Players from all around Europe – and the world – enter the BKT EuroCup every season knowing it is an excellent proving ground to reach the top level in continental basketball. The 2023-24 season should be no different, with players of different backgrounds and nationalities among those set to take the floor already next week with lofty team and individual goals. Here are 10 EuroCup newcomers to keep an eye on.
10. William Christmas, Veolia Towers Hamburg
Christmas climbed the ladder from the German minor leagues to reach Hamburg, where head coach Benka Barloschky has him pegged for big minutes. A do-it-all small forward, expect to see Christmas leave his mark on both ends of the floor and contribute in nearly all categories. Should the 26-year-old become a hit at Hamburg, there will be plenty of Christmas joy in the German city.
9. Prentiss Hubb, Dolomiti Energia Trento
Coming off his first season in Europe with Ludwigsburg, Hubb is tasked with trying to turn around Trento's fortunes in the EuroCup. Trento hasn’t had a positive record in the regular season since the 2020-21 season, so Hubb will try to use his scoring – he averaged 15.4 points per night in Germany – to make a big impact in next season's EuroCup. He's a player to keep an eye on.
8. Vaidas Kariniauskas, Wolves Vilnius
One of the older players on this list, Kariniauskas has played professionally in six different countries and won trophies in four of them. He had one of his most famous games over the summer at the FIBA World Cup with a team-high 15 points to lead Lithuania to a 110-104 victory over the USA. And he will take that experience into a key role with Wolves.
7. Angel Delgado, Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul
Anyone watching the Dominican Republic's performances at the 2023 FIBA World Cup may have noticed Delgado, who averaged 7.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in three first-round games. The power forward paired 11.6 points with 8.6 rebounds as Pinar Karsiyaka reached the Turkish League finals last season, so he will be hoping to post similar numbers in both his and Besiktas's first campaign in the EuroCup.