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While many were fawning over Victor Wembanyama, one of his teammates on Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans began to catch the eyes of NBA scouts. Bilal Coulibaly’s youth, length, athleticism, and flashes on both ends of the floor have resulted in him jumping up draft boards. He is currently participating in the Betclic Elite French championship series and continuing to showcase his talents. The upside is apparent, but just as there is with any home-run swing, there’s always a chance of striking out. Coulibaly’s build stands out right away with his reported 6’7” and absurd 7’3” wingspan. According to an insightful interview with SLAM Magazine, Coulibaly has been a part of the French youth basketball system since he was 13 and grew from 5’6” to 6’3” between the ages of 15 and 17. In 16 games played with the U21 Espoirs Boulogne-Levallois Mets, he averaged 21.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks while playing 32.1 minutes a night. It was all done efficiently on 53.0 percent from the field, 32.4 percent from three on 4.3 attempts per game, and 76.6 percent from the free-throw line on 6.7 attempts per game. He fills up the stat sheet by making an impact in a variety of ways on both ends of the court. After dominating the Under-21 league, he became a full-time contributor and member of the Mets primary team in January and never looked back. Let’s start with the offensive flashes Coulibaly has shown, which were primarily seen during his time with the U21 team. That competition level is a somewhat decent parallel to the college game in the United States from the aspect of playing against others who are similar in age. His long strides in the open court translate to a ridiculous top speed.
