Top 10 Mid Major International Imports
Mid-majors have traditionally been the best aggregators and cultivators of international basketball talent that slips through the cracks of traditionally minded high-major programs. In recent years, those big programs have begun to catch on to the value of a global scouting approach, sending many college coaches to reach even deeper into international leagues to pull out the best players. They’ve gotten crafty, experimental, and most importantly, better at identifying and developing international prospects to give them whatever edge they need. Here’s the Top 10 that are being imported to mid-major leagues this year.
- Izan Almansa, 6-foot-10 center/power forward, Gonzaga (Spain)
A grossly overqualified big man with experience at the highest levels of FIBA, G-League, NBL, and EuroLeague competition, Almansa, if admitted, would become an immediate All-American contender. 21 years old, he has three major FIBA event MVP awards, a 24-game run with EuroLeague runners-up Real Madrid, and a quiet afternoon in the 2025 NBA Draft green room; Almansa’s career has already had a lifetime’s worth of twists and turns. Almansa won MVPs of the 2022 U17 World Cup, 2022 U18 EuroBasket, and the 2023 U19 World Cup, becoming the first to ever win all three awards. Beating future NBA players like Zaccharie Risacher and Dylan Harper for the honors and championships in two of the three events, losing the 2022 U17 World Cup championship to the United States.
He’s a physically built and savvy big man with a deep bag of post moves, great rebounding instincts, and a professional touch inside. He’s quite limited from the exterior, but his dominance in the paint makes up for it. Almansa is a former prodigy, not yet out of his youth. Almansa’s eligibility is still in limbo at the moment as the NCAA decides if he has too much international experience to be eligible; however, under the newly passed Five-for-Five eligibility bill, Almansa would be eligible for two more seasons, beginning in 2027-28, if he is not allowed eligibility this year.
2. Kaan Onat, 6-foot-5 point guard, UT Martin (Türkiye)
At the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup in Istanbul, there were five players named to the All-Star 5 roster. The group included 2026 NCAA National Player of the Year and 2026 3rd overall NBA draft pick Cameron Boozer, 2025 U19 World Cup MVP and 2026 1st overall NBA draft pick, AJ Dybantsa, 2026 NCAA National Champion Oscar Goodman, highly touted Baylor player Maikcol Perez, and then Kaan Onat. Onat has also excelled at the club level with Anka Spor of the Turkish TBL and averaged 15.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per game at 17-years old during the 2024-25 season.
Onat similarly produced the past few weeks at the U20 Eurobasket A tournament in Ljubljana, averaging 13.7 Points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 3.0 steals per game, ranking inside the top 20 in all of those categories. Onat has plus size, ever-scanning vision, and a deep bag of penetration moves that make him an effective threat who projects as a point guard at the next level as well. Onat's biggest area for improvement is his shooting efficiency from deep. He has never been shy to throw up the three-ball, but throughout his club career, he has never averaged better than 34.7% from deep, and in this year's Eurobasket, that clip fell to 22.2% on 3.9 attempts per game. If he can add range to his shooting, Onat could have an outside track at the NBA someday.
3. Alex Constanza, 6-foot-8 wing, Pepperdine (Dominican Republic/United States)
Ranked a top 50 prospect in the Class of 2026 by ESPN’s SC Next rankings, Constanza shocked a lot of scouts when he flipped commitments to Pepperdine last month. Considered one of the highest-upside prospects in the class with accolades to back it up, Constanza is set to be the biggest deal in Malibu since that Reba show went on the air. Choosing Pepperdine over offers from Kansas, Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Illinois, St. John’s, and his original commitment, Georgetown, Constanza is the highest-rated recruit to ever join the Waves in the online era.
In his junior year at Westminster Academy in Florida, Constanza averaged 29.4 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game before transferring to the Nike EYBL-affiliated school Spire Academy in Ohio for his senior year. On the AAU side of things, Constanza averaged 29 points and 11 rebounds for Team Scoot U17 last summer and was named Puma Pro16 First-Team All-Circuit. Constanza is full-blooded Dominican through both his parents, though he’s worked out with Team USA and, although he has the ability to, hasn’t yet associated with the Dominican Republic national basketball federation. In a largely wide-open WCC this season, the table is set for Pepperdine to reinvent itself, and Constanza could be just the guy to get the Waves to the Big Dance for the first time since 2002.
4. Felipe Quiñones, 6-foot-6 guard, FAU (Puerto Rico)
Considered a top 75 recruit in the nation by ESPN and a unanimous four-star guard, Felipe Quiñones has flashed his electrifying talent and positional versatility for several years now. Hailing from Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, Quiñones has cemented himself as the crown jewel of the Island’s 2008-born class. At last month’s FIBA U18 AmeriCup tournament against over a dozen five-star prospects, Quiñones took home All-Star 5 honors and led Puerto Rico to a 4th-place finish, upsetting Argentina in the quarterfinals before an injury forced him to exit early in the quarter of the Semifinals against the eventual champions, Canada. Across the tournament, Quiñones averaged 14.0 points, 6.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game in contests where he played at least 20 minutes.
He was the primary point guard on the nationally ranked Christopher Columbus High School basketball team in Miami, Florida, this past season. Competing alongside five-star forward Caleb Gaskins and just one year after the Boozer twins led the program to a Chipotle Prep National Championship. Quiñones is a very intelligent ballhandler with a large frame and a deep bag of dribble moves; he’s a jumbo point general in most settings, the type NBA scouts are looking for nowadays. His most impressive accomplishment was earning All-Star 5 honors at the Basketball Without Borders Global camp, a camp with the best foreign 2008-born talent across the globe. He should make immediate waves for the Owls this season.
5. Jackson Kiss, 6-foot-8 forward, UNLV (New Zealand/Tonga/Fiji)
An incredibly unconventional player in a number of aspects, Jackson Kiss has a number of scouts puzzled but deeply intrigued. Born in Auckland, to a Tongan mother with Fijian heritage, Kiss was simply too big a star to keep domestically. In his junior year of high school, he moved to play at the Utah Prep Academy in the Nike EYBL Scholastic circuit, starring alongside future first overall NBA pick AJ Dybantsa. Kiss dropped 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game at the 2025 Peach Jam tournament and intrigued scouts with his unique skill set.
The Kiwi big man possesses a strange set of strengths and weaknesses that make it extremely hard to put him in an archetypal “box”. He’s a gifted ball handler and playmaker, but his range leaves much to be desired. He’s an athletic above-the-rim scorer with great putback instincts but few strong post moves. His strongest ability is a unique crossover that he releases mid-first step and great hands, but he can’t finish over size. Altogether, he’s a very unique problem for defenders, and with his 7-foot wingspan and strong frame, he can guard three positions on the defensive end, causing headaches for opposing offenses. Kiss is rated as a 4-star by all major scouting services and originally committed to Iowa State before flipping to the Running Rebels in May.
6. Felipe Minzer, 6-foot-6 shooting guard, Austin Peay (Argentina)
The biggest pull for Austin Peay in quite some time, Felipe Minzer, is the new-age poster boy of Argentinian basketball. A disgustingly talented scorer with exceptional positional versatility on both ends of the floor, Minzer is a star in the making. At the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup, Minzer was outstanding for the Argentines, scoring 17.4 points, recording 7.1 rebounds, dishing 3.4 assists, and swiping 3.0 steals per game on 54.7 percent shooting from the field and 42.1 percent from beyond the arc.
There's a calmness to his game, a silent confidence to play at his own pace and take the opportunities as they come to him. This is not to say he is slow or uninterested; his double-double averages at the 2024 U18 AmeriCup and 2023 U17 South America Championship show he’s a relentless competitor on the boards and the offensive end. Minzer earned All-Star honors at the 2024 Basketball Without Borders Americas camp and competed against many great European talents with Casademont Zaragoza of Spain’s top division before transferring to The Academy of Central Florida last year to prepare for college. Minzer has a long and successful basketball career ahead of him and will certainly play the role of a big fish in the Governor’s pond.
7. Roger Fabrega Urpina, 6-foot-1 point guard, Fresno State (Spain)
A late bloomer in the Spanish basketball development circuit burst onto the scene for Amics Castello of the Segunda FEB, Spain’s professional third division. At just 19 years old, Fabrega led the entire league in assists, propelling his side to league promotion. For this, Fabrega was named the League’s Prospect of the Year and Domestic Player of the Year, the first to win both awards in a single season. Fabrega initially began playing within the FC Barcelona youth system, though he was eventually signed away by another Spanish third league side, Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa, before finding Amics Castello last season.
He’s only represented the Spanish youth national team once, at the U20 Eurobasket in 2025, where he averaged 7.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and a second-best 7.9 assists per game. He’s proven to be a highly efficient ball handler with great court vision and decision-making. His hands are quick on the defensive end, starting many fast breaks, though he is hesitant to pull the trigger himself. Fabrega still has much to develop on the scoring side of things and will have to adjust to the quick pace of college basketball, but he should have plenty of time to do so as an incoming freshman for Fresno State.
8. Nikolas Sermpezis, 6-foot-6 shooting guard/small forward, Florida Gulf Coast (Greece/Germany)
An exciting prospect from the legendary FC Bayern Munich system in Germany, Sermpezis has been terrorizing German youth leagues for the past few seasons. In the 2025-26 season, Sermpezis played at 3 different levels of the FC Bayern Munich system; for the U19 team, he played 8 games, averaging 24.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. For the FC Bayern Munich II team of the German 3rd division, he played 16 games, averaging 18.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. And finally, he played 6 games for the senior team in the BBL (Germany’s top league), getting just 3.7 minutes per game but still averaging 1.7 points and shooting 66.7 percent from deep.
By now, you should get the picture: Sermpezis is a significant caliber above most players his age. He’s an extremely fast and polished player with plug-and-play capabilities; his offensive game is very developed and doesn’t require constant feeding of the ball, despite his high point totals. He’s an instinctive defender who thrives on closing passing lanes and intercepting long passes. He’s a solid rim runner with a pretty shooting stroke. With the Eagles joining the debuting UAC this season, the caliber of his competition is not yet known, but don’t be surprised to see him transferring up to a serious contender in the years to come.
9. Jordan Charles, 5-foot-11 point guard, UC Santa Barbara (Canada)
Canada’s breakout star of the 2025 U19 World Cup, the pint-sized point guard wowed scouts and audiences alike with his speed, composure, and tenacity. Somewhat overshadowed this year by 5-star Canadian point guard Miles Sadler at both Bella Vista Prep and Canadian basketball coverage, Charles is nonetheless an extremely promising prospect. Competing at consecutive FIBA World Cups in 2024 (U17) and 2025 (U19), Charles showed off his fearlessness and scoring prowess, averaging 15.9 points and 13.0 points, respectively. His defense shone through as well with 2.1 steals and 1.7 steals per game at the two events.
Although largely overshadowed by the remarkable Canadian age group directly behind him, Charles took part in the 2025 Basketball Without Borders Global camp and proved he belonged among the global elite. His college options spanned a dozen schools, including heavy hitters Arizona State, TCU, Murray State, and Nevada, but he settled on the Gauchos of the Big West, playing under veteran head coach Joe Pasternack. A coach who just successfully relaunched ball-dominant guards Aidan Mahaney and Miro Little.
10. Ethan Lin, 6-foot-5 point guard, Penn (Sweden/Taiwan/Hong Kong/United States)
Born in Sweden to a Taiwanese Olympic tennis player and a Hong Kong interior designer, Ethan Lin has an extremely unique background. A background that led him to Fran McCaffrey’s Quakers in Philadelphia. Playing at Montgomery High School in New Jersey, Lin has made a significant name for himself as one of the top Asian-American hoopers in the nation, averaging nearly 20 points per game on 40 percent shooting from deep. Ranked as the number 24 point guard nationally in the Class of 2026, Lin had plenty of college coaches offering him scholarships, but to him, the most important factor was academics. He had offers from Yale, Princeton, and Brown, but picked McCaffrey’s squad, which reached the NCAA tournament last season.
He’s a shifty and large point guard with a genius IQ on and off the court. Lin’s shooting stroke is highly developed; he has fast-twitch and changes speeds and tempo at a high level. He’s a coach’s dream as a learner and has the kind of game that should perfectly translate to the next level. Lin has made clear that his degree is a top priority, which should give McCaffrey plenty of time to mold him into the centerpiece of Penn’s offense for the next half-decade.
Bonus Profiles:
11. Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa, 6-foot-6 shooting guard/small forward, Gonzaga (France)
A late addition to a rapidly restructuring Gonzaga class, Ekanga-Ehawa is a talented wing who only recently burst onto the French scene. At 18 years old, Ekanga-Ehawa started 22 games for JL Bourg’s U21 side in the French Espoirs-ELITE league in 2025-26. There, he averaged 19.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 69.8 percent inside the arc and 30.6 percent outside of it. He earned 5 games as a depth piece for the French first league side through his efforts, becoming one of the youngest in JL Bourg’s history to do so. He rightfully earned the Espoirs-ELITE league’s Most Improved Player award.
Ekanga-Ehawa earned his first French national team nod for the 2026 U20 EuroBasket tournament, which is ongoing at the time of this article’s publishing, and has commanded significant minutes. With the NBA Draft decision of Gonzaga commit Jack Kayil (picked 39th overall by the Houston Rockets) and the unexpected departure of projected starter Mario Saint-Supéry, Gonzaga has had to quickly scramble for top talent late in the NCAA recruiting window, and Ekanga-Ehawa seems to be a product of this. The Freshman is certainly raw, but his upside is uncapped, and in the long term he could very well become a star for Mark Few in Spokane.
12. Siebe Ledegen, 6-foot-7 small forward, Ohio (Belgium)
A sneaky pickup for the Ohio Bobcats, Siebe Ledegen’s name carried a lot of weight in Belgian basketball circles. Currently 23 years old with 5 years of full-time professional experience in the Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg top league (BNXT), and 16 senior national team caps, Ledegen is a fully fledged professional, with a well-maintained LinkedIn profile to show for it. For Okapi Aalst of the BNXT league, he averaged 12.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.9 steals per game last season.
Ledegen has played for Belgium’s senior national team for 3 years now, including Olympic Qualifiers and the 2025 EuroBasket. He’s a reliable and well-disciplined wing with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science from Ghent University. According to Ohio coach Jeff Boals, “He will positively impact our team right away. He can play inside and out and has great positional size. Siebe has a high basketball IQ and very high character. We look forward to him making an impact on the floor and in the locker room." His overall eligibility is uncertain and will certainly be put into question, but if cleared, he’d be one of the best wings in the MAC immediately, and an additional coach on the floor.
Players 13-20:
13. Dothan Ijadimbola, 6-foot-4 guard, Drake (USA/Nigeria)
14. Franck Belibi Jr., 6-foot-4 shooting guard, FAU (USA/Cameroon)
15. RJ Livingston Jr., 6-foot-2 point guard, Texas State (USA/Italy)
16. Oliver Kanden, 6-foot-6 forward, Pepperdine (Finland)
17. Colin Schroeder, 6-foot-8 forward, Fresno State (Germany)
18. Mason Fuentes, 6-foot-2 point guard, Stetson (Puerto Rico)
19. Diego Roman, 6-foot-8 guard, South Alabama (Switzerland/France)
20. Heimir Helgason, 6-foot-9 forward, UMass (Iceland)
21. Noah George, 6-foot-4 guard, NAU (Canada)
22. Sifeng Huan, 6-foot-10 center, UMBC (China)
23. Xavier Blake, 6-foot-4 shooting guard, Hofstra (Canada)
24. Kole Grandison, 6-foot-6 small forward, Texas State (Canada)
25. Nikola Janichikj, 6-foot-6 guard, UT Martin (North Macedonia)
Honorable Mentions:
Che Brogan, 6-foot-5 shooting guard, Ohio (Australia/USA)
Sasha Savkov, 6-foot-9 guard, UT Martin (Russia)
Kenan Gilao, 6-foot-9 power forward, Marshall (Canada)
Rokiem Green, 6-foot-3 guard, San Jose State (Canada)
Elhadji Diallo, 6-foot-7 forward, UMass Lowell (Senegal)