Duach, a 6’6 point guard from Melbourne, will join other domestic and international athletes participating in the elite residential basketball training program at the NBA’s hub for top prospects from outside of the United States.

Hailing from the South Croydon Youth Club Scorpions Basketball Club and a member of Kilsyth Basketball’s VYC Cobra Men’s team, the 18-year-old recently claimed silver with Victoria at the 2021 Australian Under-20 Championships and was named in the Australian Under-19 squad ahead of this year’s FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Latvia. Duach is also set to attend the University of Iona after accepting a scholarship for the 2021 NCAA season.

NBA Global Academy Director at the hub in Canberra, Marty Clarke said: “This scholarship is deserved reward for Josh (Duach) who has been one of Australia’s leading junior prospects for a number of years.

“Having Josh in the full-time NBA Academy Program will accelerate his professional growth across all aspects of basketball; physically, mentally and tactically.

“Josh joins a highly talented group of athletes at the Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence, and we look forward to seeing his progression to the professional ranks over the coming years.”

NBA Global Academy provides top high school-age prospects from outside the U.S. with a holistic approach to player development. The program focuses on health and wellness, character development and life skills, and gives prospects the opportunity to learn the game from NBA-trained coaches with professional, collegiate and international coaching experience.

The AIS campus in Canberra is home to world-class, elite high-performance facilities and leading sports practitioners in the fields of sports science, sports medicine and coaching.  The AIS is a world leader in high performance and is the flagship of the Australian Sports Commission, the Australian Government’s sports agency.