Many of the top 2002-born international prospects assembled in Riga, Latvia, for four days of skill development, scrimmages, life skills panels and more at the Basketball Without Borders Europe camp, a joint initiative of the NBA and FIBA featuring 40 prospects. American NBA players Jonathan Isaac and Sam Dekker joined Latvians Kristaps Porzingis, Davis Bertans, Dairis Bertans and Rodions Kurucs in guiding the players through the camp, aided by NBA coaches including Rick Carlisle, Pablo Prigioni, Jamahl Mosley, Vince Legarza, Cam Hodges and Michael Ruffin.
Here are the players we believe to be the top long-term prospects in attendance at the event.
Juhann Begarin | 6-foot-5 | SG | INSEP Academy (France) | Age: 16.8
The camp's MVP and clear-cut best NBA prospect, Begarin moved at a different speed compared to his counterparts and proved to be impossible for any defender to stay in front of, especially in the open floor. Born in Guadeloupe -- a Caribbean island and French colony home to soccer legend Thierry Henry, tennis star Gael Monfils, judo Olympic champion Teddy Riner and NBA players Rudy Gobert and Mickael Pietrus -- Begarin moved to France two years ago after giving up on tennis and picking up a basketball at the age of 11.
Begarin has a tremendous physical profile, with a chiseled 195-pound frame, big hands, a 7-foot wingspan, fluid body control and impressive all-around athleticism that allows him to live in the paint, at the free throw line and finish dozens of plays well above the rim. Begarin's ability to take a rebound off the defensive glass, change ends in the blink of an eye and get off his feet explosively for dunks is just as impressive as any guard prospect his age in the U.S. This alone should give him a chance to hear his name called very high once he's eligible for the NBA draft in 2021, provided the rest of his game continues to evolve over the next two years.
Begarin is more than just an open-court threat. He showed plenty of potential with his passing ability, making well-timed pocket passes to big men rolling to the rim for layups, driving and dishing to open shooters or using skip passes over the top in transition. That budding feel and unselfishness give him nice potential to grow into as a combo guard, even though from a size perspective he'd have no problem playing on the wing.
The evolution of Begarin's perimeter shooting will likely play a significant role in how he is viewed as a NBA prospect once he decides to enter the draft. Right now his jumper is unpolished and inconsistent, especially when closely contested, but he appears to have solid mechanics from the waist up and was regularly throwing in deep 3-pointers in warmups, showing pretty soft touch. He needs to continue to add fluidity to his jumper by better involving his lower body and not relying so much on his shoulders to get his shot off -- he's often caught between a set-shot and a true jumper, particularly off the dribble. While Begarin doesn't have much issue turning the jets on from a standstill and beating opponents without a screen, his ball-handling and overall ability to create in the half court will need to evolve as the level of competition stiffens.
Defensively, Begarin has huge potential with his near plus-nine wingspan, chiseled frame and very quick feet, and he had some excellent moments shutting down opposing guards while also doing a nice job of playing passing lanes and rotating for blocks. Like most players his age, he's still figuring out how to operate at maximum intensity on a consistent basis, as well as learning the nuances of half-court defense, but the fact that he is competitive, instinctive and plays with a motor is a pretty good place to start when paired with his tools.
Begarin is rumored to be skipping his third and final year at famed INSEP Academy to begin his professional career next season, potentially in the second division. He is certain to be a popular figure on the international camp circuit and the French junior national team before becoming draft-eligible in 2021.
Luc Van Slooten | 6-8 | SF | Rasta Vechta (Germany) | Age: 17.1
Van Slooten had an excellent week, looking every bit the part of an NBA prospect from a physical standpoint, standing at more than 6-8 in shoes with a 6-10½ wingspan, and an impressive 219-pound frame. He also showing a highly polished and versatile skill-level for his age.
Van Slooten was tasked with playing quite a bit of pick-and-roll for his team. He displayed a lot of confidence and aggressiveness changing speeds fluidly and creating offense, sometimes rejecting screens impressively to get to the rim. He is a willing and able passer who can dish over the top off movement, using well-timed bounce passes with touch, but he's also very capable of going out and scoring on his own. He can bully his way to the basket with his strong frame, make floaters and scoop shots from just outside the paint. He will play above the rim at times as well. Van Slooten's jumper is fluid, and the fact that he can make 3-pointers off the bounce at his size is fairly impressive at his age.
Van Slooten will need to continue to improve defensively, as he's a bit stuck between positions at times in terms of his lateral quickness, but he does have the length and competitiveness to make significant strides here as he gets older, even having the ability to slide up to play some power forward in smaller lineups.
Van Slooten got a lot of attention early in his career, which may not have been great for his development, but he appears to be fully back on track and had an outstanding week here, proving to be one of the more interesting long-term prospects in his class. Already under contract with Rasta Vechta, Van Slooten didn't see many minutes in the German first division this year but appeared to have benefited from practicing with pros all year. It will be interesting to see what kind of role he can carve out next season, as from a physical standpoint he looks ready for the highest levels and would benefit from starting to garner experience in the top ranks.
Roko Prkacin | 6-9 | PF | Cibona Zagreb (Croatia) | Age: 16.5
Considered by some to be the top European prospect in his age group after a highly impressive season in the Adriatic League and Croatian first division, Prkacin was unlucky as he injured ligaments in his ankle on the first day of the camp. The injury is likely to keep him out for 4-6 weeks, running right up against the timetable for the FIBA Under-18 European Championship. Thankfully, we've gotten a chance to watch almost every possession Prkacin played this season on Synergy, giving us a good feel for where he stands as a prospect.
Physically mature for his age, Prkacin has a developed frame, big hands and fairly long arms, which certainly helped his adjustment to playing against men twice his age or more this season. His maturity, skill-level and the confidence are his greatest skills, as he demonstrates flashes in all areas of the game offensively. He's aggressive with his back to the basket, knows how to create space on the perimeter for straight-line drives, can finish around the basket with either hand and is fairly confident in his 3-point stroke, even capable off the dribble at times. He seeks out contact fearlessly around the basket, demonstrates impressive wherewithal moving off the ball and makes the extra pass intelligently.
Defensively, Prkacin is competitive and smart, but he struggled a good amount at the pro level. He is hunched over in his stance on the perimeter, having trouble covering ground fluidly and looking somewhat heavy-legged at times trying to keep up with skilled players. He's not big or strong enough to contain centers, and lacks the type of fluidity or explosiveness you might hope to stay in front of smaller players behind the 3-point line, getting burned off the bounce frequently.
Prkacin's versatility, feel and productivity are impressive, but he'll have to continue to add new elements to his game to maintain the lofty standing he has attained in Europe after his extremely quick start. Maximizing his athleticism (he's an average leaper vertically), improving the consistency of his jumper and becoming more solid defender will be priorities. Prkacin might not quite fit the prototypical mold NBA teams are looking for in a modern big man, but he has plenty of time to continue to round out his game and impress scouts.
Ariel Hukporti | 6-11 | C | Ludwigsburg (Germany) | Age: 17.1
An early bloomer physically, Hukporti came into this camp as a well-known prospect but was able to show some new facets to his game. With a 7-2½ wingspan and a chiseled 238-pound frame, Hukporti looks the part of an NBA prospect and he showed impressive athleticism running the floor, getting off his feet quickly for offensive rebounds and finishing lobs. When Hukporti was operating at maximum intensity, there wasn't a big man at the camp who could keep him off the glass or prevent him from catching and finishing around the rim. He also shows nice mobility at times switching onto smaller players on the perimeter and using his relatively quick feet to stay in front, slide and contain, letting his terrific length do the rest.
Hukporti is not yet consistent with his approach at this stage, as he tends to take possessions off and rely too heavily on his terrific tools. He has been able to get away with operating at half speed at times as the biggest and strongest player on the court at junior levels, but won't be able to do that at the pro ranks. His defensive impact is inconsistent, as he doesn't have great technique or awareness and can be slow to react to things happening on the floor. Offensively, he's still figuring out what his game is outside of offensive rebounds, pick-and-roll finishes and cuts. But his excellent hands, mobility and budding skill-level handling the ball leave plenty of room for optimism in this area.
The NBA isn't rushing to draft players in his mold. How Hukporti is able to integrate himself into the pro level at the excellent development situation he's in at Ludwisgburg over the next few years will be something scouts will be monitoring closely.
Leo Menalo | 6-9 | SF/PF | Stellazzurra Roma (Italy) | Age: 17.4
Born in Croatia, but currently developing in Italy, Menalo seems to be on an upward trajectory that caught the attention of NBA scouts. Standing 6-9 in shoes with a 7-1 wingspan and an impressive 191-pound frame that will continue to fill out in time, Menalo has the size of a power forward, but plenty of guard skill. He frequently handled the ball in transition fluidly with long strides and showed really nice passing ability. While not particularly explosive, Menalo is quick off his feet and capable of playing above the rim some, still not yet appearing to have reached his peak athletically and being fairly unrefined as a scorer in the half court.
His jump shot is a work in progress, as he sports a somewhat slow release spotting up from the perimeter, even if he does show some ability to shoot off the dribble at times. Defensively, Menalo is stuck between positions, struggling to cover ground on the perimeter and getting beat off the dribble. Menalo has distinct strengths and weaknesses that make it difficult to determine exactly the extent of his upside, though his size, length, passing ability and overall feel for the game are a nice place to start for a player his age.
Honorable mention
Boris Tisma | 6-9 | SF | Real Madrid (Spain) | Age: 17.3
Tisma had an inconsistent camp but showed a lot of the same versatility that allowed him to emerge as one of the better prospects in his class at the Under-16 European Championship last summer. His body is still a major work in progress at 185 pounds, and his lack of length and athleticism does leave some questions about the extent of his long-term upside, particularly on the defensive end. Nevertheless, Tisma's frame is at an early stage of development, and he's one of the better shooters you'll find at his age in Europe, even ignoring the fact that he stands at more than 6-9. He can shoot coming off screens, pulling up off the dribble and spotting up from the corners (his primary role at Real Madrid this season). He showed a little more potential putting the ball down in transition or attacking closeouts than he did with his club team, which was good to see.
Tisma still needs to get a lot tougher with his finishes inside the paint, develop his passing ability and operate with better intensity defensively. He is up and down with his approach to the game, hanging his head at times after mistakes. Still, it's not easy to find players his size who demonstrate his type of shooting versatility, and it will be interesting to see how the rest of his game evolves over the next few years.
Ibrahim Magassa | 6-8 | SF | Torrelodones (Spain) | Age: 17.0
Magassa didn't have a great week from a productivity standpoint, but he deserves mention for his excellent physical profile and long-term upside. Magassa has grown significantly in the past year, having a ripped frame with big hands and average length. He's mostly an open-court player who pushes the ball off the glass and shows long strides attacking in a straight line and solid touch finishing around the basket. But he also had some very nice moments defensively using his strong physical profile to check guards, wings and big men.
As a shooter, Magassa is inconsistent, though he did show some promise throwing in spot-up 3-pointers with time and space, having a compact stroke and getting nice rotation on his jumper. He tends to contort his hips and shows a fairly stiff release when sped up, and doesn't have much game at the moment in the half court. It will be interesting to see how Magassa's skill level and feel for the game evolve over time, as it's not exactly clear yet what his go-to skill is yet.
Lamin Sabally | 6-6 | SG | Alba Berlin (Germany) | Age: 16.6
One of the youngest and one of the lesser known players in attendance, Sabally has clear long-term upside stemming from his intriguing physical profile and late-blooming background. Measured at just less than 6-6 in shoes with a 6-10 wingspan and an impressive 179-pound frame that will fill out significantly in time, Sabally has been miscast as a point guard but should have no problem playing on the wing. His game is raw at the moment, as he plays very tall and struggles to handle the ball, making it difficult for him to create much offense off the bounce with his average athleticism and still-developing feel for the game. He has a low release on his jump-shot as well, which he surprisingly throws a decent amount, even off the dribble, looking very confident in his shooting ability. Defensively, he has some things to work with thanks to his size, length and solid competitiveness, but he's at an early stage of development here, too.
It will be interesting to see how his game continues to evolve over time, as he may very well still be growing.