MIES (Switzerland) - OK, so first things first: We don't actually have an award for Rookie of the Year in the Basketball Champions League and secondly, not all of the players we are about to discuss are rookies according to the strict definition of the word -they have played professional basketball before.

That being said, if you know your Thomas Walkups from your Jae'sean Tates, you will know that the BCL has already established a great history of refreshing the talent pool of European basketball and providing platforms for players making their debuts in Europe to really show out.

So, whilst we are still so early in the season, we have already seen players getting their first taste of European hoops and showing us that they might be about to make a splash. If we did have an award for the best Euro-rookie in the BCL this season, who would be the front-runners so far? 

Vernon Carey Jr (Pinar Karsiyaka)

It's not often that a player as talented as Vernon Carey Jr finds their way across the pond but after three seasons in the NBA, following his one-and-done stint at the mighty Duke in college, that's exactly where Carey has found himself. From Washington to Izmir, Turkey probably takes some adjusting to, but after a seriously impressive introduction to the BCL, Carey seems to be settling in just fine.

In Karsiyaka's season opener, against Filou Oostende, Carey used all of his 2.08m frame to put up 18 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks, recording an efficiency rating of 29 in the process. Karsiyaka, of course, won the game and Carey put the entire BCL on notice. 

Mason Jones  (Darussafaka Lassa) 

Mason Jones is another man with NBA experience taking his first steps in the world of European basketball. Jones played 26 games for the Houston Rockets in the 2020/21 season after averaging 22 points per game for the Arkansas Razorbacks in his Junior year in the NCAA. 

His arrival at Darussafaka Lassa has seen them start the BCL season 2-0, including wins on the road at VEF Riga and a very impressive comeback win against Lenovo Tenerife. Dacka have sent out a very clear message that they aren't playing around this season. Jones has sent out a few messages himself. Right from the outset against VEF, when he scored 9 points and dished out 11 assists, it was clear that Jones is going to be hard to hold, especially in transition. He's now averaged 11 points, 6.5 assists, and 4 rebounds whilst shooting 50 percent overall. 

Noah Kirkwood (Telekom Baskets Bonn)

Fun fact: Only five players that have graduated from Harvard have played in the NBA. For context, 11 Harvard graduates have gone on to become the President of the United States. Whilst Kirkwood has, to date, only played NBA Summer League for the Brooklyn Nets, don't let that distract you from the unusual company this Canadian hooper finds himself in, and whatever you do, don't bet against him adding a sixth name to that unique list.

Kirkwood dropped 14 points on 60 percent shooting on his debut for the BCL champs, Telekom Baskets Bonn. Head Coach Roel Moors knows a little something about guiding young players making their starts in Europe: it was his Antwerp team with the likes of Paris Lee and Jae'sean Tate that made it all the way to the BCL Final Four in 2019. If Kirkwood's start to life in the BCL is anything to go by, we could be in for a fun ride with Bonn again this season.

Chaundee Brown Jr  (SIG Strasbourg)

 
Chaundee Brown is another four-year college man, finishing his senior year for the Michigan Wolverines after transferring from three years with Wake Forest. Brown also sampled life in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks and the Lakers but after two seasons in the NBA G League, he now finds himself with SIG Strasbourg in France.

They know a thing or two about scouting players at SIG and it looks like with 1.96m Chaundee Brown Jr, they might have nailed another one. In the premiere against EWE Baskets Oldenburg, Brown dropped 13 points and pulled 4 rebounds whilst shooting 50 percent from behind the arc and 100 percent from the stripe. He also averaged 11 points on 45 percent shooting from deep ,to help the SIG men navigate the BCL Qualifiers. 

Morris Udeze (King Szczecin)

Mo Udeze is the only man on this list who fits the bill as a true rookie. Five years of college ball at Wichita State and finally New Mexico, saw the 2.03m Udeze improve as each season passed. His final NCAA year saw him average 16.4 points and 9.6 rebounds for New Mexico.

And then the leap into the great beyond. Foregoing the more common pathway into the NBA G League, Udeze decided to go straight overseas and landed in West Pomerania with the Polish champions, King Szczecin. Szczecin shocked Dinamo Sassari and very nearly won on the road at Ludwigsburg. Udeze's averages of 17 points and 9.5 rebounds over his first two BCL games have been huge and the 23-year-old is already looking very comfortable in the world of European basketball.