This summer, Bakersfield’s youth will be able to hone their basketball skills with training from professional ball players.
The Basketball Universe Academy is a youth-training program in Bakersfield that was founded by Kyle Shiloh, Dwuan Rice and Richard “Zeek” Andrews in 2008-09.
The program consists of training sessions, a developmental league, and a cheerleading program.
Shiloh graduated from Garces Memorial High School in 2003 before gaining a scholarship to play for the University of Nevada, where he became the winningest player in the school’s history, won four conference championships, and had one Sweet Sixteen appearance in four NCAA tournaments.
Shiloh is using BUA to reach out to young basketball players in the Bakersfield area and help the youth grow in the game of basketball, as well as in life.
“Growing up I didn’t have too many direct role models, only older players who I watched play in high school and played against growing up.
“I would watch them, take bits and pieces from all of their games, and try to put it all together on the court which I believe helped me get to where I am today,” Shiloh said.
“I think I can be a role model to my kids in BUA by sharing my experiences in my career and as a kid [and] athlete growing up. I never really had anyone to tell me about the things I would encounter as a young athlete going through life, and I think I can do that for these kids.”
Shiloh’s vision for BUA is to eventually expand to more cities around the country, and the organization will add a second location next summer in Reno.
As of right now, Shiloh is focused on Bakersfield and the basketball community in the area.
“My goal right now for [BUA] is to transform the way basketball is viewed in Bakersfield,” he said. “Year after year there is always so much talent in this town, but the problem is that talent never develops to its full potential.
“People are not aware of the hard work that is required on and off the court to get where they want to go as far as athletics. I think I can help change all of this by continuing to build BUA and help develop these youth.”
Shiloh credits his interest in starting a youth-development league to his father, who started one of the first Amateur Athletic Union teams in the Bakersfield area.
“It was because of the years I spent traveling on my father’s team that I was exposed to some of the best AAU teams on the west coast and experienced different academies similar to BUA,” he said.
Of all of Shiloh’s achievements, which include being the first of his siblings to earn a college degree, he credits BUA as his biggest.
“Off the court, along with being engaged to my fiance, I would say that [BUA] may be one of my biggest achievements considering that everything I have ever gained in life has come from basketball and now I’m able to help others experience everything I did,” he said.
“BUA is definitely what I want to do when I retire from basketball, which, at age 26, could be sooner than I would like being overseas.”
The staff of BUA is well rounded in the sport of basketball, with each staff member having played at least at the collegiate level, “and some of them are currently playing professionally in Europe,” Shiloh said. Shiloh is currently playing professionally in France and will be back in Bakersfield after the season ends in May.
“Basketball in France is very physical, very competitive, and is much more popular a sport than people in the [United States] may expect. In the [NBA] they have rules such as defensive three seconds to keep the defense honest and make it more of an offensive scoring league,” Shiloh said of the differences he faces playing overseas. “Basketball in France, as well as most European countries, is all defensive, physical leagues. Those two things together, without a defensive-three-second rule, make it very difficult to score. This is why many NBA players come to Europe and do not do well.
“The tolerance of production from players is definitely less in France than in the States, which also adds to the pressure. The French style of play relies more on their physical ability and hard work, rather than in the States where we tend to rely on our God-given talent to play the game.”
The registration deadline for BUA, which allows youth in grades 3-12, is June 13, and the fee is $320 for the developmental league, which comes with advanced training.
Cheerleading registration also comes with training and, “various performance opportunities,” according to their Web site. The fee for registration is also $320.
Play for the developmental league will start on June 27, and go through Aug. 28.