Program behind three NBA first-round picks, including No. 6 overall selection Mikel Brown Jr., joins 10 elite teams from North America and Europe; season tips off Nov. 11 at IMG Academy
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — October 8, 2026 — DME Academy is going global. The Daytona Beach academy today was named one of 11 founding teams in ATLAS, the new premier international league for high school and academy basketball launched by World Stage Sports. DME will battle the most respected programs on two continents, from IMG Academy and Prolific Prep in Florida to European powers Žalgiris and Pallacanestro Varese, in a season that runs from November through the ATLAS Playoffs in Toronto in March 2027.
DME earns its place on that stage with results. Its National Team has won 120 games over the last five seasons, a .702 winning percentage, and its alumni include three NBA first-round draft picks in the last five drafts.
“I’m incredibly excited to be part of the inaugural season of ATLAS,” said Matt Panaggio, Director of Boys Basketball and National Team Head Coach at DME Academy. “The level of competition and exposure this league will provide for our players is something we’re really looking forward to. We’re ready to compete on the biggest stage in high school basketball, and we believe ATLAS can bring together the best of the best.”
A proven pipeline to the NBA
DME’s path to the professional game runs straight through the NBA Draft’s first round:
- Mikel Brown Jr., No. 6 overall pick, 2026 NBA Draft (Brooklyn Nets)
- Keegan Murray, No. 4 overall pick, 2022 NBA Draft (Sacramento Kings)
- Kris Murray, No. 23 overall pick, 2023 NBA Draft (Portland Trail Blazers)
Winning every season, and winning at the next level
The DME National Team has posted at least 20 wins in each of the last five seasons against high-level competition from across the United States and abroad: 20-10 in 2021-22, 26-8 in 2022-23, 25-11 in 2023-24, 24-12 in 2024-25 and 25-10 in 2025-26. And those players keep climbing. DME National Team alumni have played Division I basketball at programs including Louisville, Georgia, Memphis, Dayton, Michigan, Cincinnati, Illinois, Iowa, UCF and Temple, with recent placements including Nate Kirk (Iona, Class of 2026), Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville, 2025) and Savo Drezgic (Georgia, 2024).
That success comes from DME’s integrated model, which develops student-athletes through elite athletics, academics, personal development and leadership. The goal is not simply to prepare athletes for their next season, but for the next level of competition, education and life.
A global season, and a home date with IMG Academy
DME’s roster reflects its global draw as an international sports academy, and ATLAS now gives those players a showcase few high school programs can offer: games against the top academies in the United States, Canada, Italy, Germany, Serbia and Lithuania, in front of a worldwide audience. DME opens at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Nov. 11-13, then hosts IMG in Daytona Beach on Nov. 19. The road continues to Miami, Kaunas, Lithuania and Phoenix before the playoffs in Toronto.
“ATLAS has been a long time coming, and we are proud to finally give people a truly global stage to see the future stars of the sport in one place,” said ATLAS Commissioner Mike Morreale.
“At DME, we develop the whole student-athlete: on the court, in the classroom and as a person,” said Seth Brown, CEO of DME Academy. “Our students come to Daytona Beach from all over the world, and they leave as 360-degree developed young people, ready for the next level of competition, education and life. ATLAS puts that DME experience on a global stage, and we can’t wait for the world to see what our student-athletes are made of.”
DME Academy’s 2026-27 ATLAS Schedule
| Dates | Location | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 11-13, 2026 | Bradenton, Fla. | Season opener at IMG Academy |
| Nov. 19, 2026 | Daytona Beach, Fla. | DME Academy vs. IMG Academy |
| Dec. 6, 2026 | Miami, Fla. | ATLAS regular season |
| Jan. 4-7, 2027 | Kaunas, Lithuania | ATLAS regular season |
| Feb. 5-7, 2027 | Geneva, Ohio | ATLAS regular season |
| Feb. 18-20, 2027 | Phoenix, Ariz. | ATLAS regular season |
| March 4-7, 2027 | Toronto, Canada | ATLAS Playoffs |
Read the Forbes article: Spire, Prolific Prep, DME Academy Launch First International High School Basketball League
About DME Academy
Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, DME Academy draws student-athletes from around the world and develops them through an integrated approach to elite athletics, academics, personal development and leadership, preparing them not just for their next season but for the next level of competition, education and life. DME’s boys basketball program has produced NBA first-round draft picks Mikel Brown Jr., Keegan Murray and Kris Murray, and its National Team has won 120 games over the last five seasons. For more information, visit www.dmeacademy.com.
About ATLAS
Presented by World Stage Sports, ATLAS is a global basketball property bringing together leading youth basketball programs from North America and Europe for an international season of elite competition. Through marquee events in major basketball markets, ATLAS gives emerging athletes a worldwide stage while creating new opportunities for its member programs, commercial partners, media platforms and fans.
Media Contact
Gregory Birgfeld, Senior Director, Marketing & Communications, DME Academy
greg.birgfeld@dmeacademy.com
