REGENSBURG (David Hein's Eye on the Future) - Europe is not known as a place for young Mexicans and Chinese to learn the game of basketball. But a quintet of players from those two countries have a unique chance in Kaunas to showcase their skills at a high level.

Diego Willis poured in 28 points but that effort along with 14 points and 12 rebounds from Li Shengzhe were not enough as Canarias Basketball Academy (CBA) Las Palmas lost its first game of the Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Kaunas. Willis is one of two Mexican players on the CBA team in the U18 club competition and Li is the top member of a Chinese trio on the roster. Also with CBA in Kaunas is Antonio Alvarez from Jalisco, Mexico and the Chinese wing Wang Xiaoyi and point guard Hao Dai.

CBA has turned into a real destination for players from around the world. And one could almost say that Chinese youngsters are flocking to the island of Gran Canaria for the CBA program, which provides players with a mix of extensive training as well as schooling. Li, Wang and Hao are three of five total Chinese players currently at the CBA. And there have been other Chinese who left CBA to attend college in the United States over the past few years. In addition, there are currently four Mexicans in the CBA program.

Sure, European hoops fans have seen Mexicans on the continent - including international leaders such as Gustavo Ayon, Jorge Gutierrez and Paul Stoll. But those top players all came to Spain as adults.

Willis and Alvarez came to CBA in October 2014 as the first Mexican players in the program’s history. They were part of a initiative in the central American country called "200,000 students in Mexico". They were both sons of former Mexican national team players - Rafael Willis Garcia and Jose Antonio Alvarez Quintero. And both youngsters had already made their debuts with the Mexican national team system by the time they came - at the Centrobasket U15 Championship 2014, when Mexico won to qualify for the FIBA Americas U16 Championship.

Both Willis and Alvarez went to Bahia Blanca, Argentina in the summer of 2015 after the first season with the CBA. At the FIBA Americas U16 Championship, Willis and Alvarez were the second and fourth top scorers with 9.5 and 6.8 points respectively. Alvarez was the team’s leading rebounder with 7.2 boards and Willis was tops in assists with 3.3 per game.

They have been joined at CBA by the next group of Mexican youngsters, the jewel probably being 13-year-old Gael Bonilla, who is recognised as one of the country’s most promising players.

"He has a knack for playing basketball and a wide margin of improvement that attracts us a lot," said CBA director Rob Orellana. "He has an amazing ability to score with many resources on offense. He is a very good basketball prospect. We are very happy to have him with us."

In addition to playing in Spain and against Spanish competition, Willis and Alvarez also this season have the chance to play at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament and pit themselves against the best players in Europe.

That is the case as well for the Chinese players. Two years ago,, Chinese big man Wang Yixiong grew in confidence over the course of the ANGT in Belgrade in his first taste of international play.

Li Shengzhe is in his third season with CBA and he showed he can play at the level with the big opening game. Wang, who arrived in Las Palmas in 2013, knocked down two three-pointers and showed he can play as a wing. And Hao, who joined CBA in 2013 at the age of 11, played just 3 minutes but picked up two rebounds and an assist despite being three years younger than the rest of the competition as a 2002-born player.

Despite getting strong training and good exposure, none of the Chinese players have been called up to play with the Chinese youth national teams. But that very well could change in the near future.

But others in Mexico and China and other places will be watching and realising that Europe might be an option - even if it’s considered unconventional at the moment.

David Hein

FIBA

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