Noa Essengue and Ben Saraf will likely continue Ratiopharm Ulm’s trend of developing NBA Draft picks. What is the German club doing differently?
Ben Saraf, a left-handed Israeli wing, grabbed MVP at this summer’s U18 Eurobasket. He was arguably the best scorer at the tournament, showcasing incredible touch, range, and an impressive crossover and jab step combo that often left opponents in the dust. Only 18 years old, Saraf signed with German club Ratiopharm Ulm for the upcoming season. Ulm has become incredibly popular in draft circles this decade.
Hayes was only the beginning. In the 2024 NBA Draft, Ulm had two players selected: Pacome Dadiet and Juan Nunez. Both prospects benefitted greatly from the senior-level playing time they were given last season. Nunez was Ulm’s starting point guard and primary orchestrator. Dadiet played his way from the fringes of the rotation to a regular throughout the season.
The most notable newcomer to the development stage in Europe has been KK Mega Basket, the former club of Nikola Jokic, which is the brainchild of international basketball super agent Misko Raznatovic. Jokic is not their only notable alum with Nikola Jovic, Nikola Topic, Nikola Djurisic, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and others spending time there before being drafted.
Ulm’s commitment to development doesn’t stop with prospects, they’ve served as a springboard for plenty of post-grad professionals as well. Javonte Green played for Ulm before signing with the Boston Celtics. Brazilian duo Bruno Caboclo and Yago Dos Santos trampolined strong seasons with Ulm into EuroLeague contracts.
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