They're refining skills of young prospects at the NBA Academy in Africa. The vocabulary, too.
鈥淭here is a word that really we don't like, which is 鈥榬aw,'" said Franck Traore, head of basketball operations for NBA Africa. 鈥淲hen you have an African player going to the U.S., they say 鈥榬aw.'鈥
Several academy prospects are playing in the new season of the Basketball Africa League, hoping to gain valuable experience in a professional setting and show that their game is more polished than many think.
Now in its third season, the league was created by the NBA in partnership with FIBA to help . It's a three-month, Champions League-style competition for African club teams.
They added a twist last season with each of the 12 teams being assigned an academy prospect 鈥 called the 鈥淏AL Elevate鈥 program that's in place this campaign, too.
The young players have to earn minutes on rosters full of veterans. It's another opportunity 鈥 along with various tournaments that the NBA Academy shuttles the kids to around the world 鈥 for the prospects prove themselves.
Academy alum Babacar Sane played in the BAL and other events last year and jumped to the G League Ignite, where the 6-foot-6 Senegalese player is in the first season of a two-year contract. , a 6-foot-7 point guard from the Central African Republic, is expected to do the same.
Sane and Darlan 鈥 both considered future NBA draft picks 鈥 are helping change the profile of African recruits.
鈥淚t's not a hurtful word or anything,鈥 Traore said of the 鈥渞aw鈥 tag. "But we're trying to develop programs so when an African player developed here on the continent gets to the U.S. or anywhere else in the world they have the skillset 鈥 the same or even better than what we have in the U.S. We鈥檙e getting to that point at this moment.鈥
GAME CHANGE?
At 6-foot-3, Joy Ighovodja isn't the typical recruit out of Africa. The 18-year-old Nigerian will be playing next season at Oral Roberts, which in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
鈥淚鈥檝e not really seen point guards coming out of Nigeria,鈥 said Ighovodja, whose 6-foot-10 wingspan intrigued scouts last summer at the NBA Academy Games in Atlanta.
鈥淭he normal thing people think is Nigeria, Africa as a whole, we鈥檙e good on defense, run the floor,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he mentality is they have these big strong guys that get rebounds and play in the paint 鈥 not point guards.鈥
Ighovodja, who is playing with the Abidjan team for the BAL season, is a lefty who started playing basketball four years ago, initially as a shooting guard. Coaches like him as a point guard, he said, 鈥渢o create opportunities for myself and my teammates鈥 with his speed, athleticism and ball-handling.
His team, the ABC Fighters, has advanced to the playoffs in May but the teenager has played in only one game so far under .
鈥淚 just have to gain the coach鈥檚 trust. I鈥檓 getting there,鈥 Ighovodja said recently.
Other academy guards include Modou Thiam, who averaged 7.8 points per game for Nigerian team Kwara, and Aginaldo Neto. Although Neto is not playing in BAL, the Angolan is 鈥渙ne of the best upcoming point guards that we have," Traore said.
鈥淲e're just looking at everybody 鈥 it鈥檚 not even size or position,鈥 he added. 鈥淩ight now, the game is going position-less. Here, we identify by potential.鈥
BAL GAMES
The academy has bigs in the BAL, too.
Rueben Chinyelu (6-foot-10) is making significant contributions with Stade Malien before the 19-year-old Nigerian heads to Washington State. He is and a team-high 8.8 rebounds per game. More than half of his rebounds have been on the offensive end.
Ulrich Chomche (6-foot-11) is averaging and 20.5 minutes per game for Rwandan team REG, along with five points and seven rebounds per game. The 17-year-old Cameroonian also played in BAL last year and .
Khaman Maluach (7-foot-1) of South Sudan is only 16 and helped Senegalese team A.S. Douanes advance to the playoffs. Maluach is a strong finisher, a rim protector and has flashed .
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