Leicester run one of the few pathways in the country that carries players from junior basketball all the way to the professional game. The structure is simple, with each stage feeding the next clearly.
| Pathway Stage | Age Range | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Academy | 10 to 16 | Junior NBL |
| Charnwood College (Men) | 16 to 18 | EABL, NBL Division 3 |
| Charnwood College (Women) | 16 to 18 | WEABL, NBL Division 2 |
| Loughborough University (Men) | 18 to 23 | BUCS, BCB |
| Loughborough University (Women) | 18 to 23 | BUCS, NBL Division 1 |
| Leicester Riders (Men) | – | SLB |
| Leicester Riders (Women) | – | SLB |
The system provides clear progression without leaving the club structure. That continuity is rare in domestic basketball, particularly for players aged 18 to 23, where professional-linked opportunities are limited.
Charnwood
Ndoukou entered that structure in 2019, aged 16, moving from Manchester Magic to join Charnwood College. By that point he had already represented Great Britain twice at under-16 level and was a prospect on the radar nationally.
By his final EABL season in 2022 he was one of the strongest forwards in his age group. He helped Charnwood win the EABL title, taking home Finals MVP after a 30-point performance. At Charnwood he became a Hoopsfix All-Star Classic regular, appearing in both 2021 and 2022.
America
In the summer of 2022 Ndoukou, now 19, followed the familiar path for elite prospects, heading to North Dakota to play for an NCAA D1 school.
He spent part of his freshman season in the US but did not play and returned home early. Many players struggle with that transition, and when the fit is wrong in the NCAA the next step is often unclear.
Coming Home
When Ndoukou came back home, the Leicester pathway was there to catch him. In January 2023 he signed a four-year professional contract with the Leicester Riders. The deal allowed him to study at Loughborough while competing in NBL Division One and remaining available for the senior team in the BBL.
Returning from the US did not require him to start again. The pathway gave him space to develop at the right level until he was ready for the professional step.
Into the Rotation
Last season showed how effective that domestic reset can be. Now aged 21, Ndoukou averaged twenty points and eight rebounds a game in the then-named NBL Division One (now the BCB), earned a place on the Team of the Year and received a senior GB 3×3 call-up. It marked the point where he had outgrown the level below the SLB.
By the start of the 2025–26 season he had reached the final stage of the pathway: full availability for the Riders’ SLB roster and a defined role in the rotation. That opportunity carries weight, because chances for young players in the league are rare.
| Player | Team | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Smith Jr | Manchester Basketball | 175.8 |
| Nedas Cholevinkas | Surrey 89ers | 90.9 |
| Victor Ndoukou | Leicester Riders | 78.7 |
| Emmanuel Kanwei | Newcastle Eagles | 69.6 |
| Matthew Goodwin | London Lions | 36.7 |
| Timothy Nwanko | Surrey 89ers | 20.2 |
| Tomide Akinsiku | Leicester Riders | 3.0 |
*All players under 23 at the start of the season who logged minutes in SLB competitions before Ndoukou’s early-November injury
Only one under-23 had cleared 100 minutes at that point. Ndoukou sat in the next tier, alongside Emmanuel Kanwei and Nedas Cholevinskas, with a genuine place in the rotation before injury intervened.
A Pathway That Worked
Ndoukou was the type of prospect who usually completes his development in America. He went, found the opportunity was not what he expected, and came home at a point where many players lose momentum altogether.
Leicester’s pathway did not rush him back or redefine him. It kept him in the game, gave him the right level of competition, and allowed development to continue until a professional role became possible.
Ndoukou’s route was not fast or straightforward, but it shows what a domestic pathway can offer when time is built into the system.
