COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (Sept. 25, 2026) – The USA Basketball Foundation today announced the fifth Torch Leadership in Sport Mentoring cohort. The program will run from September 2026 to May 2027.
Torch provides opportunities for students at minority-serving institutions to be mentored by USA Basketball executive staff with the goal of empowering the next generation of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) leaders in sport by introducing them to opportunities at USA Basketball and other sports-related entities.
“The Torch Leadership program continues to serve as a hallmark in extending opportunities to students from a wide range of backgrounds who are pursuing careers in sports,” said Jennifer Lynne Williams, USA Basketball Foundation chief development officer. “As we welcome our fifth cohort and celebrate a record number of applicants, we continue to see tremendous growth in the program and its impact. Most importantly, we’re seeing that impact extend well beyond the program, with Torch alumni now building careers across professional sports leagues, as well as within numerous other cutting-edge fields in sports or elsewhere.”
Selected from among more than 290 applicants, the 2027 Torch cohort includes:
- Travis Dalton, Morehouse College
- Madison Galloway, Norfolk State University
- Denver Matthews, Morehouse College
- Joshua “JJ” Montelongo, University of Washington-Seattle
- Kaleb Moore, Hampton University
- Chiara Luna Pilato, Arizona State University
- Leah Richardson, Clark Atlanta University
- Will Sears, Morehouse College
- Zuri Sims, University of Central Florida
- Nile Thaxton, George Mason University
With 10 students selected, the 2027 Torch cohort is the largest since the program’s inception, while five new universities will be represented in the group.
In addition to virtual mentoring opportunities with members of the USA Basketball leadership team, students will hear from other industry leaders and have additional in-person learning opportunities over the duration of the program.
Application requirements included having a minimum GPA of 3.0; having a junior, senior or graduate-level standing at a minority-serving institution; and submission of a resume, cover letter and letter of recommendation.