NYU Basketball Teams Head to China - NYU Athletics (2024)

Coming off highly successful 2023-24 campaigns, the New York University women's and men's basketball teams have been invited to play in Shanghai, China, in games that will be broadcast throughout the nation on Great Sports and within the United States on ESPNU.

In an initiative to promote cultural exchange between young people around the world through sports, the CAMPUS Invitational 2024 is set to take place on Friday, August 16, at the Henry Fok Stadium in Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU).

Hosted by Great Sports Media Co., Ltd. and supported by ESPN, the Invitational is intended to attract the attention of basketball fans around the world and aims to become one of the major events that strengthens China's international cultural exchange.

NYU, which has a campus in Shanghai, will host both Violet squads from August 11-18.

"I'm looking forward to our players and staff getting a chance to immerse themselves in a different culture and have experiences they'll remember for the rest of their lives," said NYU men's Head Coach Dave Klatsky.

The NYU women are coming off a perfect 31-0 season in which they captured the NCAA Division III Championship for the second time in program history (the first was in 1997).

Returning to the squad and competing in China will be graduate student Natalie Bruns, the WBCA (Women's Basketball Coaches Association) Division III Player of the Year and NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, as well as Mendham, NJ, product, senior All-American Belle Pellecchia, who was the University Athletic Association (UAA) Defensive Player of the Year in '23-24.

"Ilook forward to experiencing the culture in Shanghai," Bruns offered. "NYU is such a global university, but being located in New YorkCity limits your perspective to an extent. Being fully immersed in Shanghai - from food, to architecture, etc. - will give our team a chance to grow mentally, culturally, and physically. I'm excited that we share the love of basketball with people from all around the world and hope to use that to make the most of this experience."

The Violets are led by Head Coach Meg Barber, who has posted a 119-21 record in her first six seasons at NYU. Last month, she served as head coach of the USA Basketball Women's U17 National Team which captured the gold medal at the FIBA World Cup.

"I am looking forward to this amazing trip with our players and staff," Barber said. "The planning that has gone into this has been phenomenal, and there are going to be countless memories made! To have the opportunity to see the global reach of NYU in person in Shanghai and to spend time on an international NYU study away site is going to be such a great experience!"

The NYU men advanced to the Second Round of the 2024 NCAA Division III Tournament, went 21-6 overall and won its first UAA Championship in 30 years.

Klatsky, entering his third season as the Violets' head coach, has accumulated a 39-14 overall record as his teams have made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. Leading the squad on the court in China and into the '24-25 season, is senior Zay Freeney, a Third Team All-UAA selection who is the team's top returning scorer (14.8 ppg). The team's rebounding leader from a year ago, graduate student Emmanuel Onuama (7.5 rpg), also returns.

"Being ableto play basketball in anothercountry has always been a dream of mine," Freeney said. "I am looking forward to the opportunity of showcasing my talents on an international stage, not only representing myself but my family and NYU as well. Being able to experience this trip with my NYUteammatesmakes it that much moreenjoyable. We will create memories we will never forget. I feel blessed to be in this situation and look forward to our time in China!"

While the main focus will be on the August 16 match-ups, both Violet teams will also play other games against local squads during the trip.Aside from the Jiao Tong University contests, the Violets will also play at NYU Shanghai's gymnasium with two local professional teams, the Shanghai Stars Worldwide and Shanghai Swordfish, on August 12. East China Normal University has invited NYU men's team for agameon August 14 at their Minhang Campus.

The cultural aspect of the week will include excursions to places such as Shanghai Tower, the U.S. Consulate of Shanghai, the Urban Planning Museum in People Square, and NBA China Headquarters.

The men's game on August 16 is scheduled for 6:00am and will be followed by the women at approximately 7:45am. Both game times are eastern and will be broadcast live on ESPNU in the U.S. and on Great Sports in China.

"In a time where connections are forged not just through digital means but through human interaction, ESPN China has initiated an innovative endeavor to unite two of the globe's most vibrant cities: New York and Shanghai," explained David Pe, NYU Shanghai's Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs/Dean of Students. "With the universal appeal of sports as its language, ESPN China identified a prime opportunity to knit people together from different continents via the game of basketball."

The Violets' opponents have equally impressive resumes, as the SJTU men's team is ranked among the top eight teams in the China University Basketball Association League (CUBAL), while the SJTU women won the Southeast Conference of CUBAL Division I last season and are also ranked among the top eight.

The NYU contingent of student-athletes, coaches and support personnel, will be leaving from the Greenwich Village campus late on Friday night, August 9, flying from JFK Airport early Saturday morning, arriving in Shanghai on Sunday afternoon, and returning back to JFK on Sunday evening, August 18.

"As much as this trip is about the cultural experience for the players, as a coach I'd be lying if I didn't tell you how excitingthis is to get extra practice time and extra games," Klatsky admitted. "My hope is this trip can be the beginning of a fantastic year and this trip can only help in building camaraderie and a solid foundation for the upcoming season."