He got his work done in the classroom and graduated. He was a standout member of one of our European Exposure teams that played 20+ games in Europe. He advanced his experience and his resume and is now the Associate Head Coach at Tusculum College.
Click on the photo of Devin to find out more.
He was a hero and was National
Defensive Player of the Year by the Sporting News.
He joined USA Select Basketball and continued his career in France and Czech Republic. Ricky just won a second National Championship as a coach at his beloved U Conn.
USA Select Basketball salutes Alumni Ricky Moore!
Click on the photo of Ricky to get our camp information
John is an incredible, hard working player who no one gave a chance. He came on tour, we got him his start, he played all over the world and is now a coach with the Bakersfield Jam in the NBA D League!
We believed in John and he believes in us!
Click on Coach Bryant’s photo to see photos from past tours!
Register for our camp June 12-14.
Make your career a slam dunk!
You will play games, not skills and drills, but games! We have a brand new, air conditioned 4 court facility and we video the games and provide LIVE STREAMING to our contacts all over the world! Top level officials and very well organized!
We expect you will play at least 8 games over that 3 day event!
Camp cost is $375 and you may pay at registration or in advance by Pay pal. If you prepay, you get a free USA Select European Exposure Tour T shirt!
Have the experience of a lifetime!
Schedule:
June 12:
9-11.30 am Registration
Quality Inn and Suites
13470 E. Independence Blvd
Matthews, NC
(704) 821-9800
1-3 pm Mandatory Seminar and overview of European Tour, jobs, contracts and evaluation process
5-6 pm team assignments
7-10 pm Evaluation games.
June 13:
9am-9pm Evaluation and pool play games.
June 14:
9am-Noon Playoff Games
1-2 pm All Star Selection
2-3 pm Championship Game
Other Details:
We cannot promise you a job, just fair chance at exposure! We have been successful and helped a lot of guys have that chance….you can be one of them!
Some guys will go to great lengths to extend their basketball playing days.
Former Valley Forge and Youngstown State star Ryan Patton went farther than most. He went all the way to England, with a brief stint in Qatar.
Patton, who led Forge to a Division I regional final in 1997 and scored more than 800 points in just two high school seasons, is in his sixth year as a European professional and his playing career is not much different than it was in the United States.
He still is a terrific shooter and scorer.
“I always thought he would end up playing professionally somewhere,” said John Stavole, who coached Patton for two seasons after he transferred from Holy Name to Valley Forge. “If ‘gym-rat’ was in the dictionary, his picture would be there. He just loved to play. He was the kind of kid you loved to coach.”
Patton, 31, earned All-Ohio honors as a senior at Valley Forge and became just the second player in YSU history to score 1,000 points and have 400 assists before graduating in 2002.
The 6-0 guard plays for the Sheffield Sharks, the defending champions of the British Basketball League. The season lasts from September to May and teams play about twice a week. The Sharks, 30-6 one year ago, are in the BBL Championship Finals, which begin next week. Patton is averaging 18 points a game and is in the league’s top five in assists, 3-point shooting percentage and free throw percentage.
“I would have considered playing anywhere in Europe,” Patton said in an e-mail. “England was the first country that I played in. I played a short time in Qatar, but it’s beneficial to be in a country without a language barrier and I felt at home in England.”
Each BBL squad is permitted to have just three Americans on its roster.
“That puts a little added pressure on me to keep performing well,” he said. “It’s good to have played at the college level in the States because it was a pressured environment. We get treated well here, your accommodations and car are paid for and the English fans and management are very supportive.”
Soccer remains king in England but Patton said basketball’s status is improving.
“Basketball is not one of the top sports in the country so we don’t pull in the same crowds,” he said. “Our games are showing now on Sky sports, which will improve the profile and popularity of basketball in the UK. The Cup Championships and the finals always draw big crowds and a great atmosphere.”
Patton still spends his summers in Ohio and has begun running basketball camps at local schools.
“I’ll play as long as my body allows me to,” he said.
Spoken like a true gym rat.
– Tim Rogers
The Americans came to town as part of their European Exposure Tour and competed in three events hosted by the ADA Bexhill Giants at Bexhill Leisure Centre.
The week started with the Hastings Direct-sponsored International Tournament which saw the Giants joined by USA Select (Blue Team), Sussex champions BC Crawley United and National League side Sussex Bears in a four-team round-robin event.
A fast-paced day of basketball action played in a competitive spirit resulted in some excellent matches, and spectators were treated to some athletic and energetic play from all teams.
The quality of the USA team was evident as they won all of their three matches against the English sides and were crowned champions.
The domestic clubs all finished with one victory and two defeats after some close-fought contests, but the Giants were runners-up by virtue of their victory over Crawley.
The Hastings Direct International Trophy was presented to the USA Select team and their coach David Lawrence by the Mayor of Bexhill, Cllr Brian Kentfield.
Two days later, the second USA Select team (White) competed in an exhibition match against the Giants, which was preceded by a youth coaching clinic for local youngsters run by USA Select coach Nicholas Melissaris and his players.
The youngsters then stayed behind to watch the match which resulted in a comprehensive victory for the far superior USA team.
The following evening saw USA Select (White) return to compete in another exhibition match against a Sussex Select team made up of players from the Sussex Basketball League.
Again the match was played in an excellent and competitive spirit, but the USA Select players – who are showcasing their talents across Europe in the hope of securing professional contracts – had too much skill and experience for the Sussex side and recorded their second comfortable win in two days.
The results were immaterial, though, as the main purpose of the events was to promote basketball across the area.
Giants chairman Eric Douglin said: “What a great few days we had with the visit of USA Select Basketball to the town. Their coaches and players are excellent ambassadors for the sport.
“We were privileged to be included in their European Exposure Tour and look forward to their return next year. The club would like to thank our sponsors, helpers, referees and spectators for their support.”