The Biggest Season Yet

India's top international basketball superstars join UBA Basketball Season 4 rosters

This article was first published in my column for Ekalavyas on February 18, 2017.

The most important basketball decision in India this season didn’t take place on the court. It wasn’t a coaching decision, a new defensive scheme, a right pass, or a clutch three-point shot. That decision, instead, was taken in some far less dramatic settings: in sterile meeting rooms, ears plugged into cold mobile-phone screens, pens scribbling signatures over warm sheets of printed paper.

That decision was taken between the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), the governing body of basketball in India, and UBA India, the international company who have launched three seasons of short professional league basketball in the country. That decision could usher in a brand-new direction for Indian basketball.

The folks over at UBA India expanded and experimented in almost every possible direction to bring greater visibility and legitimacy to their league. They held three quick seasons of high-quality basketball in the space of one year in India. They showcased their league live on cable TV (Ten Sports) and produced high-level off-court material. They featured an experienced and highly-professional broadcast team. They found the help of Indian celebrities to celebrate and promote their product, expanded to a handful of cities in India, employed several high-calibre players and coaches, and took their top stars to the US for special pro training camps. In the announcement of Season 4 of the UBA Basketball League - set to tip off in Chennai on Thursday - they even brought ten international professional players to spike up the talent pool of the competition.

And yet, the league missed the most important of factors: the presence of India's best basketball players. A rift between BFI and UBA India had kept the best players in the national/international fray away from UBA participation. The secondary players in the UBA League were of course stars in their own right, but the names mentioned in absence were more notable than those who were marked 'present'.

That is, until now. On the eve of Season 4, the UBA Basketball League announced the rosters of all eight teams, where the biggest news here is that, in addition to the returning UBA stars of the past and the first-time international players from the pro camp in the USA, this season of UBA will feature India's top international basketball superstars. Some of India's best current players, including Amjyot Singh, Amrit Pal Singh, Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Palpreet Singh Brar, Yadwinder Singh, Prasanna Venkatesh, Rikin Pethani, and more have joined UBA rosters.

“The UBA has always been about raising the game of basketball in India,” said Paul Crane, the VP of broadcasting for the UBA Basketball League, “Not just from providing more opportunities to compete, but to teach more fundamentals, training and conditioning.”

“Having more of the top players from India joining new international players from the United States and others countries such as Australia, the level of play and competition continues to rise,” Crane added. “One of the many ‘big picture’ hopes and dreams of the UBA is to one day see Indian basketball be more competitive on the world stage.”

The new names will bolster the already-stacked UBA rosters and help make this into the most exciting professional competition Indian basketball has yet witnessed. The league stage of Season 4 will be held in Chennai's Satyabhama University from February 16 to March 1, before moving to Goa for the championship round (semi-finals and finals) from March 10-16.

Here is a more detailed breakdown of all the eight UBA teams.

Bengaluru Beast: Bengaluru have instantly become one of the must-watch teams for the league this season. Their roster includes Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, India's most talented guard and one of the best shooting guards in Asia, and Palpreet Singh Brar, the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA D-League last year. Current and former India internationals of various age levels Pratham Singh, Kaif Zia, Loveneet Singh, and Khushmeet Singh are also in this team. Indian-American player Chris Solomon, who played college ball in Florida at Northwood University, will be the foreign import for Bengaluru.

Chennai Slam: For the first three seasons, Chennai have been the model of excellence in the UBA. They have reached all three UBA Finals and won the title two times, including the most recent championship in July last year. Former Indian player Prasanna Jayasankar coaches this team, who’s strength is in their depth. Nigerian star Agu Chukwunanu (who scored a UBA record 50 points on opening night) will lead a squad of UBA veterans including Cammy Carmel, Jairam Jat, and Gopal Ram. This year, they will be boosted with the presence of national team big man Rikin Pethani and former University of Minnesota Duluth player Brendon Pineda from the USA. Home court advantage in the group stage and a winning habit makes Chennai one of the top threats once again.

Delhi Capitals: Delhi know how to win, too: they are Season 2 champions and feature former MVP Vinay Kaushik. Now, they have added the player who is perhaps the country’s most electric talent, Amjyot Singh. Amjyot has played professionally in Japan’s Development League, taken part in the NBA D-League draft, has been India’s top player in several big international wins, and is one of the top ranked 3x3 basketball players in the world. Delhi have surrounded these two stars with Ajay Pratap Singh, Sunil Rathee, and the American Ronald March.

Haryana Gold: Haryana’s big addition is Indian basketball’s seasoned Punjabi veteran Yadwinder Singh, who will join a squad consisting of explosive Indo-Australian guard Eban Hyams, Akashdeep Hazra, Prakash Mishra, and American player De’Sean Mattox.

Hyderabad Sky: The Sky have an interesting mixture of new and old, and foreign and domestic on their roster. Watch out for former India international point guard Joginder Singh, Indo-Australian swingman Mahesh Padmanabhan, Tamil Nadu’s veteran Gnanasekaran Sivabalan, and American additions Mak Boskailo and Tevin Kelly.

Mumbai Challengers: Mumbai have the potential to be one of the few teams with an embarrassment of riches at the league. Led by Jora Singh Gulia – who has coached India’s national squad in the past – this team will feature the up-and-coming talent Prudhvi Reddy from Hyderabad, veteran former international Jagdeep Singh Bains, Gagandeep Singh, and current international Prasanna Venkatesh. In addition, they also feature three high-calibre foreign players in Alex Scales (who has played in 11 countries internationally, including one game for the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs in 2005), Inderbir Gill (Indo-American former Canada NCAA Player of the Year) and Jimmy Scroggins (USA).

Pune Peshwas: Silver-medallists in Season 1 of the league, it’s going to be hard to deny Pune this season. Their head coach is India’s legendary basketball star and coach Ram Kumar, and he will marshal a team that features the league’s most recent MVP Narender Grewal and superstar new addition and captain of India’s senior men’s team Amrit Pal Singh. Filling the gap between this irresistible post-and-perimeter combination will be talented players like Siddhant Shinde, Ajinkya Mehta, Gaurav Ohlan, Arshpreet Bhullar, and the American addition Pierre Newton from the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

Punjab Steelers: Punjab will definitely be feeling the push of positive momentum after they surprised better-favoured teams to reach the Season 3 Finals last season and pushed Chennai to the brink. Their roster features Season 1 MVP Ravi Bhardwaj, popular rising young star Gurvinder Singh ‘Gary’ Gill, international point guard Akilan Pari, and American Dermaine Crockrell, a product of Bemidji State.

There seems to be a fairly even distribution of talent this season, which will make it all the more difficult to predict which four teams will qualify for the championship round in Goa, and which one will eventually be the last squad standing with the Season 4 championship trophy. In particular, I expect Chennai, Delhi, and Pune to be among the top contenders for the title. But the favourites just might be Bengaluru, who have the right explosive mix of experience and youth and could separate themselves from the pack for the Finals in mid-March.

All games are televised live on Ten Networks from February 16 to March 16 in Chennai and Goa from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM each gameday.

UBA Basketball League season 4 to be held in Chennai and Goa from Feb 16

In the space of one year, the United Basketball Alliance of India (UBA India) held three quick, short basketball leagues around the country, holding events in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Pune. The rapidly rising association has now announced the dates and host cities for Season 4: for the first time, UBA will be holding official events in two new cities - Chennai and Goa - in the new season, which is set to be held from February 16 to March 16, 2017.

The league is structured as eight teams play a regular season during competing to qualify for the playoffs. The teams are divided into two divisions and feature some of the country’s finest players: The Mumbai Challengers, Delhi Capitals, Haryana Gold and Punjab Steelers form the North Division, and the Chennai Slam, Pune Peshwas, Bengaluru Beast and Hyderabad Sky make up the South Division. The league stage will be held in Chennai's Satyabhama University from February 16 to March 1, before moving to Goa for the championship round (semi-finals and finals) from March 10-16.

Chennai Slam have been the league's most excellent team thus far, qualifying for all three finals and winning Season 1 and 3. The Delhi Capitals paused Chennai's reign with a victory over them in the Season 2 finals. With home advantage in the early stage of the tournament, Chennai will once again be one of the big teams to watch this season. Season 3 finalists Punjab Steelers will be searching for redemption this time around, too.

In December, the UBA hosted its second Pro Performance Camp in Phoenix (USA), where 15 elite UBA players joined American players to take part in various team-building exercises, working on fundamentals, dribbling, defense techniques and shooting drills.

An exciting new addition to the league this season will be the introduction of ten international professionals from the USA to join current UBA teams. These players worked out with the UBA's Indian players in December and will step into the UBA spotlight for the first time this February. At least one international American player will be added on each UBA team, creating stronger competition, performance and a unique experience for the fans of basketball across India.

The most experienced American player coming to India to play in UBA Season 4 is Alex Scales. The 38-year-old shooting guard from the University of Oregan, reached the pinnacle of his career in a one game stint with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005. He has played professionally around the world, including the NBA's D-League, Italy, China, Argentina, Korea, Spain, Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Puerto Rico, and most recently, for Tadamon Zouk in Lebanon. Joining Scales will be Indian-American player of Indian origin Chris Solomon, who played college ball in Florida at Northwood University, then professionally in Italy and Mexico. Other American players include Ron March, Pierre Newton, Tevin Kelly, Mak Boskailo, De'Sean Mattox, Jimmy Scroggins, Brendan Pineda-Morales and Dermaine Crockrell.

On announcing Season Four, CEO of United Basketball Alliance, Tommy Fisher said, "We are absolutely elated to raise the game of basketball in India for the fourth season of UBA. Our goal is to always improve in all aspects from the previous season. The past three seasons have shown significant growth and excitement, and we expect nothing less in Season 4. Basketball continues to gain popularity across India in a big way and we are delighted to be associated with this movement in India. We look forward to seeing talented young players step up and showcase their exceptional skill and talent."

Photo courtesy: UBA India

The UBA were recently victims of some controversy when the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) considered them an 'unauthorised competition' and banned 122 players, officials, coaches, and staff who took part in UBA's Season 3 from participating in all official Indian basketball activities. Last month, the BFI's president K. Govindraj hinted that the BFI will be reconsidering the ban with their sub-committee later this year. It remains to be seen if Season 4 participants will face a similar ban, too

You can catch all the action LIVE for the 4th Season on the Ten Sports network channels - Ten 1 HD and Ten 3 from 16th February- 16th March 2017 from Chennai and Goa.

Hoopdarshan Episode 36: State of the UBA Basketball League with Paul Crane

On Episode 36 of Hoopdarshan, the VP of broadcasting of the UBA Basketball League in India joins Hoopdarshan to discuss the growth of the league, the exciting young talents propelling the movement forward, and the "confusing" situation of BFI banning UBA's players from national competitions. Hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok also discuss India's performances at the ongoing FIBA Asia Challenges, the Shaq-Yao-Iverson trifecta in the Hall of Fame, and a very special ox #OxWithHops.

Paul Crane, based in Atlanta, USA, is the Vice president of Broadcasting of UBA. He has worked extensively as a broadcaster in the states, with CST Saints, KTBS, CNN Sports, FSN, Comcast in the United States. He has been covering Indian university basketball and the UBA League in India since 2014.



Hoopdarshan is the truest voice of Indian basketball, and since we're such hopeless fans of the game, it will become the voice of everything basketball related we love, from the NBA to international hoops, too. On every episode of Hoopdarshan, we will be inviting a special guest to interview or chat to about a variety of topics. With expert insight from some of the brightest and most-involved people in the world of Indian basketball, we hope to bring this conversation to a many more interested fans, players, and followers of the game.

Make sure to follow Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud or search for 'Hoopdarshan' on the iTunes Store! Auto-sync Hoopdarshan to your preferred podcast app NOW!

Hoopdarshan can be found on...

• - iTunes: Hoopdarshan 
• - Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud 
• - On Twitter: @Hoopdarshan 
• - Facebook.com/Hoopdarshan 

Chennai Slam claim UBA Basketball League Season 3 title

Only in its third season in two years, the UBA Basketball League is still a new association, and like any new project, it has taken time to show it's most reliable trends with such a small sample. But by the time that Season 3 of the league finished in Pune's Balewadi Stadium last weekend, one thing was clear: history will remember the Chennai Slam as the early powerhouse that dominated UBA Basketball in its infancy.

Chennai have played in all three Finals of the UBA Basketball League, and with a 2-1 victory in the best-of-three series against first-time finalists Punjab Steelers, they won their second title. In the deciding Game 3 of the UBA Finals, Chennai eased past Punjab 69-59 on Sunday, July 31st.

Season 3 of the league was held from July 15-31 in Pune and featured the original eight teams. Chennai had won the Season 1 title against the Pune Peshwas, lost Season 2 in the Finals to the Delhi Capitals, and regained their spot at the top in the league's most recent iteration.

Punjab had the better start to the Finals, leading by 11 at halftime of Game 1. But Chennai showed their grit and experience behind strong scoring outbursts by Gopal Ram (34), Agu Chukwunanu (20) and Cammy Joseph (19) to win 101-83. Amritpal Singh of Punjab Steelers had 23 in the loss. Punjab played better in Game 2, and while Chukwunanu (27) steered Chennai to a huge comeback, the Steelers survived to win 83-81 and tie the series 1-1. Akhilesh Kumar finished with 19 in the win. With all to play for in Game 3, Chennai showed calm under pressure, relying on their defense to clamp down their opponents and seal the title with a 69-59 victory.

Chennai Slam were awarded with a cheque of Ten Lakh rupees for their winning performance and Punjab Steelers with Five Lakh rupees.

Narender Grewal of the Pune Peshwas, the highest-scoring player in the tournament, was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) for Season 3. Gurvinder Singh 'Garry' Gill (Punjab), Agu Chukwunanu (Chennai), Season 2 MVP Vinay Kaushik (Delhi), and Siddhanth Shinde (Pune) rounded up the All UBA First Team for Season 3.

3rd season of UBA Basketball League tips off in Pune with focus on improved infrastructure

Less than four months after the Delhi Capitals won the second season of the UBA Basketball League, the short-term professional league has returned to India for a surprise third season - their second season of the calendar year. Season 3 of the UBA Basketball League tipped off at the Balewadi Stadium in Pune on Friday, July 15, featuring the same eight teams that have been a part of the league since its origin. In Season 3, the organizers have stressed focus on improving the basketball infrastructure at the games, securing deals with international flooring and equipment companies.

Season 3 is scheduled to be held in Pune from July 15-31, 2016. The eight participating teams are: Delhi Capitals (reigning champions), Chennai Slam (season 2 runners-up, season 1 champs), Pune Peshwas (host team and season 1 runners-up), Mumbai Challengers, Bengaluru Beast, Hyderabad Sky, Punjab Steelers, and Haryana Gold.

One of the main new features to the Season 3 action will be an international standard floor at the Balewadi Stadium. For the first time in India, the wooden flooring has been imported especially for this tournament, and will be laid out in Pune. The new floor is of NBA quality and was last used at the NBA All Star Weekend in Toronto. The floor is an exclusive design for the UBA.

Apart from the floor, the season will also feature goals provided by Spalding and official balls from Evo1.

The third season will be shown live on Ten Sports Network channels, Ten 1 and Ten 2.

Present at the press conference at the announcement for Season 3 were Michael Yanke, Chief Marketing Officer – UBA, Todd Mack, Managing Director – UBA, Nandini Basappa, Vice President – Basketball Federation of India and Vivek Mehta, Director – UBA.

When speaking about season three, CEO of United Basketball Alliance (UBA), Tommy Fisher said, “After an overwhelming response to the earlier seasons of the UBA Pro Basketball League, we endeavour to make this edition bigger than before."

While the UBA League has brought an exciting new avenue to basketball in India, it has not been without its share of controversy. The Basketball Federation of India (BFI), the governing body of Indian hoops, recently announced that players/officials in any 'unauthorized' competition in India, like the UBA, will not be allowed to take part in India's official national and international events. This has created an 'outcast' feeling to the league, much like the ICL was to Indian cricket a decade ago.

Delhi Capitals win Season 2 of UBA Basketball League

Capitals of the country and 'Capitals' by name. And after their performance at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday night, the Delhi Capitals have capitalized the one word that matters the most.

CHAMPIONS.

Season 2 of the UBA Basketball League - held between eight teams from all around the country from February 18 to April 3 in Pune and Hyderabad - came to a conclusion on Sunday as the squad from Delhi destroyed last year's champions Chennai Slam in Game 3 of the UBA Finals, 92-65. Delhi's performance secured them a 2-1 victory in the best-of-three championship series to make them the new title holders of India's unique new basketball league.

In the deciding Game 3, Delhi's Ajay Pratap Singh scored 21 points while league MVP Vinay Kaushik added 19 to lead their squad. After a close start to the game, Delhi were able to stretch the game to a 45-31 lead at halftime, and their continued dominance after the halftime break ensured a blowout victory. Cammy Carmel (22) and Gopal Ram (18) led Chennai in a losing effort.

Sports Minister of Telangana T Padma Rao Goud distributed the trophies and medals. Other dignitaries present included senior UBA officials, Todd Mack (MD), Tausif Shaikh (Director of Administration), Aseem Khan (Chairman, Intermedia Cable Communications) and Michael Yanke (Chief Marketing Officer). As Season 2 winners, Delhi Capitals were awarded a cash prize of Rs 7,00,000/-. Runners up Chennai Slam received Rs 3,00,000/-. Capitals’ shooting guard Vinay Kaushik, who was named the Season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) a couple of days ago, collected his Hyosung GT250R bike and trophy during the glittering prize distribution ceremony.

Delhi were able to bounce back in the Finals series even after going down to the more experienced Chennai squad in the first game of the Finals. In Game 1, Gopal Ram (22), Chukwunana Agu (17 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists) and Cammy Carmel (17) proved to be too much for Delhi, using a 25-9 second quarter run to win 77-62. Delhi tied the series in Game 2 behind massive efforts by Arjun GK (17 points, 16 rebounds) and Vinay Kaushik (17) to win 77-67. Arjun GK (21) and Agu (17) were once again Chennai's best players in Game 2. Delhi carried their positive momentum en route to their clinching Game 3 blowout win.

Delhi and Chennai had defeated Mumbai and Pune respectively in the semi-final stage earlier this week to progress to the Finals.

UBA’s Director of Broadcasting Paul Crane also used the occasion to announce that Season 3 of the league will be held from 8 July to 5 August 2016 in Pune.

Vinay Kaushik of Delhi Capitals is UBA Season 2 MVP; All UBA Teams announced

They might've represented India's capital city at the UBA Basketball League, but the Delhi Capitals had to earn the name given to them the hard way. In season two of leauge - held in Pune and Hyderabad - the Delhi squad did just that, finishing with the league's best record (6-1) and reaching the tournament's finals. Although the team features a handful of veteran and young stars, the centerpiece around whom their success has orbited all season was India international guard Vinay Kaushik. Kaushik led the Capitals in scoring (18.7 ppg, 5th highest in the league) and contributed in all aspects of the game for Delhi.

Photo courtesy: Ekalavyas

Kaushik’s play throughout the season and in the playoffs has earned him the UBA’s Most Valuable Player Award for season 2.

“It’s really great. I have no words to say," Kaushik said at his acceptance speech at the Taj Deccan in Hyderabad on Friday, April 1. "Thank you to UBA for making it possible for me. I would like to thank my parents for making me reach here."

"My favourite moment came from the playoffs against Mumbai. The second match of the playoffs was the best. My team trusts me a lot and give me a lot of confidence."

As this Season’s MVP, Kaushik was presented with the keys of a Hyosung GT 250R Sports Bike provided by Sheng Li Tel. The bike and MVP trophy will be handed over after the Championship finale.

With the regular season having ended, the best-of-three Finals series between the Delhi Capitals and Chennai Slam began on Friday in Hyderabad's Gachibowli Stadium. UBA officials held a press meet before the finals, featuring managing director Todd Mack, Chief Marketing Officer Michael Yanke, Coaching Director Jody Basye, Executive Producer Steve Graham, Director of Broadcasting Paul Crane, Vice President-Operations Praveen Reddy, and former NBA champion Joe Courtney. The UBA also announced the All UBA First and Second Teams at this meet.

“I would like to thank the UBA- all the people that made it happen, from the coaches, to the management and production teams," said Courtney, "I give thanks to the game of basketball for allowing us the opportunity to be here today. Basketball crosses all lines- male, female, colours, generations. I would like to thank the dedication of the players and their passion and love, to be able to share their gift with us. [Now with the UBA] We are fortunate to have a good foundation and structure for basketball in India."

"We are so happy to bring Season 2 of the UBA to you," said Yanke, "One of the accomplishments of Season 2 is that we brought live basketball for the first time in India. Where are going, the sky is truly the limit. We want to continue to improve, not just the players, but all of us behind the scenes. We want this League to be the absolute best."

First Team All-UBA

• Vinay Kaushik (Delhi Capitals)
• Chukwunanu Agu (Chennai Slam)
• Siddhanth Shinde (Pune Peshwas)
• Gagandeep Singh (Mumbai Challengers)
• Narender Grewal (Pune Peshwas)

Second Team All-UBA

• Mahesh Padmanabhan (Hyderabad Sky)
• Raghuram (Bengaluru Beast)
• Akilan Pari (Punjab Steelers)
• Gopal Ram (Chennai Slam)
• Jagdeep Singh Bains (Mumbai Challengers)

UBA Basketball League - with teams from around India - returns bigger and better for Season 2

Indian basketball players rejoice! Season 2 of the UBA Basketball League, is all set to be held between February 18th to April 3rd, 2016. The two phase event featuring professional eight teams representing teams from around the country is to be held at Pune’s Balewadi Stadium and Hyderabad’ Gachibowli Stadium. The league will be telecast live on Ten network channels: Ten Sports, Ten Action, and Ten HD.

With the objective of promoting basketball among the sports lovers, the United Basketball Alliance India (P) Ltd. (UBA India), has initiated a professional league that provides the young and experienced players, a platform to express themselves on the court. The league comprises of eight professional teams from different cities of India, which compete over the course of two months emerge as the Champions of the Season 2. The participating teams are: Pune Peshwas, Hyderabad Sky, Chennai Slam, Punjab Steelers, Bengaluru Beast, Delhi Capitals, Haryana Gold and Mumbai Challengers.

Speaking about the League, Todd Mack, Managing Director of UBA India, said, "Pro Basketball League is the platform, much needed for basketball players in India, who aspire to make it big in the sport. UBA provides these young players, an opportunity to test their skills at a professional level. Additionally, the best players from the League get an opportunity to train outside India, and rub shoulders with some of the big names of the sport, from around the world."

Olympic medallist boxer MC Mary Kom and Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty will grace the opening ceremony on Thursday, 18th February as chief guests at the Balewadi Stadium in Pune. The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) is extending its support to this event, and former international player, Norman Isaac of BFI, will be the Technical Commissioner of the League.

UBA has partnered with Emmy Award winning broadcaster Paul Crane who has covered sports at the highest levels in the United States for over three decades, to present the Pro Basketball League 2016. Steve Graham, executive producer of the League, has been involved with six past Olympic Games, international triathlons, auto racing and international volleyball games in his career.

The complete schedule of games in Pune and Hyderabad, including the semi-finals and finals, have been posted on Ekalavayas.com. You should head over to their report to also find a complete breakdown of all the eight participating rosters. The teams have been divided into North and South divisions, and each team will play four games: three against their division opponents and one cross-division match. In preparation for the second season, UBA held selection tryouts at the Jain International Residential School in Bengaluru earlier this week with 195 young players from all over India to form new squads before the league tips off.

Some notes of interest on the various participating teams:

South Division

• Prasanna Jayasankar, a former India women’s captain, is the coach of Bengaluru Beast.
• Current India international, Narender Grewal will be suiting up for the Pune Peshwas. The Peshwas lost in the finals of Season 1 of the league last year to Chennai. They will have home support in the opening stage of the league.
• Chennai Slam are the reigning champions and feature the talented Nigerian player Chukwunanu Agu.
• Hyderabad Sky feature veteran international point guard Joginder Singh.

North Division

• Renowned women’s coach Shiba Maggon will be leading Haryana Gold. The team also features talented names like Ashiv Jain and Sanjeev Kumar.
• Delhi Capitals have added Indian international Vinay Kaushik to their roster.
• Mumbai Challengers feature former India international star Jagdeep Singh Bains, as well as guard Ranbir Singh. Up-and-comer Prudhvi Reddy is also part of the Mumbai squad, which is being coached by former India junior coach PC Antony.
• Promising young big man Gurvinder Singh Gill will highlight the Punjab Steelers team, who will be without last year's MVP Ravi Bhardwaj.

Will Chennai repeat it's crown? The most stacked squad this year seems to be Mumbai, but the Slam have veteran stars who have tasted the success of winning from Season 1 already. Punjab's fortunes will depend heavily on the shoulders of young man Gill, and don't sleep on Haryana causing some havoc with their young talent, too.

Season 2 has returned bigger than ever, and having the games broadcast live on Ten Sports etc. will be a major step in ensuring that basketball action gets more attention from casual mainstream fans. Hopefully, the league can feature exciting moments to showcase India's ever-deepening pool of basketball talent. Several of the top international level Indian players have still not signed up for this league, but as it gets bigger, I'm sure that they will give it some consideration, especially since there is no other full-time professional basketball league option in India.

UBA holds selection trials for second season of their basketball league in Bengaluru

Last summer, the Universal Basketball Alliance of India (UBA India) introduced a unique new competition to the annual Indian basketball calendar. For two weeks in July, UBA brought together eight different teams representing major Indian cities to Hyderabad for a short-term basketball league. Although the first-of-its-kind experiment didn't attract India's cream of the crop basketball talent, it provided a strong alternative for hoop hopefuls looking for a payday in a country that still doesn't have a full-size national professional basketball league.

Boosted by the success of its first season, UBA are now set to launch Season 2 of their basketball league on February 18. In preparation for the second season, UBA held selection tryouts at the Jain International Residential School in Bengaluru earlier this week with 195 young players from all over India to form new squads before the league tips off.

Foreign trainers from the US, along with highly respected senior Indian coaches, evaluated the players on a number of parameters by putting them through a series of gruelling sessions. After selection trials in Bengaluru, this year's UBA Basketball League will be divided into two phases of games, in Pune and Hyderabad. The newly formed squads will travel to Pune for the first phase of the Pro League, to be held at the Chhattrapati Shivaji sports complex in Balewadi from February 18-28. The second & final phase will be held at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad between March 21 - April 3. UBA Season 2 will be telecast live on Ten Sports, another first in the history of Indian basketball.

Having the league in two phases allows more fans to witness the star players in action, and also gives teams time to prepare and strategise for the second phase. The eight teams from last year— Pune Peshwas, Hyderabad Sky, Chennai Slam (the reigning champions from the 2015 season) Punjab Steelers, Bengaluru Beast, Delhi Capitals, Haryana Gold and Mumbai Challengers— are back again this time around. The teams will be divided into North and South divisions, and each team will play four games: three against their division opponents and one cross-division match.

"Season 1 was about exploring possibilities and seeing what we could do to create opportunities for players," said UBA India Director Deepesh Solanki. "Now that a platform has been built, the next step is to successfully implement what we have planned."

"We are happy to see that kids are finally dreaming of being pros and having their own Indian basketball heroes to look up to. Instead of following Lebron they will now start idolising Jagdeep Singh Bains."

Bains, a former India star and mentor to Satnam Singh, was among the nine Indian players last year taken to Phoenix, Arizona in the USA by UBA India for a special basketball and fitness training programme.

The 195 players fought for 90 spots in the eight city-based teams for the league. "We have decided to reopen all the spots on the eight teams to give a fair chance to every athlete and for the coaches to take a good look at them." said Solanki, "We have been getting flooded with requests from players to join the tryouts— over 400 calls — but we could admit only around 200."

The coaches of last year’s finalist teams, Pune Peshwas and Chennai Slam, have been retained, and six new coaches for the remaining franchises will be hired. Prasanna Jayasankar, Shiba Maggon, Anthony PC, CV Sunny and Sunny Thomas are few of the respected Indian coaches roped in as part of the long term player development programmes, to ensure players are in top shape from one season to next.

"In my experience of over 30 years in basketball, this is the first time open tryouts have been held," said Jayasankar, a former Indian women’s team captain and longstanding coach, "All the boys are getting good opportunity. Anybody can come and give their best. From Indian players, to school kids, all are participating."

With the league now spreading to two cities and held over a total course of three weeks, UBA India has taken small but positive steps forward to expand their presence in Indian basketball. While Bains seems to be the marquee name in the league this time around, there is still a chance that bigger Indian stars will sign up to test their talent as the league gains traction and grows bigger. A few current and former Indian national players like Ajay Pratap Singh have already signed on for Season 2, and many more names could be revealed soon. A couple of Indian-origin players from abroad have also seen this as a boon to return to their ancestral homeland and participate in the growth of basketball here.

Let's be real, Indian kids are never going to idolise Jagdeep Singh Bains instead of LeBron James as Solanki suggested, but now, especially if the league receives good media and Ten Sports broadcast coverage, there is a chance that both of them can be idolised together!

UBA takes nine Indian basketball players to USA for special training

Earlier this year, the Universal Basketball Alliance (UBA) of India launched their first two-week professional basketball league in India. The league featured eight participating teams representing different Indian cities and games were played in Hyderabad in July. Although the league featured some high-level Indian basketball talent, only a small handful of players were among India's elite or in contention for India's national teams. Chennai Slam won the inaugural event with a final victory over Pune. UBA are also the organizers of India's Men's National University Basketball Tournament.

Now, the UBA is on a quest to help its top players get even better, and in the process shed further light on their efforts to promote their basketball events in India. The UBA has chosen nine Indian players - eight of whom played in the inaugural season of the 2015 UBA Basketball League - to take to Phoenix, Arizona, in the USA for special basketball and fitness training and the opportunity to watch an NBA game in person.

The nine Indian players are currently training at the Kiwanis Recreation Centre, Tempe in Phoenix. They have been provided specially designed professional basketball workout programmes with scouts in attendance. Among the eight veterans of the inaugural UBA pro league earlier this year are India's international player Gurvinder Singh Gill and 2015 UBA Basketball League MVP Ravi Bhardwaj. Although he didn't play in the first season of the league, Punjab and international Indian team veteran Jagdeep Singh Bains is the ninth member of the travelling contingent to train America.

Participating Players

• Jagdeep Singh Bains (Punjab, Senior India International)
  
• Gurvinder Singh Gill (Punjab Steelers, Current Senior India)
  
• Ravi Bhardwaj (Punjab Steelers, MVP)
  
• Sartaj Singh (Punjab Steelers)
  
• Yudhvir Singh (Delhi Capitals)
  
• Vijay (Pune Peshwas)
  
• Ramkumar (Chennai Slam)
  
• Kaife Azam Zia (Bengaluru Beast)
  
• Ajinkya Mehta (Pune Peshwas)
  

Deepesh Solanki, the CEO of UBA India, who is personally accompanying the contingent said, "This programme has been specially designed by professional coaches for our players. Scouts have been invited as well and we are confident that this initiative will re-energize and transform the performance of these elite talents going into season 2 of the UBA India Pro Basketball League."

The players have been taking part in as many as four daily sessions that included basketball practices, strength and conditioning workouts, and physiotherapy. On Sunday, November 15, they got a chance to watch in person their first NBA game at Phoenix's Talking Stick Resort Arena, which the home team Phoenix Suns won 105-81 over the visiting Denver Nuggets.

Chennai Slam win inaugural season of UBA Basketball League in Hyderabad

Large crowds of fans cheered on from the bleachers. Bollywood and TV celebrities watched from the sideline. And on the court, talented basketball players provided a unique stage never been set in India before.

And after two weeks of basketball featuring players and teams from all over the nation, the final turned out to be a triumphant day for the Chennai Slam, who brushed aside the Pune Peshwas to be crowned champions of the 2015 UBA Basketball League at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday, July 30.

The Universal Basketball Alliance - UBA India - brought together eight teams from around India for two weeks of this unique initiative, a short professional basketball league in a country that has never had an official pro league before. Tipped off on July 17, the participating teams came from Chennai, Pune, Punjab, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Haryana, and the hosts Hyderabad to play in a round-robin fashion league before the knockout semi-final/final stage in the last two days.

Although Chennai and Pune had split their league games 1-1, the final was a completely one-sided affair. Chennai were precise and perfect, the exact opposite of some careless and nervous play displayed by their opponents, to take a 14-point lead at halftime and extended it 20 soon after to turn the game into a blowout early. When the dust settled, Chennai had won 81-49 and lifted the first-ever title at the inaugural league. The Slam's trio of the Nigerian Chukwunanu Agu (22), Bernette Carmel Joseph (21), and Ramkumar (19) did most of the scoring damage for the victors.

Indian actor Vidyut Jamwal one of the special guests at the finale and distributed the medals to the players during the prize distribution ceremony. Also present were senior UBA executives such as Tommy Fisher (major UBA shareholder and President and CEO of USA-based construction company Fisher Industries), Richard Whelan, Sunday Zeller (Founders and Co-CEOs, UBA), Tausif Sheikh (Managing Director, UBA India) and Deepesh Solanki (CEO, UBA India). Other dignitaries for the final match included noted artists from the Telengana film fraternity.

Winners Chennai Slam were awarded with a cash prize of INR 7 lakhs along with their gold medals. First runners up Pune Peshwas secured the silver medals and a cash prize of INR 3 lakhs. Haryana Gold won the 2nd runners up trophy owing to their superior league stage record over the Punjab Steelers.

The MVP of the tournament was Punjab Steelers forward Ravi Bhardwaj, who put up consistent numbers throughout the tournament. He won a Hyosung GTR superbike along with the MVP trophy.

Chennai's final triumph was in the making as they revved up and gained momentum the further they went into the tournament. At the semi-final stage just a day earlier, they unleashed a scoring barrage on the Punjab Steelers to win 92-77. Despite being down by four in the first quarter, Chennai bounced back to take the lead before halftime and stuck to it till the game concluded. Vignesh Prabhu (24) and Ramkumar (19) were the top scorers for Chennai while Sartaj Sandhu (28) and Ravi Bhardwaj (20) did the scoring damage in a losing effort for Punjab. The second semi-final was a thriller between the Pune Peshwas and the Haryana Gold which came down to the last shot, a go-ahead three by Karna Mehta with eight seconds left that gave Pune an 81-80 victory and a ticket to the final. The game was neck-to-neck until the final play and provided a thrilling shootout between Ajinkya Mane (26) of Pune and Vikas Mor (27) of Haryana.

Final Standings

• 1. Chennai Slam
  
• 2. Pune Peshwas
  
• 3. Haryana Gold
  

All-Star Team

• TJ Sahi (Bengaluru Beast)
  
• Karan Joshua (Bengaluru Beast)
  
• Chukwunanu Agu (Chennai Slam)
  
• Ramkumar (Chennai Slam)
  
• Bernette Carmel Joseph (Chennai Slam)
  
• Birender Singh (Haryana Gold)
  
• Vikas Kumar (Haryana Gold)
  
• Rakesh Sangwan (Haryana Gold)
  
• Sartaj Sandhu (Punjab Steelers)
  
• Ravi Bhardwaj (Punjab Steelers) - MVP
  
• Karan Pal Singh (Mumbai Challengers)
  
• P. Vijay (Pune Peshwas)
  
• Ajinkya Mehta (Pune Peshwas)
  
• Ajinkya Mane (Pune Peshwas)
  
• Yudhvir Dahiya (Delhi Capitals)
  
• Arsh Deep Saini (Delhi Capitals)
  
• Aaditya Raj (Delhi Capitals)
  
• Nihal Yadav (Hyderabad Sky)
  
• Sujith Reddy (Hyderabad Sky)
  

The above players will be awarded 1-year professional playing contracts worth $100,000 for the next season of the league. Each individual player contract shall be worth $5,000, out of which $4,000 will be the player’s salary and the remaining will cover the expenses on gear and other training equipment. The didn't feature any of the most-recognizable or top talents in India, the players who more likely to be seen in the Senior National championships or donning the India jersey in international games.

This is still a league in its early stage, and most of the players who have been given an opportunity here have likely graduated up from the University league held by UBA India earlier. Still, it was a fun event and showcased that India has a lot more basketball to offer than the 'official' events governed by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI).

UBA Professional basketball league tips off in Hyderabad with home side starting on winning ways

The most eye-catching thing about the 2015 UBA Basketball League - the first iteration of a two-week national professional basketball league in India - are the team names. Nothing makes basketball fans giddier than seeing their home teams - or other teams in their country - represented like professional franchises, with nicknames, logos, attractive jerseys, banners on the rafters, and more. As the first day of this novel league tipped off at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday, July 17, it was this fanfare and the celebrity attendance that started the show. But ultimately, the show was stolen by the main event: the exciting basketball players in attendance providing high-quality hoops action for the fans on court.

Photo courtesy: Ekalavyas

On the first day of this league, which features eight teams from around the country, hosts Hyderabad Sky and the Pune Peshwas got off to winning ways.

The Universal Basketball Alliance - UBA India - have launched this league to be held in Hyderabad from July 17 to July 30, set to be held on a league-cum-knockout basis. The eight participating franchises are: Pune Peshwas, Delhi Capitals, Haryana Gold, Punjab Steelers, Chennai Slam, Mumbai Challengers, Bengaluru Beast, and Hyderabad Sky.

“This is the first time in India’s basketball history that a pro league is being organised,” said UBA India Director Deepesh Solanki. “Our main focus is infrastructure. Athletes should feel like pros.” Hindi Film actor Anjana Sukhani was the celebrity guest on the opening day and she wished both all participating teams the very best. “I’m so happy that someone has taken the initiative to bring out the talent that this country has.” she said.

In the league's opening game, Pune survived a strong effort from the Bengaluru Beast and their star point-guard, TJ Sahi. Sahi - a former national team star - is the most recognizable name in this league and scored a game-high 32 points in his debut for the Beast. But it was Pune's forward duo of P Vijay and Arjun Mehta who scored 23 points each to stay competitive against the stacked Bengaluru squad and stretch the lead out to double digits in the third quarter. A last gasp effort from Bengaluru wasn't enough and Pune earned a surprising victory, 88-81. Bengaluru's Chetan Suresh scored 16 in the loss.

Hosts Hyderabad won in a thrilling opening encounter against the Chennai Slam. At one point, Hyderabad looked comfortable and fully in control of proceedings, leading 36-22 at halftime and giving the home fans a lot to cheer about. But Chennai grabbed momentum in the second half and made a furious comeback. Unfortunately, they fell short, and when time expired, Hyderabad survived to win 65-61. Nihal Yadav (19) and Sujith Reddy (16) were Hyderabad's high scorers in the win.

Scoreboard

• Pune Peshwas (P Vijay 23, Arjun Mehta 23) bt Bengaluru Beast (TJ Sahi 32, Chetan Suresh 16) 88-81 [19-18, 23-17, 29-25, 17-21].
  
• Hyderabad Sky (Nihal Yadav 19, Sujith Reddy 16, Liju Abraham 15) bt Chennai Slam (Agu 14, Vicky 14) 65-61 [18-9, 18-13, 19-22, 10-17].
  

Find the full schedule of the league on UBA India's website.