(Special to The Dallas Examiner) – The NTX Combine is announcing their return to Dallas for the third consecutive year that will bring together over 30 of the most promising senior collegiate basketball players and international prospects. Headlined by local collegiate basketball stars DeJuan Gordon of UT Arlington and Avery Anderson III of Texas Christian University along with Savhir Wheeler of the University of Washington, the combine will tip-off May 8-10 at the Duncanville Fieldhouse.

A minority-owned and operated organization, the combine is put on by co-founders Pete Mickeal, a local Dallas resident, Euroleague legend, NBA agent and former NBA scout along with Ernie Cambo, international basketball executive and international team owner. This year’s combine coaches include former NBA player and coach, Shawn Respert, and former NBA Coach, Melvin Hunt, who is this year’s director of coaches. Over the three days of the combine, the NBA pre-Draft event will include games between the groups, individual skill sets, dunk contests, three-point contests and more.

“The NTX Combine has created an environment for draft eligible players an opportunity to prove to the world that they can play at the highest level,” Mickeal said. “Last year’s combine produced incredible examples of two participants, Craig Porter and Dexter Dennis, who both played NBA games this season and have bright futures. Our mission is to bring the entire sports world to Dallas in May each year to see the best talent that has ever been assembled in a combine. The NTX Combine’s future is very bright as we continue to grow our worldwide popularity with each combine.”

An exclusive event that has gained worldwide attention following the success stories from previous combines held, the combine has placed hundreds of players in either the NBA G League or top leagues in Europe and has had several players called up to the NBA. Last year’s participants, Porter and Dennis, both secured NBA opportunities during the 2023-24 season with Porter signing a two-way contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers before earning a standard contract. And, after showcasing his skills with the Orlando Magic in the NBA2k24 Summer League, Dennis then signed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks. 

“The NTX Combine will expose and prepare these men with the necessary information and evaluation to help them succeed in professional basketball and in life beyond college,” Cambo added. “The results speak for themselves.”

An instrumental platform and gateway to global professional opportunities for aspiring players, the combine has extended invitations to all 30 NBA teams this year with over 30 NBA scouts also expected to attend. Distinguishing itself from other combines, this year the combine will broadcast live on Bally Sports giving millions of viewers across the United States a front-row seat to witness the talent on display. 

“All of the credit for the NTX Combine goes to my co-founder, Ernie Cambo, who has been a trusted friend for a decade,” Mickeal further commented. “Not only do our morals and values align, but our love for basketball and fishing has helped us build a relationship that’s unbreakable. Without his vision and commitment to the NTX Combine, it would not exist. We are grateful for his humility, and although he never wants any credit, we have to give credit where it is due as he does it all from his heart. Ernie has been instrumental with helping over a thousand players during his AAU coaching career, and professionally.”

Player Spotlights

Participating in this year’s combine are local collegiate basketball stars DaJuan Gordon and Avery Anderson III.

Gordon, a guard at UT Arlington and graduate transfer from New Mexico State, totaled 909 points (8.1 average), 493 rebounds (4.4), 114 assists (1) and 126 steals (1.1) in 112 career games at the Division-I level, making 81 all-time starts. Prior to UT Arlington, Gordon spent his junior season at Missouri in 2021-22 after two years at Kansas State University (2019-21) and receiving an extra COVID year of eligibility while at K-State for the 2020-21 season.

Anderson III, a point guard for the TCU Horned Frogs after transferring from Oklahoma State, played a major role at OSU averaging 11 points or better over three seasons and scoring more than 1,000 points in his four-year career. In his lone season in Fort Worth as guard, Anderson III appeared in 34 games and started 17. He averaged 7.8 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.4 assists per game.

One of the most exciting players at this year’s combine is national collegiate basketball star Sahvir Wheeler who played for the Washington Huskies. Crossing the 1,500 career point mark in his fifth and final season of college basketball with the Huskies, Wheeler began his career at the University of Georgia before transferring to the University of Kentucky after two years including a sophomore year where he averaged 14 points and 7.4 assists. In his first year under coach Calipari, the lefty averaged 10.1 points and 6.9 assists – leading the SEC – before deciding to make the move to the Pac-12 to play for Washington. Finishing his career with the Huskies, Wheeler is coming off an incredible season.

Coach Spotlights

Headlining the coaches at the combine are Melvin Hunt and Shawn Respert who are both returning to the combine this year.

Hunt, an American professional basketball coach, was an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers where he helped lead them to one of the most successful stretches in franchise’s history including reaching the 2007 NBA Finals. Hunt last served as an assistant coach of the Atlanta Hawks.

Respert is known for playing four seasons in the NBA and later was the director of player development of the NBA’s G League, the NBA Development League. Following this, Respert was hired by the Houston Rockets as the director of player programs followed by the Minnesota Timberwolves and later was named an assistant coach by the Memphis Grizzlies before moving to the Chicago Bulls as a director of player development in 2018.

The NTX Combine is an exclusive NBA pre-draft event that has gained worldwide attention following their player success stories. A gateway to global professional opportunities for aspiring players, the three-day event is an instrumental platform for talent discovery, rigorous training

and invaluable networking opportunities.

The organization places hundreds of players in either the NBA G League or top leagues in Europe. The combine has had several players called up to the NBA and has consistently had all NBA teams represented at the annual combine. For more information on the combine visit https://www.ntxcombine.com/.