Basketball has changed a lot during the last couple of years, as best Europeans are now opting to go to the United States to pursue their career at college in NCAA, all because of the new rules regarding NIL deals.
Summer after summer, flocks of new European players are coming to NCAA. And some of them are generational talents and potential NBA Draft picks. With some professional experience already in hand, they are ahead of their peers in some aspects. But, college gives them the opportunity to strenghten and grow in whole.
- Croatian forward Ivan Perasovic commits to UTEP Miners
- Georgia Tech secures Kamari Whyte in 2027 recruiting class
But, who is the best among them all? It seems like the margins are really, really thin…
Claim Now 10. Mantas Laurencikas (Lithuania / Texas Longhorns)
One of the biggest additions this summer for the Texas Longhorns was the Lithuanian guard, Mantas Laurencikas, who spent his last season playing for Monaco.
The young and talented player from Kaunas, who developed in the youth categories of the famous club Zalgiris signed to play with the Longhorns and will have four years of eligibility.
In Monaco, he played for the Youth team (Espoirs) where he had 13 points per game with 4,6 rebounds and 4,2 assists last season. Laurencikas was also called up to play for the senior team.
He also played for the Lithuanian national team at Youth Eurobasket competitions, competing at U20 in Heraklion, Greece in 2025, U18 in 2024 and 2023, as well as U16 in 2022.
9. Filip Jovic (Serbia / UCLA Bruins)
With a very good ending to last season in Auburn and winning the NIT (National Invitation Tournament), Filip Jovic boosted his ratings in college basketball.
The talented Serbian power forward, who can also play at the center position was improving tremendously during the Southeastern Conference play with the team from Alabama.
Although Auburn didn’t get the chance to compete in the NCAA March Madness Tournament, Filip Jovic got himself in front, especially during the NIT run where he recorded great numbers.
He was averaging 11,4 points with 5,0 rebounds per game and that was what recomended him to go to UCLA in the first place. Jovic loves to play tough and gives energy all over the floor.
It seems like Mike Cronin will have another warrior on his team next season, as Filip has already shown that as well during his time in Europe playing for the Serbian youth national team and ex-club Mega Basket.
8. Stefan Vaaks (Estonia / Illinois Fighting Illini)
The young Estonian player, Stefan Vaaks is the guy almost everybody was talking about during the last year.
Who wouldn’t? His capability to score and manage plays at Providence were so good, that he caught the eye of many of the top programs in the country.
The Estonian averaged 15,8 points per game with 2,5 rebounds and 3,2 assists. He was also shooting about 40% from the field.
Next season, he will join a pack of Europeans in Illinois, who last season went on to the Final Four at the NCAA March Madness Tournament.
7. Motiejus Krivas (Lithuania / Arizona Wildcats)
The Lithuanians have taken over the NCAA and with great numbers. Motiejus Krivas was someone Arizona couldn’t go with last season.
The team from Tucson was relying heavily on Motiejus Krivas under the rim. His numbers say that he almost had a double-double per game, which is pretty impresive. He was one of the best Europeans in NCAA.
That isn’t even surprising, as Krivas is 2,18m in height. The young player born in Siauliai in Lithuania has already developed in the school of Zalgiris before coming to NCAA.
All in all, he scored 10,4 points per game with 8,2 rebounds and 1,1 assists. He was top-notch when it comes to percentages, as he had 57% in FG.
6. Matas Vokietaitis (Lithuania / Texas Longhorns)
Lithuania and Texas? We’ve seen this before. But, yes, the Longhorns have assembled a team that breaths like the Baltic.
Matas Vokietaitis was one of the best centers in the Southeastern Conference last season and was a real headache for the rivals.
His ability to jump and hustle under the rim made him a very tough opponent and Texas went on to play in the Sweet 16 of March Madness last season. They were even close to eliminating Purdue.
There was much talk whether Matas Vokietaitis would stay in Texas, but that was sorted out already at the beginning of the summer.
Last year he scored 15,6 points per game with 7,1 rebounds. Who know what this season might bring…
5. Neoklis Avdalas (Greece / North Carolina Tar Heels)
Many people, especially North Carolina Tar Heels’ fans are expecting this to be the breakout season for Neoklis Avdalas.
The talented Greek guard had a solid freshman season at Virginia Tech, although he had ups and downs, which is completely normal for someone who is still adapting to a new style of play.
He was already stading out while playing in Europe for Peristeri and yet last year in NCAA he averaged 12,1 points per game with 3,1 rebounds and 4,6 assists.
Many experts say that the Greek player could still improve a lot, especially when it comes to his shooting percentage. As Michael Malone, ex Denver Nuggets coach will be working with him, it seems like he will have a good guy as a mentor.
4. Miikka Muurinen (Finland / Arkansas Razorbacks)
It’s finally time for “Slim Jesus” to shine. After a season with Partizan Belgrade in Europe that didn’t really go according to plan, Miikka Muurinen has agreed to sign with Arkansas Razorbacks in the SEC.
The young player from Finland has already spent his spring and summer preparing for what lies ahead. He is still awaiting the NCAA clearance to play with Arkansas and will miss the Bahamas tournament.
But, there seem to be no problems whatsoever, and is just a matter of time when everything will be sorted out. Miikka Muurinen will definitely bring the energy everyone wants into the team coached by John Calipari.
His dunks were his trademark, especially during the recent Eurobasket, where Finland managed to get through to the semifinals in Riga. But, he also has a few other tricks in his hand.
3. Nikola Kusturica (Serbia / UCLA Bruins)
It will maybe seem a bit optimistic putting a freshman at spot number three, but with everything Nikola Kusturica has already shown us, it’s worth it for sure.
One of the biggest talents ever in Serbian basketball has commited to UCLA Bruins just weeks ago after winning the silver medal at the FIBA U17 World Cup in Istanbul.
Nikola Kusturica averaged 24,6 points per game during that tournament. He also recorded 6,9 rebounds and 2,7 assists. His biggest game came in the final against USA, where he scored 37 points.
With experience in hand playing for Barcelona in Europe, it seems like Nikola Kusturica will compete for huge minutes immediately. Mike Cronin will have to give him much needed space.
His adaptation to American basketball will probably go as smooth as ever, since he will be also coached by Nemanja Jovanovic, assistant coach to Mike Cronin, and will play alongside Filip Jovic from Serbia.
2. Andrej Stojakovic (Greece, Serbia / Illinois Fighting Illini)
Andrej Stojakovic had almost everyone talking about him during the last season. Although his numbers were not that huge, he was the leader of the Illinois squad that grabbed a spot at the NCAA March Madness Tournament in Indianapolis.
He averaged 13,5 points per game with 4,5 rebounds and 50% in FG. And during the next season, it seems like he could be even more significant in Brad Underwood’s squad.
The guy that has both Serbian and Greek roots will probably have more minutes at the very start of the season, if David Mirkovic, who had a successful surgery, doesn’t recover completely.
That shouldn’t be a big problem for him. Illinois will, for sure, be eyeing another Final Four appearance in this upcoming season.
1. David Mirkovic (Montenegro / Illinois Fighting Illini)
Probably everyone in Champaign was hoping and praying David Mirkovic returns for next season after what he has done during the last one.
And when that post came, every Illinois fan felt huge relief. Well, it’s not hard to tell why, as he was one of the best Europeans in NCAA…
A true warrior on the court and a great teammate in the lockers, David Mirkovic was the guy to lift the spirits up whenever things weren’t so easy. And just to mention it, he was a freshman last season.
He gained experience playing in the Adriatic Basketball League and translated that perfectly to NCAA. Mirkovic didn’t have many problems with that.
David Mirkovic had an average of 13,3 points with 8,0 rebounds and 2,6 assists last season. He is projected to have almost 20 points per game in the upcoming one.
The only downside is his injury this summer, but Illinois reassured the fans it is nothing to be afraid of.
