Every spring, basketball players from the U.S. and abroad come to the IMG Basketball Academy with hopes of a future in professional basketball. From sure-fire NBA lottery picks to players simply preparing for a tryout with a lower-level pro club, each player in the Academy’s pre-draft program/Pro Training Center has a different story and background. They share one thing in common - the desire to improve their game at the IMG Basketball Academy. See below for some background on one of our recent players.

Every successful team needs a “glue” guy. The player who does all of the little things to make a team better. Tyrell Biggs was that player for the University of Pittsburgh this year. A heralded recruit coming out of high school, Biggs sacrificed playing time for a winning program at Pitt, which will likely have multiple players picked in the upcoming draft. With a solid jump shot and great ball-handling skills for a big man, Biggs could make an excellent pro.

Tyrell Biggs on…

Getting attention from NBA scouts… I don’t have the big name like DeJuan (Blair) or Nick Calathes or Jrue Holiday (all of whom are training at IMG), so I try to pay extra attention to any advice I get because I know I can play at the next level. But it’s going to be the little things that get me over the top. What I’m trying to do is take my talent and apply what I’m learning to get me there. I work hard. I feel like I have a lot to offer with my inside/outside game and my shooting ability that people didn’t really get to see. And I know how to win.

Playing his role at Pitt… It’s tough when you have Levance Fields, Sam Young and DeJuan Blair-there are only so many shots to go around. Don’t take it wrong, I wanted to do more, but it was my role to play. I’m glad we went as far as we did and won the amount of games we won, but at the same time I know if I would’ve went to another program, I probably would’ve gotten more shine. But it’s not in my nature to be selfish like that. I’m glad I went to Pitt.

Training at IMG… It’s exceeded all my expectations. Before I got down here, I heard from my agent that it would be intense, but at the same time a learning experience… and it’s been exactly that. We go hard, but they teach us a lot of little things that transfer to the next level.

Pitt’s record-breaking season… Just being around the guys, we had a blast. The whole season was great. Even the Villanova game - even though it was a tough loss - it was a learning experience, and it probably brought us all closer.  My highlight at Pitt, though, was graduating. Getting a degree (in Communications) was huge.

His friendship with Blair… That’s my boy. I taught him a lot of little things. We make each other better. We both work hard. When one of us wants to slack off, the other’s there to push. He’s like my brother. I know a lot of people are intimidated by DeJuan’s size, so I wanted to be that guy that shows him not everyone’s scared of you and that people aren’t always afraid of banging with you, especially at the next level.

Being 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds in middle school… Where I’m from in New York, they have weight classes and they didn’t have my weight class, so I couldn’t even play football. I used to play in the neighborhood. We’d play tackle in the streets. I don’t want to go the way (former college basketball player) Antonio Gates did, though, to the NFL.

Pittsburgh food vs. New York food… New York, hands down. I like Primanti’s in Pittsburgh and stuff, but that was my real huge thing when I went to Pitt. The food just wasn’t the same. In New York, we have bodegas where they make sandwiches in front of you and all that. Sheetz in Pittsburgh wasn’t the same.

Where his fandom falls… I’m actually a Green Bay fan. Ryan Grant’s from where I’m from and he’s in Green Bay now, so I support him. And I’m a Yankees fan. The Pirates? I can’t support the Pirates. I can’t just switch my teams like that. I’ve been a Yankees fan all my life.