In the nation’s most competitive conference, savvy coaches are looking abroad for aces to stuff their sleeves. Here are the top 10 international recruits coming into the SEC for the 2025-26 season.
1. Filip Jović, 6-foot-8 freshman forward, Auburn (Serbia/Bosnia & Herzegovina)
The top-ranked Serbian prospect in the 2025 class, KK Mega Basket’s Jović projects as a mainstay on Serbia’s national team for the coming decade. The tall wing is the highest rated of six KK Mega Basket players leaving for the Division I ranks this season, as he averaged 12.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 29 ABA games at just 19 years old. During the 2024 U20 EuroBasket, Jović posted similar numbers of 14.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists, proving that his production scales similarly to different levels of competition.
Jović is a twitchy, physically imposing wing with a developed downhill approach to the rim and the jump shot to punish defenses from the perimeter. He’s a quick thinker with the ability to find creative passing lanes and improvise finishing moves at the rim. Jović’s professional experience and Auburn’s coaching could very well develop the Serb into a first-round draft pick when all is said and done.
2. Ilias Kamardine, 6-foot-4 senior guard, Ole Miss (France)
Effectively a one-year rental from French club JDA Dijon, Kamardine could already be Ole Miss’s best player entering the 2025-26 season. The 21-year-old Frenchman made headlines by taking home the 2023 U20 EuroBasket MVP, an award earned by more NBA players than not in its history. Throughout the 2023 U20 EuroBasket, Kamardine led France to a gold medal with 14.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.6 steals and 0.9 blocks per game while making 48.3 percent of his attempts from distance.
This past season, Kamardine has been a routine starter in France’s top league with JDA Dijon, averaging 7.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals throughout 18 games of the FIBA EuroCup against some of the top teams in all of Europe. He was also selected to the 2025 LNB Young Stars game as one of the best prospects in the French league, which produced three NBA draft picks this year. Ilias’s primary weapon is his shooting stroke, posting splits of 43.9/38.3/81.3 percent across the 2024-25 season.
3. Declan Duru Jr., 6-foot-8 freshman forward, Texas (Germany/Nigeria)
At just 18 years old, Duru has the makings of a future star. The forward has been a key part of Germany’s recent historic youth basketball run, As the Real Madrid product averaged 9.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game last summer on Germany’s first-ever U18 EuroBasket championship squad. That same summer he finished top five in rebounding at the FIBA U17 World Cup, with an incredible statline of 10.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game when actually facing players his own age.
That same summer, Duru was invited to the illustrious Basketball Without Borders Europe camp, where he impressed enough to be selected to the all-star team. Duru has kept up his high production, starting every game of Germany’s historic silver medal run in the 2025 U19 World Cup, where he put up 11.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. The 247 Sports composite system rates Duru as a top-25 power forward in 2025, and in my opinion, he should be even higher.
Top 10 Big 12 Incoming Internationals
Which international phenoms will shine in the Big 12 this season?
4. Andrija Jelavić, 6-foot-11 freshman power forward, Kentucky (Croatia)
Another KK Mega Basket product (alongside Auburn’s Filip Jović), Jelavić brings a highly refined skillset to Mark Pope’s new-look Kentucky Wildcats. A physically impressive traditional big man, Jelavić thrives on the boards and protecting the paint. In the 2024 U20 EuroBasket, Jelavić ranked second in the tournament in rebounds (11.0 per game) and led the tournament in blocks (2.9).
The 21-year-old started every game of KK Mega Basket’s 2024-25 season, averaging 10.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in ABA play, good for an honorable mention All-ABA selection from EuroHoops.com. Jelavić is relatively developed in his shooting and passing skills, providing a good foundation for further versatility in Pope’s system.
“Andrija has a really unique combination of size, athleticism and skill that will translate seamlessly into our system,” Pope said.
5. Paulo Semedo, 7-foot-1 freshman center, Arkansas (Angola)
Tentatively described as “African Wemby,” Semedo (of the southern African country of Angola) is one of the most intriguing high-upside recruits in the 2025 class. Semedo was ranked the 50th-best recruit in the nation by ESPN and it’s clear to see why: The impossibly coordinated Semedo has great basketball instincts to pair with 7-foot-5 wingspan and 7-foot-1 height.
Semedo is an undeniably captivating player to watch, constantly subverting the tendencies you would expect of somebody his size. His ability to dribble in isolation and pull up for midrange and three-point shots separates him from other centers in his class. He does have the habit of making shots more difficult than they have to be, and his frame is still quite skinny at the moment. Given his elite shot blocking ability and versatile skillset, however, Semedo has the potential to become a star for the Razorbacks.
6. Andreas Holst, 7-foot freshman power forward, Oklahoma (Denmark)
One of the highest-upside prospects in the SEC, Holst has the makings of a Danish “unicorn.” The super-sized wing plays like a small forward with outside shooting, slashing penetration and perimeter defense. It’s almost as if he never learned he was a 7-footer.
Last season for the Baaken Bears of Denmark’s top league, Holst averaged 11.7 minutes per game and produced 3.7 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists per outing, while his shooting splits of 34.7 percent from deep and 81.7 percent from the free-throw line turned some heads.
Holst was invited to the 2024 NBA Academy Games, where he stood out with his perimeter shooting and guard-like skills. Although only the 131st-ranked recruit nationally, Holst held many high Division-I offers such as USC, Illinois, Missouri, Washington and SMU before picking Oklahoma. His game is truly unlike any I’ve seen before.
Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser is high on Holst.
“(Holst) can play multiple positions as a 7-footer and is extremely mobile and athletic,” Moser said.
It is unclear just what kind of player the Dane will become, but he will no doubt be one of the most unique players college basketball has seen in recent times.
7. Karim Rtail, 6-foot-7 freshman forward, Arkansas (Lebanon)
One of the top basketball prospects in Lebanon’s history, Rtail will certainly make a difference for the Razorbacks this season. The immensely athletic forward has earned many accolades in his young career. In 2023 he was the lone Lebanese player selected to the Basketball Without Borders Global camp, which includes the top 40 high-school-aged players in the world.
In the 2022 U18 Asia Basket, he helped lead Lebanon to the semifinals, averaging 17.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
Later in the highly competitive 2023 U19 World Cup, Rtail again impressed with 13.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per contest. This season with Neptunas of the top Lithuanian league, Rtail averaged 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in just 17 minutes per game. In addition to his speed, bounce and violent rim attacks, Rtail provides spot-up shooting from deep and a great cutting option on offense. His defense could use some work, but he will certainly contribute as a role player immediately.
Top 10 Big Ten Incoming Internationals
Which international phenoms will shine in the Big Ten this season?
8. Rubén Dominguez, 6-foot-6 sophomore shooting guard, Texas A&M (Spain)
Coming from Bilbao of the Spanish Liga Endesa, Dominguez is yet another proven product that can plug-and-play right into SEC competition immediately.
Dominguez is considered one of the best shooters in Spain; from a professional three-point line, he made 43.3 percent of his long-range attempts and 88.9 percent of his free throws on Bilbao’s 2025 FIBA Europe Cup championship run, the first in the club’s history.
Dominguez is already a high-caliber shooting guard at 22 years old. His game should easily translate into a starting role at the SEC level, even possibly improving his stats with greater usage and the shorter college three-point line.
9. Ethan Burg, 6-foot-3 sophomore shooting guard, Tennessee (Israel)
The youngest player selected to Israel’s 2025 EuroBasket roster, Burg has what it takes to compete in the tough and talent-rich SEC. Burg is a high-energy competitor with an unorthodox but effective three-point stroke and limitless hustle that makes up for his lack of physical gifts. Already 22 years old (and turning 23 before the season begins), Burg brings four years of professional basketball experience to the Volunteers.
Last season in the Israeli Winter League, Burg averaged 10.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists with efficient rates of 37.8 percent from long range and 80.0 percent from the charity stripe. Rick Barnes is always on the lookout for difference makers, as overlooked high-effort players like Zakai Ziegler have made Tennessee into the nationally contending program they are today. Barnes aptly describes Burg as “a confident young man that plays with an edge.”
10. Ron Zipper, 6-foot-5 freshman guard, LSU (Israel)
Considered a 4-star recruit by 247 Sports, Zipper is yet another highly experienced guard coming to the SEC from overseas. Zipper was named MVP of the 2021 U18 European Challengers, where he averaged 25.2 points per game for Team Israel across five matches. In the 2023 U20 EuroBasket, he impressed while starting for Israel on its silver medal campaign, averaging 11.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.
Zipper has an effective bag of dribble moves which he often employs before stepping back for open shots. He takes the majority of his shots from beyond the arc and that shouldn’t change at LSU, where he will likely be an auxiliary yet utilized role player.
Head coach Matt McMahon believes Zipper will contribute right away.
“We look forward to Ron making an immediate impact at LSU,” he said.
Honorable Mentions:
Clarence Fondeur-Massamba, 6-foot-5 freshman point guard, Tennessee (France)
Collins Onyejiaka, 6-foot-11 freshman center, Alabama (Nigeria)
Elmir Džafić, 6-foot-11 freshman center, Arkansas (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Sergej Macura, 6-foot-6 freshman small forward, Mississippi State (Slovenia)
Lewis Obiorah, 7-foot-2 freshman center, Texas (Great Britain)
