After an outstanding sophomore season that included being the Pennsylvania Sports Writers Class 3A boys basketball player of the year, Riverside’s Nico Antoniacci is about to attend an exclusive showcase.
A two-time Times-Tribune Player of the Year, Antoniacci, who also plays for NEPA Elite, was invited to participate in the National Basketball Players Association Top 100 Camp on June 8-11 at the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Antoniacci is one of 40 players who are members of the Class of 2028. Last season, he led Riverside to a 25-2 record and the Lackawanna Division II and District 2 Class 3A championships. He averaged 30.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 3.3 steals per game this season and has 1,383 career points.
“This means a lot, because they only pick 100 of the best high school players; the people who vote on this think that I am among that group, which makes this a big honor,” Antoniacci, 17, said. “I have been putting in a lot of work, attacking the weight room to become a stronger, more athletic player. I am working hard on becoming a more consistent jump shooter and a better leader for my high school team.
“I am looking forward to this because it is going to be a good challenge. I am going to be competing and see how I can score against the best players in the country, the level of players I will see in college. I am very excited.”
The NBPA Top 100 Camp includes team and instruction sessions coached by current and former NBA players. Top NCAA coaches and NBA scouts will be in attendance during the camp. Coaches leading this year’s camp include Rajon Rondo, Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy, and Tom Creen.
“This is an incredible opportunity for him to be coached and mentored by high-level players and coaches and, more importantly, gives him a chance to get some exposure on a big-time level,” Riverside coach Josh Aniska said. “He is finding every opportunity he can to better himself as a player and a person.”
Alumni of the camp include Bam Adebayo, Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Dwight Howard, Kemba Walker, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, James Harden, Karl Anthony-Towns, Trae Young, Zion Williamson, and Anthony Edwards.
“We are extremely proud of Nico and his accomplishments thus far in his high school career, but being invited as one of the top 100 players to a camp of this pedigree, both throughout the US and internationally, has to be at the top right now,” NEPA Elite’s Kevin Clark. “This isn’t some secondary camp; this camp is the cream of the crop. With the selection process as difficult as it is, Nico continues to grow in the game at the national level, and many people are starting to take notice.
“We have no doubt he will only get better, and with this NBPA Top 100 camp, Nico will be in the gym with the best of the best from a player perspective and will be able to showcase his skills in front of the top colleges in the country as well as NBA scouts on hand.”
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