CHICAGO – It’s back and better than ever!
For the first time since 2016, UA Next Elite 24 returns to the summer grassroots calendar. The country’s elite high school basketball showcase will take place on Aug. 12, at Northerly Island on Chicago’s lakefront.
In the 12th edition of the highly anticipated event, this year’s UA Next Elite 24 will feature an inaugural Elite 24 Girls Game, which will tip off the day’s festivities at 5 p.m. ET, followed by the Boys Game at 7 p.m. Both games will be televised by ESPNU. The final 2022 UA Next Elite 24 rosters, which will feature the nation’s best rising seniors and juniors, will be announced in the coming weeks.
“The return of the UA Next Elite 24 marks a significant event on the annual summer grassroots basketball calendar,” said Sean Eggert, Under Armour Senior Vice President of Global Sports Marketing. “This event became such a staple of the summer basketball circuit and we are thrilled to bring this event back in such a significant way, most notably by the addition of the girls game.
“For more than a decade this event served as the coming out party for the best in boys’ basketball, and now for us to create the same opportunity for the next generation of girls’ and women’s basketball is another proud moment in the history of Elite 24 and in the evolution of the UA Next program.”
UA Next Elite 24 is a platform for the basketball stars of tomorrow to showcase their talents to a national audience. In its short history, six former players have been selected No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft (John Wall, 2010; Kyrie Irving, 2011; Anthony Bennett, 2013; Markelle Fultz, 2017; DeAndre Ayton, 2018; Zion Williamson, 2019), while 20 have been top five selections.
In total, 106 players that have participated in the event have been drafted by NBA franchises.
Additionally, 25 players have been named Associated Press All-Americans during their college careers.
Since its start in 2006, UA Next Elite 24 has long been connected to the prominent basketball scenes throughout the country, such as Rucker Park in Harlem, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Venice Beach in Los Angeles. With the return of the event this year to the shores of Lake Michigan, the multi-purpose space of Northerly Island, will serve as the perfect backdrop.
–From Under Armour Communications
