IMG Academy Has Two Alumni Selected in the 2024 NBA Draft

BRADENTON, Fla. (June 27, 2024) - IMG Academy, the world’s leading sports education brand, had two former student-athletes selected in the 2024 NBA Draft in Brooklyn, N.Y. including the No. 9 overall pick in center Zach Edey to the Memphis Grizzlies. He was joined by the No. 27 overall pick in guard Terrence Shannon Jr. to the Minnesota Timberwolves. IMG Academy has produced five first-round draft picks in the last two years, including back-to-back drafts with lottery picks in 2023 and 2024.

The 2024 NBA Draft marked the eighth-consecutive year IMG Academy had an alumni selected in the draft since 2017 and the fifth-consecutive year an IMG Academy alumni was selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. Over the last 10 years, IMG Academy has had at least two alumni selected in the NBA Draft seven times including, 2014, 2015, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. With the selection of Edey and Shannon Jr., IMG Academy has now had 13 first round NBA draft picks in program history.

“At IMG Academy, we pride ourselves on fostering talent, character and resilience, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see our alumni win their future and to know that we’ve played a part in their journey to the highest level of basketball,” said Mike Gillian, Director of Basketball at IMG Academy. “To continue IMG Academy’s legacy for the eighth straight year having at least one draft pick is not only a testament to the program and the coaches’ strength but the resilience and determination of the student-athletes.”

IMG Academy has had 21 alumni from its basketball program selected in the NBA Draft since 2005. The most IMG Academy alumni selected in one single NBA Draft class was three first round draft picks in 2023, with Jarace Walker, Jett Howard, Keyonte George.

Zach Edey, Center (No. 9 | Memphis Grizzlies) Class of IMG Academy 2020

Edey became the fifth IMG Academy alumni center selected in NBA Draft history and is the first center taken in the first round since 2022. At 7’4, Edey is officially the tallest IMG Academy alumni to ever be drafted. He joins Victor Wembanyama and Boban Marjanovic as the three tallest players in the NBA. Edey graduated from IMG Academy in 2020 after being at the school for two years and played on the boys National team his senior year. He went on to play for Purdue University and led the team to two consecutive first seed rankings and its first Final Four appearance since 1980. Edey won back-to-back Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year Awards and became the first Wooden Award, Naismith Award, and Associated Press Award winner in IMG Academy program history.

Terrence Shannon Jr., Forward/Guard (No. 27 | Minnesota Timberwolves ) Class of IMG Academy of 2019

Shannon completed his post graduate year at IMG Academy, earning a four-star scouting grade from ESPN and was listed at No. 92 in the ESPN 100. He became the first IMG Academy alumni selected from the University of Illinois and led his team to the Elite Eight this year for the first time since 2005 and ranked second in the Big Ten in scoring at 23.0 points per game. Shannon played three years at Texas Tech and helped the Red Raiders reach the Sweet 16 in 2022.

IMG Academy had a successful year across the professional, collegiate and high school levels in 2024. In the NBA, several IMG Academy alumni squared off in the Finals with Josh Green and Dwight Powell playing for the Dallas Mavericks and Jaden Springer playing for the Boston Celtics. Springer made history when the Celtics won the Finals – becoming IMG Academy’s first-ever alumni to win an NBA title. At the collegiate level, 11 alumni competed in the Division I NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament with alumni Alex Karaban winning the title with the University of Connecticut. On IMG Academy’s Bradenton campus, senior Donavan Freeman became IMG Academy’s eighth McDonald’s All-American and five more student-athletes were nominated.

About IMG Academy

IMG Academy is the world’s leading sports education brand, providing a holistic education model that empowers student-athletes to win their future, preparing them for college and for life. IMG Academy provides growth opportunities for all student-athletes through an innovative suite of on-campus and online experiences:

• Boarding school and camps, via a state-of-the-art campus in Bradenton, Fla.
• Online coaching via the IMG Academy+ brand, with a focus on personal development through the lens of sport and performance
• Online college recruiting, via the NCSA brand, providing content, tools, coaching and access to a network of 40,000 college coaches

To learn more about IMG Academy and its on-campus and online experiences, visit www.imgacademy.com.