Unique Basketball Prospects: The NBA season is already in full swing, having already surpassed the halfway mark and speeding towards the trade deadline and various-Star break. Players of various ages and backgrounds are becoming well-known around the nation. These prospects include standout recruits from high school who are contemplating their next move and college prospects who are debating whether to play professionally or stay on campus for another season.
Even younger athletes who still have their whole high school careers ahead of them are on this list of exceptional possibilities. These ten unique basketball prospects are all quite different from one another in terms of size, age, skill set, and, of course, how they got to where they are in the basketball world.
These ten unique basketball prospects are not your typical athletes, yet several of them have already achieved widespread recognition.
The World’s Top 10 Most Unique Basketball Prospects
Check out the world’s top 10 most unique basketball prospects below:
1. No. 1 Recruit Cooper Flagg Is Taking His Talents To Duke
Right now, Cooper Flagg is the nation’s top high school prospect. Flagg has been competing at the top level of high school competition at Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida, and has already committed to playing college ball at Duke. When Flagg competed in the Nike EYBL in 2022 and the U17 Basketball World Cup, where he was selected to the All-Tournament Team and earned a gold medal, he gained widespread notice.
When it was reported in November of last year that Flagg had destroyed NBA player Bradley Beal in a 1-on-1 match that ended with Beal yelling at Flagg, the story grabbed headlines once more. Flagg, the top recruit in the 2025 class, is 6’9″ and 200 pounds, and he is prepared to dominate at the next level.
Flagg, who is already making an impression on both NBA and NCAA veterans, is a possible generational player that the Blue Devils are acquiring.
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2. 17-Year-Old Olivier Rioux Could Be The Next Victor Wembanyama
Olivier Rioux has experienced more than most 17-year-olds in the world today, having gone from being the tallest adolescent in the world at 15 years old and 7’6″ to a three-star commit to the University of Florida. At the age of 15, Rioux gained prominence only by standing 7’6″ tall. Reporters swarmed to see the massive Canadian who abruptly became interested in basketball.
Raised in Montreal, Canada, Rioux initially gained notoriety in the basketball world when, at the age of twelve, he attracted the attention of NBA players like Joel Embiid and Stephen Curry at a competition in Spain. He has represented Team Canada in competitions abroad and is a student at the IMG Academy in Florida, one of the top basketball schools in the country.
At 7’7″, Rioux is already taller than both Spurs rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama and Shaquille O’Neal. Rioux is the most recent 7-footer who seems to be headed straight for the NBA while having a lot of room for improvement in his game. Fans are thrilled with his recent highlights, and some have even predicted that the NBA will soon be full of unicorns just like him.
Rioux, who will be the largest NCAA athlete on any squad in the nation, has committed to play for the University of Florida in the upcoming season.
3. Zach Edey Is Keeping The Traditional Big Man Alive
Purdue University’s Zach Edey is not your typical 7’4″ NBA prospect for 2024. These days, most big players are adept at handling the ball, creating their shots, and making it rain from a variety of distances. Conversely, Edey has stuck to a conventional style of play, soaring up NBA Draft boards and controlling the paint and the glass.
After playing at Purdue for all four years, Edey won the Wooden Award, the AP Player of the Year award, and the Naismith Award in 2022–2023 while averaging 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. Edey returned unexpectedly for his senior year, and he has dominated once again, averaging 23.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per contest. The worst part is this. Edey has made just one three-point try in his four years in college.
Zach Edey has made it a point to adhere to the fundamentals and develop into one of the most accomplished players in NCAA history in a time when everyone’s game on the court includes the three-point shot. NBA Draft analysts are beginning to take notice of him as well; he is now predicted to be a lottery pick in 2024. Hopefully, they won’t try to make him into a spot-up shooter by drastically altering him.
4. 14-Year-Old Mahamadou Landoure Is The Next Generational Prospect
Global basketball enthusiasts were taken aback when learning about Mahamadou Landoure in 2023. When the 13-year-old Mali basketball phenom hit the court for Real Madrid in the Minicopa Endesa, he was over 200 pounds and towering 6’9″. In the tournament finals, he scored 56 points and pulled down 33 rebounds, earning the title of MVP.
Some who are enthralled by the young man’s maturity and height at such an early age have already called Landore “the most dominant basketball player on Earth.” Landoure would assist Real Madrid to win the No Borders Eurocup a month after his heroics in the renowned U14 event.
One of the most exciting possibilities in the world right now, Landoure is going to be a name to watch for years to come.
5. 12-Year-Old Mohamed Dabone Looks NBA-Ready Before High School
The world got to see 12-year-old Mohamed Dabone of FC Barcelona in Spain for the first time in December 2023. Of course, everyone’s initial observation of this young basketball talent was his height of 6’11”. However, that isn’t the only thing that sets him apart.
Even at the age of twelve, Dabone’s height is astounding, but what really sets him apart as a potential is his blend of stature, talent, and agility as well as his synchronised movement. At his age and developmental stage, it would be reckless of anybody to declare with certainty that Dabone is a future star. Still, he is clearly headed for success after guiding Barcelona to victory in the U15 FLL Tournament in Spain, which was capped by a 25-point, 14-rebound, and 6-block effort.
6. 7-Footer Abdramane Siby Is Another Mali-Based Player Making Headlines
Abdramane Siby, a 7-foot beast from Mali, is another player pushing the Mega MIS U19 club in the Adriatic – Junior ABA League. Siby, who is only 17 years old, has lately gained notoriety for his exploits in the KLS U19 division with Mega MIS. Siby scored a game-high 18 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and blocked 11 shots in his most recent outing.
Siby is not only racking up triple-doubles, but he is also getting closer to being just another 7-foot player who is headed straight for the NBA. With a 7-foot-5 wingspan, exceptional agility, and amazing defensive skills that include shot-blocking and shot-altering, Siby is the epitome of the modern-day big.
Ahead of the 2024 and 2025 NBA Drafts, keep an eye out for Abdramane Siby.
7. Jonathan Mogo Has The Greatest Story In College Basketball
A little over six years ago, Jonathan Mogbo was a 125-pound combo guard who stood five feet nine inches tall. Even though he had no D1 invitations to play at the next level after he graduated from high school, he still gave it his all.
Mogbo redshirted at Missouri State as a junior after spending a year at Independence Community College and an additional year at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. In 24.4 minutes of play, he averaged 8.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 58.9% shooting. Following the season, Mogbo moved to the University of San Francisco, where he is now becoming well-known on national NBA Draft boards.
Having started all 20 games for San Francisco in 2023–24, Mogbo is averaging 15.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 68.0% shooting per game. Despite not having a perimeter jumper, Mogbo’s potential has placed him directly on the NBA roster, despite his lack of recognition throughout his high school career.
8. Another Teenage French Phenom Has His Sights Set On The NBA
The quantity of NBA talent that has emerged from France in recent years has greatly improved the quality of play. The two most recent French talents to make headlines in the NBA are Victor Wembanyama and Bilal Coulibaly, but a 6’10, recently 17-year-old who is aiming to follow in their footsteps sooner rather than later.
At the moment, Jonas Boulefaa is representing Pole France in the France – NM1 League abroad. Boulefaa is having a great season in his debut year with the team, averaging 11.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. Because of his 6’10” frame, his distinct feel for the game, and his proficiency from three points, Boulefaa is considered a top potential for the NBA. This season, Boulefaa is one of the tallest players in NM1.
9. Croatia’s Michael Ruzic is a 17-year-old NBA prospect.
Michael Ruzic, a 17-year-old power forward from Croatia, is currently preparing to play in the EuroCup with Joventut Badalona. Beyond that, the 17-year-old, who is 6’11” and weighs little over 205 pounds, aspires to be one of the NBA’s next big foreign stars.
Although Ruzic is only averaging 5.7 points per game in his debut season with Joventut Badalona, there are plenty of positive indicators for his future growth. With a career field goal percentage of 64.0% and a three-point percentage of 41.2%, Ruzic is incredibly effective. Despite not being completely mature just yet, he is already regarded as being on the NCAA and NBA level due to his fluidity, movement, and shooting range, which have made him the talk of the town whenever he shows up.
10. Already Having An Impact at the University of Kentucky, Zvonimir Ivisic
Zvonimir Ivisic, a 7’2″ big guy, has been fighting for his life in the NCAA for the past three months. Ivisic required NCAA approval to return to action after barely being accepted to Kentucky in early October. Being one of the best international prospects in the world, his team and he were suffering greatly from his prolonged absences from the court.
The NCAA eventually gave Ivisic the go-ahead to participate on January 20, 2024. He would make his eagerly anticipated debut in a matter of hours, and his influence would be noticed quickly. Ivisic played just 16 minutes off the bench in a 105-96 victory in front of his home crowd, finishing with 13 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and three blocks. Ivisic shot 3-4 from three overall and 5-7 overall, including a five-minute burst in which he scored 11 points in a row.
Ivisic made it clear in only one game that if he isn’t high on draft boards at the end of March, he will be.
These are the world’s top 10 most unique basketball prospects. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
