NBA Draft: Noa Essengue, Ben Saraf, and Ratiopharm Ulm’s ‘Orange Campus’

Noa Essengue and Ben Saraf will likely continue Ratiopharm Ulm’s trend of developing NBA Draft picks. What is the German club doing differently?

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Ben Saraf, a left-handed Israeli wing, grabbed MVP at this summer’s U18 Eurobasket. He was arguably the best scorer at the tournament, showcasing incredible touch, range, and an impressive crossover and jab step combo that often left opponents in the dust. Only 18 years old, Saraf signed with German club Ratiopharm Ulm for the upcoming season. Ulm has become incredibly popular in draft circles this decade. 

Four years ago, the Detroit Pistons selected French point guard Killian Hayes with the seventh overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft. While Hayes's career has not been a success so far, his selection was a big win for Ulm, one of the few clubs in Europe devoting a larger number of resources both off the court - facility and technology investment - and on the court - playing time - to developing young players. While most European teams are seeing prospects seek better development opportunities elsewhere, Ulm has established itself as a prime destination. 

Hayes was only the beginning. In the 2024 NBA Draft, Ulm had two players selected: Pacome Dadiet and Juan Nunez. Both prospects benefitted greatly from the senior-level playing time they were given last season. Nunez was Ulm’s starting point guard and primary orchestrator. Dadiet played his way from the fringes of the rotation to a regular throughout the season. Ulm’s got two potential first-round picks for the 2025 NBA Draft as well in Saraf and French forward Noa Essengue, who also looked good at the U18 Eurobasket this summer. 

European basketball development has taken a step back in recent times. Big clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona continue to be able to develop players with financial backing afforded to them by their global brands built through European football. INSEP, the National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance -- based in Paris -- has a good track record and funding but all these organizations have been around for a while and others have decayed, some have even gone bankrupt. 

The most notable newcomer to the development stage in Europe has been KK Mega Basket, the former club of Nikola Jokic, which is the brainchild of international basketball super agent Misko Raznatovic. Jokic is not their only notable alum with Nikola Jovic, Nikola Topic, Nikola Djurisic, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and others spending time there before being drafted. 

But Ulm has made a name for themselves now. After Hayes, they opened a new $25 million development complex. It is a part of the Orange Campus which features corporate offices, restaurants, and more in addition to its fitness center and playing courts. A big part of their development process is tape review. Their facility is lined with state-of-the-art cameras, giving them unlimited chances to review players' games, behavior, training, and more. 

Ulm’s commitment to development doesn’t stop with prospects, they’ve served as a springboard for plenty of post-grad professionals as well. Javonte Green played for Ulm before signing with the Boston Celtics. Brazilian duo Bruno Caboclo and Yago Dos Santos trampolined strong seasons with Ulm into EuroLeague contracts. Trevion Williams left Ulm for EuroLeague club ALBA Berlin after a strong season, and Golden State Warriors stash Justinian Jessup ended last season with Ulm and looks poised to stay. 

Ulm also qualified for the 2024 Adidas Next Generation Tournament finals in Berlin this past May for the first time in their history. They were overmatched against some of the more established clubs, but like the German League title they captured only a year ago, don’t be surprised if they’re lifting a trophy there sooner rather than later. 

Essengue and Saraf are next in line for Ulm and will round out the starting five of NBA Draft prospects to come from the club. But this is still the early days of this project. Ulm surely has ambitions to win the EuroCup and qualify for EuroLeague basketball and will continue their development projects along the way. Should Dadiet, Nunez, Essengue, or Saraf turn into reliable NBA players then more agents and prospects will seek opportunities with Ulm and allow their machine to continue helping players reach their next level. In other words, keep watching them closely.

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