International Division I Prospects Part 3
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.
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1. Ognjen Nikolic — Mega Basket (2025)
Power Forward/Center — 6’11” — Serbia
Date of Birth: 24 May 2006 — 18 years old — Player Bio and Stats
Nikolic is a gifted interior scorer with great footwork. On top of that, he stands out with great mobility and the ability to stretch the floor. That’s how he plays at OKK Beograd, where he plays on loan this season. At close to two three-point attempts per game, Nikolic shoots under 30%, but the context of a less-spaced and slower-paced European game compared to college should be in every decision-maker's mind when evaluating his profile.
Nikolic plays hard and with toughness. He’s thriving on diving to the rim after a ball screen, whether getting fed with the pass or not. He’s best around the basket, where he can finish with both hands. While having a long and slim frame, Nikolic has good core strength, which fuels his mobility. He’s light on his feet, and the long-term value continues to get better considering the fact he can make plays with the ball in his hands, with the 38-second mark below showing an example.
At 6-foot-11, Nikolic can serve as an extra floor-spacer. The other side of the coin is that his presence at the rim is limited due to a lack of upper-body strength and his slim frame. That impacts his rebounding and shot-blocking totals among pros. Therefore, college coaches should consider making his strength development one of the things to focus on. Regardless, Nikolic’s mobility gives a team enough confidence for their defensive rating, considering multiple ways he can guard against pick-and-roll sets. At the same time, he can switch to the perimeter as well.
I expect Nikolic to be a four-year college center, where he should draw attention from many mid-major programs at the Division I level, where he belongs. On top of that, his archetype fits how more programs decide to play by shooting more threes and having shooters in all positions.
Video Source: António Dias
2. Anton Kemmer (#18) — ALBA Berlin (2026)
Small Forward/Power Forward — 6’6” — Germany
Date of Birth: 30 October 2008— 16 years old — Player Bio and Stats
Fundamentally, Kemmer is one of the best prospects I’ve evaluated in the last few years. He’s an optimal team-improving wing. While more programs struggle to surround their ball-touch-heavy guard rotation with complementary shooters on the wings and in the frontcourt, Kemmer is a direct solution to a team that runs its offensive through their guards.
He’s a high-level shooter with consistent mechanics. His long arms and high-arcing release make it feasible that his shot will translate to an environment with quicker and better athletes. Therefore, I focused on his footage from the game against Overtime Elite at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament. Kemmer is a good rebounder who has all the right intangibles and habits. Passing the ball ahead or keeping the ball moving puts him in a position to focus on his hard and active cutting while staying within the ball handler’s passing angles.
Kemmer has a good touch around the rim but needs to continue to add strength and muscle to his upper body. His hip fluidity is decent, but there’s more for him to gain on that end by improving his core strength. While he’s still a 16-year-old, Kemmer will naturally improve on that end. To scale his role up, he’ll have to grow a few inches to play as a four.
Considering his great footwork, Kemmer can create advantages in the post, as shown at the 40-second mark. His unselfish-styled game makes it feasible that he’ll continue to look to make the extra pass. Another intriguing part of his profile is his ability to draw fouls once he’s playing with two feet inside the arc. His natural skill of keeping his balance despite playing against older and stronger competition is a value riser many college coaches should be thrilled to work with.