level in Indian players and spot a chance a somewhat unknown quantity,” said Ebersole on being asked why American institutes were picking Indian players when they could have conveniently chosen home-grown players even more easily.

This “unknown quantity” can then be moulded into skills that professional teams, be it in the NBA or the G League are looking for.

“There are certain skills that will always be valued, shooting being paramount. Being able to defend multiple positions is becoming a really skill in today’s basketball, being able to switch and guard perimetre players and big men. Those sorts of skills translate really well to the NBA and the G League,” said Ebersole, who went on to add: “Teams are always looking for players who are going to be positive additions to the locker room and to the team’s culture. Teams want players who bring a passionate yet professional approach to the game.

“When NBA teams reach out to us and ask our staff about players they’re evaluating for the future, many of the questions centre around how is this player as a person versus how they are just on the court. Those things — the off the court aspects — are critical.”