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 elevated their respective women’s teams to the status of national title contenders.
Watkins, who scores 27 points per game, is the country’s second-leading scorer. He has been named the national freshman of the year and is included on several first-team All-American lists.
Rice, with an average of 12.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, is playing for UCLA. The team has a 25-6 record and is currently the country’s sixth-ranked team.
Kyle Filipowski, a sophomore at Duke averaging 17.1 points, and Rob Dillingham, a Kentucky freshman scoring 15.4 points per game, are the two standout players from the Jr. NBA in this year’s men’s tournament.
The Jr. NBA’s Court of Leaders program also included 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.
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, both male members of the Court of Leaders, are participating in March Madness.
Below, you will 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
