In their second year, international basketball players are coming to the Topeka-area. College coaches are starting to take notice thanks to Kerry Darting.
TOPEKA — Matas Zigmantas jumped at the chance to come to America and play basketball.
The 16-year-old from Lithuania has reaped the benefits of working with Darting Basketball Academy over the previous few weeks. It’s been a dream come true to show off his skills and compete against some great talent in Topeka and around the country, he said.
“I wanted to improve on and off the court and to grow as a person,” Zigmantas said. “I love it here. It’s amazing. I’ve learned to work hard if you want to accomplish things.”
On Thursday, Darting Basketball Academy hosted a scrimmage between their international players against some of the top players in the Topeka-area at Shawnee Heights. This is the second year that Kerry Darting and his group have hosted players from across the globe.
Last year was the inaugural season, and it’s only improved this year for Darting and his team called College Stars International. There are 44 players that have come to Kansas spanning 13 different counties. Along with Lithuania, players from Australia, Italy, Spain, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Norway and Sweden have taken to the AAU circuit.
In the first season, Darting said it was more of challenge to recruit international high schoolers to come to America and train with him. Last year’s venture was so successful, more players have joined them this season.
“The recruiting process was way easier this year,” Darting said. “If a parent is going to send their 16-year-old all the way across the world, they want to make sure it’s legit and good.”
Playing legit basketball is a style that these international players are trying to show off during their three weeks in the United States. They want the exposure to showcase they belong and prove they deserve college opportunities.
The College Stars International team will be playing in three AAU tournaments, two of them in Kansas City and another in Chicago. The international players will showcase their talents hoping for a college scholarship from the many coaches in attendance.
During the scrimmage against Topeka-area players, college coaches from the region were in attendance. Emporia State’s Tom Billeter and Baker’s Sean Dooley were just some of the names to watch the international hoopers. Dooley told the Capital-Journal what his program looks for when recruiting international players.
“Basketball is such a global game, and we get e-mails and information on these kids all of the time. It’s hard to see on film because you don’t know who they are playing against,” Dooley said. “When they come over here and play United States kids, you know those kids, and you can get your eyes on them and try to gauge whether they can play for you.”
The College Stars International has been staying in the dorms at KU and participating in workouts there and at Shawnee Heights. The team was able to visit Allen Fieldhouse this week, and it was a dream for many of the players that only see college basketball on tv.
“It was an amazing experience,” Zigmantas said.
Liam Keating covers high school sports for The Topeka Capital-Journal. Send stats or information to him at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Inside Darting Basketball Academy's ability to host international players
Category: General Sports
