NBA Academy Africa: The League’s Next Great Feeder System, Part II
Assessing promising prospects Amar Diop, Seifeldin Hendawy and Aginaldo Neto ahead of BWB Global
See part I of this story below.
With Basketball Without Borders Global approaching, scouts will be locked in on top prospects from the NBA Academies. The strides NBA Academy Africa and its players have made in such a short time are remarkable; they’ve quickly gone from a group of raw athletes who overwhelm with their physicality to high-IQ, well-rounded players at all five positions. Though few other youth programs have the financial backing to invest as much into their prospects as the Academy does, developmental projects around the world can learn from NBA Academy Africa. They have put the right people in charge of young players who were handpicked from their peers around the continent and devoted themselves wholly to helping them become promising students of the game.
In part I, we went over two surefire first round NBA draft picks from NBA Academy Africa. While the next prospects aren’t guaranteed to become NBA players, it would be naive to write them off this early. They may be lacking the hype that others have, but the talent gap is smaller than what many would assume. BWB Global takes place this month and will also be an incredible stage to get their names in front of high-level universities and professional programs. The following trio of prospects is more than talented, skilled and smart enough to make it to the next level — it’s just a matter of when.
Amar Diop — 6’6” G, 198 lbs, 18 years old
Unheralded yet aggressive off-guard, Amar Diop slots in perfectly next to dominant bigs and a team that shares the ball. The Senegalese shooting guard has grown to 6’6” and although we don’t have official measurements, you can tell he has a plus wingspan, quick hands and good hip mobility.
For many, Diop exploded onto the scene this past fall during the Road to BAL, which was a qualifying tournament for this year’s edition of the Basketball Africa League. In two of the three games there, he averaged 18 points on 62% from the field against grown men. A unique blend of five-level scoring helps him get to his spots in isolation or using on and off-ball screens. This offensive versatility makes him a great plug-and-play option as he can be used as a traditional catch and shoot 2-man who sprints off screens, or an offensive initiator. He has solid playmaking instincts too, finding teammates early and putting them in positions to score within the flow of the attack. Diop’s defensive effort is there and his length bothers smaller guards whether he’s containing penetration or chasing someone down for a block. An area to work on perhaps on his next team is handling primary defensive attention. With two high-level players as the focal point of opposing defenses, Diop is content and more than effective as the third scoring option. He still needs to work on finding his spots when defenses key in on him like in the third game of the Road to BAL, when he made just one field goal. An all-around player, Diop finds ways to impact the game outside of scoring too.
I have often compared him to Malik Monk due to his microwave scoring ability and secondary playmaking prowess, and that comparison still holds. I would not be surprised to see him pursue a pro option like G League Ignite outside of the NCAA, but college could be an enticing option to increase his draft stock ahead of 2025 as his game is ready for that next step.
Seifeldin Hendawy — 6’7” G, 192 lbs, 18 years old
Seifeldin Hendawy could sneakily become the highest upside player of this squad. With good measurables, solid instincts and experience at multiple positions, he is an interesting developmental case as a tall pass-first initiator who plays both sides of the ball. The Egyptian Hendawy is a long and wiry power forward turned point guard who functions as the glue of this NBA Academy Africa team.
Hendawy is a methodical and precise offensive engine. He doesn’t use his speed to blow by defenders nor does he get sped up as he weaves his way between them, hitting the right pass at the opportune time or making a Hail Mary that no one — including the receiver — sees coming. He can throw people open and sees passing lanes before they open. A touch more creativity in his passing is possible. Hendawy is very good at collapsing the defense and kicking out to shooters, as well as finding the right player in transition, but only a small percentage of his passes out of the pick and roll are intended for the roller. Hendawy has good ball protection, putting defenders in jail by keeping them on his back while he shields the ball and makes reads. He is also a capable shooter even if he tends not to take many jumpers unless he’s fully open. Defensively, Hendawy makes great use of his long frame; he closes passing lanes easily, contains ball handlers who tend to be smaller than him and challenges shots at the rim.
Hendawy will likely be an advanced stats darling but the thing to watch out for is if he can produce enough volume to fulfill his potential. He does great things on the floor, but he can be doing more. He has potential to become a Lonzo Ball/Tyrese Halliburton type of player with his heads up passing and unselfish decision making, which is ideal in today’s NBA. Something about Hendawy just feels like a winning player no matter what level he chooses next year.
Aginaldo Neto — 6’1” G, 167 lbs, 17 years old
Often the smallest player on the court, Aginaldo Neto proves that height doesn’t matter as much as we might think. The Angolan guard uses explosive speed to keep defenders on their toes (or heels) as he is a proficient passer and gifted driver adept at drawing shooting fouls. Neto is easily the youngest player to receive significant minutes on this experienced team, which means he has a longer than average runway to work on points of emphasis.
Neto gets downhill seemingly at will, breezing by defenders if they are off-balance or anticipating a move in the half court. Where he’s a real danger is in transition. Advanced stats are difficult to track for this team but Neto is impossible to stop on the break and when he attacks, the play typically ends in one of three outcomes: a layup, an assist or a shooting foul. In the half court, he can get tunnel vision as he speeds to the rim but does a good job of dishing the ball when he inevitably draws two defenders. If the second defender arrives too late, he has no problem putting up acrobatic layups that find their way into the hoop despite the contest. Developing a consistent jump shot would do wonders for his game in allowing him to play more effectively off the ball and to make defenders play him closer. He has games where jumpers are going in at a high rate though, so there are encouraging signs on that front as long as his mechanics remain sound.
Defensively, Neto is solid on and off the ball. At his height, he has certain limitations but he plays his role knowing he has help from massive teammates behind him. The advantage Neto leverages offensively could be extremely dangerous on the defensive end; I’d love to see him play passing lanes even more to make a greater defensive impact and fuel his transition attack.
Neto looks like a high-level division I point guard right now and he doesn’t even need to make a postgrad decision for another year. His youth is enticing and whatever program wins him over will have found a smart lead guard with tons of potential who is no stranger to hard work.