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Belgrade, Serbia – It was a busy late July and all August for us. We were able to scout live the U18 Eurobasket Division A (Belgrade, Serbia) and Division B (Pitesti, Romania) as well as to take a deep first look at some of the better U16 players, playing at the U16 Eurobasket Division B in Skopje, North Macedonia.
Here are our scouting thoughts on some of the most promising prospects at the U18 Eurobasket Division A who are still unsigned or not committed and could be good additions to any D1 school in the classes of 2026 or 2027. Please note that any of the top prospects from the class of 2025 who already signed with D1 schools (Ian Platteeuw, Guillermo Del Pino, Achille Lonati, etc.) are not included in this article.
Pavle Backo (6’11”, c/o 2026, Serbia)
Backo is a very talented and extremely skilled big man with high basketball IQ. His back-to-the-basket game is expected to be elite thanks to his great footwork, methodical game blended with good number of counters and ability to get to his strong hand, being very efficient within the paint. Despite not being a freakish leaper, his size and great instincts and understanding help him come up with some timely blocks. Will be able to stretch the court very well thanks to a good-looking lefty stroke with range. Among the best and most skilled big men in the international class of 2026.
Stefan Joksimovic (6’7”, c/o 2026, Slovenia)
A gifted guard with great size for his position, who can spend time at both guard positions. Would be a tough mismatch for many of the guards at the next level as a primary ball handler due to his clear size and length advantage and ability to see, shoot and pass over opponents. Add to that he’s a year younger and his developing lengthy frame (long legs, long arms, big feet and hands) where adding strength and weight seems likely. Will be a one-on-one threat. A gifted passer and very good facilitator off pick and roll actions, Joksimovic displays promising blend of scoring instincts and ability to create for others.
Mark Morano-Mahmutovic (6’6”, c/o 2026, Slovenia)
A highly talented and skilled 6-foot-6 wing with good basketball genes. A 3-level scorer with deep bag of moves/ways to score a basket, he will not need the ball to be in his hands to impact the game. He can space the floor very well and hit shots off the catch or spot-ups or simply off cuts thanks to his great awareness and game understanding when without the ball. Will be a reliable and consistent shooter from long range. A good passer.
Dovydas Buika (6’6”, c/o 2026, Lithuania)
A well-known top guard in his generation with a lot of experience at the youth level, he made his debut for the senior team of the Lithuanian powerhouse, Zalgiris this past season. Expected to be more of a combo guard than a pure floor general, might even be utilized more as a two guard due to his scoring instincts and effective game off the ball, scoring off cuts, spot-ups or catch-and-drives. Needs to keep improving his motor. A crafty driver who knows how to manipulate defenses and play angles, Buika displays advanced footwork, maturity and understanding of the game. A solid passer and advanced handler in the pick and roll, he’s improved his mid-range game. A rim-oriented guard in the first several years we scouted him, now it seems he’s getting more confident shooting from outside, taking more shots and improving his numbers. Shooting is clearly his swing-skill, if he keeps improving his efficiency from long range with time his future could be really bright for him.
Diego Garavaglia (6’7”, c/o 2026, Italy)
Strong swingman who’s been consistently improving his game over the times we’ve scouted him in the past few years. Will turn defense into offense thanks to his great defensive awareness and level of engagement, coming up with steals and blocks combined with his ability to excel in transition. Tough, intense and plays with great motor. He’s improved his offensive game in the half-court set, will space the floor well thanks to his ability to knock down threes, cut well and attack closeouts hard. Improved his numbers from outside but needs to keep working on his efficiency. Two-way player who could be a nice glue guy. Garavaglia decided to move his talent to Germany and join Ratiopharm Ulm for the upcoming season. On paper it’s kind of an unorthodox destination for an Italian basketball youth player given the culture, style of living and language differences. Time will tell us if and how successful that move will be.
Meissa Faye (6’6”, c/o 2026, France)
A tall and athletic shooting guard, Faye, like Garavaglia, decided to hone his craft next season in Germany, playing for Ratiopharm Ulm. Choosing to play college basketball seems pretty unlikely for him at this stage, but his shooting prowess makes him a much needed addition to many D1 schools.
Jonas Boulefaa (6’9”, c/o 2026, France)
A designated stretch four who will display a smooth stroke from long range off spot-ups, pick and pop action and some movement. Extremely confident and ready to shoot the ball, feet set with repeatable mechanics. A perimeter-oriented power forward. He has good touch from mid-range too. Expected to be effective screen-setter and roller who can see the court and find his teammates off short rolls. He starts his pro path this upcoming season in the second men’s level in France.
Cameron Houindou (6’9”, c/o 2026/7, France)
A strong and physical 6-foot-9 big man with a 7-foot-1 wingspan who has nice hops. His combination of size, length, mobility and shooting potential given he played one year up makes him even more intriguing prospect to follow. Will be a very solid rebounder and a good rim protector thanks to his +4 wingspan and leaping ability. His shooting from long range is developing. The French big man moves his talent to Slovenia and will play for Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana in the upcoming season. Looks like Houindou is following Joan Beringer’s steps, another French big who got drafted after playing for one season there.
Honorable Mention:
Dominykas Daubaris (6’10”, c/o 2026, Lithuania)
Augustas Butajevas (6’10”, c/o 2026, Lithuania)
Hugo Yimga-Moukouri (6’8”, c/o 2026, France)
Ognjen Srzentic (6’7.5”, c/o 2026, Serbia)
Jamie Edoka (6’4”, c/o 2026, Germany)
Daniel Hinkov (6’6”, c/o 2027, Bulgaria)
Kaloyan Balkandzhiev (6’9”, c/o 2026, Bulgaria)
This article was written by Simeon Marinov, Director of European Scouting for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.
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