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College basketball has gone international.
More teams are looking outside the United States to find talented players to fill their rosters. Teams like Arizona and Illinois are examples of teams that made deep runs in the NCAA Tournament using international players. Auburn head coach Steven Pearl is doing the same with his roster.
A big reason for more international players in college basketball is simple. Players being able to earn more in the United States than their professional teams pay is a big reason why. Another reason is the opportunity it gives players with bigger exposure. While speaking in Huntsville, Alabama, last week, Pearl was asked about the subject.
"I mean NIL's got to be the biggest driver because you know while they were making decent money overseas, the money right now in college athletics is better than any professional league in the world right now," Pearl said. "So for those guys, it's about one opportunity to financially put themselves in a great position, but two like it gives them the exposure to playing against really good competition."
For the 2025-26 season, Filip Jovic was an important part of the Tigers' rotation. Jovic was an addition from Bosnia and Herzegovina at the forward position. He averaged 6.3 points per game and was a valuable rebounder with four boards per game. He saved his best for the National Invitational Tournament when he was placed into the starting lineup after KeShawn Murphy departed the program. Jovic averaged 11.4 points per game and five rebounds as the Tigers claimed the 2026 NIT Championship. Auburn was expecting him to remain with the team, but Jovic entered the transfer portal and is now with UCLA.
To rebuild the front court for the 2026-27 season, Auburn added French center Narcisse Ngoy to add some rim protection. Ngoy won the Elite 2 League MVP after leading the league in rebounds and blocks. He also averaged 10.7 points per game for his team.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Phillip on Twitter @PJordanSports
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn basketball: Steven Pearl talks NIL, international recruiting
Continue reading...
More teams are looking outside the United States to find talented players to fill their rosters. Teams like Arizona and Illinois are examples of teams that made deep runs in the NCAA Tournament using international players. Auburn head coach Steven Pearl is doing the same with his roster.
A big reason for more international players in college basketball is simple. Players being able to earn more in the United States than their professional teams pay is a big reason why. Another reason is the opportunity it gives players with bigger exposure. While speaking in Huntsville, Alabama, last week, Pearl was asked about the subject.
"I mean NIL's got to be the biggest driver because you know while they were making decent money overseas, the money right now in college athletics is better than any professional league in the world right now," Pearl said. "So for those guys, it's about one opportunity to financially put themselves in a great position, but two like it gives them the exposure to playing against really good competition."
For the 2025-26 season, Filip Jovic was an important part of the Tigers' rotation. Jovic was an addition from Bosnia and Herzegovina at the forward position. He averaged 6.3 points per game and was a valuable rebounder with four boards per game. He saved his best for the National Invitational Tournament when he was placed into the starting lineup after KeShawn Murphy departed the program. Jovic averaged 11.4 points per game and five rebounds as the Tigers claimed the 2026 NIT Championship. Auburn was expecting him to remain with the team, but Jovic entered the transfer portal and is now with UCLA.
To rebuild the front court for the 2026-27 season, Auburn added French center Narcisse Ngoy to add some rim protection. Ngoy won the Elite 2 League MVP after leading the league in rebounds and blocks. He also averaged 10.7 points per game for his team.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Phillip on Twitter @PJordanSports
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn basketball: Steven Pearl talks NIL, international recruiting
Continue reading...
