It has been three weeks, almost 20,000 kilometers from East to West, a good number of flights, some snowfall, and nine American cities. Like pioneers in search of gold, Elisa Aguilar, president of the Spanish Federation, and Chus Mateo, coach. Because the pearls of Spanish basketball are already being polished across the pond, and family is visited. That has been the concept and objective of a trip to the future, "to meet in person the Spaniards in the NCAA and NBA, convey ambition and projects, and strengthen closeness." Let distance not break the bond.
Elisa Aguilar reviews it, who knows the field well: she was one of the first Spaniards to play in the college league, from 1997 to 2000 at George Washington, from where she returned with a degree in Economics, although everything was so different... "It has changed a lot. The fact of NIL contracts (Name, image, and likeness), through which now players receive money, has made it much more professional. And also that you can change universities without having to sit out a year, as it happened in my time," she comments on a universe that must be adapted to inevitably. "We would love for them to be in Spain playing minutes and gaining experience, but in the end, they have very favorable circumstances and conditions, economically and personally."
Faced with the unstoppable phenomenon, the FEB took action. Among other things, they created an on-site monitoring group, led by Daniel Gómez Otero, who was an assistant coach at Estudiantes and has been scouting for the NBA for years, now based in Phoenix and also working for the Suns. Between the two divisions of the NCAA and the NAIA, there are up to 300 Spanish boys, mostly female. And they must not be overlooked. Among them, there are a dozen who are super elite, players destined to be "the owners of the future of the national team." Probably starting from the 2028 Qatar World Cup, a medium-term project that includes the Los Angeles Games and the climax, the 2029 Eurobasket in Madrid, with the final at the Bernabéu.
Before the first visit, there was also an interesting and fruitful meeting in New York with Adam Silver, Mark Tatum, and Cathy Engelbert. Communication, good vibes, and common projects with the NBA before the stop in Boston, in the middle of a snowstorm that made their train journey difficult. There, the president and the coach met with one of the crown jewels, already a reality at the Celtics, a rookie impact. They watched a game of Hugo González and met both the General Manager Brad Stevens and his coach, Joe Mazzula. "Chus already knows Hugo from Real Madrid. I don't think he was surprised. He is getting quality minutes. He knows his role. All the feedback we receive from the franchise is positive, they are delighted with him. With his contribution and his way of being." The message from the Madrid-born forward was common to the rest: "Thank you and at your disposal." Depending on the circumstances, Hugo could be with Spain during the windows next summer (July and September).
Then it was Michigan's turn, where they witnessed firsthand the progression of the giant Aday Mara in his new environment and in the Michigan derby. "I saw him happy, which, considering everything he has been through since he started [he spent two years with less prominence than expected at UCLA], is the best word to describe him. Happy, happy to be in Michigan. He is very settled and focused on what he wants," Aguilar describes about the Aragonese player, who could enter the next draft or wait until 2027. In 24 games with the Wolverines, the 7'3" center averages 11.4 points and 6.9 rebounds. "Having a center who reads situations so well, who passes so well, I think it's amazing," admits the president.
In Oregon, they met with Mario Saint Supery, still savoring his breakout during the Eurobasket, and also took the opportunity to meet there with Santi Aldama, during his visit with the Grizzlies to Portland. Once again, they verified the commitment of someone who is destined to lead the project. "The fact that he makes himself available to the national team and to Chus is to be valued. He has the entire schedule in his head and follows the windows," praises Aguilar of the center.
The shooter Rubén Domínguez in Texas, Baba Miller (one of the shining stars, with 13.7 points and 10.5 rebounds), and Jordi Rodríguez, both in Cincinnati, Álvaro Folgueiras (Iowa), the Díaz-Graham brothers in San Francisco... "We have realized that they have a huge sense of belonging to the national team and their country," admits the president, who aims to reverse the concept of talent drain.
Because the trip also had another purpose, to test the universities' impression regarding the Spanish player. "I have to draw another conclusion, of which I feel super proud as president. When you talk to the coaches or the General Managers, they convey the work ethic they have and their reading of the game. But, above all, on a human and personal level, they speak highly of them," reveals Elisa. And to check the willingness for them to be with the national team in the summer. In addition to the possible presence of some in the windows, the FEB intends to organize a contact training camp, "without games." And in the summer, return to that successful Spain B and there, play some friendlies even outside our country.