Indian basketball prospect Aashay Verma begins journey at Butte-Glenn Community College in USA

Since he was 16, Hyderabad boy Aashay Verma has been a step ahead of the basketball competition, charting his own path, and often, creating a new one. After starring in the NBA's Global Academy in Australia and numerous international basketball camps, the 7-foot-2, 20-year-old Center has now taken the next big step: Earlier this month, he joined the Butte-Glenn Community College in Oroville, California.

After being first spotted in the ACG-NBA Jump programme at age 16, Verma ended up being recruited to the NBA's Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, where he became a regular part of the Academy's team. Over the past few years, he has taken part in the NBA All Star Weekend's Basketball Without Borders camp and attended the NBA's Global Camp in Italy. In 2018 and 2019, he was invited to the NCAA Next Generation Showcase in San Antonio and Minnesota respectively.

According to the NBA Academy, Verma is now working on earning an NCAA scholarship.

Verma will join the Butte College Roadrunners, who have been the Golden Valley Conference Champions five times in the past ten years, including their most recent title earlier this year. Next season, the team will hope to defend their title, and secure a seventh consecutive trip to the California State Championships to fight for the state title.