Basketball is a global game, and today's NBA rosters prove it: Nearly every team has key players who grew up outside the United States. The San Antonio Spurs, for example, won last season's championship thanks in large part to the production of nine international players.
As a result, we decided to put together a ranking of the top international prospects. These are 10 young players who have not played college basketball and, in most cases, are not likely to. Since many of them will be in the NBA draft over the next few years, we want to introduce them to you now.
Some players below -- Emmanuel Mudiay and Kristaps Porzingis, for instance -- are already on the radar of NBA fans. Others will be appearing on the scene in the near future. Note: International players who don't attend college are eligible for the NBA draft in the year they turn 19.
1. Emmanuel Mudiay | 6-5, 196 | PG | Congo
The experiment ended in late November.
Mudiay, who chose to sign with Guangdong of the Chinese Basketball Association instead of playing at SMU after a high school career in Dallas, is ready to begin the preparation for June's NBA draft. The former McDonald's All American averaged 18 points and six assists per contest before injuring his ankle 10 games into the season. Despite the injury, he is staying in China until the end of the season.
