Jr. NBA alums ready to shine in March Madness
Going into the NCAA Tournament, Kyle Filipowski (right) is averaging 17.1 points.
The Jr. NBA, which is the official youth basketball program of the NBA, has plenty of reasons to be proud as their alum will be featured throughout the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments.
USC’s JuJu Watkins and UCLA’s Kiki Rice have propelled their women’s teams into national title contention.
Watkins, the national freshman of the year, is the country’s second-highest scorer with 27 points per game and is included on multiple first-team All-American lists.
Currently ranked sixth in the country, UCLA, with a 25-6 record, boasts Rice who is averaging 12.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists.
In this year’s men’s tournament, the two main standouts from the Jr. NBA are Duke sophomore Kyle Filipowski, who has an average of 17.1 points, and Kentucky’s freshman Rob Dillingham, who is scoring 15.4 points per game.
Jadyn Donovan from Duke, S’Mya Nichols from Kansas, Courtney Ogden from Stanford, Malia Samuels from USC, Jada Williams from Arizona, and Sole’ Williams from Texas A&M were also participants in the Jr. NBA’s Court of Leaders program.
The Court of Leaders recognizes the on-court and off-court endeavors of exceptional high school players and helps them prepare for success in all aspects of their lives.
Amani Hansberry from Illinois and Quinton Webb from New Mexico, who are the male members of the Court of Leaders, are participating in March Madness.
Below, you can find the complete list of Jr. NBA Academy alumni who are participating in the 2024 women’s NCAA Tournament.
Jr. NBA Alums – Women’s March Madness Watchlist
| Name | College |
| Zoe Brooks | NC State |
| Chloe Clardy | Stanford |
| Breya Cunningham | Arizona |
| Jadyn Donovan | Duke |
| Reniya Kelly | UNC |
| Kiki Rice | UCLA |
| S’Mya Nichols | Kansas |
| Courtney Ogden | Stanford |
| Malia Samuels | USC |
| JuJu Watkins | USC |
| Jada Williams | Arizona |
| Solè Williams | Texas A&M |
Jr. NBA Alums – Men’s March Madness Watchlist
| Name | College |
| Kyle Filipowski | Duke |
| Mark Mitchell | Duke |
| Quinton Webb | New Mexico |
| Chauncey Wiggins | Clemson |
| Rob Dillingham* | Kentucky |
| Caleb Foster* | Duke |
| Amani Hansberry | Illinois |
*Participated in Jr. NBA Global Championship Regional Qualifier
