Many of the best high school boys basketball players in the country will travel to South Carolina this summer, and Wilbraham & Monson Academy Prep Basketball Coach Mike Mannix will lead a group of them.

Coach Mannix, head coach at WMA for a decade, was named as a coach for the NCAA Basketball Academy. The nation-wide pool of players, in the classes of 2025 and 2026, will be evaluated at a camp by more than 100 Division I college coaches in Rockville, South Carolina, in late July. The players are split into teams; Coach Mannix will coach one of the squads.

Coach Mannix has coached at The Basketball Tournament the last two summers, including in 2023 when he led The Commonwealth, a team that consisted of former players at the University of Massachusetts.

Quotes from Coach Mannix

On the purpose of the camp: “It is a 'Live Period' recruiting event, which means Division I college coaches will be in attendance and evaluating the players. My hope is the camp will give each player a chance to show what they are capable of while continuing to develop their game.” 

On why he was interested in coaching this team: “I was offered the position last year, but it didn't work on my calendar. This summer I have the opportunity and the timing was perfect. This is an opportunity to coach a team full of future Division I players in a competitive setting. I am always on the lookout for future Titans whenever I'm on the road.”

On his reaction of being named a coach of one of the teams: “I'm thankful to the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) for selecting me. I've developed a relationship with Coach Craig Robinson (Executive Director of the NABC) about two years ago and this past year they asked me to serve as a mentor in their professional development system. That was a great experience. This is another opportunity to help work with the NABC and help our game.”