MIES (Switzerland) - Is this the strongest and deepest pool of young talent ever in the Basketball Champions League? The simple answer to that question is probably yes.
Those of you young enough to remember Furkan Korkmaz and Frank Ntilikina chopping it up in Season 1 might have a case to make, but regardless, it probably wouldn't be a strong enough case to dissuade the notion that Season 9, an Ode to Basketball, has its own orchestra of young players with the higher concentration of talent than we've seen before in the BCL.
In fact, there are so many strong candidates for the Best Young Player Award that we decided to make a full starting five and even then we were forced to leave out some names who deserved to be in.
Point Guard: NOLAN TRAORE (Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball)
Coming into the start of the Regular Season the hype around Nolan Traore was already building with big name NBA draft boards not only projecting him in the lottery but even in the top 3.
In his first game, Traore managed to amplify the hype with 27 points and 5 assists on 50/40/100 shooting splits. SQBB also won the game comfortably against Kolossos H Hotels. Monsieur Traore had arrived.
Since that explosive arrival Traore has put up 13.3 points and 4.3 rebounds whilst leading his team from the point guard position despite being only 18. His fine form has been rewarded with a call up to the senior France roster for the FIBA Eurobasket 2025 Qualifiers.
It's no secret that, with Wembanyama ready to dominate the world, the missing piece for Les Bleus is a point guard in the same age group. No pressure Nolan, but you might just be it.
Shooting Guard: MARIO SAINT-SUPERY (BAXI Manresa)
The conveyor belt for talent in Spain just keeps producing. Saint-Supery is on loan at BAXI Manresa from Unicaja, where he became their youngest player to feature in a BCL and Liga Endesa game. He's also the youngest-ever winner of the Copa del Rey.
Europe is not loaded with coaches who are prepared to give young players considerable minutes. Still, Diego Ocampo had seen enough in Mario Saint-Supery to know that he could be trusted with a major role in his team and Saint-Supery has started to pay off that trust.
He's putting up 7.5 points and 5.3 assists from 16.8 minutes per game whilst helping to steer Manresa to a 3-1 record and second place in Group G. Saint-Supery has the bounce and fearlessness that fans love to watch. He can be slapping a chase-down block in one possesion and throwing down a dunk the next possession. Solid numbers and highlight plays are what to expect here.
Small Forward: NEOKLIS AVDALAS (Peristeri Domino's)
Neoklis Avdalas has already drawn comparisons to none other than Luka Doncic. Whilst that is quite the comparison to live up to, Hellas are overdue a new star to add to Giannis Antetokounmpo in the National Team and whilst it's still very early, the signs are there that Neoklis might be the one.
Peristeri's 2.03m point forward is putting up 6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists across all competitions whilst shooting 39 percent from deep in 15.6 minutes of play - all of that at just 18 years of age.
Avdalas clearly has a lot more to give as well, his ceiling is nowhere in sight. He has earned a call up to the Greece squad for the FIBA Eurobasket Qualifiers this week and with a game against Great Britain next, Greece fans will be hoping to get a glimpse into the looking glass and the possible future of Greek basketball.
Power Forward: JOHANN GRUNLOH (RASTA Vechta)
If 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2 assists whilst shooting 59 percent from inside and 50 percent from outside the arc doesn't make you a hot candidate for the BCL Best Young Player Award, then what does?
Grunloh only turned 19 in August but his game looks so much more well-rounded than his years. If you watch Vechta play you are guaranteed to see Grunloh throwing down alley-oops in the pick-and-roll in one possession and then splashing pick-and-pop three-balls the next.
He can dish out no looks dimes from the post too. Germany are the current FIBA World Cup champs and they have added Grunloh to their squad for the FIBA Eurobasket 2025 Qualifiers. The past, present, and future are looking pretty healthy for German basketball with talent like Johann Grunloh entering into the mix.
Center: MOUHAMED FAYE (Pallacanestro Reggiana)
We waited for a while (since Virtus Bologna lifted the trophy) to have a really strong team from the Italian Serie A in the BCL and now we have two, with Pallacanestro Reggiana and Bertram Derthona Basket both sitting atop of their respective groups.
In the case of Reggiana there is no way they would have the 3-1 record that they do without rising star Mouhamed Faye. He won the Serie A equivalent of our Best Young Player award last year and is only continuing to build on that this year.
He is averaging 9.8 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in the BCL and is almost averaging a double-double in Italy with 10.6 points and 9 rebounds. His ability to play big minutes and impact the game on both ends has seen him start to be projected as the best international center prospect in the 2025 draft class.
As it stands, Nolan Traore is rightfully most people's favorite to win the Best Young Player Award for Season 9 but if Faye can power Reggiana to a deep run, don't be surprised if he muscles his way into the frame.
Honorable Mentions
Vangelis Zougris (Peristeri Domino's), Noah Meussen (Filou Oostende), Joppe Mennes (Filou Oostende), Musa Sagnia (BAXI Manresa)