The U18 European Championship is easily the NBA's most fertile recruiting ground for international prospects, generating 47 first-round picks in the 15-year span between 2003 and 2017. While European players continue to rack up All-Star nods and prestigious awards, NBA teams didn't flock to this event in droves, as only a handful of U.S.-based executives elected to make their way out to Volos, Greece, for the Division A section of the event.
Nevertheless, the 2001- and 2002-born generations in Europe are considered relatively strong, which should lead to a greater influx of first-round picks in coming drafts than we've seen lately. At least a dozen players made a strong case in Volos as future draft picks, with a handful more putting themselves on the NBA radar in Oradea, Romania, at the more obscure B Division, which we also attended.
A huge contingent of college coaches were present at both events, as there's never been stronger interest in the NCAA ranks in international players, a route that has become increasingly popular even among elite prospects who view it as a legitimate pathway to the NBA.
Spain defeated Turkey in the championship game of the A division, and Poland, Israel and Czech Republic won promotion out of the B Division, replacing Finland, the Netherlands and Latvia.
Here's who we thought were the top NBA prospects in attendance.
1. Usman Garuba | PF | Spain | Age: 17.4
Despite playing up a year and not being draft eligible until 2021, Garuba has been on the radar for a while, having won MVP of the U16 European Championship in 2016 at age 14. Garuba's production hasn't slowed, averaging a gaudy 23.4 points, 19.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.4 steals and 3.2 blocks per 40 minutes here (even if his efficiency left something to be desired).
Garuba's style of play hasn't changed all that much since he first emerged, as he gets most of his production by beasting weaker players in the post, crashing the offensive glass relentlessly and finishing off picks and cuts with his terrific timing. While there are some questions about just how sustainable that will be at the pro level due to his average size, length and explosiveness, Garuba's terrific body control, elite feel for the game and motor leaves plenty of room for optimism. He's a tremendous passer, a multipositional force defensively, one of the best rebounders in FIBA junior level history and increasingly comfortable pushing the ball or creating his own shot.
Garuba is going to have to continue to expand his shooting range to play the type of Draymond Green-esqe power forward role he looks best suited for at the NBA level. He made only two of his eight 3-point attempts in seven games, showing a fairly flat arc and an unconventional one-handed release point that doesn't inspire great confidence. He knocked down a disappointing 48% of his free throw attempts, dragging down his career average to 55% in the 90 games in our database. His poor 49% true shooting percentage only reinforces the need to continue to work on his jump shot. He struggled to finish plays around the basket, not quite possessing the type of length or explosiveness needed to convert.
Garuba is expected to carve out a minor role with Real Madrid's senior team this season after already seeing a handful of minutes in the Spanish ACB last year, something that should accelerate his development greatly.
2. Tristan Enaruna | SF/PF | Netherlands | Age: 18.1
Enaruna's team was relegated to the B Division, but the Kansas-bound combo forward did demonstrate quite a bit of potential with his combination of physical tools and versatility. Enaruna was one of the most physically gifted players at the event, standing over 6-foot-8 in shoes with a proportioned frame and a wingspan exceeding 7 feet. He made a number of highlight plays over the course of the week showing elite body control and explosiveness creating his own shot, operating above the rim and being a difference-maker defensively when locked in.
But he went through long stretches when he looked disengaged, couldn't buy a basket from the perimeter (5-of-36 from 3) and demonstrated poor shot selection and decision-making. His jumper looks smooth at times but stiff and unnatural in other moments. He seemed to have some kind of mental block at the free throw line, hitting just 21 of 42 attempts. Enaruna's ability to generate offense with a powerful first step, long strides and polished footwork is intriguing at his size, but he'll need to continue to improve his playmaking ability on the move and finish through contact.
Despite the criticism, Enaruna is a tantalizing talent with a skill set not all that dissimilar to Kevin Knox. It will be interesting to see how quickly he can contribute for Bill Self at Kansas.
3. Adem Bona | C | Turkey | Age: 16.3
The youngest player to carve out a rotation role here, the Nigerian-born Bona produced modestly (5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks in 18 MPG) for runner-up Turkey, but nevertheless proved to be one of the most intriguing long-term prospects present. That starts with his terrific physical tools, including an impressive frame, long wingspan and quick-twitch athleticism that allows him to make plays all over the floor.
Only playing basketball seriously for a little more than three years, Bona is fairly raw offensively, but he seems to be making real strides with his skill level. He's a serious lob target coming off ball screens, shows flashes of footwork spinning around in the post for dunks, some ballhandling ability creating his own shot in a straight line and competence passing out of short rolls. With that said, he also turned the ball over on a quarter of his possessions and struggled to score unless spoon-fed directly under the rim. He's also a career 53% free throw shooter in 47 games in our database.
Bona's calling card at the pro level will lie largely on the defensive end, where he showed perhaps the highest long-term potential of any prospect at this event. Bona gets in a deep stance on the perimeter, covers ground seamlessly and shows impressive timing rotating for blocks. He plays with a consistent intensity level and makes himself a major factor on the glass. Bona isn't draft eligible until 2022 at the earliest, so we'll have to continue to track his progress, but the early results look promising.
4. Franz Wagner | SF | Germany | Age: 17.9
Wagner shocked the international basketball community by forgoing a likely starting role in the Euroleague to play for new Michigan coach Juwan Howard. Coming off an impressive year in the German BBL and EuroCup, Wagner was fairly inconsistent in Volos but still showed glimpses of what makes him an intriguing long-term prospect.
Wagner has excellent size for a wing at 6-8 with decent length and a frame that is on the narrow side and will certainly need time to fill out. Wagner's jumper wasn't falling, but he did find other ways to contribute, as he's a versatile player with a knack for putting the ball in the basket, averaging 24 points per 40 minutes with 9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks. He's aggressive in the open floor, highly creative with the way he finishes around the basket. He shows potential attacking closeouts for pull-up jumpers or even stepbacks from beyond the arc. He's also a team player with a mature approach to the game on both ends.
Wagner has excellent shooting mechanics and made 38% of his 3s this season (and 90% of his free throws), so it is likely that he's a better shooter than what he demonstrated at this tournament. His lack of strength, average athleticism and overall inconsistent play led most scouts in Volos to surmise that Wagner will need a few years of seasoning at Michigan.
5. Malcolm Cazalon | SF | France | Age: 17.9
Cazalon's production fluctuated wildly over the course of the tournament, but he is making nice progress physically, looking the part and then some with his excellent size, length and frame.
Playing on a somewhat rudderless French team with no clear point guard, Cazalon was forced to go out and create his own offense frequently, leading to some brilliant moments in transition, operating out of pick-and-rolls and going one-on-one. He has a nice arsenal of moves getting to his pull-up or stepback, making a number of difficult attempts. Still, his style of play is far from efficient, as evidenced by his 39% shooting from 2. He doesn't get to the line often due to his propensity for avoiding contact inside the paint, and he needs to improve his decision-making on the move. Cazalon has length, rangy movement laterally and instincts disrupting plays defensively, but his intensity level and technique are a work in progress.
Long wings who can create offense, make an outside shot and defend are always going to be prioritized in today's NBA. The fact that Cazalon is being loaned to a strong development situation in Belgium with Leuven this season should help him carve out a solid role at the pro level and keep his stock relevant among scouts in his first draft-eligible season.
6. Santi Aldama | PF | Spain | Age: 18.5
Aldama was the breakout performer here, putting up a top-5 all-time PER and winning MVP honors after helping Spain clinch the championship. Aldama will be scouted heavily immediately upon arrival at Loyola Maryland this upcoming season, as it appears he'll be a significant difference-maker in the Patriot League.
Despite standing 6-11, Aldama started a number of games at small forward in supersized Spanish lineups that opposing teams had little chance of handling. He's a natural power forward with a high skill level, making a large volume of 3s (16-of-46 in seven games), sometimes even shooting off the dribble. Aldama is also capable of creating his own shot and changing speeds while handling the ball -- sometimes finishing impressively, other times finding open teammates while posting an impressive 18-to-5 assist-to-turnover ratio. Although not overly long or strong, Aldama is a fluid athlete who moves well on both ends. There are some questions about how his frame will hold up against stronger players, something we should learn more about at the college level.
Aldama hasn't always shot the ball with this level of accuracy. Due to his only decent physical tools, this is somewhat of a swing skill for him, along with his defense. Aldama did a great job of putting himself on the map with a strong showing and has a lot to build on moving forward at the college level.
7. Aleksej Pokusevski | PF | Serbia | Age: 17.6
Pokusevski started off the tournament with a bang but faded as it moved along, reportedly hampered by a shoulder injury that eventually knocked him out of his team's final game. Nevertheless, it was easy to see his potential as a long-armed 7-foot perimeter player who can shoot off the dribble, pass well and protect the rim. Pokusevski is beginning to fill into his narrow, lanky frame. He does have a solid base, with a standing reach over 9 feet and impressive mobility. Despite having the height and reach of a center, Pokusevski is often tasked with bringing the ball up the court and getting his team into the offense. He possesses a high skill level creating scoring opportunities for himself and others out of pick-and-rolls, sometimes being overly deferential looking to get lesser teammates involved.
Defensively, Pokusevski generated an absurd 4.1 steals, 6.2 blocks and 11.1 rebounds per 40 minutes. But his intensity level often left a lot to be desired, as it's not rare to see him being late to get back on defense or standing completely upright on the perimeter. It will be interesting to see how quickly he's integrated into Olympiacos' senior team in Greece, as there will likely be some skepticism around him among NBA scouts until he can show how his game translates to higher levels, although few will doubt his talent.
8. Juhann Begarin | SG | France | Age: 17.0
The MVP at June's Basketball Without Borders Europe Camp, Begarin did not have a great showing in Volos, going just 1-of-10 on 3s in six games and 5-of-14 free throws with a 5-to-16 assist-to-turnover ratio. He did show the most urgency of anyone on France's team in their surprising meltdown in the quarterfinals against Turkey, coming up with some big baskets late. For the most part, though, he struggled badly to get going in the half court.
Begarin is one of the most talented prospects in Europe from a physical standpoint, translating in his ability to push the ball in the open court, change speeds powerfully and make plays defensively. Despite possessing decent mechanics, his limitations as a shooter really hampered him, and he does not yet have the requisite advanced ballhandling or craft to compensate in other ways. Like many young prospects, his confidence wavers when things aren't going well, and he never seemed to find a rhythm on a French team that was loaded with physical talent but never quite looked like a cohesive unit.
Time is on Begarin's side, but he will have to significantly upgrade his skill level and feel in the coming years to reach his very high ceiling.
9. Moussa Diabate | PF/C | France | Age: 17.5
Averaging 18 points, 18 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per 40 minutes, Diabate was one of the most productive players at this tournament at a relatively young age. Shooting under 50% from the field and 41% from the line, he didn't quite find a level of scoring efficiency, but part of that came from playing out of position at power forward on a French team that didn't have any real playmakers.
Standing around 6-10, with a wiry frame, long arms and nice fluidity, Diabate was simply too mobile and quick off his feet for most big men at this level to handle. That translated especially on the offensive glass, where he demonstrated impressive instincts going out of his area frequently to the tune of 10 offensive boards per 40 minutes, the best rate at this event dating back to 2000. In other settings such as the Nike EYBL this spring, Diabate wasn't anywhere near as productive, so it will be interesting to see how this translates to higher levels of competition.
Diabate's ability to sprint the floor, catch everything thrown his way, finish around the rim and make plays with soft touch give him a nice framework long term. He showed some potential both protecting the rim and stepping out on the perimeter, getting in a deep stance and sliding his feet to cover ground. His body still has a long way to go to fully fill out and allow him to anchor a defense, and he could be more physical on both ends. Continuing to expand his shooting range out to the 3-point line will also be a major key. Diabate plays a bit of a tentative style at times, as he's still figuring out just who he is as a player.
Based in the U.S. -- he recently moved to IMG Academy in Florida -- there is some talk in scouting circles that he may end up reclassifying to 2020, which could accelerate his NBA draft schedule. His frame, skill and feel for the game will all need to improve significantly to emerge as a legitimate one-and-done prospect, but he certainly helped his cause with a strong showing.
10. Ariel Hukporti | C | Germany | Age: 17.3
Hukporti had a productive showing in Volos, averaging 19 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks per 40 minutes in a somewhat confined role. Hukporti is blessed with a tremendous frame, excellent length, strong mobility and more skill than most players his age at his size. He's a huge target in the post, running the floor and rolling to the rim fluidly, and he doesn't need much runway to get up and finish plays around the rim. The 4-to-21 assist-to-turnover ratio he posted isn't ideal, but that could have been a function of his role.
Defensively, Hukporti isn't the rangiest or most fluid big man stepping out on pick-and-rolls, looking a little upright in his stance and not always bringing the type of physicality or urgency you might hope. This will be a major key for him projecting forward. Adding some range on his jumper and becoming a more consistent free throw shooter would help, too. The 2002-born native of Togo in West Africa has time to figure these things out, as he's in a strong development situation in Ludwigsburg in Germany, where he may see some playing time at the pro level this season.
Honorable mention
Luc Van Slooten | SF/PF | Germany | Age: 17.3
Van Slooten impressed with his physical tools and versatility. He's a good ball handler and passer who can also make plays defensively thanks to his 220-pound frame and length. Van Slooten's jump-shot looks good but isn't consistent, which is something he'll need to work on moving forward. He will likely have an opportunity to carve out some type of role in the German BBL next season with Rasta Vechta.
Matthieu Gauzin | PG | France | Age: 18.4
Playing a spark plug role off the bench, Gauzin was productive in the playing time he was given (24 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 steals per 40 minutes) but struggled with consistency. Gauzin's jumper -- clearly his swing-skill -- wasn't falling here. Athletically, he was on another level, with a quick first step and the ability to change speeds powerfully in the open court. Gauzin isn't quite as effective in the half court due to his struggles reading the floor and shooting off the dribble, and his body language can leave a lot to be desired. Nevertheless, Gauzin's ability to pick up opponents full-court defensively is intriguing. Gauzin should be able to get minutes in the French Pro A league next season, which will be important for his progression.
Yannick Kraag | SG | Netherlands | Age: 16.8
The third-youngest player to see rotation minutes, Kraag started off slowly but showed some serious intrigue as things moved along. Standing over 6-7 with a near 7-foot wingspan, Kraag has impressive dimensions for a wing, although he currently weighs just 170 pounds. A smooth, fluid athlete who can play above the rim, Kraag showed flashes of potential defending, attacking the basket and shooting from the outside, even if his skill, feel and strength are still works in progress. Kraag is expected to move to Spain to play for Joventut Badalona, which should be good for his long-term development.
Division B prospects
1. Pelle Larsson | PG/SG | Sweden | Age: 18.4
Larsson has made a major leap forward, posting impressive per 40 minute averages of 23.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 2.7 steals and 2.6 blocks. While some of that is due to the low level of competition, it was difficult not to be impressed by his athleticism and versatility. Larsson has good size for a guard, a strong frame, long arms and a quick first step. He shouldered significant ballhandling responsibilities, demonstrating excellent creativity, vision and feel. Considered a non-shooter earlier in his career, Larsson displayed some progress in this area by making four 3s in eight games as well as 77% of his free throw attempts -- although this is the part of his game that needs the most work to unlock his full potential. Defensively, Larsson was usually tasked with guarding the other team's best perimeter player and he looked up for the challenge. Larsson will continue to play for Swedish BG Lulea next season.
2. Kacper Klaczek | SF/PF | Poland | Age: 17.5
Klaczek's strong scoring eventually tapered off, although he still found ways to contribute. His terrific versatility helped him average an excellent 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and nearly 3 blocks per 40 minutes. Klaczek moves like a wing but is big enough to play the 4 at most levels, standing around 6-8 with a strong frame, long arms and athleticism. He's a very good defender who can switch. He's also a team player who contributes to ball movement with heady passes in transition and dishes on drives. His ballhandling is a little clunky creating his own shot in the half court, and he's not yet the shooter he needs to be at this stage, even if there is technically nothing wrong with his stroke.
3. Rati Andronikashvili | PG | Georgia | Age: 18.3
Andronikashvili is an incredibly talented ballhandler and passer but he plays with poor body language on the court. Few players his age are this gifted operating out of pick-and-roll. However, Andronikashvili's propensity for attempting big plays on nearly every other possession (leading to a huge number of turnovers), his streaky jumper and his lackadaisical defense are things he'll have to improve to find a role at the pro level.
4. Andrej Jakimovski | PF | North Macedonia | Age: 18.3
Jakimovski was the most productive player at the U18 Bs, posting an impressive 25 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.5 blocks per 40 minutes on excellent efficiency numbers (64% true shooting). While mostly playing the 4, Jakimovski was asked to shoulder significant ballhandling responsibilities, showing excellent fluidity and body control operating out of pick-and-rolls, going one-on-one and pushing the ball. He got to the free throw line prolifically and hit 93% of his attempts. He also threw in 17 3s over the course of seven games, many of which came off the dribble while defended. But there are some questions about how Jakimovski's game will translate against better athletes, as he needs quite a few dribbles to go anywhere and he struggles to beat better defenders off the bounce.
Defensively, Jakimovski is somewhat stuck between positions, not possessing great size, length or athleticism. His feel and competitiveness help mask that some, but he'll have to show that won't be an issue playing against better opponents.
5. Ondrej Hanzlik | SF | Czech Republic | Age: 17.4
Hanzlik is worth keeping an eye on thanks to his excellent size for a wing at 6-8, strong build, decent length and solid athleticism. His calling card lies with his outside shot, as he's very dangerous when left open and also capable of shooting on the move. Hanzlik isn't terribly consistent, making 35% of his 320-plus career attempts according to our database, struggling in particular when rushed.
The rest of Hanzlik's game is a work in progress, particularly his defense. While capable of making some moves and finishing with touch, he's not much of a threat to create shots for himself. Hanzlik left the Czech Republic and is developing in Spain with Baskonia.