NBA Draft 2012: International Stars Who Could Sneak into the First Round

Is the international boom coming to an end, or has it simply slowed down?

The NBA draft is about two months off, but teams are undoubtedly already building their boards, particularly the ones nowhere near postseason contention. 

One thing that stands out in looking at this year's top prospects is the lack of international names. Last season's draft featured seven international stars selected in the first round, four of them in the top 10.

This year's crop of players from other nations is quite a bit thinner. DraftExpress.com places just one foreign-born player in its top 25 prospects and just three in the top 50, while ESPN's Chad Ford has but two international stars named in the first 40 of his top 100, one barely cracking his first-round projections.

Still, there are some intriguing names, even if not as many as in past years. Let's take a look at some of them.

1. Evan Fournier

Fournier, a 19-year-old Frenchman, is projected by both Ford and Draft Express as a late first-round selection. 

A 6'7", 206-lb. shooting guard, Fournier is known as a smooth scorer with a nice mid-range game and a knack for getting to the rim. 

Playing for the French team Poitiers this past season, Fournier averaged 14 points per game and shot 55 percent from the floor over 30 minutes a night.

Ford notes that for all his offensive skills, he's not a particularly good three-point shooter and he may not be quick enough to stay with other wing players on defense.

Ford's has Fournier at No. 29 on his big board while Draft Express clocks him in at No. 23.

2. Tomas Satoransky

Next up comes another young 6'7" shooting guard, this one hailing from the Czech Republic.

Satoransky, who played this past season in Spain, saw a fair amount of time at the point, is 20 years old and has a 6'7" wingspan. 

Draft Express reports that his performance this season was a bit disappointing, especially in light of what was perceived as a great showing at the adidas EuroCamp last summer, noting that "his minutes, usage rate and scoring output were down from last season."

Two years ago, Satoransky shot 40 percent from three-point range, and his height and wingspan allows him to play above the rim, a skill that could make him tough to guard if he's being checked by a variety of NBA backup point guards. 

Draft Express has him listed at No. 39 on its top 100 while Ford bumps him up one spot to No. 38.

3. Sergey Karasev

Yet another 6'7" shooting guard, Karasev plays for Triumph Moscow in the Russian league. Ford calls him, "one of my favorite young players in Europe right now."

At just 19 and weighing in at barely 200 lbs., Karasev has some filling out and growing up to do before he might be able to make an impact in the NBA. 

In 24 minutes per game, Karasev averaged 12 points, four boards and two assists while hitting at 50 percent from the field. Draft Express notes his coaches' confidence in him, saying they "give him tremendous freedom to make decisions with the ball."

Karasev is also known for his high basketball IQ and maturity level, both in seeming contrast to his age.

Ford thinks he still might be another year away from the NBA Draft, but still lists him at No. 48 on his big board.