Basketball season is underway, both in Champaign and around the world. This offseason, six former Illini (Jakucionas, Riley, Goode, Hawkins, Curbelo, Melendez) exhausted their college eligibility or declared
for the NBA Draft and joined the professional ranks, bringing the total number of Illini currently being paid to play basketball to somewhere between 18-20. Once the G-League season gets going, I will have another article for ex-Illini plying their trade in the US, but for now grab your passport and see where to plan your travels in order to catch up with Illini favorites (or not-so-favorites). Travel trumps talent in this power ranking, as I will go through each player from least to most desirable vacation destination.
Honorable Mention:
Kipper Nichols played last year for Čačak 94 in Serbia after four years in England playing for the Sheffield Sharks, but I have not been able to find any information on him signing for the 2025-26 season.
8. Andre Curbelo: Ironi Ness Ziona
Where He is Playing
Ness Ziona is a small city six miles from the Mediterranean coast in Israel. I cannot find anything particularly notable about the city.
How He is Playing
Curbelo is starting the season on the injured list, with a groin injury expected to keep him out six weeks. Before heading to Israel, Curbelo played in the Puerto Rican League which runs from March-July, where he put up 12.7 points per game, 5.9 assists per game and 5.5 rebounds per game for Atleticos de San German, who failed to make the playoffs.
Who He is Playing With
Isaiah Whitehead was a star at Seton Hall who had a short, two-year NBA career with the Brooklyn Nets before bouncing around Europe. Desi Rodriguez is their leading scorer and was Whitehead’s teammate on those Seton Hall teams. Udoka Azubuike was an All-American at Kansas before having a short NBA career with the Utah Jazz. Damion Lee had a seven-year NBA year, including an NBA championship with the Warriors in 2021-22.
7. Trent Frazier: Zenit Saint Petersburg
Where He is Playing
St. Petersburg has beautiful baroque and neoclassical architecture that have remained well preserved through two World Wars and is probably the best place to live in Russia. But it is still Russia. Ice, 20-hour nights, brutal prison sentences for weed, and poisoning of political dissidents are part of the culture there.
How He is Playing
Frazier is now in his fourth season with Zenit Saint Petersburg. A championship has been just outside of his grasp in his time with Zenit, as they fell in the semifinals his first two years and lost 3-2 in the finals last year. Zenit Saint Petersburg has been barred from European competition, due to Russia invading European territory. This year, Frazier is off to a slow start, averaging career-lows of 6.8 points per game, 1.8 rebounds per game, 3.5 assists per game over his first four games.
Who He is Playing With
Andre Roberson is the most familiar name. The 34-year-old is known for starting on the Kevin Durant-Russell Westbrook Thunder as a defensive stopper with a broken jumper. Besides Andre, Zenit also predictably has an Andrey (Martyuk) and an Andrei (Vorontsevich). Other Americans include Levi Randolph, their leading scorer who had a forgettable career at Alabama before they were good, and Alex Poythress, who played on the Kentucky team with Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker that went undefeated until losing to the Frank Kaminsky Badgers.
6. Brandon Paul: Fuerza Regia
Where He Is Playing
Fuerza Regia is a team in the Mexican Basketball League, based out of Monterrey. The second-largest city in Mexico, Monterrey has the advantages of Metropolitan life without some of the chaos of Mexico City. Located in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the skyline is pretty awesome in Monterrey. All over Mexico, food is varied and fantastic, and in Monterrey he can get some grilled goat kid, which I bet tastes way better than you think it does. If BP3 sticks around, he’ll be able to catch some World Cup games in Monterrey next summer.
How He Is Playing
The oldest Illini still playing professionally, Paul has had an incredible globetrotting career, with stops in Russia, Canton, Spain, Turkiye, a two-year NBA stint with San Antonio, China, Greece, Australia, back to Spain, Montenegro, and France before heading to Monterrey. While the Mexican League is a lower level than some of his previous stops, BP3 continues to perform. While I cannot find season stats, a quick look at game logs shows he is scoring in the teens consistently and is one of Fuerza Regia’s better players. The team finds themselves in the semifinals of the playoffs right now, with a 3-2 series lead in the best-of-7 series.
Who He Is Playing With
There are a handful of Americans on the team, as proximity to the United States probably makes it an enticing spot for some professionals who aren’t playing in the top leagues across the world. They mostly herald from lower-level college teams though or were fairly anonymous at the higher levels. Paul is easily the most decorated player on the team.
5. Kofi Cockburn: Hiroshima Dragonflies
Where He Is Playing
Hiroshima is mostly known for being the site of the first atomic bomb dropping, but since the war has been rebuilt into a beautiful coastal city. With a blend of shrines and temples going back centuries, monuments and parks to remember the bombing, and modern Japanese infrastructure, Kofi has a little bit of everything to enjoy in Hiroshima. Also, for nerds in their mid-30s, Hiroshima is known for a Ben Folds song.
How He Is Playing
After a couple of seasons getting casual 20 and 10 double doubles in Seoul, Kofzilla is back to wreak destruction on the Japanese League. Through 9 games, Kofi is averaging 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists for Hiroshima, who sit in third place in the league at 6-3.
Who He Is Playing With
The top four players on the team are all American imports (and one is named Nick Mayo which I have to believe his family chose to shorten from Nicholas Mayonnaise), but none of them had memorable collegiate or pro careers for me.
4. Giorgi Bezhanishvili: AEK Larnaca
Where He Is Playing
After ending his season last year playing in Granada, I can’t help but think Giorgi is using basketball as a vehicle for his suntanning hobby. Larnaca is a coastal city on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. While the Cyprus Basketball League might not be the top level in Europe, Giorgi won’t be able to complain about the comforts. Larnaca boasts temperate weather, beautiful beaches, Ancient Greek history, and a fusion of Greek and Turkish cuisine. Not a bad place to spend a year or two dribbling a basketball.
How He Is Playing
Information on the Cyprus Basketball League is scarce. He signed with Larnaca in September, and played 15 minutes in their Champions League Qualifying game, which they lost, putting Larnaca in the 2nd tier or European competition. Since then, Giorgi has not played. I can only assume he picked up an injury, but I cannot find any information on it. Larnaca is the dominant force in Cypriot basketball, winning the league last year and starting the 2025-26 campaign undefeated through 4 games. Last year, Giorgi averaged 8.1 points and 3.9 rebounds for Gravelines-Dunkerque in France before moving to Coviran Granada in Spain and averaging 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
EDIT: The reason Giorgi has not been playing is he is back stateside with the Windy City Bulls. The season hasn’t started and the rosters have not been finalized yet, so we will see if he sticks in Hoffman Estates or heads back to Europe or elsewhere.
Who He Is Playing With
The only recognizable name on the squad is Ta’lon Cooper, a conference foe for one year at Minnesota in 2022-23.
3. Andres Feliz: Real Madrid
Where He Is Playing
It is fitting that Feliz is playing in a city known for their bullfighting, as Andres plays like a bull attacking the basket at times. Madrid is a major historical and cultural hub in Europe. On his off days, Andres can enjoy wine and tapas, medieval castles, and flamenco dancing between siestas.
How He Is Playing
Andres is off to a slow start to the season, only averaging 3.5 points per game in 2 league games, and 5.2 points per game in 5 EuroLeague games. Still, on a loaded roster Feliz is an important role player, averaging 17 minutes per game. Last year, Feliz averaged 6.5 points per game, 2,8 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Real Madrid had a disappointing EuroLeague performance, losing in the quarterfinals to Olimpiakos. However, they dominated the Spanish League, finishing five games clear of second place and losing only once in 3 playoff series (8-1). Feliz stepped his game up in the playoffs, averaging 9.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, and 2.2 apg in 21 minutes.
Who He Is Playing With
Did I mention Real Madrid is stacked? They boast nine players with NBA experience, headlined by ex-lottery picks Trey Lyles and Super Mario Hezonja. Ex-Maryland Terp Bruno Fernando is on the roster, as well as one of the more fun players in the world, former Denver Nugget Facundo Campazzo.
2. Alfonso Plummer: Baxi Manresa
Where He Is Playing
Manresa is a small town in the heart of Catalonia in Spain. He is just 45 minutes from Barcelona, one of my favorite cities in the world, with great food, parks, beaches and nightlife. Besides proximity to Barcelona, Manresa offers great weather and is in the heart of Spanish wine country. Manresa surprisingly doesn’t have a soccer team above the fifth level in the Spanish soccer pyramid, so BAXI Manresa is the biggest sporting game in town. Plummer seems to enjoy quiet cities in beautiful areas near unique bigger cities, as last year he was in Ulm, not very far from Munich.
How He Is Playing
As expected, Plummer is filling a microwave scorer role off the bench. Between EuroCup (the 2nd level of European competition) and league play, Plummer is only averaging 16 minutes per game but scoring 12.5 points per game. Doing a little simple math, that a ridiculous 25 points per 32 minutes pace. He is shooting over 50% from three so far, so he has to cool off at some point. Last year, Plummer and Ratiopharm Ulm fell in the Basketball Bundesliga final to Bayern Munich.
Who He Is Playing With
The only other American player on BAXI Manresa’s roster is Grant Golden, who was a very good big man for Richmond in the Atlantic-10, and the inspiration behind that earworm from K-Pop Demon Hunters.
1. Kendrick Nunn: Panathinaikos
Where He Is Playing
In the shadow of Zeus. Athens is a fantastic place to spend time between games and practices. Steeped in history, close to the Mediterranean, and with delicious olive and feta cheese-based dishes, Athens has a bit of everything. If I was to dock it for something it would be their sweltering summers, but Kendrick is probably on vacation elsewhere at that time of the year, so it doesn’t matter.
How He Is Playing
Like the best player in Europe. Last year, Kendrick Nunn won EuroLeague MVP, going for 20.1 points per game, 3.5 rebounds per game, and 4.2 assists per game before Panathinaikos bowed out in the semifinals. This offseason, Nunn signed a new contract for 13.5 million Euros over three years, making him the highest paid player in Europe temporarily (Vasilije Micic surpassed it later in the summer). Since the start of the new season, he has picked up where he left off in EuroLeague, averaging 18.9 points per game, 3.4 rebounds per game, and 3.7 assists per game over his first seven EuroLeague games, with Panathinaikos currently sitting in fourth place in the table, comfortably in a playoff spot so far.
Who He Is Playing With
Including Nunn, there are six ex-NBA players on the Panathinaikos roster. Juancho Hernangomez is more known for acting across Adam Sandler in the movie Hustle but also had a solid eight-year NBA career. Cedi Osman had a seven-year NBA career, which started with LeBron’s last year in Cleveland. Richaun Holmes just left the NBA for Europe this offseason after a 10-year career, with the best of those years played in obscurity for the Sacramento Kings. Jerian Grant is the less successful older brother of Blazers forward Jerami, who was sent to the Bulls from the Knicks in the Derrick Rose trade.
