A pair of international prospects who show up in ESPN.com’s top-100 list for 2019 have declared for the draft, as Jonathan Givony of ESPN details in a pair of stories.
Estonian wing Henri Drell, the No. 55 prospect on ESPN’s big board, is one of those two players, Givony writes. Drell has spent the 2018/19 season in Germany, splitting time between Bamberg and lower-level teams. Despite still being just 18 years old, he joined the Estonian national team earlier this year for FIBA World Cup qualifiers.
If Drell goes through the pre-draft process and isn’t thrilled with the feedback he’s getting from NBA teams, he could withdraw anytime before the June 10 deadline.
The same can be said for 18-year-old Russian wing Nikita Mikhailovskii, who has also submitted paperwork to the league office to make himself eligible for the 2019 draft, agent Arturs Kalnitis tells Givony.
Mikhailovskii, the no. 63 prospect on Givony’s draft board, is the fourth-youngest player in ESPN’s top 100, so if he keeps his name in the draft pool and is selected in June 20, he’d likely end up being a draft-and-stash player. The 6’8″ wing is currently playing for Avtodor Saratov in Russia and has made 44% of his three-point attempts this season, per Givony.
Here are more early entrants who have recently declared for the 2019 draft:
NCAA:
- Anthony Lamb, F, Vermont (junior) (link via Austin Danforth of The Burlington Free Press)
- Jacob Ledoux, G, UTPB (junior) (Twitter link via UTPB)
- EJ Montgomery, F, Kentucky (freshman) (press release via school)
- Holland Woods, G, Portland State (sophomore) (Twitter link via Woods)
International:
- Darko Bajo, F, Croatia (born 1999) (Twitter link via agent Misko Raznatovic)
- Ognjen Carapic, G, Montenegro (born 1998) (Twitter link via Raznatovic)
- Dalibor Ilic, F, Bosnia (born 2000) (Twitter link via Raznatovic)
- Mate Kalajzic, G, Croatia (born 1998) (Twitter link via Raznatovic)
- Andrija Marjanovic, G/F, Serbia (born 1999) (Twitter link via Raznatovic)
- Nikola Miskovic, F, Serbia (born 1999) (Twitter link via Raznatovic)
- Adam Mokoka, G, France (born 1998) (Twitter link via Raznatovic)
- Toni Nakic, G, Croatia (born 1999) (Twitter link via Raznatovic)
- Tadas Sedekerskis, F, Lithuania (born 1998) (Twitter link via Givony)
- Filip Stanic, F/C, Germany (born 1998) (Twitter link via Raznatovic)
no one balling in china, australia or canada?
The only other NBA Estonian was Martin Muursepp, 1996-98. Estonia is stepping up their athlete development to keep up with neighboring Latvia.
Then there’s the guy from UTPB, the Univ. of Texas Pre-Bachelor’s, a college-prep remedial school.
Parts of this post are not true.
UTPB is UT permian Basin in odessa. He transferred there from McNeese State
I wonder if Andrija is Boban’s brother.