Nico Mannion, Gabriele Procida among candidates for Euroleague Rising Star award

The 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season is already in its fifth month of action and many young talents have shown what they are capable of. In order to be eligible for this year’s Rising Star award, a player must have been 21 years of age or younger entering this season and been born after July 1, 2000. This is our selection of the top candidates – in alphabetical order – in the race to receive this trophy, which is chosen by EuroLeague head coaches at the end of the campaign.

Rokas Jokubaitis, FC Barcelona

Jokubaitis was named as the EuroLeague Rising Star last season and he has a chance to be the fourth player to hear his name called for a second consecutive year, following Nikola Mirotic, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Luka Doncic. So far this season, he is averaging 5.2 points on 42.9% shooting from three-point range, 2.2 assists and a PIR of 5.6. In the last six games, though, Jokubaitis has boosted his numbers up to 8.7 points, going 62.5% on his three-pointers, along with 2.8 assists and a 10.0 PIR. Fast, athletic and with a really high basketball IQ, Jokubaitis is even more dangerous with an extra year of experience.

Yam Madar, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

Madar has made sure his name is widely known in his first EuroLeague season. In his second campaign with Partizan and working under legendary head coach Zeljko Obradovic, Madar has made the most out of his playing time. The point guard has played over 20 minutes seven times this season, scoring in double digits in six of those games. Madar had career highs of 15 points and a PIR of 18 in Round 17 against AS Monaco, while he is averaging 6.1 points on 87.0% free throws, 1.4 assists and a PIR of 4.8. Most importantly, he has been anything but intimidated in his debut campaign in Europe’s premier club basketball competition.

Nico Mannion, Virtus Segafredo Bologna

Mannion was struggling with injury problems at the beginning of the season, but slowly and steadily, he has found his scoring rhythm and gained head coach Sergio Scariolo’s trust. Mannion, whose father Pace is a European basketball legend, had 13 points against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and also 11 against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. He is averaging 5.4 points on 45.5% three-pointers and 84.6% free throws in 11 games, despite stepping onto the court less than 11 minutes per night.

Jaime Pradilla, Valencia Basket

Pradilla came off a fantastic 2021-22 7DAYS EuroCup season and is now showcasing his potential in his second EuroLeague season, running the floor really well and confirming he is an elite finisher around the rim. Like Madar, Pradilla is proving that he belongs at this level, particularly when he sees extended playing time. He is averaging 4.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and a PIR of 4.4 until now, but those numbers went up to 8.8 points on 15-of-19 two-point shots, 3.0 rebounds and a PIR of 11.5 in his last four games, in which Valencia’s frontcourt had injury problems.

Gabriele Procida, ALBA Berlin

Procida is a tall shooting guard with good explosiveness and unlimited range. He hit the ground running in Round 1, scoring 12 points in 13 minutes in a win against Partizan, his first-ever EuroLeague game. Procida has had four other double-digit scoring games, peaking at 16 against AS Monaco in Round 22. Despite stepping onto the court less than 15 minutes per night, Procida averages 5.9 points and a PIR of 4.2. Without the injured Marcus Eriksson, ALBA needed him to be a player who could provide instant offense, and Procida has been his team’s X-factor in many games.

Alen Smailagic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

Smailagic started the season injured and he even tried to help his team while he was not 100%. In recent games, Smailagic has found his shape and rhythm, playing a critical role off the bench. In the last four games, he has averaged 6.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and a PIR of 7.8, comfortably above his season-long numbers (4.2 ppg., 2.0 rpg., 4.4 PIR). Partizan has a deep frontcourt, but Smailagic has found a way to be effective, opening the floor with his three-point shots and thrilling his team’s fans with his dunks and blocked shots.