After a standout sophomore season that included being the Pennsylvania Sports Class 3A boys basketball player of the year, Riverside’s Nico Antoniacci is about to go on a special show.
The 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 June 8-11 at the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
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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 the 100 best high school players; the people who vote for this think I’m in that group, which makes this a big honor,” said Antoniacci, 17. “I’ve been working hard, attacking the weight room to become a stronger, more athletic player.
“I am looking forward to this because it will be a good challenge. I will be competing and see how I can score against the best players in the country, the quality of players I will see in college. I am very happy.”
The NBPA Top 100 Camp features group sessions and instruction coached by current and former NBA players. Top NCAA coaches and NBA scouts will be in attendance during the camp. The coaches leading this year’s camp include Rajon Rondo, Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy, and Tom Creen.
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“This is an amazing opportunity for him to be coached and mentored by top players and coaches and, more importantly, it gives him the opportunity to gain experience on a large scale,” said Riverside coach Josh Aniska. “He gets every opportunity to develop himself as a player and a person.”
Camp seniors 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-Town, Edward Young, Edward Trawn, Edward Train
“We are very proud of Nico and his accomplishments so far in his high school career, but to be invited as one of the top 100 players to a camp of this pedigree, across the US and internationally, has to be high right now,” said Kevin Clark of NEPA Elite. “This is not the second camp, this camp is the cream of the crop. As the selection process is difficult, Nico continues to grow in the game at the national level, and many people are starting to pay attention.
“We have no doubt that he will get better, and with this NBPA Top 100 camp, Nico will be in the gym with the best players from a player’s perspective and will be able to showcase his skills in front of the top colleges in the country as well as NBA scouts in hand.”
