ATLANTA (May 21, 2021) – OTE (Overtime Elite) announced today that five-star prospects Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley, two of the country’s top-rated power forwards, have signed two-year deals and will be part of the league’s inaugural season when it kicks off this September. 

(Editor's Note: Read our Spencer Davies' exclusive interview with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams, and an extensive profile on Overtime Elite here.)

Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley are two of the most formidable and sought-after players in the 2023 recruiting class, and the first to sign with the transformative new basketball league, which offers the world’s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes. 

“Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley are extraordinary athletes, who represent a unique combination of competitiveness, drive, mental and physical toughness, and leadership. Their talent, along with the willingness and desire to learn, will position them to maximize their development on the way to long and successful pro careers,” said Brandon Williams, OTE’s EVP and Head of Basketball Operations. “These two are the types of foundational players that will make everyone around them better, as leaders on and off the court. Signing these two great pillars for our program is an exciting beginning.”

Overtime Elite uses its own proprietary assessment system to evaluate the best domestic and international prospects between ages 16 and 18. The 17-year-old Bewley twins each ranked off of the charts on OTE’s assessment system, which informs and guides the league’s signing decisions.

Matt Bewley is a 6-foot-9-inch, 200-pound power forward playing for West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Florida). He is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top prospects: he is currently the #2 overall ranked player in 247Sports’ 2023 recruiting rankings and #3 by ESPN and Rivals. All three recruiting sites rank Matt as the nation’s #1 power forward.

Ryan Bewley is a 6-foot-8-inch, 200-pound forward playing for West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Florida). He is widely regarded as one of the nation’s top-rated power forwards. He is rated the country’s #4 power forward (#20 overall) by 247Sports’ 2023 recruiting rankings, the #6 power forward (#12 overall) by ESPN, and the #4 power forward (#16 overall) by Rivals.

“These remarkable young men have the vision, character and strength to make history as the first high school juniors to enter basketball’s professional ranks,” said Kevin Ollie, OTE’s Head Coach and Director of Player Development. “I’m looking forward to working with them to not only develop their basketball skills, but holistically so that they can reach their full potential as whole people.”

“Matt and Ryan meet the definition of elite in every way,” said Aaron Ryan, OTE’s Commissioner and President. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of this next monumental chapter and for them to make history as the league’s first signings. This is just the beginning.”

The signings continue a steady drumbeat of news from OTE, which was first announced in March. The Bewley brothers are joining the league just weeks after OTE announced that NCAA championship coach and 13-year NBA veteran Kevin Ollie has signed on as its Head Coach and Director of Player Development, and days after it announced Atlanta would be the league’s home base. The league expects to make additional player announcements in the coming weeks.

OTE provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players’ professional careers. The league, a division of next-generation sports brand Overtime, offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete’s journey. 

Every OTE player will earn a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs. 

OTE leverages Overtime’s existing strengths as a leading sports platform spanning the worlds of media, technology, community and apparel.

About OTE

OTE (Overtime Elite) is a transformative new sports league that offers the world’s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes, while engaging and inspiring a new community of digitally native fans.

OTE (pronounced Oh-Tee-E) provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players’ professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete’s journey from proficiency to pro.