International Division I Prospects
Let's dive into the world of up-and-coming top prospects from across the pond. Here are five names college coaches will recruit between now and two years.
Introduction
College basketball coaches face significant challenges in scouting talent during their busy seasons, which limits their ability to personally evaluate prospects across the Atlantic.
Consequently, there has been an increased reliance on specialized scouts and agents based in Europe to identify and connect with promising players. The introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights has fundamentally transformed the landscape of college basketball. This change makes the U.S. collegiate system more attractive to young European athletes, offering them the opportunity to pursue a degree on scholarship while simultaneously earning income from their basketball skills.
As a result, Ersin's NBA Draft Newsletter will continue to spotlight emerging talents from various European countries. By doing so, I aim to guide these prospects towards the collegiate route, which not only promises academic advancement but also provides a platform for basketball development, setting a strong foundation for their eventual professional careers.
1. Ouwa Camara — Elche (2027)
Power Forward/Center — 6’8” — Mali
Date of Birth: 1 March 2008 — 16 years old — Player Bio and Stats
Camara is expected to grow a few inches. However, his incredible length adds future value as an energy five who impacts the game with his consistent motor, rim-running, play-finishing, and screening. He’s an optimal complementary five and is mostly used as a rim protector and play-finisher. His role is limited, and it’s in his best interest to use his high-tier athleticism to develop his game at the Division I level.
His team, Elche, competes in the Spanish fourth-tier division. He has had double-digit minutes in two of his ten games this season. Regardless, the statistics do not matter yet, as he’s still growing into his body while having to fill his frame in the next few years. Camara has the making of a four-year college five. His fundamentals are decent, but it’s clear he’s still learning the game. He represented Mali at the FIBA U16 AfroBasket, averaging more than nine rebounds per game.
Video Source: @Dugongcesto on X
Potential:
Camara is a four-year college center that’ll likely garner interest from low-major and mid-major programs. It’s vital to consider him as a developmental prospect, rather than an impactful freshman.
2. Bergseng Ludvik — BAXI Manresa (2025)
Point Forward/Center — 6’10” — Norway
Date of Birth: 28 September 2006 — 18 years old — Player Bio and Stats
Ludvik is a skilled floor-stretching five who is ready to help a mid-major program as of today. He has decent handles for his size and shows some creativity in the pick-and-roll or on self-created plays. He has a decently filled frame and uses his strength to keep the ball before his jumpers. That makes it feasible he’ll shoot three-pointers in college right away. Ludvik is crafty, has a good feel for the game, and is fundamentally sound.
The Spanish youth scouts did a good thing to bring him over to Manresa to help him develop his game in a clear long-term-focused system. Ludvik is a good option in half-court-minded offenses, where he can play as both a four and a five. He’s good at boxing out defensively while always looking to make the extra pass. After averaging close to a double-double at the U18 EuroBasket Division B, Ludvik’s offensive versatility is the buy for college coaches. He’s protecting the rim while offering enough creativity, shooting, and shot-creation to play in four, or even five-out settings.
The other side of the coin is that Ludvik is slow-footed, and playing at a higher pace doesn’t benefit his game. Regardless, he’ll be one of the rare instant-offense freshmen despite still being an 18-year-old.
Video Source: Eurohoops Scouting
Potential:
I expect Ludvik to garner interest from many mid-major programs. It’s vital for college coaches to understand that they have to feature him with more ball touches, while Ludvik allows the coaching staff to be more creative as he can play both as an interior presence on defense while being a hub in four, or even five-out offenses with his passing and shooting.
3. Cameron Houindo — Pôle France (2026)
Power Forward — 6’9” — France
Date of Birth: 10 January 2008 — 17 years old — Player Bio and Stats
Houindo is a long-term NBA prospect. He has an incredibly well-filled frame, broad shoulders, and a long wingspan. There’s no official measurement available, but it should be slightly over seven feet. He’s dominating his age group purely with his physical advantage as an enticing weak-side rim protector, play-finisher, and creative midrange scorer. Houindo is still expanding his range, but I expect him to be a volume three-point shooter throughout time.
Houindo has light feet, decent footwork, and moves like he’s a four-inch shorter wing. The area of development is that he’s too focused on getting his production. The French youth development system is a team-focused one, which benefits his development staying in France for so long. Usually, physically gifted athletes like him get lured toward Germany or Spain, but Houindo finds himself in a good place to develop with Pôle France.
Houindo’s athleticism, size, length, and improving feel for the game could make him an impactful forward at the collegiate level. The long-term potential gets limited due to his lack of self-creation, loose handles, and his not being a threat on the perimeter yet. Regardless, that’s the buy for college coaches to develop, as his body suggests he’s ready to play as a freshman. His footwork is another area to work on for Houindo, as it’s decent, but it lacks serving his creativity as a post scorer, which he’s getting more accustomed to.
Video Source: Lorenzo Volpato
Potential:
Houindo still has a year to develop before he possibly makes the step toward college basketball. I don’t have a source, but it’s not hard to understand he’s on the radars of some college coaches. I expect him to eventually stay in Europe, especially since he’s been developed well at his current team. An athlete of his caliber should lead to NBA scouts and decision-makers prefering him to develop stateside.
4. Endurance Aiyamenkhue — Orange Academy Ulm (2025)
Center — 6’10” — The Netherlands
Date of Birth: 1 June 2007 — 17 years old — Player Bio and Stats
Aiyamenkhue is a long, wiry athlete who’s lit up the FIBA U18 EuroBasket Division B. The Dutch native has a role as a high-motor energy five who’s using his long strides, length, and verticality to serve as a play-finisher. On top of that, he’s a good screener who actively dives to the rim. What immediately stood out is that his motor is so consistent his energy alone draws multiple defenders toward him when he attacks the glass after a ball screen. That’s the type of five college coaches look to surround shooters with.
His rim dominance is the buy. Therefore, I am not in favor of him developing a three-point shot before finding his niche at the collegiate level. There’s clear pro potential in his profile, especially if he bulks up and fills his frame more in the next few years. It’s likely Aiyamenkhue would struggle against stronger-built college fives. Thus, I expect him to fully embrace a four-year route to develop his body, and game while pursuing his academic goals.
Video Source: Eurohoops Scouting
Potential:
Low-major programs should be all over Aiyamenkhue as most programs struggle to find depth among native freshmen centers. Aiyamenkhue’s high energy, good screening and feel for the game are powerful weapons to surround shooters with. That’s the style of play most low-major programs embrace nowadays. I expect Aiyamenkhue to find a role at a mid-major program as an upperclassman, but development with the opportunity to play is best for his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Osaigbovo Idehen Aguebor — Paderborn (2026)
Forward — 6’6” — Germany
Date of Birth: 30 January 2008 — 16 years old — Player Bio and Stats
Aguebor has the highest entertainment value of all five names. He’s an incredibly crafty forward in a linebacker’s body. Despite his bulky and strong build, Aguebor is mobile and thrives on playing on the perimeter. He’s a wing-sized forward who’ll likely grow an inch or two in the next few years. Regardless, Aguebor’s athleticism, surprisingly light feet, and touch around the basket open up the opportunity for him to be a productive freshman in college.
He developed a three-point jumper, where he’s created a good habit of not putting too much pressure on his knees with high jumps. He has an Andre Miller-type of release with both feet barely leaving the ground. Aguebor has decent handles but finds his way to the rim with both his craft and physical advantage. His motor skills are decent, but with his body continuously changing, that’s the most vital area to keep track of for college coaches.
He scored close to double-digits points while representing Germany at the FIBA U16 EuroBasket this past summer. On top of that, he’s playing close to 30 minutes among his age group, where his motor and ability to play high minutes are other selling points for college coaches.
Video Source: Bosco Giorgo
Potential:
Aguebor should draw attention from prep school programs in the United States. His game fits the American style as following that path could lead him to be a more highly touted prospect for the collegiate level. The German youth development system is one of the best in Europe when it comes to the physical aspect of the game. Therefore, it’s not surprising he isn’t more dominant against his own age group. Regardless, his creativity and offensive versatility give him different roles, as we’ve seen bulky and skilled forwards having successful ollegiate careers before. The comfort is his ability to shoot in volume from three.