Talent selection in 3 × 3 basketball: role of anthropometrics, maturation, and motor performance

Anthropometric conditions (such as body height, body weight, and wingspan) and the maturity status are particularly important in talent selection in 3 × 3 basketball for both sexes. Regarding motor-performance variables, we found a predictive value for talent selection only in females (without sprinting), but not in males which means that more 'athletic' female athletes seem to be favoured in talent selection. The results suggest that the talent selection process might be biased by maturation status even in middle adolescence. Therefore, coaches who decide on athletes' selection should be aware of the temporal advantages induced by earlier maturation when evaluating talented athletes and should consider strategies such as bio-banding to evaluate the real and potential value of talented athletes.