The U18 European Championship is easily the NBA's most fertile recruiting ground for international prospects, generating 47 first-round picks in the 15-year span between 2003 and 2017. While European players continue to rack up All-Star nods and prestigious awards, NBA teams didn't flock to this event in droves, as only a handful of U.S.-based executives elected to make their way out to Volos, Greece, for the Division A section of the event. Nevertheless, the 2001- and 2002-born generations in Europe are considered relatively strong, which should lead to a greater influx of first-round picks in coming drafts than we've seen lately. At least a dozen players made a strong case in Volos as future draft picks, with a handful more putting themselves on the NBA radar in Oradea, Romania, at the more obscure B Division, which we also attended. A huge contingent of college coaches were present at both events, as there's never been stronger interest in the NCAA ranks in international players, a route that has become increasingly popular even among elite prospects who view it as a legitimate pathway to the NBA. Spain defeated Turkey in the championship game of the A division, and Poland, Israel and Czech Republic won promotion out of the B Division, replacing Finland, the Netherlands and Latvia. Here's who we thought were the top NBA prospects in attendance.
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