Wembanyama, countrymen add French flair to international class of NBA draft prospects

By KEN MAGUIRE
AP Sports Writer

PARIS (AP) — Victor Wembanyama wasn’t the only young French NBA prospect turning heads overseas this season. Granted, fans would have had to look much farther to find Rayan Rupert, who played for the New Zealand Breakers. He is among the international prospects expecting to hear their names called at the NBA draft on Thursday in New York. They don’t possess Wembanyama’s generational talents but they’re confident they can make an impact. There’s a distinct French flavor this year. Wembanyama and Rupert are French, as is Bilal Coulibaly, Wembanyama’s teammate with Metropolitans 92 who has been rising in mock drafts. Also keep an eye on Barcelona center James Nnaji of Nigeria and Tristan Vukcevic, a center from Partizan Belgrade in Serbia.