The International Scouting Notebook: 15 Players to Watch at FIBA U18 EuroBasket
A firsthand scouting breakdown of the tournament's biggest names, breakout candidates and long term NBA prospects.
By the time you wake up and read this, the FIBA U18 EuroBasket in Trentino, Italy will already be underway.
This has been one of the events circled on my calendar for months. Unfortunately, I won’t be there this year after making the move back to Dallas this weekend, but it’s a tournament I’ve attended several times in the past. I was in Belgrade last summer, and one of my favorite editions was the loaded 2019 tournament that featured future NBA players Alperen Sengun, Franz Wagner, Santi Aldama, Moussa Diabate, Adem Bona, and Ariel Hukporti, just to name a few.
This year’s field has a chance to be another strong one. While it may not have the same depth as the 2019 class, there are two prospects with legitimate lottery potential for the 2027 NBA Draft, along with several others who could significantly boost their stock over the next nine days.
Whether you’re an NBA Draft junkie, a fan of basketball’s continued globalization, or a college coach looking to identify the next wave of international prospects before the rest of the country catches on, this tournament is one of the best scouting opportunities of the summer.
Here are my thoughts on a handful of players I’ve spent a lot of time scouting over the years who will be competing in Trentino from July 25 through August 2.
Stefan Joksimovic | 6’8 Point Forward | Slovenia
The headliner of this year’s FIBA U18 EuroBasket is Stefan Joksimovic, who is, without question, the most intriguing Slovenian prospect to emerge since Luka Doncic.
