How US college basketball is winning over Argentina’s top prospects

When Emanuel “Manu” Ginóbili was drafted by the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) San Antonio Spurs in 1999, he was virtually unknown in the United States.

Like most young Argentine players, he had gone to Europe after beginning his career at home and was therefore considered a less promising prospect than others who had played basketball at U.S. colleges. Yet, most of them never came close to achieving what Ginóbili did.

That trend could soon be reversed, as more Argentine players choose to abandon the traditional European route in favor of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the governing body for college athletics in the U.S. and Canada.

Since 2020, the number of Argentine players in NCAA basketball has grown exponentially, with a record 10 set to feature in the upcoming 2026-27 season.

With highly promising young players such as Lee Aaliya, Dylan Bordón, Felipe Minzer and Tyler Kropp moving to the U.S., the Herald examines why NCAA teams are pursuing Argentine talent more than ever, why players are increasingly considering the move, and what it could mean for Argentine basketball as a whole.

A chance to develop

According to South Carolina Gamecocks assistant coach Bob Donewald Jr., NCAA programs offer a crucial pathway for players who have outgrown their domestic leagues but are not yet ready for the Argentine national team or the professional spotlight in Europe.

Donewald played a key role in scouting and signing 23-year-old center Juan Fernández, who is set to make his NCAA official debut this season with the Gamecocks. He’ll become the best-paid Argentine basketball player in the world, over EuroLeague stars such as Facundo Campazzo or Luca Vildoza.

“What we offer [Argentine players] coming here is the chance to develop your talent properly,” he told the Herald, assuring advantages go beyond the money.

A former member of the coaching teams at the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers, Donewald also has extensive experience with basketball outside the U.S. He served as head coach of China’s men’s national team from 2010 to 2012 and coached professional teams in Russia and China.

He pointed to Lee Aaliya’s move to Ohio State as an example of the advantages the NCAA offers: an environment a young Argentine player “can’t get at a top-level club in Europe, where he’ll be sitting on the bench.”

“Coming here, he gets to play, he has to deliver, and he’s under pressure,” Donewald said. “I think it’s a fast track to helping a player reach his potential if he’s talented enough. That’s why the NCAA is a good option for younger players in Argentina.”

Simón Gradín, one of Argentina’s most highly touted young prospects, told the Herald that the way basketball is played in the U.S. could influence players’ decisions to make the move.

Gradín, 18, who plays for Movistar Estudiantes in Spain, was selected to travel to the U.S. in 2024 to participate in the NCAA College Basketball Academy, a prestigious developmental showcase and evaluation camp designed for elite high school and international prospects to play in front of college coaches and scouts.

“There is more physical training, greater attention paid to gym work, and physically that changes you, it transforms you as a player,” he said about his experience there.

A paradigm shift

The NCAA route is not new for Argentine prospects.

Legendary 1950 World Championship winner Oscar Furlong played for Southern Methodist University from 1953 to 1956. Golden Generation star point guard Juan Ignacio “Pepe” Sánchez spent four years with the Temple Owls.

However, the route was uncommon because the NCAA’s strict amateurism system prohibited players from earning money from their participation. The governing body maintained that athletic scholarships covering tuition, room and board, and other educational expenses constituted their compensation.

That changed in 2021 with the introduction of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) contracts, which allow players to earn fair-market-value compensation for activities such as social media promotions and commercial endorsements.

Donewald believes that, provided the rules remain unchanged, the NCAA will increasingly offer young players an excellent opportunity to develop in the U.S., as well as a chance for “players, like Juan [Fernández], to come over here and play at a highly competitive place.”

According to Gradín, changing cultural dynamics could also explain why more players are making the leap, and money is not the only factor driving the shift.

“There are increasingly more international student-athletes from different cultures, so the environment is steadily opening up,” he said, adding that when teams were made up mostly of U.S. players, Argentine athletes worried about the social environment they would encounter and whether they would be welcomed.

“Nowadays, I think it is much easier to adapt to the environment and the people there,” he said.

A unique opportunity

However, moving to the NCAA is not just about basketball. For players like Gradín, it could open doors not only to stadiums and gymnasiums but also to a future beyond the hardwood.

NIL contracts allow players to earn money, but the college system also gives them the opportunity to earn a degree, something that is not as easy while playing in Europe.

“I’d place immense value on the opportunity to earn a university degree,” said Gradín, who maintains that combining professional sports with a college education is “extremely complicated” while playing in Europe, largely because of scheduling and time constraints.

“In the U.S., everything is prepared for it,” he said. “You train in the same place where you study, you have tutors who help you day-to-day to attend class, they offer online classes, and they reschedule exams if you have games, everything.”

Having more Argentine players compete against the best in college basketball could also open the door for more of them to reach the NBA while raising the profile of Argentine talent.

“Being on the radar can serve as motivation, with NBA coaches watching,” Gradín said, adding that although the NCAA is “what they monitor and scout the most,” he does not consider it “a decisive factor” in players’ decisions to make the move.

“You are one step closer, but that remaining step to get there is still huge,” he said.

Not just the players benefiting

It’s not just the players that are positioned to reap the rewards from these uncharted waters. For college teams, it’s the opportunity to secure top talent and skills they don’t generally get to see.

Donewald pointed out that at 23 years old, Fernández brings “a ton of experience” to the Gamecocks. He said what intrigued the coaching staff most was the Argentine player’s “savant” offensive style and elite court vision.

That mental maturity stands in sharp contrast to that of traditional NCAA recruits coming out of the U.S. high school system. 

Many join the college league looking to play just one or two years before turning pro, and already have the physical tools to go toe-to-toe with older players like Fernández. NBA superstar LeBron James famously jumped straight to the NBA from high school, standing at 2,03m and 109kgs.

However, Donewald acknowledged feeling “a little bit disappointed” with domestic youth development, as physical dominance often takes precedence over technical polish. 

That skills gap makes Argentine prospects particularly attractive to college programs looking for players with court awareness and resilience.

“There’s much respect for [Argentine players’] fight and passion,” Donewald said. “It’s certainly a culture that we in South Carolina and many other universities are attracted to.”

How it impacts Argentina and the NCAA

NIL contracts have undoubtedly changed the NCAA landscape, but they also have the potential to reshape Argentine basketball as a whole.

Asked what role he expects players from Argentina and other countries to play in the NCAA as recruits, Donewald said the Gamecocks would expect Fernández to deliver “real production,” rather than make only occasional contributions.

“We’re trying to win an NCAA championship, and we need talent to come in and help us do that,” he said. 

He acknowledged that scouting overseas is “a long process,” but said Argentina is “definitely on the map” and “one we will certainly continue to follow.”

“We’re open to going anywhere to get that kind of talent, and Argentina, as you can see, is one [place] we’re looking at,” he added.

For Argentine players and the national team, opening the doors to the NCAA could bring competitiveness to a new level, as Gradín pointed out.

“Physically, [playing in the U.S.] transforms you as a player,” he emphasized once again. “And historically, Argentina has always lagged a bit behind top teams physically.”

With Argentina already on par with its rivals in tactical and technical terms, closing that physical gap could help the next generation go toe-to-toe with the best, as Ginóbili and the Golden Generation did.

Cover image: South Carolina Athletics

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