Florida, Duke players went from NBA Academy ‘brotherhood' to Final Four

New York Times

04-04-2025

SAN ANTONIO — Alex Condon wants to make one thing very clear.
Yes, the Florida big man is thrilled to see so many other NBA Academy alums here at the Final Four, where his top-seeded Gators meet top seed Auburn in Saturday's first semifinal before fellow No. 1 seeds Duke and Houston meet in the second semifinal.
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It's cool to see 'the brotherhood' represented on college basketball's biggest stage, with two NBA Academy guys from Florida (Condon and Rueben Chinyelu) and two from Duke (Tyrese Proctor and Khaman Maluach). But that doesn't mean Condon, who averages 9.2 points and 7.0 rebounds for the Gators, is crossing his fingers for some sort of on-court NBA Academy reunion in the title game.
'I am not,' the Australian said emphatically, 'rooting for Duke.'
Noted.
At every level of basketball, international stars are becoming more common and more dominant. In the NBA this season, there were a record-tying 125 international players on opening night rosters. Three of the last six MVPs have been from other countries (Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers and Cameroon; Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets and Serbia; Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Greece and Nigeria). They're everywhere in the college game, evidenced by this Final Four, even though visa rules severely limit their name, image and likeness opportunities. Revenue sharing is expected to change that, meaning international athletes could take direct payment from schools without issue, likely leading to a flood of even more international players in college hoops.
The NBA Academy could have a direct hand in bringing more guys to the States. Launched in 2016 to identify and develop international talent, the academy has three locations: Australia (home to the best young players around the world), Mexico (featuring prospects from Central/South America and Canada) and Senegal (for top prospects from around Africa). The Mexico and Australia academies are shutting down in late June, though a new global center is expected to open sometime in the coming years.
The academies give young, promising players access to experienced college and pro coaches who help them refine their skills on and off the floor. In some cases, they introduce skills, too, such as how to do laundry.
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On the court, players are often selected for teams that travel to international tournaments and exhibitions, exposing them to college and NBA scouts. Brendan McKillop, who runs global basketball operations at the NBA, said the international arm of the NBA has a simple and straightforward purpose.
'Our grassroots programs cast a really wide net,' McKillop said, 'and our goal is to put a basketball in the hands of as many young players as possible.'
Five years ago, one of those players was Condon, then a 15-year-old Australian rules football star from Perth. Now 20, Condon remembers playing against Chinyelu, a Nigerian who joined the NBA Africa Academy also at age 15. They got to know each other during some NBA Academy showcase games in Las Vegas. Chinyelu made an instant impression.
'He's a physical guy, he came in and gave me a few elbows straight away,' Condon said, eyeing UF teammate Chinyelu. 'He wasn't scared of anything.'
Chinyelu smiled big and said he doesn't recall that part. What he remembers is beating Condon's team — which Condon quickly reminded him happened when Condon wasn't playing. Which means, of course, the win doesn't really count.
That detail, Chinyelu said, has been lost to time. He only remembers the victory.
Chinyelu came to Florida by way of Washington State, one of seven transfers on the Gators' roster and a key part of UF's depth. Condon arrived straight from Australia two summers ago, then helped recruit Chinyelu to Gainesville when he entered the portal last spring.
'Anyone from the Academy is part of the brotherhood, so when he came on his visit, we had that connection from the start,' Condon said. 'It's been so good to see him develop this year, and to be at Florida playing together, it's pretty cool.'
McKillop and Greg Collucci, who runs NBA elite basketball collegiate recruiting and alumni relations, weren't surprised to hear about Condon's attitude about Chinyelu. But they were proud.
'Our guys taking care of each other,' McKillop said, 'that's what it's all about.'
Maluach, of South Sudan and one of three likely lottery picks from Duke in the upcoming NBA Draft, played with Chinyelu in Senegal and has enjoyed watching his success from afar. Maluach said the Academy was huge in helping him prepare for college. And not just because he got experience playing in marquee events such as Basketball Africa League games.
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'You had to stay alone at a very young age,' said Maluach, who averages 8.7 points and 6.8 rebounds and whose 7-foot-5 wingspan alters nearly every shot around the rim. 'It helps a lot to be there with guys in the same situation. We form a strong bond and know that everybody has got your back. The NBA Academy helped me know everything I should do when I'm alone: How to do my laundry, what I should eat.'
He laughed, thinking about the laundry, clarifying that they weren't totally on their own at the Academy.
'They washed our jerseys for us,' he said.
They also introduced him to a game he's fallen hard for even though he said the first time he stepped on a basketball court, he didn't know much, if anything.
'I remember just being confused,' he said. 'NBA Academy shaped my foundation of basketball.'
The Academy organization, each of the alums stressed, is critical not just to basketball skill development but also to general life skills. McKillop said NBA executives can envision a future when international players make up 50 percent of the league. But the Academies don't solely exist to unearth All-Stars.
'Kids grow up and see that basketball is an avenue to success and can change their life where maybe, historically, it hasn't been,' McKillop said. That it can open doors to higher education is a huge selling point to families, too.
One of Duke's other future lottery picks, Proctor, overlapped with Condon at the Australian academy and is familiar with every other academy alum here in San Antonio.
'It's a shame the global (academy) is shutting down back home. I think just the work and time and effort they put in to just showcase talent from around the world is really big for guys overseas,' said Proctor, the Blue Devils' third-leading scorer at 12.2 points per game who shoots 41.2 percent from 3. 'I mean, you're really just going to another college, but in high school. I think just the time management and all the tiny details they try to emphasize really helps us at the next level.'
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For now, that level is the Final Four, though each of the alums is expected to be on NBA rosters sooner rather than later. In the meantime, they're trying to soak up the college experience.
Some families made the long trip to San Antonio: The Proctors managed to get over from Perth earlier than expected and saw Duke cut down nets in Newark, N.J. Condon's family will be in attendance, too. Maluach's older sister is here and ran into Collucci, the NBA alum coordinator, on the River Walk early Thursday. It was a warm reunion, Collucci said, a great reminder of how fun it is to 'watch these guys go from kids to full-size men, living their dreams and bringing joy to their families.'
Players at championship events are often pulled a million different directions, juggling family time, media hoopla and studying scouting reports for the actual game.
Asked how good his time management is now compared with when he left home at 15, Proctor grinned.
'Before? Psssh. Not very good,' he said. 'But after, a lot better.'
He has his NBA Academy to thank for that, too.
(Photo of Alex Karaban and Alex Condon: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)