We are proud to announce that Future Stars is back for 2026 and will take place 28th – 30th August at Brunel University. In keeping with our traditional format, the event will feature a National Coaching Clinic on the Saturday of the Future Stars weekend.
The tournament is renowned for bringing some of the top programmes from across Europe to UK soil with previous editions featuring NBA and Euroleague stars such as Jan Vesely, Dario Saric, Nicolo Meli, Tomas Satoransky and Rudy Gobert.
For our 2026 edition, German giants, former Euroleague and future NBA Europe contenders, ALBA Berlin have confirmed their participation in the Future Stars International Tournament in both the U18 and U16 categories.
The ALBA Berlin Youth Academy (ALBA JUGEND), are widely regarded as one of the best and most prolific talent factories in Europe. Their model is unique because it balances elite competitive training with a massive social and educational program within the city of Berlin.
Unlike many academies that focus on international recruiting, ALBA focuses on local talent, they partner with nearly 200 schools to develop thousands of children at the grassroots level. The Alba youth academy is so success as they prioritize long-term growth and basketball IQ over immediate wins in youth categories. Players are taught to make their own decisions and play with creative freedom while providing the young players with a full support system, including sports psychologists and specialized athletic trainers, ensuring players develop as both athletes and students.
ALBA Berlin Youth Academy has produced over 70 professional players, including NBA stars (like Franz and Mo Wagner or Quinten Post) and numerous EuroLeague mainstays.
Recent Achievements of ALBA JUGEND:
At the U16 (JBBL) level they were crowned German Champions (Deutscher Meister) in the 2024/25 season, runner up in 23/24 and German Champions in 22/23
In the NBBL (U19) the squad remains a dominant powerhouse in the federal league for the 2025/26 season, having won this competition in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2023.
Featured Players (Rising Talents) of the ALBA JUGEND programme include several academy products are already integrated into the professional first team for the 2025/2026 season.
• Jack Kayil (Point Guard, 2006): is currently one of the most exciting young prospects in German basketball, and he is at a major turning point in his career for the 2026-2027 season. On April 24, 2026, Kayil declared as an early entry candidate for the 2026 NBA Draft.
• Nevio Bennefeld (Center, 2007): A young big man with a high ceiling, frequently training and playing with the senior squad.
• Anton Nufer (Guard/Forward 2006): A “dual-license” player who bridges the gap between the academy and the ProTeam.
• Richard Schmitt (Forward 2007): Another homegrown talent currently in the high-performance development phase with the professionals.
• Matheo Hermann (Guard 2007): is currently one of the standout prospects in the ALBA Berlin pipeline. He is seen as a cornerstone of Germany’s 2007 generation and a prime example of the “ALBA path” to professional basketball.
• Anton Kemmer (Forward 2008) is one of the brightest gems in the ALBA Berlin youth system. He is widely considered one of the top European prospects in the 2008 age group.
The ALBA academy programme has also developed countless players who, after playing for their affiliated team (LOK Bernau ProB), have gone on to the NCAA and are succeeding in the USA such as Christoph Tilly ´03 (Ohio State), Tjark Lademacher ´03 (SMU Huskies)Elias Rapieque ´04 (Kansas State), Rikus Schulte ´04 (Fordham University), Nils Machowski ´04 (UConn Huskies), Amon Dörries ´06 (Richmond Spiders) Dorian Grosber ´06 (Northeastern University), Mathieu Grujicic ´07 (Ohio State)
Check back soon for further information on the event and the teams that will face the formidable ALBA JUGEND at Future Stars 2026.
