Incoming junior forward and center Hank Alvey and incoming junior forward Edouard Benoit competed against each other at the FIBA 3×3 Nations League in Ñuñoa, Chile, from June 27 to July 3, with Alvey representing Team USA and Benoit representing Team Canada.
The two Mountain Hawks went from sharing a locker room, practice schedules and a Patriot League championship. Now, they have the experience of lining up against each other on the field.
Alvey and Team USA (6-0) finished first overall in the Americas North conference standings, qualifying for the 2026 FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup in Wuhan, China, this September. Team Canada finished close behind them, placing second overall.
Alvey and Benoit lived together at Lehigh for the past two years. Benoit said because of their proximity, the shift into rival jerseys took some adjusting.
“Competing against Hank was very special,” Benoit said. I’m so used to having him by my side that it felt really weird to wear a different jersey than him,” Benoit said. “It took some getting used to but I enjoyed playing against him in the end.”
With both national teams staying at the same hotel, the two often ran into each other off the court.
Alvey said the familiarity made it hard to treat him like a stranger, even mid-tournament.
“All the teams eat dinner together, so it’s hard not to talk to him,” Alvey said. “He’s a familiar face, and it’s nice to have somebody you’ve talked to before, who’s also a teammate.”
Benoit said the two still talked throughout the week and often ended up in the hotel lobby together at night,.
Two years of practicing with each other daily at Lehigh meant neither could hide much once the games started.
“You pick up tendencies of players you face every day, and that makes it harder to play offensively, because he also knows what I’m going to do,” Alvey said.
The format of the tournament itself demanded an adjustment from both players.
Unlike the collegiate style 5-on-5 game, 3×3 is played on a half court, with six total players on the floor and a 10-minute clock that resets possession immediately after a shot.
With these faster-paced differences in the game, Benoit said there isn’t as much time to dwell on the last possession..
For Alvey, the shift meant more perimeter work than he’s used to. He said there is an increase in conditioning in 3×3 play, often finding himself chasing opponents around the perimeter, through screens and learning how to switch.
Alvey said this change allowed him to learn he can now guard multiple positions.
Benoit found himself in an unfamiliar role, as he was the most experienced player on Canada’s roster with 3×3; group of players, everyone was making his 3×3 debut.
The Quebec native said representing his home province carried extra weight. Benoit said Quebec hoopers are often unknown at the national stage.
“I kind of felt like I was playing for everyone I knew back home, trying to make them proud,” Benoit said.
Given how little time Canada’s roster had to prepare together, with only one practice before the games, Benoit said the second-place finish was still a positive result., and so was his experience playing against Alvey.
“Competing against Hank was very special,” Benoit said. “I’m so used to having him by my side that it felt really weird to wear a different jersey than him. It took some getting used to, but I enjoyed playing against him in the end.”
Murray H. Goodman ‘48 Head Coach Brett Reed said the international exposure should pay off for both players heading into next season.
He said Hank took major steps over the last year and started to realize what a great player he is, as. representing his nation will only serve as a confidence boost.
Reed also said Benoit’s path to Team Canada is strong evidence of his own growth this past year. He said the performance Benoit had in the preliminary events while representing Canada was why he was selected to the national team.
Reed said the experience will benefit the program as a whole heading into next season.
“I think it’s really unique and special,” Reed said. “It says a lot about each of these young men’s connectedness to the game in their individual respective countries.”
Alvey and Benoit are both expected back in Bethlehem this fall as the Mountain Hawks begin preparation to defend their Patriot League title.
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