Maccabi Haifa, runners-up last season in the Israeli Premier League basketball finals, held its second day of invitation-only tryouts at Nova Southeastern University's basketball arena on Wednesday.

Forty-eight athletes from across the United States, including five former University of Miami players, attended the event in hopes of landing one of six or seven open spots. The Maccabi Haifa Heat is looking to add at least two players to its Premier League team as well as fill spots in its developmental program.

Most of the players were coming straight out of college, but a handful are veterans who have played across Europe, Australia and Latin America.

Maccabi Haifa is looking to sign players to a one- or two-year contract worth anywhere between $35,000 and $250,000 a year.

Maccabi Haifa's owner Jeffrey Rosen, the only American-born owner in the Premier League, first brought tryouts to South Florida last season in hopes of bringing over quality American players.

``We are excited about the tryouts -- the talent has definitely been better this year,'' third-year owner Rosen said. ``With the reputation and recognition achieved last year in Israel, word has gotten around that we play quality basketball and are a quality franchise.''

Last season, Maccabi Haifa lost in the finals to Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv but has jumped to the forefront of the Premier League.

The Maccabi Haifa Heat is the only Israeli basketball team to hold tryouts in the United States.

The team is hoping last season's exposure will translate into becoming one of the top basketball teams in Israel.

``America is too rich of a basketball reservoir not to take full advantage,'' Rosen added.

Rosen is trying to expand Maccabi Haifa's exposure not just in Israel but in the United States. In November, the team's new reality show, Inside Israeli Basketball, is debuting on VERSUS and the YES network in an attempt to show an American audience the intricacies of playing in Israel.

Cameras will follow the American players during their daily lives to try to capture their entire experience in the Middle Eastern country.

``It's the story of an Israeli basketball team seen through the eyes of an American player,'' Rosen said. ``We think it's pretty interesting material, and we are trying to promote more of our programming throughout the states.''

Five former UM players -- Brian Asbury, Raymond Hicks, Anthony Harris, Gary Hamilton and Steve Edwards -- attended the try-outs in hopes to continue their basketball careers over-seas.

For Hicks, the prospect of going to Israel gives him a chance to continue playing basketball for a living.

And since leaving UM, he has tried to transform from a post player to a more perimeter-orientated game.

``I've been trying to stick it out, working on my game professionally and am pretty much just looking to land a spot somewhere solid,'' Hicks said. ``This is a good league, and it's a good opportunity for me.''