The Big East has seen some serious change in the last few seasons: new coaches, new strategies and power shifts. Among those, an influx of foreign talent at the highest level.
Of the two Big East teams to reach the Sweet Sixteen last season, they each had at least five foreign-born players, with Rick Pitino’s St. John’s squad having almost half of its roster imported from abroad.
This year is no different, with another fresh infusion of international talent incoming. In the newest installment of our internationals series, we’ll count down the Top 10 most promising prospects the Big East has shipped in from abroad.
1. Quinn Ellis, 6-foot-4 senior point guard, St. John’s (England)
The 23-year-old European professional will certainly be a key player in upcoming debates over international eligibility in NCAA basketball. As it stands, Ellis will play one surely-magnificent season in Queens. Ellis is already the most gifted English floor general in the world. The Sheffield native brings two Italian league titles, eight national team starts, the 2025 Italian SuperCup MVP award and Italian league “Best Young Player” award. His 146 top-league professional starts are far from hollow numbers. In the EuroLeague last year, Ellis averaged 25.4 minutes, 8.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from deep.
From the moment he touches the court at Madison Square Garden he’ll be the No. 1 option and key facilitator for Pitino’s squad. It’s not far-fetched to project Ellis on the All-Big East team in his lone year with the Red Storm.
2. Samu Adler, 6-foot-6 freshman guard, Butler (Finland)
Overshadowed by the far flashier Miikka Muurinen throughout the recruiting cycle, Adler is perhaps the most accomplished under-18 player in Finland’s history. Last season with Salon Vilpas in the Korsliiga, Finland’s top professional basketball league, Adler became the youngest Finals MVP and Domestic Player of the Year award winner at 18 years old. He took home the Korsliiga championship for his club, posting a legendary performance with 32 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists in the title-clinching game. The year prior, he was named Korsliiga Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year.
In international competition, Adler already has two games of senior-level experience and was outstanding in Finland’s 2024 U18 Eurobasket run, averaging 15.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. It will likely take Adler a few games to find his bearings at Butler, but his outstanding offensive abilities give first-year head coach Ronald Nored a fighting chance at a tourney bid in year one.
3. Asim Đulović, 6-foot-9 freshman small forward, Butler (Serbia)
Another Butler commit, Đulović is an overqualified freshman from KK Mega Basket who can make an immediate impact for the new-look Bulldogs. A highly skilled sharpshooter with an oversized frame, Đulović has often been listed as a shooting guard. A true scoring wing, Đulović averaged 13.5 points per game in the ABA last season.
The Serbian has impressed all along his path up the ranks, averaging 9.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in the 2024 FIBA U20 EuroBasket. This led him to apply for the 2025 NBA Draft before pulling his name and vowing to try another year. At 20 years old, Đulović is expected to start from Day 1 and be one of the premier scoring options for the Bulldogs.
4. Đjorđje Jovanović, 6-foot-7 junior small forward, St. John’s (Montenegro)
It’s not all that surprising that former NBA and EuroLeague head coach Rick Pitino would reach for a former G League European star. At 23 years old, Jovanović is another plug-and-play producer for the Red Storm. Last season in the ABA, the Balkans’ best league, Jovanović played 27 games and averaged 5.3 points. He also suited up for Montenegro’s senior squad in last year’s EuroBasket competition, putting up 6.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game for a largely underwhelming Montenegrin squad.
Jovanović spent the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons with the San Diego Clippers of the NBA G League but never earned an NBA contract. He joins a growing trend of NCAA basketball players from the G League ranks and maintains two years of eligibility. It is hard to believe Jovanović will be kept out of the starting lineup in his first year, even on a star-studded roster like St. John’s.
5. Nash Walker, 6-foot-6 redshirt-freshman shooting guard, Marquette (Australia)
Hailing from the small town of Smithton, Tasmania, Walker has made his name on the court. Training at the renowned Centre of Excellence in Canberra, Nash Walker has trained and played alongside some of the best Aussie prospects in this generation, demanding playing time and attention at every level. Walker has represented the Boomers at the FIBA level on six separate occasions, often playing a year above his level. In the NBL 1 Playoffs last year for CoE, Walker averaged 18.7 points and was named Male Junior Athlete of the Year by Tasmania Basketball.
A true knock-down shooter with pro range and good mobility, Walker is not technically fresh to the conference. He enrolled early to Marquette in December, redshirting last season. Walker had shoulder surgery in February of this year and spent a large portion of the offseason rehabbing that injury; however, coach Shaka Smart has been impressed with his recovery. Walker should be a valuable shooter and rotational piece in his first proper season with the Golden Eagles.
6. Theo Edema, 6-foot-11 freshman center, St. John’s (Nigeria)
Contrary to many of Pitino’s other 2026 recruits, Edema is actually playing older than he should be. Edema was ranked the No. 41 prospect in the Class of 2027 before reclassifying up to join St. John’s this season. A tall and muscular athletic freak, Edema brings state-championship strength with a sprinter’s speed. At Cushing Academy in Massachusetts, Edema participated not only in basketball but also in the 200-meter sprint, 4×100 meter relay and was a state-qualified discus thrower. Edema largely had to pick up basketball while at Cushing Academy, only beginning the sport after a chance encounter while he was waiting at a bus stop at age 13.
A smart, bruising paint enforcer with a pro-ready body, Edema’s upside is impossible to ignore. This past year he toured Creighton, Auburn, Maryland and Syracuse before landing on St. John’s, seeking to follow in Zuby Ejiafor’s footsteps. The average age of St. John’s roster is more than 20 years old, so it is unlikely Edema will have a major role in his first season, but he’s a high upside project Pitino is committed to cultivating.
7. Babacar Sane, 6-foot-7 junior small forward, St. John’s (Senegal)
Like Jovanović, Sane is a G League product with plentiful international experience. Spending 2022 through 2024 with the G League Ignite, Sane has been on professional radars for some time. He earned further G League engagements from the Iowa Wolves and Salt Lake City Stars, the former of which he excelled to the tune of 11.8 points per game.
A gifted athlete, measured at 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds with a verified 32-inch vertical, Sane was connected with Pitino through a personal recommendation from Louisville champion center and NBA veteran Gorgui Dieng. His word carried a lot of weight, and after an assistant coach went to Germany to scout him, they left amazed and offered Sane a spot on the team.
Sane’s above-the-rim abilities are well documented, but his shooting has been more spotty. Last season he shot a solid 34.6 percent from deep but only 54.4 percent from the free throw line, with his career G League marks sitting at 27 percent and 63.4 percent, respectively. Pitino wouldn’t ship in Sane from Europe just to sit on the bench, but with Tounde Yessoufou and Jovanović in his way, it’s unclear how many minutes will flow his direction.
8. Gedeon Basson, 6-foot-1 freshman point guard, Xavier (Cameroon)
Sometimes it just takes the right person watching at the right time to change your life. This was the case for Basson. While playing club level for Forces Armées et Police in Cameroon, Basson had a chance to represent Cameroon at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup. Basson placed fifth in the tournament in scoring at 18 point per game, along with 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists on a 41-percent clip from long range.
ESPN and 247 Sports never ranked Basson as a prospect, but Xavier was willing to take a chance on the point guard. Richard Pitino saw exactly what he wanted: “An athletic, versatile, combo guard who will make a huge impact on the court and in the locker room,” he said.
Basson further bolstered his resume with an outstanding 12.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game with the Alabama Fusion of the EYBL last season. He profiles as a raw slashing scorer with college range. It will be interesting to see in what manner Pitino uses his talents.
9. Gabriel Landeira, 6-foot-6 redshirt-freshman point guard, Georgetown (Brazil)
Another case of a chance meeting leading to a scholarship, Landiera met Ed Cooley first as a competitor. Georgetown accepted the responsibility of representing the United States at the 2025 GLOBL JAM tournament, where Landeira played for the Brazilian U-23 side. Georgetown won the first matchup despite Landeira’s 16 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists. However, in their second matchup in the gold-medal game, it was Brazil that took the victory and Landeira who earned tournament MVP. Cooley saw enough and offered the 21-year-old Brazilian a scholarship.
Landeira is an extremely efficient three-point shooter with various accolades to his name. In Brazil’s under-22 league, Landeira averaged 10.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.3 steals. His quick hands and large frame allow him to be an exceptional defender at the point guard position. He enrolled at Georgetown last year and redshirted, learning the system and preparing for the 2026-27 season. The Hoyas could certainly use a boost this season, and Landiera may have the spark to bring one.
10. Lazar Stojković, 7-foot-1 center, St. John’s (Serbia)
In the Serbian top league last season with BKK Radnicki, Stojković averaged 5.2 points and led the league in block percentage. At 7-foot-1 with a lean build, he is a gifted rim protector and can play as a stretch big on the offensive end.
His versatility is valuable, but his frame is somewhat undeveloped. Stojković has trouble penetrating against stronger opponents, and he is easily walled off by sturdy screens and pushed around in the post. However, Pitino has high hopes for his development due to his determination: “He has all the tools, shooting, touch around the basket and three-point shooting, to be an outstanding basketball player, and we are super excited to have him.”
Honorable mentions:
Marko Marić, 7-foot freshman power forward, Butler (Croatia)
Colton Cowdis, 6-foot-4 freshman point guard, Marquette (Canada)
Wesley Rosa, 7-foot-2 junior center, Creighton (Cabo Verde)
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