Spanish prospect Izan Almansa has set his sights on following in NBA draftee Alex Sarr’s footsteps by joining the Perth Wildcats under the NBL Next Stars program.
The 19-year-old participated in this year’s NBA Draft Combine but withdrew from the lottery to boost his stock for next season.
He hopes a stint in Australia can provide a similar platform to that which spring-boarded France’s Sarr into the upper echelons of the draft.
Sarr shone in his one season with the WIldcats before being taken by the Washington Wizards with the second pick at Thursday’s draft.
“Seeing how well Alex did and how well things went for him, it just clears my mind and any doubts,” Almansa said.
“Since the moment I withdrew from the draft, I knew I wanted to play for Perth.
“I would love to follow in (Sarr’s) footsteps in becoming a lottery pick and also win a championship with the Wildcats.”
Almansa, a 208cm power forward who can also play centre, comes touted as the “most successful youth player in history” after a series of outstanding achievements in Europe.
He was named MVP of both the U19 and U17 FIBA World Cups in 2023 and 2022 respectively, and was also the best player in last year’s U18 FIBA European Championships.
Almansa was a member of Real Madrid’s youth academy for two years before developing his game in the US at Overtime Elite.
He also played for the G-League Ignite last season, including a pair of exhibition games against the Wildcats in Las Vegas.
“Izan is a player we have long recruited,” Wildcats basketball operations boss Danny Mills said.
“To be able to attract a player of his calibre on the back of the success we had with Alex this past season is a true testament to our presence as a club on a global scale.”