The 506 Elite Prep is a high-performance basketball team making waves in the local basketball scene.

The team consists of high school students from the Moncton area, with some players from Miramichi and even as far away as Newfoundland and Labrador.

The level of play of the 506 Elite Prep Junior team (Grade 9-10 ) is equivalent to AAA hockey, and the 506 Elite Senior team (Grade 11-12) is equal to major junior hockey.

Over the weekend, both teams will travel to the Toronto area for the first time and play in a tournament.

Nate Horsman, the athletic director for 506 Elite Prep, believes basketball is becoming popular in New Brunswick due to international success.

“You are seeing Canadian basketball succeed on the national scale. They’ve won a bronze medal beating the U.S. in the FIBA World Cup this past year as they get ready to play in the 2024 Olympics,” said Horsman.

“Basketball is a global game, that’s part of the reason you’re seeing it grow, and it’s a pretty easy access sport for a lot, you just need a pair of shoes and a basketball.”

506 mostly practices in local gyms but is planning to build a 15,000-square-foot facility in the community of Irishtown, just outside of Moncton.