Israeli Basketball Prospect Mayan Gurin Commits to Quinnipiac on Record Scholarship

Seventeen-year-old Mayan Gurin, considered a top future talent in Israeli women's basketball, has committed to Quinnipiac University. Gurin will join the college next season, earning a historic record sum for a player from the MAAC conference. Quinnipiac is known for developing players for college and potentially the WNBA, having previously seen player Gal Rabin emerge from the program.

Gurin has excelled in various Israeli youth programs, including Wingate Academy and Hapoel Gilboa/Ameiyot, and was named the National League's Rookie of the Year at 15. Last summer, she moved to Canada's Crestwood Preparatory College, a renowned academy for preparing players for college basketball. She is currently in her second season in Canada's top high school league, averaging 12.3 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in her first season.

Her performance attracted interest from the Canadian Basketball Federation, with her coach at Crestwood, Marlo Davis, who also coaches Canada's U19 national team, wanting her to join the Canadian youth squad. Despite the ease of obtaining a Canadian visa and an offer from the federation, Gurin chose to continue representing Israel. She has a history of success with Israeli national teams, including leading the U16 girls' team to promotion to the top division and winning the European B Division Championship last summer, where she was named to the All-Tournament team and scored 22 points in the final against host Romania.

As part of her negotiations with Quinnipiac, Gurin secured a written commitment from the head coach allowing her to participate with Israeli national teams each summer. This was a crucial factor in her college choice. The commitment letter is expected to be submitted to the Israel Basketball Association to recognize her as an outstanding athlete, a status she is anticipated to meet based on updated criteria.