As Florida looks to round out its 2024-25 roster it’s clear that they have interest in bringing in some international talent. The Gators have been linked to a number of top freshman-aged players coming over from Europe, and that is the case once again with Todd Golden and his staff reportedly showing interest in guard Dayan Nessah.
Nessah currently plays in the FC Barcelona development system but hails originally from Switzerland. FC Barcelona has one of the top development programs in the world, and Nessah is another tremendous talent coming through the system that is now looking to come to the NCAA as opposed to ACB (the Spanish domestic league) and Euroleague competition. This is the caliber of athlete that wouldn’t be looking to come to the United States pre-NIL, but now that things have changed he’s ready to come and make an impact on the college game.
Joining Barcelona as a 6’1” guard, Nessah has continued to grow and measured at 6’5” in 2022 and recently came in at 6’7”, showing excellent length for a player of his skill set. That skill set, you might ask? Pure scoring bliss. Nessah is someone who plays the game with flair, making fancy plays whether as a scorer or a distributor. While he can definitely fill it up, Nessah loves to pass the ball and prides himself as more of a distributor, and he’s sure to make the job fun. Watching any of Nessah’s games you’ll see him throw no-look passes in transition, or dump the ball to a diving cutter behind his head before the defense knows the play is happening.
As a scorer, Nessah’s biggest threat is as a shooter. Throughout his developmental career he has been an elite three-point shooter no matter the event or the competition level, and his smooth release suggests that trend will continue no matter where he ends up next.
Overall, Nessah is a high-energy player that has a great feel for the game and can handle the ball at 6’7”–something that will play at any league in the world.
The questions with Nessah are largely his skinny frame and the injuries that come with it. For the past two seasons he has fought injuries, missing long stretches of games with Barcelona’s development team that has hurt his exposure and chance to work on his game. European basketball is extremely physical and it wouldn’t necessarily be an adjustment for him to play in the NCAA–but the fact of the matter is that the high level of physicality in Europe has already caused him injury problems and coaches are concerned that this negative trend could continue.
Nessah’s recruitment will be a fascinating one to watch. In the class of 2024 he’ll be ready to join a team immediately, and with so many teams with open roster spots remaining you’re seeing talented players (whether in the portal or in high school) commanding huge NIL amounts. The injury concerns with Nessah are something coaches will have to figure out, as it could be what decides which level he ends up with. Many evaluators see him as a clear high-major talent, though the health uncertainty has some programs scared off.
Right now the Gators could likely take somewhat of a risk on a player like Nessah, as they won’t need him to contribute right away and could give him a chance to get fully healthy before utilizing his immense talent.
With players already on campus around the country you might think Nessah is looking to make a decision quickly, though he may end up taking some campus visits (which can be rare for European players).