top of page
Search

P.I. [Euro] Pulse: France


A glimpse of our staff's recent trip to Nanterre, France
A glimpse of our staff's recent trip to Nanterre, France

In the latest edition of ‘P.I. Pulse’, Pro Insight’s Florian Kurth brings you the inside scoop on the latest happenings within the European basketball landscape. This new column, 'P.I. [Euro] Pulse,' is dedicated to highlighting the noteworthy performances of emerging talent across the continent of Europe:


In this recurring series, Florian Kurth will be calling attention to the standout performances (and even some of the underwhelming ones) — pointing out what’s truly worth your time on Synergy or other video platforms. The goal is to keep you up to date with the most relevant developments in each national scouting scene.


As we are actively working with a bevy of professional organizations and college programs, we won’t dive too deep into the specifics here — after all, providing that level of detail would devalue the quality and exclusivity of our clients. Instead, consider this series a curated overview of key trends and performances worth monitoring.


After our look into Germany's youth basketball landscape, we are turning our attention to some up-and-comers who are currently playing in France for various domestic teams and academies. In recent years, France's basketball scene has developed into THE most productive talent pool in Europe, with numerous players making the leap from the domestic Betclic Élite to the NBA, EuroLeague, or even U.S. colleges, thereby strengthening the global visibility of French basketball. In particular, French youth programs and training centers, like INSEP, are constantly promoting elite players, which is reflected in a growing number of young French players in the NBA draft lottery, in leading roles in the EuroLeague, and increasingly in the NCAA. At the same time, strategic media and league professionalization, as well as increasing club budgets, are leading to more intense competition and greater international appeal for the national league.


No. 1 Talent Hotbed Outside the U.S.


Whether it is the domestic Betclic Élite or the farmteam Espoirs league, France stays attractive for prospects to develop and showcase themselves on a quality European level. Today there are several Betclic Élite alumni playing in the NBA: Victor Wembanyama (formerly Metropolitans 92), Mohamed Diawara (Cholet), Noah Penda ( Le Mans), Bilal Coulibaly ( Metropolitans 92) and Zaccharie Risacher ( JL Bourg) to name just a handful. Every one of these benefited from teams and coaches who placed their trust in young players early on, while the players themselves naturally had some compelling arguments for getting plenty of playing time early.


The French Pipeline’s Wide-Ranging Impact


There are also structures such as the state-run INSEP academy, which has produced generations of top players and are considered important pillars of French basketball's success. At least one visit during the season is part of the routine for every scout who observes the French market for NBA teams or NCAA schools.


However, there are also players who have moved up to higher levels within Europe after a good season in France: Clement Frisch (formerly Nancy), Brice Dessert (Strasbourg) and Theo Maledon (ASVEL). The conditions in France for continuing to develop individually while preparing for the next step therefore seem to be in place.


Of course one key part is missing. The NCAA route through the leagues of France. You need names. Here we go: Santa Clara’s Noah Badibanga (formerly Chalon), Grand Canyon’s Evan Boisdur (Gravelines), Murray State’s Roman Domon (Gravelines), Dayton’s Amaël L’Etang (Cholet), Iowa State’s Killyan Toure (ASVEL), and many more. I could name in total 68 players, who came to the NCAA through the French (youth) leagues. No European country counts more at this point. 


With a large number of French professionals playing in the NBA and the top European leagues—coupled with global draft participation—momentum continues to build, which in turn inspires new talent. Accordingly, it's a no-brainer to look at some of the current developments in France and shine a light on its next generation.


Klark Riethauser (2027 - 6’7.5” Forward)

Chalon @ Le Mans 71-78 (Espoirs Élite)

31P-8R-5A-3TO in 32:44 MP


Chalon vs. Nanterre 54-70 (Espoirs Élite)

10P-6R-1A-5TO in 30:32 MP


(+) Athleticism and physical tools

(+) Versatility on O

(+) Lateral agility and switchability on D


(-) BBIQ/feel

(-) Processing speed

(-) Toughness


Summary: The next big prospect out of Switzerland is a real one. His length, speed and leaping ability is at an NBA level, while his tactical understanding and execution speed needs to develop.


Nanterre @ Nancy 91-84 (Betclic Élite)

16P-6R-0A-0TO in 25:54 MP


Nanterre @ Bourg-en-Bresse 83-86 (Betclic Élite)

2P-3R-1A-0TO in 19:28 MP


(+) Pro-ready physicality at 17 years old (!)

(+) Defensive versatility

(+) Off-ball prowess as a cutter and C&S threat


(-) Vertical pop

(-) Self-creation

(-) Communication


Summary: First pro season for HYM, and it is a typical rookie season for a prospect of his caliber. It's clear that he won't be playing at this level for long, but his performance still fluctuates enormously. The last few weeks have definitely been moving in a positive direction, again being one of the key contributors to Nanterres Ws vs. Paris and Nancy. Projection as a HM prospect hasn’t changed.


Blois vs. Evreux 103-84 (Elite 2)

15P-2R-0A-2TO in 21:20 MP


Blois @ Aix-Maurienne 88-69 (Elite 2)

3P-3R-1A-3TO in 19:35 MP


(+) Touch + ballhandling

(+) Pick-and-Pop ability


(-) Toughness

(-) 1v1 perimeter defense

(-) Athleticism


Summary: In his first pro season, JB plays a good role for Blois and brings legit value to their frontcourt. Offensively, he fills in as a stretch 4 and operates a lot from the high post. The defensive performance fluctuates and should be his priority to work on in the latter half of the season.


Cholet vs. Bursaspor 109-77 (BCL)

11P-1R-4A-0TO in 17:26 MP


Cholet vs. Monaco 72-95 (Betclic Élite)

0P-0R-2A-0TO in 18:05 MP


(+) BBIQ and decision making


(-) Size

(-) Range shooting  consistency

(-) Ceiling


Summary: The season ATN has played so far is remarkable for a 16-year-old. Due to his mentality it was obvious that he would acclimate to the pro level quickly. Nevertheless, his physical disadvantages are quickly becoming apparent in both Betclic Élite and, above all, the Champions League. The question remains as to how much higher the youngster can go, given that he is unlikely to grow any taller, let alone drastically improve his athleticism. Regardless, he has a long career ahead of him at a solid European level.


Pôle France vs. Lorient 77-82 (NM1)*

22P-8R-7A-3TO in 35 MP


Pôle France @ Levallois MBC 63-100 (NM1)*

10P-4R-5A-3TO in 27 MP


*NM1 games are not on Synergy, but broadcast live on FFBB YT channel


(+) BBIQ

(+) Shooting mechanics


(-) Consistency from 3-point range

(-) Propensity to gamble on D

(-) Hip agility


Summary: By far the #1 French prospect from the 2009 generation. Big time NBA prospect. Projects to bring everything a modern forward needs to be productive at the highest level. Get familiar with this name.


Nanterre vs. Lyon-Villeurbanne 85-72 (Espoirs)

18P-15R-1A-1BL in 36:41 MP


Nanterre vs. Le Mans 64-80 (Betclic Élite)

5P-4R-2TO-5FLS in 24:44 MP


(+) Rim protection

(+) Two-way rebounding

(+) Lateral agility (esp. for his size)


(-) Turnover and foul-prone

(-) Limitations on O

(-) Inconsistency as a finisher


Summary: The late-blooming big from Montmorency, France brings good size (+WS and huge hands) and athleticism (laterally and vertically), but has limited scoring ability. He plays exclusively for the Espoirs squad of Nanterre. Value on D is tremendous and his unique selling point, while his offensive game is work in progress.


Le Mans vs. Chalon 91-84 (Espoirs)

15P-9R-2A-1TO in 28:23 MP


Le Mans vs. Bourg-en-Bresse 91-84 (Espoirs)

4P-6R-3A-2TO in 34:41 MP


(+) Smooth, clean shooting mechanics

(+) Vertical pop

(+) Elite length


(-) Burst

(-) Ballhandling

(-) Physicality


Summary: Penda has seemingly plenty of upside left. The younger brother of ORL forward Noah will get more playing time on the pro team in the second half of the season. He is an athletic/long wing, who excels via cutting and spot-up shooting. The defensive versatility is clear, while lacking upper body strength and real skill for the pro level at this point.


Messi Yangala (2028 - 6’8” 4-5 man)

Pole France @ Rennes 88-82 (NM1)

17P-10R-4A-0TO in 31 MP


Pole France vs. Les Sables D’Olonne 59-91 (NM1)

6P-4R-1A-3TO in 26 MP


(+) Strength and physicality in the paint

(+) High motor and rim running

(+) Anticipation on D


(-) Overall BBIQ

(-) Must learn to take his foot off the gas here and there

(-) Tactical / positional understanding within half court offense


Summary: Since Mahop, Soliman, and Elouma are currently taking on most of the responsibilities on the Pole France squad, Messy sits in the shadows and shines when he gets the chance. This is perfectly fine considering his age. The youngster has NBA upside and is already showing glimpses of what he is capable of achieving long term. What stands out most is his enormous commitment and desire to really make a difference on the court. He is a versatile but unpolished power forward who is also used as a small-ball big from time to time. He fills both roles well.


Additional Names to Follow


Mohammad Amini, Adam Atamna, Dimitri Azema, Soren Bracq, Kenny Courset, Sacha Defoundoux, Nateo Gabriel Des Bordes, Gangy Diallo, Maidy Douglas, Taig Nonga Drieux, Christopher Ebunangombe,  Achille Elouma, Mouhamed Faye, Ilane Fibleuil, Marc-Owen Fodzo-Dada, Bastien Grasshoff, Isaac Guedegbe, Theo Guedegbe, Messi Iwani, Liam Kabeya, Maxence Lemoine, Louka Letailleur, Matthys Mahop, Killian Malwaya, Yael Masdieu-Reynaert, Brandon Muela, Ilian Moungalla, Akram Naji, Sven Ngom, Hugo Nguyen, Paul Nnanga, Antoine Pansa, Yohan Pomier, Mohamed Sankhe, Talhis Soulhac, Ilian Toholin, Alassane Traore, Jahel Trefle, Keny Vado, Romain Valakou, Gabriel Veras, Marvyn Wade, Oscar Wembanyama



bottom of page