Noa Essengue and Ben Saraf shine against the Trail Blazers

Ben Saraf and Noa Essengue, two ultra-young candidates for the 2025 NBA Draft, got their first glimpse of NBA action on Wednesday at Ratiopharm Ulm. And both made full use of their minutes.

Essengue was the big winner of the night, seeing an all-rounder game at just 17 years old. He finished the game with an outstanding 20 points on 6-for-14 shooting and added eight rebounds, three assists and a steal in 34 minutes. He played a key role in keeping Ulm in the game, which ended impressively by just 11 points behind.

Saraf’s most success came in the first half, when he scored an eye-popping 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting, including 75% on shots from long range. Overall, he had 16 points, two assists and two steals.

Additionally, Saraf essentially served as one of the team’s primary guards, weaving between defenders and often causing teammates to get into trouble. It wasn’t apparent on the stat sheet, but he did a good job as a ballplayer.

The guard’s relaxed approach was evident in almost all of the lowlights, which got him into trouble a few times, which is to be expected for an 18-year-old main ballplayer playing in the NBA.

Saraf excelled in his seven FIBA ​​U18 games, averaging 28.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.0 rebounds en route to earning MVP honors. The same success has also been transferred to Ulm: in four EuroCup games he averaged 14.5 points with a shooting rate of 44%, 6.0 assists and 1.5 steals.

Regardless, there was a lot more good than bad for both prospects.

For now, NBA decision-makers will take stock of the pair’s performance against Portland ahead of a long draft cycle.

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