TORONTO – Canada Basketball, in partnership with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), announced Friday that VCU (women) and Baylor University (men) will represent the United States this July in the inaugural GLOBL JAM.
“We’re thrilled to welcome both Baylor and VCU to Toronto this summer to represent the United States in the inaugural GLOBL JAM,” said Michael Bartlett, President & CEO, Canada Basketball. “Over the course of the last several months, we worked closely with both the NABC and WBCA, to help to identify two programs to compete in the tournament. Both teams are coming off successful seasons and will be great additions to a lineup of top-tier basketball countries we’ve assembled for GLOBL JAM.”
“We are so honored to have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent the United States in international competition,” said Baylor head coach Scott Drew. “This will be a terrific event with great teams from across the globe, and we are grateful to Canada Basketball and the NABC for making this tournament a reality.”
Baylor men’s basketball captured a second-straight Big 12 title in 2021-22, the Bears’ first consecutive conference titles in 72 years. BU earned a second-straight No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament following their first National Championship in 2021. The Bears jumped out to a 15-0 start becoming one of the last two undefeated teams in the country for a second-consecutive season. They reached No. 1 in the rankings for the fourth time in six seasons and once they reached the top spot, they spent five-straight weeks there The Bears are 81-13 over the last three seasons, including a 22-6 mark against ranked opponents, putting them among the nation’s best Power-5 programs in both categories. Head coach Scott Drew picked up Big 12 Coach of the Year honors for a third-straight season, becoming the third high-major coach to accomplish that feat.
“We are thrilled to represent the United States in the first GLOBL JAM,” said VCU head coach Beth O’Boyle. “We’re grateful to both Canada Basketball and the WBCA for such an incredible opportunity. We’re coming off our third consecutive postseason appearance and this tournament gives our team the chance to compete on an international stage against some of the world’s best.”
VCU women’s basketball is coming off a 2021-22 season in which the Rams earned an at-large bid to the WNIT and reached the second round. VCU went 16-12 overall and 9-5 in the Atlantic 10, earning a double-bye in the conference tournament. VCU has posted an Atlantic 10 record of 45-16 the past four seasons and earned four consecutive postseason berths including the 2021 Atlantic 10 Championship and reaching the 2021 NCAA Tournament. The Rams ranked 13th nationally in fewest turnovers, ranked 58th in scoring defense and had two All-Atlantic 10 players.
Set to take place in Toronto from July 5-10, GLOBL JAM will shine the international spotlight on the game’s rising stars and feature women’s and men’s teams from around the world competing in an Under-23 tournament live at Mattamy Athletic Centre and broadcast nationally on Sportsnet.
“The WBCA is proud to announce VCU as the representative of U.S. women’s basketball in the inaugural GLOBL JAM tournament,” said WBCA Executive Director, Danielle Donehew. “We are excited to join NABC and Canada Basketball, as well as Baylor University and VCU, in the debut of this exciting new international event to further raise awareness of our sport.”
In addition to Canada and USA, the inaugural GLOBL JAM field includes Italy and Brazil on the men’s side, as well as Belgium and France in the women’s tournament.
“The NABC is committed to growing the game of basketball on a global scale, and we’re excited to collaborate with Canada Basketball, the WBCA, Baylor and VCU for the inaugural GLOBL JAM,” said Craig Robinson, Executive Director, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). “This new event will provide our sport with an impactful summer platform and offer a unique international competition experience for student-athletes and coaches alike.”
Recognized by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the GLOBL JAM men’s and women’s tournaments will feature two pools of four teams, respectively, competing in round-robin action July 5-8. Teams that advance to the semifinal round will meet on Saturday, July 9, followed by the Championship games on Sunday, July 10.
Session passes (2 games) are on sale now via Ticketmaster. Additional ticket information, along with schedule and volunteer opportunities can be found at globljam.ca.
About the NABC
The National Association of Basketball Coaches was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. Guided by the core values of leadership, advocacy, service, education and inclusion, the NABC works to further the best interests of the game of basketball and the players and coaches who participate in the sport. Nearly 5,000 coaches representing all levels of collegiate, scholastic and youth basketball hold NABC memberships. For more information about the NABC, visit nabc.com.
About the WBCA
For 40 years, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association has been the professional association for coaches of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels of competition. Founded in 1981, the WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.
