Top 10 Big Ten Incoming Internationals

College basketball has steadily become more global over the last decade, but the 2025-26 season will witness an explosion of international imports. Players who have excelled overseas are taking advantage of the opportunity to make money in the States, and the schools that are recruiting them are taking advantage of the ability to buy out their pro contracts.

The heavy dose of international flavor makes it harder than ever for fans to keep track of which new players will have an impact next season. Once again, Hoops HQ is here to clear things up. Today, we are presenting a list of the top 10 international newcomers in the Big Ten for the 2025-26 season, and over the next several weeks, we will be breaking out rankings for all the power conferences as well as the mid-majors. We have already unveiled the ACC & Big East lists.

1. Omer Mayer, 6-foot-4 freshman guard, Purdue (Israel)

The breakaway star of the summer, Mayer flashed his top-notch dribbling, shooting touch and playmaking in consecutive FIBA tournaments. Mayer averaged 16.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists in the FIBA U20 EuroBasket as Israel went 5-2; he led the tournament in scoring and became the all-time leading youth scorer in Israeli history.

Mayer was slicing and dicing a week prior during the U19 World Cup and was on track for MVP consideration before suffering a minor hand injury. His most impressive moment was a 33-point, 5-rebound, 7-assist performance against Cameroon to secure Israel’s first U19 World Cup elimination-game win.

Mayer had plenty of offers to choose from, turning down scholarships at Duke, Florida, Auburn and Ohio State to play for the Boilermakers. At Purdue, Mayer will be blocked by All-American Braden Smith at point guard, so fans will have to wait and see how Matt Painter chooses to employ Mayer in the rotation.

2. Hannes Steinbach, 6-foot-11 freshman center/power forward, Washington (Germany)

A potential one-and-done prospect, Würzburg’s Steinbach is one of the most decorated German prospects in the country’s history. He was unstoppable during the U19 World Cup this summer, averaging 17.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.3 blocks and a tournament-leading 27.1 efficiency rating, earning all-tournament honors. His contributions propelled Germany to a 6-1 record and a silver medal, the country’s highest finish in the event’s history.

Steinbach also made history in 2024, when he averaged 15.4 points, 1.0 steals and 1.4 blocks and led the U18 EuroBasket with 13.0 rebounds per game, taking home all-tournament honors on the road to winning Germany’s first Gold Medal in the 60-year history of the event. This past season, Steinbach competed for the Würzburg Baskets of the Bundesliga, racking up 9.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game across 41 contests against some of the best competition in Europe. Steinbach should be expected to be a prominent starter in Washington’s rotation the moment he touches the court.

Washington is receiving an offensive impact player in German center Hannes Steinback

Getty Images

3. Mathieu Grujicic, 6-foot-6 freshman shooting guard, Ohio State (Germany/France)

The arrival of multi-national 18-year-old phenom Mathieu Grujicic has been highly anticipated. Grujicic attracted attention in 2023 when the then-16-year-old signed a developmental contract with Spain’s FC Barcelona. The hype for Grujicic only grew from there as he won MVP at the 2024 Basketball Without Borders camp in Europe, one of four separate events where Grujicic won MVP that year. Grujicic’s reputation was further elevated after repeating as an All-Star in the ever-exclusive 2025 Basketball Without Borders Global camp.

In June, Grujicic came to an agreement with Ohio State, then proceeded to further impress. Participating in the 2025 U18 EuroBasket tournament this summer, Grujicic averaged a tournament-leading 24.6 points, was the runner-up with 8.6 rebounds and posted a team high of 3.9 assists, flirting with multiple triple-doubles while remaining efficient. There is plenty of reason to believe the Franco-Germanic-Serb will continue to excel at the collegiate level for the Buckeyes.

4. Guillermo Del Pino, 6-foot-5 freshman guard, Maryland (Spain)

Another highly touted guard, Del Pino was also selected as an All-Star at the 2025 Basketball Without Borders Global camp. Del Pino’s game primarily hinges on his passing IQ and outside shooting. Across the 2024-25 season, Del Pino averaged 10.6 points for Centro CB of Spain’s second division, shooting 35.1 percent from deep on high volume against senior competition.

Del Pino also possesses the clutch gene; he made five consecutive shots in the final 27 seconds of the 2025 U18 EuroBasket Final, including hitting the tournament-winning corner three with 1.3 seconds left to secure the gold medal for Spain. Maryland coach Buzz Williams has stated that he is “confident [Del Pino] will make an immediate impact and be a key piece of what we’re building here at Maryland.”

5. Hayden Jones, 6-foot-7 freshman guard, Wisconsin (New Zealand)

New Zealand’s newest prodigy, Jones, became the fourth-youngest player to debut for the Tall Blacks national team this spring at 17 years old. The two-time Basketball Without Borders participant played for the Nelson Giants of the New Zealand NBL for the past two seasons and averaged 9.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists across 17 games in 2025.

This summer, Jones was part of the high-achieving U19 World Cup team for New Zealand. He averaged 14.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.1 blocks as a part of New Zealand’s fourth-place tournament run. His best performance came in the quarterfinals against Switzerland when he scored 23 points, tallied 9 rebounds, dished out 5 assists and blocked 4 shots. Wisconsin coach Greg Gard says the former Rugby standout “has developed himself into a player that can play point guard, plus the two and three positions.” It is unclear what role or position Jones will assume for the Badgers this season.

Hayden Jones is off the rugby pitch and into the NCAA after a stellar showing at the FIBA U19 World Cup in July

FIBA via Getty Images

6. Leó Curtis, 7-foot-2 freshman center, Nebraska (Iceland)

The greatest Icelandic prospect of the past 50 years, Curtis spent his first 15 years in Reykjavik playing soccer before literally outgrowing the sport. Now a towering 7-foot-2, the 18-year-old possesses outstanding agility, a soft touch and guard skills reminiscent of Kristaps Porzingis. In 2024, Curtis moved to the Boston area to play high school basketball at the travel academy Cambridge Arts, Technology and Science, developing into a consensus 4-star recruit ranked 84th in the 2025 class by On3.

Curtis’s talent was on full display this summer as he anchored the Icelandic frontcourt, leading the tournament with 2.7 blocks per game in addition to 14.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists. After committing to Arizona State this spring, Curtis flipped and signed with Nebraska in May after receiving more than a dozen Division-I offers. Curtis says the decision came down to the featured role that bigs play in Nebraska’s scheme.

7. Melih Tunca, 6-foot-5 freshman guard, Penn State (Türkiye)

Possibly the single-best shooter entering the Big Ten this season, Tunca has the potential to transform Penn State’s offensive strategy. Tunca comes from Istanbul, Türkiye, and played for Türk Telekom of the Turkish Basketball Super League, taking home the 2024-25 TBSL Newcomer of the Year award after averaging 6.6 points, 1.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

During the 2024-25 season, Tunca shot 55 percent from the field, a TBSL-best 47.5 percent from beyond the arc and a near-perfect 96.4 percent from the free-throw line across 30 games. For reference, only 11 Division-I players have ever recorded 50/40/90 splits in a season, and nobody has done so with percentages as high as Tunca’s. This year, he took home all-tournament honors at the U20 EuroBasket B tournament, where he clinched Turkish promotion. Tunca was the tournament’s second-leading scorer (17.7 points per game) and fifth-leading playmaker (5.7 assists). Tunca projects as a pure outside wing whose passing prowess could be the oil that makes Penn State’s offensive machine deadly.

8. David Mirković, 6-foot-9 freshman power forward, Illinois (Montenegro)

It is no secret that Brad Underwood is rebuilding the Yugoslavian front in Champaign this season, as Illinois has sibling Croatian giants Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivišić as well as three other players from Serbia and Montenegro. That group now includes Mirković.

Mirković is just 19, far younger than many other Balkan imports this season, but already has plentiful professional experience. Last season, Mirković played 45 games for SC Derby of the ABA and Montenegrin league and averaged 10.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 24 minutes per game. Mirkovic drained 58 three-pointers at a 33.3-percent rate.

Mirković has a hefty 255-pound frame and the sturdy body to hold his own in the highly physical league. Additionally, Mirković was recognized as the only Montenegrin player invited to the 2023 BWB Europe camp, the 2024 BWB Global camp or the 2025 Nike Hoops Summit. Underwood describes Mirković as “a talented forward with a tremendous skill set who plays with great effort and physicality.”

Ranking the Big East’s Top 10 International Recruits

Which overseas players will stand out in the Big East?

9. Denis Bădălău, 6-foot-8 freshman small forward, Rutgers (Romania)

Rutgers’ pickup of Bădălău was one of the least publicized signings of the summer, but the “unknown” (as 247Sports put it) has the skills to impact his team as much as any freshman in the Big Ten.

In 2024, Bădălău averaged 15.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals on his way to Romania’s second FIBA U20 EuroBasket B championship and an all-tournament selection. This year, Bădălău debuted for the Romanian national team at 18 years old, scoring 12 points, collecting 5 rebounds and swiping 2 steals in just 16 minutes against Norway. He also made his senior debut for Trento Aquila of the Italian top division and helped Trento Aquila to their first Italian Cup win in club history.

Bădălău is a lengthy three-level wing with spot-up shooting, quick slashing speed, substantial bounce and elite defensive anticipation. A cerebral player, he is always looking to exploit his opponent’s weaknesses and punish mistakes on both ends of the court. Bădălău has the makings of a team captain, describing himself as “the type of player who pushes others to get better.”

10. Mihailo Petrović, 6-foot-3 freshman point guard, Illinois (Serbia)

The last of Illinois’s Baltic fleet, Petrović was signed on July 31 and is the most experienced player entering the Big Ten this year. Petrović turned 22 in February, making him the second-oldest player on the Illinois roster, only behind fifth-year senior Ben Humrichous. He has been a professional player for five different clubs already, most recently with KK Mega Basket in Serbia.

KK Mega Basket’s 2024-25 roster featured an NBA draft pick and six high-major recruits, and out of all of those players, Petrović was the top dog. He led the team in field goals and accounted for 35.4 percent of all team assists. In total, Petrović averaged 14.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists (second in the ABA last season). Underwood describes Petrović as “the consummate point guard” and praises his speed, physicality and understanding of the game.

Special Mention:

Oscar Goodman, 6-foot-7 redshirt-freshman forward, Michigan (New Zealand)

Only kept off the list as a technicality, Goodman is a 4-star recruit and NBA Academy Australia product with a highly refined skill set. The redheaded Kiwi displays rim-rattling dunks, creative tight-window passing, impressive post defense and a serviceable three-point shot. At the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup, Goodman was named first-team all-tournament, averaging 17.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.4 steals per game while helping New Zealand to a fourth-place finish.

The reason Goodman is a redshirt and not a true freshman is due to his desire to improve — and the quirks of the international calendar. In New Zealand, summer break takes place from October through January, meaning Goodman graduated in the winter of 2024. Rather than waiting for the U.S. summer to join the team at Michigan, Goodman enrolled for the spring semester and played his part as a redshirt, soaking up knowledge from Dusty May and the Wolverines staff while practicing against top talents on the Sweet 16 squad.

Now eligible to partake in the 2025-26 season, Goodman will already be one of the most integrated forwards in Michigan’s scheme when he first touches the court.