Cheick Diallo of Our Savior New American (Centereach, N.Y.) could be the next Top 10 NBA Draft pick from Africa.
Photo by Ralph Thompson
Thursday night's 2014 NBA Draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn should feature a strong international presence early on.
Andrew Wiggins (Canada), Joel Embiid (Cameroon) and Dante Exum (Australia) could all be selected among the first five picks.
It won't be a new phenomenon, as 11 of the last 13 drafts have seen at least one international player selected in the top 10. Anthony Bennett (Canada) in 2013, Andrea Bargnani (Italy) in 2006, Andrew Bogut (Australia) in 2005 and Yao Ming (China) in 2002 were all taken with the No. 1 overall pick.
International Players Selected in Top 10 of NBA Draft 2001-20132013: Anthony Bennett (Canada), Alex Len (Ukraine)
2012: None selected
2011: Enes Kanter (Turkey), Tristan Thompson (Canada), Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania), Jan Vesely (Czech Republic), Bismack Biyombo (Democratic Republic of Congo)
2010: None selected
2009: Hasheem Thabeet (Tanzania), Ricky Rubio (Spain)
2008: Danilo Gallinari (Italy)
2007: Al Horford (Dominican Republic), Yi Jianlian (China)
2006: Andrea Bargnani (Italy), Mouhamed Sene (Senegal)
2005: Andrew Bogut (Australia)
2004: Luol Deng (South Sudan), Rafael Araujo (Brazil)
2003: Darko Milicic (Serbia)
2002: Yao Ming (China), Nikoloz Tskitishvili (Georgia), Nene (Brazil)
2001: Pau Gasol (Spain), DeSagana Diop (Senegal)
The new trend, however, is seeing international players come stateside to play in American high schools before they're eligible for the draft. Several candidates to continue the trend are on the ground already in the United States playing high school basketball. Here's a look at 10 of the best:
Ben Simmons, Montverde Academy (Fla.)Country: Australia
247Sports Composite ranking: No. 1, Class of 2015
Current draft outlook: The
MaxPreps 2013-14 National Junior of the Year is a legitimate candidate to join Bogut as the second Australian to be taken with the No. 1 overall draft pick. Expect him to debut as the top dog in the 2016 mock drafts. Nearly 6-foot-9, Simmons is the total package and a matchup nightmare with the ability to slide between the three and four positions.
Thon Maker, The Carlisle School (Martinsville, Va.)Country: Australia
247Sports Composite ranking: No. 3, Class of 2016
Current draft outlook: Maker's thin frame will turn off some, but his skill set and agility at 7-0 is off the charts. Born in South Sudan before making the journey to Australia, he always plays hard and has been highly productive in two seasons at Carlisle and on the club circuit.
Cheick Diallo, Our Savior New American (Centereach, N.Y.)Country: Mali
247Sports Composite ranking: No. 5, Class of 2015
Current draft outlook: Defense and rebounding is a given for the 6-9 Malian. If he continues to progress on the offensive end (and he's been consistently productive if not refined in that regard), Diallo has a chance to be one of the best ever to come from the African continent.
Udoka Azubuike
Photo by Todd Shurtleff
Udoka Azubuike, Potter's House Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.)Country: Nigeria
247Sports Composite ranking: No. 9, Class of 2016
Current draft outlook: A bullish post, Azubuike has made a major impression on scouts and analysts over the last 12 months. He dominated several games against national-caliber programs as a sophomore at Potter's House and has been a consistent double-double producer on Nike's EYBL circuit. If he can add some finesse to his low-post game, NBA teams will be hooked.
Skal Labissierre, Evangelical Christian (Cordova, Tenn.)Country: Haiti
247Sports Composite ranking: No. 14, Class of 2015
Current draft outlook: The scouting report on Labissiere is incomplete at this point. Injuries have held him back (he missed nearly his entire junior season at Evangelical Christian), but there is plenty of intrigue with his 6-10 frame and flashes of brilliance.
Justin Jackson, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)Country: Canada
247Sports Composite ranking: No. 27, Class of 2016
Current draft outlook: At nearly 6-8, Jackson possesses elite athleticism and bounce. He's a so-so power forward prospect but if he can make the transition to the wing he will be coveted at the professional level.
Jamal Murray, Athlete's Institute (Mono, Ontario, Canada)Country: Canada
247Sports Composite ranking: No. 29, Class of 2016
Current draft outlook: He technically doesn't attend high school in the United States but he's played in so many events south of the border it feels like he does. There was some top-of-the-class buzz for Murray early on but his prospect rankings reflect a wait-and-see approach. He's got great size for a combo guard and has shown the ability to score in bunches.
Montaque Gill-Ceasar, Huntington St. Joseph Prep (W.Va.)Country: Canada
247Sports Composite ranking: No. 35, Class of 2015
Current draft outlook: Too early to talk draft but his talent will ensure that many will monitor progress. A standout in the recent FIBA Americas U18 Championship, Gill-Caesar is a bit of a "tweener," but there is plenty of time to change that.
Moustapha Diagne, Pope John XXIII (Sparta, N.J.)Country: Senegal
247Sports Composite ranking: No. 45, Class of 2015
Current draft outlook: The 6-9, 240-pounder averaged 17.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game as a junior. While he isn't considered an elite prospect at this point, playing at forward factory Syracuse could bode well for his future. Diagne committed to the Orange nearly a year ago.
Deng Adel, Victory Rock Prep (Bradenton, Fla.) Country: Australia
247Sports Composite ranking: No. 85, Class of 2015
Current draft outlook: Adel emerged this spring on the adidas circuit. While his composite standing is still hovering in the 80s, 247Sports Director of Scouting Jerry Meyer apparently liked what he saw at the NBA Top 100 Camp last week as he installed him at No. 22 overall in his own rankings.