Good Sports: Fresno Wildcats Elite Basketball Program

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It's tryout time for the Wildcats Elite Basketball Program successful Fresno.

"We're going to bring the energy, we're going to manager them hard," says manager Michael Potts. "We're going to emotion them, too. We're going to amusement compassion."

Potts started the Wildcats backmost successful 2011, hoping to get his sons connected the hardwood.

"The eventual extremity was to conscionable play and conscionable get kids better," helium said.

Potts has teamed up with the Zimmerman Boys and Girls Club successful Fresno to springiness the boys a spot to practice.

"It's been truly large moving with him," says Alicia Audelo. "I emotion to spot however overmuch helium works with the kids."

As idiosyncratic who grew up successful the Boys and Girls system, Potts wanted to springiness back.

"They knew me, they knew what I was about, they knew what I was trying to bash and they knew that I wanted to assistance kids," helium said.

"They are our future, truthful I deliberation it's a truly bully concern to springiness them our time," Audelo said.

Incoming Sanger elder and Wildcats product, Micah Cole, is simply a premier example.

"Just helping out, helping the small ones today," helium said. "Get the opportunities I got, it's going to beryllium great."

Like truthful galore different Valley athletes from tiny towns, Cole wanted to play against bigger contention from each implicit the authorities and beyond.

"Those tournaments successful the Bay Area, LA, successful Vegas, those tournaments are the ones that exposure us," helium said.

You whitethorn person besides seen immoderate Wildcats alum connected San Joaquin Memorial's authorities title squad successful 2023.

Michael's son, Abram, on with others similar Mike Davis, Dre Davis and Armari Carraway, person Wildcat bloodlines.

Now, the programme focuses connected its archetypal twelvemonth of graduating seniors, determined to get offers astatine the adjacent level.

"Get their acquisition paid for," Potts said. "Every kid is not a DI kid, and we recognize that. Our extremity is to get them somewhere, get them placement."

Some offers person already started rolling in.

"(Potts) Helped maine get my archetypal authoritative offer, truthful he's conscionable opened truthful galore doors, truthful I can't convey him enough," Cole said.

But the Wildcats committedness doesn't halt there.

"We're going to travel them done precocious school, travel them done college," Potts said. "We're going to assistance them. We're going to mentor them. It's been a large thrust truthful far."

For sports updates, travel Alec Nolan connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.