By Albert Juncà
Today marks the start of the 2025/26 college basketball season, with multiple games taking place across the country. This past summer, a large number of European prospects decided to cross the Atlantic Ocean to begin new chapters in their careers in NCAA Division I basketball. A few years ago, most players who joined college basketball made this move only after completing their youth careers in Europe. In recent seasons, however, it has become increasingly common to see players with professional experience in Europe take the opportunity to play in the United States. In this article, we are going to analyze four freshman players who could have an important impact during the upcoming season.
Dame Sarr - 6’8 - SG/SF - Duke Blue Devils - Italy
After playing 17 games with the FC Barcelona professional team and having an important role in the rotation during March due to team injuries, this 2025/26 season the Italian wing is one of the five freshmen players of one of the biggest powerhouses in college basketball Division I, Duke University.
This season, the Blue Devils have also recruited the two brothers and 2024 U17 World Champions, Cameron and Cayden Boozer, along with 2024 U19 World Champion Nikolas Khamenia. All of them can use their length and versatility to play multiple positions, giving the team flexibility to adapt to different scenarios. Despite his own versatility to play various perimeter positions, Sarr has mainly been used at the forward spots during the preseason. His positional awareness on offense, constantly filling empty spots, will be very useful for team spacing and flow. He can also contribute when operating with the ball, attacking close-out situations and creating advantages to break down opposing defenses.
Defensively, Sarr can help the team by using his previous professional experience in Europe, reading the game and using his length to close gaps in off-ball situations while showing awareness in rotations. Like his teammates, he provides valuable versatility, being able to guard multiple positions and play aggressively on switches, preventing ball-handlers from operating comfortably on the perimeter.
Hannes Steinbach - 6’11 - C - Washington Huskies - Germany
The German big begins his college basketball career after a standout performance at the U19 World Cup this past summer in Switzerland, where Germany earned the silver medal.
During the preseason, Steinbach has been seen playing as a PF next to another big during his minutes, often sharing the floor with the experienced Cameroonian center Franck Kepnang. Beyond the position he plays, it’s clear he will have an immediate impact for the Huskies thanks to his excellent rebounding instincts and physical presence in the paint, using his strong frame and toughness to gain space and finish at the rim. When playing as a center, he adds mobility to the team’s offense, attacking slower big men from the perimeter or collapsing the paint to feed open teammates. He makes great use of his body to seal players in transition or in pick-and-roll situations, gaining position next to the rim to receive and finish or clear a path for the ball-handler.
Defensively, Steinbach projects as a key pillar for Washington’s interior defense. He has excellent positioning and uses his motor to play aggressively in coverages or to cover ground in drop schemes with his length. When defending at the four, he can struggle a bit to stop forwards with good ball-handling skills, but he compensates with solid positional awareness and effective use of his length to maintain distance and protect himself.
Achille Lonati - 6’5 - SG - St Bonaventure Bonnies - Italy
After making his EuroLeague debut last season with Olimpia Milano and delivering solid performances in the FIBA U18 Championship in Belgrade, Lonati arrives at St. Bonaventure to show what he is capable of in the Atlantic 10 Conference. He is one of four international recruits for the Bonnies, along with Ilia Ermakov (Russia), John Ikpotokin (Ireland), and his countryman Andrew Osasuyi (Italy).
With a completely new roster, featuring only three returning players from last season, Lonati will have a significant opportunity to earn a role in Coach Schmidt’s schemes. His ability to not force shots, let the game flow, and be consistent on both ends without relying on his percentages to be regular and solid on the court. He can shoot from the deep, from multiple spots and situations, especially off the ball, where he shows impressive control of his changes of pace and speed to generate an advantage coming out of screens. This ability, along with his good square-up in multiple situations, can be helpful for a team that shares the ball and always tries to get the best shot on each possession.
Mario Saint-Supéry - 6’3 - PG - Gonzaga Bulldogs - Spain
This Spanish 2006-born guard joins Gonzaga University in the West Coast Conference after making his debut with the Spanish national team at the 2025 EuroBasket and spending two years playing professionally, first in Spain’s 2nd division with Burgos and later with Manresa in the 1st division and the Basketball Champions League.
The Zags return eight players from last season, providing a solid core to integrate an experienced newcomer like Mario. He will bring the experience gained competing at the highest European level, together with his energy and motor, to thrive in open-court situations and transition play, which have been hallmarks of Gonzaga’s style in recent years. Saint-Supéry fits extremely well within this basketball style, finding creative solutions in traffic and using his great body control to reach the rim. He showed improvements in his ball-handling last year and during the EuroBasket, as well as in his court vision, showing the ability to collapse the paint and assist his teammates effectively.
On defense, although his skills may not yet be fully polished, he will contribute through his energy and physical tools, relying on his powerful legs and activity to be an intense on-ball defender, getting low and using his hands to disturb opposing ball-handlers.
Today marks the start of the 2025/26 college basketball season, with multiple games taking place across the country. This past summer, a large number of European prospects decided to cross the Atlantic Ocean to begin new chapters in their careers in NCAA Division I basketball. A few years ago, most players who joined college basketball made this move only after completing their youth careers in Europe. In recent seasons, however, it has become increasingly common to see players with professional experience in Europe take the opportunity to play in the United States. In this article, we are going to analyze four freshman players who could have an important impact during the upcoming season.
Dame Sarr - 6’8 - SG/SF - Duke Blue Devils - Italy
After playing 17 games with the FC Barcelona professional team and having an important role in the rotation during March due to team injuries, this 2025/26 season the Italian wing is one of the five freshmen players of one of the biggest powerhouses in college basketball Division I, Duke University.
This season, the Blue Devils have also recruited the two brothers and 2024 U17 World Champions, Cameron and Cayden Boozer, along with 2024 U19 World Champion Nikolas Khamenia. All of them can use their length and versatility to play multiple positions, giving the team flexibility to adapt to different scenarios. Despite his own versatility to play various perimeter positions, Sarr has mainly been used at the forward spots during the preseason. His positional awareness on offense, constantly filling empty spots, will be very useful for team spacing and flow. He can also contribute when operating with the ball, attacking close-out situations and creating advantages to break down opposing defenses.
Defensively, Sarr can help the team by using his previous professional experience in Europe, reading the game and using his length to close gaps in off-ball situations while showing awareness in rotations. Like his teammates, he provides valuable versatility, being able to guard multiple positions and play aggressively on switches, preventing ball-handlers from operating comfortably on the perimeter.
Hannes Steinbach - 6’11 - C - Washington Huskies - Germany
The German big begins his college basketball career after a standout performance at the U19 World Cup this past summer in Switzerland, where Germany earned the silver medal.
During the preseason, Steinbach has been seen playing as a PF next to another big during his minutes, often sharing the floor with the experienced Cameroonian center Franck Kepnang. Beyond the position he plays, it’s clear he will have an immediate impact for the Huskies thanks to his excellent rebounding instincts and physical presence in the paint, using his strong frame and toughness to gain space and finish at the rim. When playing as a center, he adds mobility to the team’s offense, attacking slower big men from the perimeter or collapsing the paint to feed open teammates. He makes great use of his body to seal players in transition or in pick-and-roll situations, gaining position next to the rim to receive and finish or clear a path for the ball-handler.
Defensively, Steinbach projects as a key pillar for Washington’s interior defense. He has excellent positioning and uses his motor to play aggressively in coverages or to cover ground in drop schemes with his length. When defending at the four, he can struggle a bit to stop forwards with good ball-handling skills, but he compensates with solid positional awareness and effective use of his length to maintain distance and protect himself.
Achille Lonati - 6’5 - SG - St Bonaventure Bonnies - Italy
After making his EuroLeague debut last season with Olimpia Milano and delivering solid performances in the FIBA U18 Championship in Belgrade, Lonati arrives at St. Bonaventure to show what he is capable of in the Atlantic 10 Conference. He is one of four international recruits for the Bonnies, along with Ilia Ermakov (Russia), John Ikpotokin (Ireland), and his countryman Andrew Osasuyi (Italy).
With a completely new roster, featuring only three returning players from last season, Lonati will have a significant opportunity to earn a role in Coach Schmidt’s schemes. His ability to not force shots, let the game flow, and be consistent on both ends without relying on his percentages to be regular and solid on the court. He can shoot from the deep, from multiple spots and situations, especially off the ball, where he shows impressive control of his changes of pace and speed to generate an advantage coming out of screens. This ability, along with his good square-up in multiple situations, can be helpful for a team that shares the ball and always tries to get the best shot on each possession.
Mario Saint-Supéry - 6’3 - PG - Gonzaga Bulldogs - Spain
This Spanish 2006-born guard joins Gonzaga University in the West Coast Conference after making his debut with the Spanish national team at the 2025 EuroBasket and spending two years playing professionally, first in Spain’s 2nd division with Burgos and later with Manresa in the 1st division and the Basketball Champions League.
The Zags return eight players from last season, providing a solid core to integrate an experienced newcomer like Mario. He will bring the experience gained competing at the highest European level, together with his energy and motor, to thrive in open-court situations and transition play, which have been hallmarks of Gonzaga’s style in recent years. Saint-Supéry fits extremely well within this basketball style, finding creative solutions in traffic and using his great body control to reach the rim. He showed improvements in his ball-handling last year and during the EuroBasket, as well as in his court vision, showing the ability to collapse the paint and assist his teammates effectively.
On defense, although his skills may not yet be fully polished, he will contribute through his energy and physical tools, relying on his powerful legs and activity to be an intense on-ball defender, getting low and using his hands to disturb opposing ball-handlers.
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