D1 Ambassadors- Program Overview
By: jchamarahome 
April 23, 2014

http://www.d1nation.com.prod.sportngin.com/page/show/1060159-basketball

The D1 Ambassadors were started 16 years ago in Austin, Texas, and have since expanded across the nation. The program has sent over 200 athletes to college basketball programs, and shows no signs of slowing down.

“Our alumni, our strong legacy, and our prior success keeps kids coming to our program,” said founder Max Ivany. “They know they’ll get great coaching and have a great experience.”

Ivany began the program in Texas and didn’t start to expand until recently.

“People liked what we were doing and they wanted to hop on board,” he said. “I didn’t initially plan on expanding but I thought it would be better for the kids, and the kids is what this is all about.”

The ambassadors pride themselves on being a well-organized and well-represented program. Success on the basketball court is a priority, but along with that comes the responsibility of growing into a successful human being.

“We hire quality people with good character, so we expect the same from our players,” said Ivany.

With teams located in Texas, California, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and many more, the program is sure to see plenty of success on the court. However, according Ivany, the Texas program seems to be the front-runner. On that team, two players in particular stand out of the bunch: Jordan Murphy and Rashard Odomes.

Murphy is a 6’ 7” class of 2015 small forward from San Antonio, Texas. He is still undeclared but has offers from many elite programs, including Baylor, Marquette, Maryland, and Kansas State.

Odomes is a 6’5” class of 2015 shooting guard from Copperas Cove, Texas and currently has a 3-star rating on rivals.com.

With a few standout players and a solid supporting cast, the Texas program is looking to make noise throughout the summer. Ivany also says he looks for his other programs to have great success, and that there are plenty of future college players on all of his teams.

The Ambassadors pride themselves on playing the game the correct way, and Ivany believes the wins will take care of themselves.

“It’s not about how many shots you take, it’s about how hard you play,” he said. “If you play defense, hustle, and play the game the way it’s supposed to be played, the results will come.”

With 20 programs located throughout the country, look for the D1 Ambassadors to create some buzz in the AAU world this season and for many seasons to come.

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