With the NCAA and other leagues worldwide officially in full swing, NBA scouts are now hard at work looking for their teams’ next potential star and core pieces. As a part of Sports Business Classroom’s 2025 NBA Draft series, the following is the second part of European prospects to watch ahead of June’s draft. 

Joan Beringer (Cedevita Olimpija, Adriatic League) is one of the main risers of the first half of the season. His name is mentioned in the first-round discussion, possibly as a lottery pick. The French big man started his first professional season in an unusual setting for the 18-year-old, playing outside his home country. Beginning with a backup role, Beringer found his rhythm midway through the season, earned a starting spot, and became one of the reasons his team overperformed and reached EuroCup playoffs after finishing dead in two previous seasons. Beringer creates gravity at both ends of the floor—a putback monster and above-the-rim finisher on offense and a mobile and athletic rim protector on defense. Beringer runs the floor well and brings a massive presence to the paint. At the current stage of his development, he gets a small number of touches but shows great motor and hustle, willing to dive for loose balls and working hard setting consecutive screens. Beringer started playing basketball a couple of years ago, and his immediate ability to contribute on a high level projects a considerable upside, as well as his combination of size, athleticism, and mobility.

Noah Penda (Le Mans, France) went under the radar at the youth level due to the wide variety of flashy prospects from France. He hasn’t played at the U18 European Championship, which is considered the leading exhibition of youth talent in Europe, and spent the last two years playing in the French second division (below-average competition by European standards). He hasn’t necessarily taken the French top league by storm this season but filled the stat sheet averaging 10.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks for his team before the FIBA break.

Penda has a big body for the wing position. He’s a 6’8’’, strong, versatile forward who draws comparisons to Collin Murray-Boyles, who can shoot threes. His tenacity also brings to mind a slightly taller version of Dillon Brooks. He can grab and go, dribble-pass-shoot, and make quick decisions. His strength allows him to power his way down the basket and intimidate players with his toughness on defense. Playing for a mid-pack team allowed Penda more freedom with the ball in his hands, and he has shown he can be a better initiator than most young players at his position, which excites scouts more and more as the season progresses. 

Sergio De Larrea (Valencia, Spain) has been one of the most efficient young players in the initial stretch of the season. His mature decision-making and 63.0 true-shooting percentage earned him a starting spot in front of proven European vets on the Valencia team that led the ACB and the Eurocup before his ankle injury in early December. De Larrea is a respectable young player, but not many saw him emerge this soon at the pro level. This summer, De Larrea got a call-up to train with the Spanish national team in preparation for the Olympics and made his international debut against the Dominican Republic—receiving praise from coach Sergio Scariollo. Besides solid fundamentals and basketball IQ that the Spaniards are known for, De Larrea brings what his national team has been missing: size at the point. Standing at 6’6,’’ De Larrea is a versatile combo guard with a player profile comparable to a better-shooting Tomas Satoransky or a slightly less creative but more efficient version of Ben Saraf. He may not bring more than he already has shown, but it may have already been enough to get him picked on the fringe of the first round.

Johann Gruenloh (Rasta Vechta, Germany) is considered the future of German basketball at the center position and one of the better young big men on the continent. He averaged an impressive 3.9 blocks in the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championship and is currently a starting center in the German league, producing solid numbers across the board and looking very much acclimated at the senior level in his second season with Rasta Vechta. His most significant impact comes as a rim protector, a category where he is already among the leaders in all competitions. He is a hard worker on the glass and has no fear of getting dunked on like Chet Holmgren. Although Gruenloh should be classified as a drop big, he has a decent motor for his size and is well-disciplined for his age, which earns him twenty-five minutes per game in a solid professional setting. Gruenloh is an active screener and hard roller, but the most intriguing part of his offensive upside is thirty-five percent from deep (2.2 attempts per game). If his shooting remains consistent with a larger sample size, it may unleash his NBA potential even more.

Bogoljub Markovic (Mega, Adriatic League) is a 7-foot stretch four who can score face-up and make plays from the post. The 19-year-old is a perennial starter on his team, averaging 13.0 points, 7.0 boards, and nearly 3.0 assists. Despite a lack of athleticism that prevents Markovic from being a feared rim protector, his sturdy body allows him to hold his own against grown men in the post. Markovic reads the pick-and-roll well at both ends and has a good sense of timing and positioning on switches. He’s especially good at making himself available after slip screens and making smart reads as a secondary creator in the short roll. Markovic is a reliable spot-up shooter, converting 37 percent on two attempts per game from three. He can also bring the ball up the floor after a rebound and make quick passing decisions. His profile reminds of Nikola Mirotic’s, though that may be too bold given Mirotic’s superstar status internationally. However, Markovic’s all-around production in his first full season in the Adriatic League should encourage teams late in the second round. 

Mouhamed Faye (Reggiana, Italy) is a 6’10’’ Senegalese center with a 7-foot-5 wingspan. He is strong and durable, runs hard, and can jump out of the gym. Faye broke out at the youth level during the 2022-2023 ANGT campaign, averaging 17.2 points, 10.4 boards, and 1.8 blocks over eight games, where nobody could stop him at the rim. Last summer, he declared for the draft and worked out for NBA teams before withdrawing at the deadline. Faye is in his second professional season in Italy, playing around 20 minutes per game and regularly flirting with a double-double. He’s a non-shooter, which limits his value as an offensive prospect. Faye gets marginal touches and scores exclusively at the rim. He converts only half his layups and free throw attempts, but he can play above the rim. Aside from rebounding and rim protection, the most intriguing part of his game is his switchability. Faye has exceptional mobility and body control that enables him to slide his feet quickly in a low stance, so he can be a disruptor not only in the paint but at the perimeter by closing out passing lanes, recovering, and contesting shots from all over the floor. No one could score on Faye in isolation this season on the small sample size of nine attempts (per Synergy). Last season’s numbers back that up, though, with just three of 18 field goals scored on him for that play type. His offensive limitations seem hard to overcome, but a workhorse backup big who can dominate on the glass and switch on the perimeter is a reasonable bet to take late in the second round with shades of a modern-day Bismack Biyombo.