LONDON United, the capital's leading professional basketball team, is joining forces with the London Borough of Greenwich's 2012 Legacy Team to establish a new full-time basketball academy in the borough.

The aim of the link-up is to nurture home grown talent for the London Olympics and beyond when the new G plus academy opens in September.

Organisers will draw on Greenwich's already successful G plus college scheme, which has created a new network of post-16 centres across the borough.

The academy will focus on a schedule of combined basketball training and academic study.

Academic studies will be based at Shooters Hill Sixth Form College, whilst basketball tuition will take place at a brand new training facility at the nearby Eltham Green High School.

The G plus academy will accept applications from all over the borough and surrounding areas.

A total of 20 players will take place in the initiative, who will compete in around 40 over the season.

The Academy aims to graduate a minimum of 16 out of the selected 20.

Head coach of London United and assistant head coach of the Great Britain team, Tony Garbelotto, will take on the role as the academy's head coach.

He said: "There are no real secrets to producing young talent.

"You need three ingredients; good coaching, facilities and court time.

"We want our young players to come into the academy under no illusions - they are here to study first and play basketball second.

"To play in America, for example, it is essential that students have a strong academic portfolio."

With basketball being the second most played sport among teenagers in the UK, the programme is looking to discover some new talent, while still giving young people a reason to enter further education.

The G plus academy will have a strong ethos in the development of student athletes, with players only able to progress practically if their academic targets are surpassed.

Students will be based at Shooters Hill College on both part and full-time academic courses.

The academy will employ an academic advisor to monitor the programmes of study and act as the link between the colleges and coaches.

Several London United players will also be employed at the academy as student mentors.

The training programmes will be only half of the mentor's responsibility, with a role as academy assistant coach also being incorporated.