Wembanyama is not the only French teen projected to go high in draft

Bilal Coulibaly Abaca Press

Victor Wembanyama is not the only French teenager projected to go high in draft

By Sean Keane | Last updated 6/20/23

One teenager from Paris' Metropolitans 92 is going No. 1 in the draft. Another is rocketing up draft boards.

Bilal Coulibaly was a teammate of presumptive top pick Victor Wembanyama in the French league last season, after moving up from the youth league to become a full-time starter by the playoffs.

He's 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and excellent leaping ability, and Sam Vecenie called him a "difference maker" on defense and a "monster at the point of attack."

Bilal Coulibaly has the tools to be one of the best wing defenders in the entire draft. At 6’8” with a 7’2” wingspan and quickness laterally, he has the ability to defend up and down a lineup. Brings a ton of value as a versatile defender. pic.twitter.com/py02se9hR3
— Global Scouting (@GlobalScouting_) June 18, 2023

Coulibaly is an intriguing prospect not just because of his size and athleticism, but because of his stunning rate of improvement. He went from an unheralded local player standing under six feet tall, to starring on the French Under-18 team after a huge growth spurt.

While his offensive game is raw, and he rarely shoots, Coulibaly is intriguing to any team with the patience and the confidence that he'll refine his ball handling and shooting.

On the "#thisleague UNCUT" podcast, draft expert Rafael Barlowe reported that he had Coulibaly going No. 9 to the Utah Jazz, and that "someone pretty connected to the situation" said the 18-year-old might go even higher.

It's a stunning rise, and perhaps only possible because of all the scouting attention on his teammate, Wembanyama. There's never been more NBA employees studying the French league than there were this past season, and everyone watching Wembanyama couldn't help but notice Coulibaly's emergence.

The Ringer suggested the Spurs were trying to acquire a lottery pick to pair Wembanyama with his French teammate, but Coulibaly might go too high for that.

NBA fans are all learning to pronounce "Wembanyama." They might have to learn "Coulibaly" sooner than they expected.

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