A few weeks ago I ranked the Elite 25 prospects in high school basketball. Now it’s time to look at the best basketball prospects from the rest of the world, from all age groups.
For the first time ever there is a player who has made both of these lists after one of the top high school stars decided to take his talents overseas.
In recent years we’ve seen a trend of many of the top young talents from Europe, Africa and around the world coming over to the U.S. to play high school and/or college basketball. The result has been a major influx of talent to the high school/college ranks and fewer high-end talents playing overseas. Now we’ve seen one of these top talents head back to Europe, showing that the flow of talent can go both ways.
This list features a truly elite athlete at the top, the best prospect to ever come out of Mexico and another elite Serbian named Nikola. France is heavily represented as expected but none of the French prospects rank in the top 5.
I’d say that overall this group is a bit weaker than in some past years, mainly due to many of the top talents now playing in the U.S. But there are still some major talents and future NBA stars on this list.
The International Elite 15
1) Mohamed Dabone – PF – Barcelona (Burkina Faso) – 2011 – The youngest player on this list (presumably) and the most electric, Dabone is a breathtaking athlete who can fly above the rim with the best of them and is a flash in the open court. He has a level of athleticism that is rare to find at any age but for a player that is reportedly just 13 years old, it is incredible. He often gets compared to a mix of Giannis and Wemby and, while that might be a lot to live up to, his other-worldly athleticism warrants these super high-end comps.
2) Miikka Muurinen – PF – Partizan Belgrade (Finland) – 2007 – After being ranked no.2 on the Elite 25 list a few weeks ago Miikka now finds himself at the same spot but this time on the International Elite 15, after making the decision to forgo his last year of high school and transfer to Partizan Belgrade. The springy and skinny 6-10 forward will now be theoretically eligible for the 2026 NBA Draft, although there are indications that he could wait until 2027.
3) Nikola Kusturica – SG – Barcelona (Serbia) – 2009 – Kusturica is a lanky big guard from Serbia with a lethal jumper, great passing vision and ideal NBA size. He’s an awesome offensive talent and will only get better over the coming years as he gains strength and more experience. The soonest he can enter the draft is in 2028 and so he’s got time to continue to develop his frame/strength and refine his game.
4) Karim Lopez – SF – New Zealand Breakers, NBL (Mexico) – 2007 – The best basketball prospect in the history of Mexican basketball, Lopez is an extremely skilled and talented 6-8 forward. He’s got a good level of polish on the offensive end, showing good handles, play-making and scoring ability. His defense is a work in progress and will have to get better before he plays NBA minutes but he does have some good shot blocking instincts and all the tools to be good on that end of the floor.
5) Jan Cerdan – SF – Barcelona (Spain) – 2010 – Cerdan is an extremely intriguing long-term prospect with great size for a wing, an advanced skill level for such a young player and a chance to be really, really good. In some ways he reminds me of a young Franz Wagner or Matas Buzelis. At about 6-9 he’s a capable ball handler and play-maker who sees the floor at a high level. Cerdan is an early pick to be one of the top international prospects for the 2029 draft. Of course a lot can change between now and then but I’d bet that Cerdan is in the mix and a potential high draft pick 3.5 years from now.
6) Dash Daniels – PG – Melbourne, NBL (Australia) – 2007 – Dyson’s younger brother is built in the same mold as a standout defender with good size on the wing and an offensive game that is still developing. He’s got good physical tools, great defensive instincts and a chance to make it in the NBA based just off of his play on that end of the court. But he has a long ways to go with his shooting, ball handling and feel on the offensive end.
7) Nathan Soliman – PF – France – 2009 – Soliman is a skilled young big man who has a really good looking shot and a high feel for the game. He’s a good but not great athlete and at about 6-9 he lacks ideal size. Still, his talent level is clear and he’s easily one of the top prospects in the 2009 generation. He’s the type of player who always seems to be in the right place at the right time and he gets a lot of his points off of put-backs or cutting into the lane for easy scores. He’s got good hands on defense and is a very aware and active defender. He moves pretty well up and down the court and does a good job of finishing in transition. His touch around the rim seems to come and go and his outside shot is still a work in progress. Becoming a consistent shooter will take his game to a new level.
8) Toni Garma – SG – Real Madrid (Croatia) – 2010 – Garma has an elite skill level and feel for the game. He’s got good size at about 6-5 and solid athletics but the thing that sets him apart is his ball skills. He’s a skilled scorer with great touch on his jumper and is a high level play-maker as well. As a 2010 generation prospect he’s got a lot of time to develop and it’ll be fun to watch him take his game to new levels in the coming years.
9) Matthys Mahop – SG – Pôle, France – 2008 – An impressive open court athlete with NBA level athleticism, the 6-5 Mahop is loaded with upside and is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential. He’s a combo guard who can do a bit of everything and excels in an up-tempo game. He’s got good handles and can dance with the ball and get into the lane at will. At this early point he projects as one of the top international players eligible for the 2027 NBA Draft.
10) Cameron Houindo – PF – Pôle, France – 2008 – One of the most impressive athletes you’ll ever see, Houindo is a power dunker who can rock the rim with the best of them. He’s explosive off two feet, has a lot of power and strength and a good feel for filling the lane and cutting to the rim. He’s also dangerous on put-backs and back-door lobs.
11) Hugo Yimga Moukouri – SF – Pôle, France – 2008 – HYM is an impressive 6-8-ish athlete with a strong frame and awesome movement skills. His game reminds me a bit of Ron Holland with his high energy play and constantly being in attack mode. He has a long ways to go with developing his perimeter game (and in that way he reminds me of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist). As a 2008 born player he has some time to develop his skill-set before looking to jump to the draft. It’ll be interesting to see if/how is game expands over the next two years.
12) Petar Bjelica – C – Serbia – 2009 – I low center of gravity player who isn’t twitchy or super quick but has an elite skill level, great feel for the game and just knows how to get it done on the court. He has solid size at 6-9+ with a strong build but has a lot of work to do on his foot speed to be able to guard at a NBA level. His skill set is there and it’ll be interesting to see how he develops physically over the coming years.
13) Sergio De Larrea – PG – Spain – 2005 – The oldest prospect on this list, Sergio is a heady point guard with awesome passing and feel for the game. He’s not a blow-by type of athlete but changes pace well, is super crafty and knows how to find space in the defense.
14) Noa Kouakou-Heugue – PF – Perth, NBL (France) – 2007 – A wiry and springy 6-10 athlete who is still early in his development but has the tools NBA teams look for. Noa is a high-energy player who flies all over the court and makes plays on both ends of the floor. This season he joined the Perth Wildcats in the NBL, which should be really good for his development.
15) Fabian Kayser – SF – Germany – 2009 – A smooth wing with great length who can really shoot the rock, Kayser fits the mold of a NBA floor spacing wing. He’s got good size, solid athleticism and an advanced offensive game. He’s not twitchy but has solid movement skills and enough footstep to get by. His 3pt shooting is his ticket to the NBA.
But wait, there’s more!
Honorable Mention
- Boyuan Zhang – SF – China – 2007 – A smooth and talented perimeter player with a really nice looking jump shot. Has good wing size at 6-7 and enough athleticism for the NBA game.
- Adam Atamna – SG – France – 2007 – Atamna is a crafty and skilled guard with good size at about 6-5. He’s not going to blow you away with athleticism but he’s efficient with his touches and just knows how to get it done on the court. A high feel player.
- Hugo Facorat – PF – France – 2007 – A lengthy and wiry big forward with intriguing movement skills but a long ways to go with developing his game and his frame. Looks to have a lot of upside but it’ll take time.
- Sayon Keita – C – FC Barcelona – 2008 – A lengthy and springy young big man who’s very raw but has size and nice athletic tools.
- Mouhamed Faye – PF – Senegal – 2005 – A defensive menace with a NBA-ready frame. Projects as an enforcer big off the bench type of NBA player.
Here’s my latest 2026 NBA Mock Draft