BRITISH basketball star Luol Deng has today announced the DENG Camp Top 50, a new three-day residential basketball camp, which will takes place in August at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.
The DENG Camp TOP 50 will be strictly invite only for the most talented male athletes aged 19 and under from all over the UK, handpicked through a panel of national and club team coaches.
The new direction is a result of the elite funding cuts by UK Sport to British Basketball and also to further Deng's commitment to help create a platform for the nations most talented elite young athletes.
Deng said: "We have always looked at doing a camp for the most talented kids in the UK and now seems a better time than ever to do it.
"The selected players will take part in a three-day camp to give them an idea of what the next level is like.
"I'm excited to see the camp go in this direction and I truly believe this will have a huge impact on these players and UK basketball."
Bringing a huge amount of experience and coaching pedigree to the camp, U16 & 17 USA Head Coach Don Showalter and Deng's high school coach at Blair Academy, Joe Mantegna, will be headlining DENG CAMP TOP 50 with a group of the best UK coaches.
The camp will be highly structured with players going through individual drills, combine testing, classroom analysis, strength and conditioning work and competitive games which will all be videoed for every player to leave with.
To finish, kids will be selected in an All-Star game where players will be ranked to produce a Top 50 list.
Camp Director Steve Vear said: "I've been involved with the DENG Camp since it started in 2005 and it really has grown from strength to strength. This year we all felt it was the right direction to take it to a Top 50 camp.
"This summer is a new direction for us but we feel it's the right way to maintain and enhance the elite game here."
The camp will take place between August 20 and August 22.
