Four months after competing in Stage I of the European Youth Basketball League, in September, the student-athletes of NBA Academy India were back in Hungary this past week to compete in Stage II.
Back in September, they finished with a 1-3 record. This time, however, their play and scores were far more competitive as they finished a tied fourth after Stage II.
Scott Flemming, in an exclusive chat with NBA.com/India, said: "We definitely improved. I am both encouraged by our play and disappointed by the outcome. Our 2 losses were by a total of 7 points. If we had made a few more plays and cut down on our turnovers we could have gone 4-0 in stage 2. Overall it was a great experience for us."
Here's a look at the final scores from all four games:
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| NBA Academy India | 70-48 | SKURU BASKET |
| NBA Academy India | 45-47 | Independents Basketball France |
| NBA Academy India | 59-64 | BC Kolin |
| NBA Academy India | 66-56 | Szolnoki Kosarlabda Akademia |
In their game 1 win - "Harshwardhan Tomar registered a double-double with 25 points and 18 rebounds on 11-for-16 while shooting. NBA Academy India led the points in the paint count 46-14, and the fast break points 14-0, highlighting a free-flowing game played by the team," the press release said.
In Game 2, the team went down to a late 3 (with 7 seconds left) by Independents Basketball France. Their other loss was confirmed only after BC Kolin's knocked down some clutch free throws.
Flemming, who insisted the improved performance was a team effort, did highlight the duo of Pranav Prince and Harshwardhan Tomar: "We had many players contribute. I am proud of Pranav Prince and Harsh Tomar on being selected MVP’s. There were several others that should have been considered as well. It was truly a team effort."
Prince was named team MVP for the Stage II while Harsh Tomar was named game MVP for the team's final win against Szolnoki Kosarlabda Akademia.
