The FIBA U18 European Championship is easily the NBA's most fertile recruiting ground for international prospects, generating 66 first-round picks (44 in the A division, 12 in the B division) in a 15-year span. On hiatus since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last event featured five eventual first-rounders, including Franz Wagner and Alperen Sengun.
This year's competition in Izmir, Turkey, was well-scouted by NBA teams and college basketball coaches alike, as was its more obscure counterpart, the Division B tournament in Ploiesti, Romania, which also featured several intriguing NBA prospects.
Spain defeated Turkey in the championship game of the A division, which saw Great Britain, North Macedonia and Montenegro relegated to the B division next year. Sweden beat Denmark in the championship game of the B division, while Finland also won promotion to the As next year after taking down Iceland in the third place game.
Here's who we thought were the top 11 NBA prospects in attendance after an 11-day trip covering both events.
