2006 Big Board: Ranking the Top 40 International Prospects Beyond U.S. Borders
In-Depth Scouting Reports and Rankings by Alec Kichian (NBADraftpoint) and Rafael Barlowe on the Next Wave of Global Basketball Talent
As the summer winds down and fall approaches, it's time to shine a light on the top international prospects from the 2006 generation. These talented players are scattered across the globe, with some heading to the U.S. to play college or high school basketball, while others will remain in Europe, Asia, or Australia. Over the past few months, we’ve invested hundreds of hours live scouting at key tournaments such as the FIBA U18 Eurobasket, U18 Asia Cup, U18 AmeriCup, and the U17 Basketball World Cup, identifying the most promising young talent from around the world.
Looking ahead to the 2025 NBA Draft, the 2006 class projects to have a strong international presence, with up to five players currently playing outside the U.S. projected to land in the lottery and potentially seven in the first round. Standouts include France’s Nolan Traore and Noa Essengue, Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez, Czech Republic’s Michael Ruzić, and Israel’s Ben Saraf, who recently dominated the FIBA U18 Eurobasket, averaging 28 points per game.
In addition to these global prospects, a number of 2006-born players are set to make an impact in U.S. college basketball, including Will Riley, Khaman Maluach, Kasparas Jakucionis, Egor Demin, Hamad Mousa, and Savo Drezgic.
Below, we present the top 40 international prospects from the 2006 class outside of the U.S. and Canada, ranked by Alec Kichian (NBADraftpoint). Each player is accompanied by a detailed scouting report from Rafael Barlowe, based on their standout performances over the summer and throughout the 2023-24 season.
Stay tuned for our upcoming scouting reports on 2006-born prospects in U.S. college and high school systems, as well as rankings for the 2007 and 2008 classes.
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2006 International Prospects
1. Nolan Traore (France, St Quentin)
High feel playmaker, advanced shot maker, playing as a starter in France's Pro A league, stellar performance in ANGT.
2. Hugo Gonzalez (Spain, Real Madrid)
Arguably Spain’s best NBA prospect since Ricky Rubio is a projected lottery pick in 2025
3. Rocco Zikarsky (Australia, Brisbane Bullets)
7'2 big man with amazing mobility and two-way potential, playing big minutes in the NBL.
4. Noa Essengue (France, Raiopharm Ulm)
6'10 forward, young prospect, rebounding magnet and defensive presence, needs to improve shot selection and 3-point shooting.
5. Ben Saraf (Israel, Ratiopharm Ulm)
FIBA U18 tournament MVP, averaged 28-5-5, key contributor in Israeli league.
6. Mario Saint-Supery (Spain, BAXI Manresa)
FIBA U16s MVP, top 3 scorer in FIBA U18s, 6'3 lead guard, currently signed to Unicaja but on loan with Manresa.
7. Jack Kayil (Germany, KK Mega Basket)
Talented lead guard, playmaking wizard, standout in Adidas Next Generations tournament.
8. Michael Ruzic (Croatia, Joventut Badalona)
Big forward, impressive shooting from 3, great length for defense, standout in multiple tournaments.
9. Dame Sarr (Italy, Barcelona)
6'7 wing with advanced playmaking feel, long wingspan, playing for Barcelona's main squad next season.
10. Ivan Kharchenkov (Germany, Bayern Munich)
6'6 scoring wing, key contributor to Germany's U18 team, second leading scorer, FIBA U18s gold medalist.
11. Aleksa Dimitrijevic (Serbia, Partizan)
7'0 big man with playmaking and defensive instincts, key player for Serbia's FIBA U18s silver medal run.
12. David Mirkovic (Montenegro, SC Derby)
Big forward, standout in FIBA for Montenegro, great performance in ANGT.
13. Urban Kroflic (Slovenia, KK Mega Basket)
3-level scorer, leading Slovenia to third place in FIBA U18s.
14. Neoklis Avdalas (Greece, Peristeri)
6'8 jumbo point guard with high-level scoring upside, standout in Basketball without Borders.
15. Andrej Kostic (Serbia, Crvena Zvezda)
High-level scoring wing, helped lead Serbia to silver in FIBA U18s, great shooter.
16. Imran Suljanovic (Austria, Pallacanestro Reggiana)
Jumbo shooter and scorer, second leading scorer in FIBA U18s B division.
17. Hugo Nguyen (France, Le Mans)
Crafty scorer and playmaker, breakout performance in ANGT, deep shooting range.
18. Hannes Steinbach (Germany, TG Wurzburg)
Key member of Germany's U18 championship team, led tournament in rebounds.
19. Vit Hrabar (Slovenia, Saski Baskonia)
6'8 wing, consistent performer in FIBA U18s, high-impact player.
20. Abdramane Siby (Mali, KK Mega Basket)
7'0 big man, great defensive instincts, key player in KK Mega's ANGT tournament run.
21. Omer Mayer (Israel, Maccabi Tel-Aviv)
Big-time shooter, deep range, second leading scorer for Israel in FIBA U18s.
22. Denis Badalau (Romania, Olimpia Milano)
Named to All-Star 5 of FIBA U20 Division B, great 3-point shooter.
23. Mitar Bosnjakovic (Serbia, Partizan)
6'7” wing, big contributor to Real Madrid's U18 dominance, consistent scorer.
24. Roman Siulepa (Australia, NBL Next Stars)
Super athletic wing, standout in NBL1 and Albert Schweitzer tournament.
25. Kristers Skrinda (Latvia, Rigas Zelli)
6'10 forward, led Latvia in U18s in points, boards, and efficiency, excellent 3-point shooter.
26. Mohamed Diakite (France, St Quentin)
Play finisher with size and floor-stretching upside, joins Nolan Traore at St Quentin.
27. Jeiminson Marquez (Venezuela, Club Promesas del Futuro)
Second leading scorer in U18 Americup, efficient mid-range shooter.
28. Jacob Furphy (Australia, Center of Excellence)
6'4 guard who scores at all 3 levels, plays at his own pace but has some real scoring upside, was a top 6 scorer in the U18 AsiaCup and led Australia in points
29. Joan Beringer (France, Cedevita)
6'10 athletic big, third most important piece for France's U18 team, high motor and great hands.
30. Marcus Moller (Denmark, Unicaja Baloncesto)
7'1 big man, Denmark's best prospect in FIBA U18s, solid defensive piece.
31. Fynn Schott (Austria, Gran Canaria)
Best defender and shot blocker in FIBA U18 Division B, uses strength well on both ends.
32. Fredrik Erichsen (Denmark, Bakken Bears)
6'9 forward, great vision and playmaking at his size.
33. Zak Smrekar (Slovenia, Krka)
Solid scorer for Slovenia, third best player in their bronze medal run.
34. Tama Isaac (New Zealand, Canterbury Rams)
6'1 guard, great court vision and passing, integral piece to Canterbury's rotation.
35. Yohann Sissoko (France, ASVEL)
Promoted to ASVEL's main team, great slasher with burst and speed.
36. Maruan Cicic (Montenegro, SC Derby)
6'11 mobile big, second leading scorer on SC Derby, efficient scorer.
37. Corentin Efono (Belgium, BC Oostende)
Big-framed guard, efficient scorer, helped Belgium to 7th place in U18s.
38. Marko Radunovic (Montenegro, KK Podgorica)
High-flying athlete, great rebounder and defender, developing shooter.
39. Olavi Suutela (Finland, Helsinki Basketball Academy)
Elite rebounder and paint presence, raw prospect but impactful.
40. Ivan Juric (Croatia, Dubrava Furnir)
Efficient back-to-the-basket big man, great showing in U18s.
41. Mantas Juzenas (Lithuania, Zalgiris)
6'6 wing, key player for Zalgiris U18, performed well in U18 tournament.