The FIBA under-18 European Championship Division B wrapped up over the weekend in Estonia, with Croatia taking the title led by a standout 17-year-old forward.

Here are the top 11 young international draft prospects who impressed the most.


TALLINN, Estonia — At age 16, Kayne Henry-McCalla stood 6-foot-1, long-armed and scrawny with Kawhi Leonard-style corn rows and little buzz to his name.

Playing for an unheralded program in Central London, Henry-McCalla was more or less off the national radar. The lanky, defensive-minded guard had a solid skill set, but at the time the idea of developing into anything close to an NBA prospect was out of the question, especially in a country more known for corner kicks and headers.

Only two years later, Henry-McCalla is one of the more promising prospects in a country whose basketball talent is trending up. He's grown to 6-6 with a 6-11 wingspan, a sturdier frame and newfound confidence. The previously unknown wing exploded at the U18 European Championship B Division in Estonia. Although he struggled in the finals versus Croatia, the London native was a big reason why Great Britain, not traditionally a basketball hotbed, finished second in the tournament and will play in the A Division in 2018.

With excellent tools, impressive open-court speed, quick-twitch explosiveness, defensive versatility and an improving shooting stroke, Henry-McCalla was the talk of the tournament. Despite having no junior national team experience — having been cut multiple times in the past — Henry-McCalla averaged 21.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per 40 minutes on 47.5 percent from 2 and 29.2 percent from 3 while showing NBA-translatable skills. The 18-year-old wing had NBA scouts and NCAA coaches buzzing with thunderous transition dunks, smothering ball pressure and smooth catch-and-shoot 3s.

While his game still needs quite a bit of rounding out, Henry-McCalla can make a spot-up 3, rise up in midrange spots with sharp footwork, straight-line drive and defend up to three positions when he's fully engaged. The late bloomer is just now starting to realize his talent level. It really wasn't until the 2016 Luol Deng Top 50 camp when he emerged as a legitimate prospect in England. He was named the third-best player at the Deng camp, and camp director Steve Vear called Henry-McCalla the "best two-way player we have ever seen at the camp." The British wing has carried that momentum into the past 12 months of his development, culminating in a breakout performance in Tallinn.

"He's even twice the player now that he was [at the Deng camp]," said Great Britain U18 coach Alan Keane. "He's breaking the ice with us really at the moment because it's not like he's done this last year on the national team. He's doing this for the first time in this environment at this level. He's just a basketball player. He's brave and he doesn't think, he just goes with the flow of the game, as you can see."

Henry-McCalla's decision-making can be rigid, his handle loose and his jumper a hair slow. More than 47 percent of his offense came in transition at the U18s, and he'll undoubtedly have his growing pains as the level of competition stiffens over the course of his career. Henry-McCalla hasn't played against many wings with his tools and skill level, even if he was one of only five junior players to see time in the English second division this past season. The talent level in London is still quite low, as basketball plays second-fiddle to soccer, rugby and cricket, and the minimal number of NBA prospects in the U.K. reflects exactly that. Scouts aren't flocking to England to find the next All-Star-caliber talent, and the majority of U.K.-born NBA players spent their formative years in the United States or Europe.

But Henry-McCalla has the physical profile and skill set to be the exception if he develops over the next couple of years. Scouts search long and hard for wings with size and length who can make a shot, and the NCAA coaches in Tallinn were eager to find a way to get the rangy wing on campus.

"He could help us win games right now, no problem," one coach said.

From a pure physical tools and talent perspective, Henry-McCalla proved to be one of the top prospects to take the floor in Estonia, but the fate of his career rides heavily on how the next few years play out.

Due to the lack of synergy between schooling requirements in the U.K. and the U.S., British players often struggle to qualify for the NCAA, needing to attend junior college for at least two seasons before making the jump to the Division I ranks. This is the case for Henry-McCalla, who has the talent to play at almost any program in America but will be at San Jacinto Junior College next season as a non-qualifier, meaning he'll have to spend two seasons at the JUCO level.

Too often players get lost in the shuffle in the junior college ranks. It may take a couple of years for the British guard to resurface, but Henry-McCalla's rise has been tremendous, and after his eye-opening performance in Tallinn, scouts and coaches will certainly have a watchful eye on the 18-year-old.


Samanic wins MVP, leads Croatia to title

Far and away the best long-term prospect to play in Tallinn, 17-year-old Luka Samanic helped Croatia to a Division B title, winning MVP while leading the entire event in player efficiency rating.

After a slow start, the 6-11 Zagreb native and Barcelona product finished the eight-game stretch with 27.9 points, 15.3 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 3.4 blocks per 40 minutes while making several big shots late in the title game on his way to 19 points. With the height of a center and the fluidity and one-foot bounce of a wing, Samanic has a valuable blend of physical gifts and polished skills. He projects as a perimeter-oriented 4 who can pick-and-pop, spot shoot at a decent clip, attack from the perimeter, make plays when in open space and finish with touch shots in the paint.

Samanic can switch ball screens at the U18 level and has sharp instincts defensively, although his up-and-down toughness and physicality can be very off-putting to scouts. When Samanic is fully engaged and playing with intensity, he looks the part of a future lottery pick, but when he's sulking on the bench and shying away from contact on the floor, it's easy to question whether he'll maximize his potential. Overall, Samanic did a nice job playing with fairly consistent fight and vigor and was unbelievably productive, especially considering his age.

The son of a former basketball journeyman and the current general manager of Croatian club KK Kvarner, Samanic surprisingly didn't really get all that serious about basketball until 2015. Soccer was his first love until he physically outgrew the game, and he even had a short stint as a breakdancer before he fully committed to basketball.

Samanic is loaded with natural talent and should take another step in his development next season, his second with Barcelona. Depending on how this next year goes in Spain, Samanic is considering making the jump to the NCAA in the future. Although he's not a guaranteed one-and-done-level prospect, the skilled, athletic forward has eventual lottery potential if he lands in the right situation and continues to get stronger, tougher and more consistent in his approach.


Other prospects to follow

Matthias Tass | center | Estonia

The 6-9, 230-pound center is a throwback, lacking elite athleticism but impacting the game by way of elite instincts and quiet toughness. Tass is extremely productive and improves quite rapidly every time we see him. Offensively he does a little bit of everything — he has short roll touch shots, jump hooks over either shoulder, tremendous interior passing, the hands and touch to finish as a roller and an improved perimeter shot. Defensively Tass isn't going to step out and switch screens, but he has a great feel for space and distance and possesses elite timing and instincts as as shot-blocker. He oftentimes looks like he's moving at half-speed, but the cerebral center rebounds, defends on the interior and adds value as a playmaker and occasional scorer.

Tass, who is hoping to play in the NCAA in 2018, models his game after Nikola Jokic. Given the emphasis on having skilled decision-makers at all five positions, the 18-year-old could very well emerge as a legitimate NBA prospect after proving himself at the college ranks.

Henri Drell | small forward | Estonia

Drell is a long, rangy forward with a versatile offensive skill set and an improving mentality on the court. At 6-9 with a 7-1 wingspan, the Tallinn native covers a lot of ground on both ends of the floor and is at his best when he gets downhill in space, also showing the ability to create for others while on the move. Drell needs to become a more reliable perimeter threat in order to take advantage of his physical gifts offensively. An improved defender, Drell has the tools to make plays on and off the ball.

Continuing to become less emotional on the floor will be key for Drell, who has been developing in Germany with Bamberg. He hopes to enter the 2019 NBA draft, where he'll be an interesting draft-and-stash option given his strong situation in Bamberg.

Dzmitry Ryuny | forward | Belarus

The wide-shouldered, competitive 6-8 combo forward can push in transition, make a spot up 3, facilitate on the move and cover ground defensively. The Belarusian 17-year-old is a smooth athlete with long arms who brings an excellent blend of tools and skill.

Ryuny's emotions can get the best of him, but his fire can be an asset if channeled correctly. Although Belarus doesn't have a strong basketball history, Ryuny is a unique prospect worth monitoring.

Vit Krejci | guard | Czech Republic

Krejci is a tall, rail-thin 17-year-old guard with a lot of wiggle off the dribble and the ability to score and be a playmaker from all three levels. Spending the last couple of years in Spain, the Czech Republic native is a unique 6-7 prospect who can play either guard spot and should turn his talent into production at the pro level once he matures physically.

Neemias Queta | center | Portugal

One of the most physically intriguing prospects in Tallinn, Queta stands 6-10 with a 7-4 wingspan. He has a projectable frame and sound mobility. His parents hail from Guinea-Bissau, a tiny country in West Africa. He's still very raw in terms of feel and polish but has good hands, soft touch around the rim and sound mechanics on his free throw stroke.

Lukasz Kolenda | point guard | Poland

Kolenda is a creative 18-year-old point guard with nice size and an advanced pick-and-roll game. The feisty floor general can finish with floaters and short-range pull ups but needs to become a more reliable shooter to adjust to a higher level of competition. The 6-4 lefty is the most promising point guard prospect in Poland.

Vrenz Bleijenbergh | forward | Belgium

Bleijenbergh can make a shot, attack in a straight line and create for others on the move. The versatile, 6-8 forward has excellent feet defensively and uses his positional length to cover ground. He's at an early stage of his development physically, but there's a lot to like long-term.

Luka Brajkovic | center | Austria

Brajkovic is a long-armed, wide-shouldered 6-10 center with an impressive motor and developing touch. He's also a relentless rebounder who has worked tirelessly to improve his body. A fairly limited athlete, Brajkovic will have to rely more on skill as the level of competition increases. He's not the most modern defender since his foot speed limits him as a perimeter defender, though his length does allow him to change shots on the interior at times. Brajkovic will likely develop in the NCAA ranks and is worth keeping an eye on after four years.

Yauhen Massalski | center | Belarus

Massalski does a lot of little things well as a mobile, active 6-9 center. He impacts the game defensively as a rim protector while showing switch potential and cleans the glass on both ends of the floor. He also has a nice feel for the game offensively. Although his skill level has room to improve, Massalski's size, mobility and intensity level will make him an instant-impact player at the University of San Diego next season.