Basketball's future, the Middle East, and why I'm scouting Qatar's Mohamed Ndao

Some thoughts on basketball's future. Plus, scouting Mohamed Massamba Ndao, Abdulla Yassin Mousa, Mohammad Amini, Moustapha Ndao, and Mohammed Abbasher.

I think that one of the biggest stories in basketball over the coming years will be the Middle East’s push for influence in the sport.

There are many reasons as to why I believe this, but I think that a look at the global sports landscape does enough explaining for now.

Saudi Arabia has poured into football (soccer), golf (LIV), boxing, Formula 1, tennis, professional wrestling (WWE), mixed martial arts, and other sports. It will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup and, less glamorous but also important, the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup.

Qatar hosted the last FIFA World Cup. It's also invested in football — its local league, but most notably Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) — as well as tennis, cycling, and basketball. Qatar will host the 2027 FIBA World Cup. Qatar Sports Investments, which owns PSG, bought a 5% stake in the Washington Wizards’ parent company, marking the first time a sovereign wealth fund has held ownership in an American team. NBA teams only allow such investors to have passive, minority investments.

The United Arab Emirates’ ties to the NBA are increasing. The New York Times described Abu Dhabi as the NBA’s “hub in the Middle East,” and it is also “an especially strong option” for a new NBA Global Academy. The restructuring of the Academy system could "provide more opportunities," per the NBA head of international basketball operations, to players from the country. Emirates, the airline wholly owned by the Government of Dubai (the country’s most populous emirate), sponsors the NBA Cup. A new club, Dubai BC¹, was founded in 2024 and plays in the Adriatic League (it was likely created with the intention of eventually joining the Euroleague - or will it be NBA Europe?). Abu Dhabi is hosting the 2025 Euroleague Final Four.

As this gradual investment happens, there will be criticism. I’d expect that to largely come from the media, be that columns or tweets/posts. There might also be outcry from elected government officials, although I wouldn’t take that in particular too seriously. Advocacy groups will respond. Human Rights Watch already said that the NBA Cup’s partnership with Emirates and its preseason games in Abu Dhabi were “part of the Emirati government’s efforts to distract from the many human rights violations it is committing at home and abroad.”

There will also be praise and joy, particularly if a fanbase benefits from this — or any — investment in a sporting sense. I’m not sure too many Manchester City (Abu Dhabi) supporters care about where their money comes from if they keep winning titles and trebles. If Qatar can eventually invest more in the Wizards, currently 9-45 as I write this, and that leads to playoff runs instead of Tankathon refreshes, I’d be shocked to see many complaints emanating from DC. A 2023 poll found that “roughly half” of American sports fans (out of 1,584 adults) would be "uncomfortable with Saudi Arabia, Qatar or the UAE making a large investment in their favorite team,” but I doubt that would be the case in practice. One could argue, like the NBA is already doing, that this investment/collaboration leads to the growth of basketball.

I’m not here to judge whether what I’m talking about is sports diplomacy (“good”) or sportswashing (“bad”). I also don’t think that this concept or trend can be judged in black and white. It has endless shades of grey, like many investments in the world that are the topic of conversation. Rather, I just feel like this investment is inevitable, so we should start talking about it.

I expect that it will happen in the NBA (I was told last week that there are a lot of people interested in investing in the league), but if not, then I’m sure the money will find its way to basketball in some form.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is already an investor in the start-up international league which counts Maverick Carter as an advisor and supposedly wants to rival the NBA, for instance. Whether that project ever materializes, or if it’s more of a pressure play against the NBA (this is what I currently think) is TBD, but this theoretical league should have people’s attention to some extent.

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Since I expect Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, and eventually other MENA countries to enter the basketball landscape in significant way sooner rather than later, I think it’s time to start keeping a relatively closer eye on the talent emerging out of that region (and diaspora).

🇶🇦 Mohamed Massamba Ndao (2007, HS c/o 2026)

BIRTHDAY: March 13, 2007 | HEIGHT: 6-foot-6 | TEAM: Legacy the School of Sport Sciences (Spring, TX, USA)

Right now, I’m paying the most attention to Mohamed Massamba Ndao (2007) from Qatar. I’m certain that the class of 2026 prospect is a high-major recruit, and Houston and Arizona State agree — even if his recruitment seems very quiet (worth noting that he’d be an older college freshman). Ndao has a real chance of being Qatar’s first NBA player, although it will take a hitting a really high-end outcome, so you have to weigh up those odds.

Still, watching his tape genuinely gave me Giannis vibes. Of course, Giannis is 1-of-1, but I’m referring to the idea of a long, lanky teenager stashed in a little-scouted corner of the world. A more realistic comparison for Ndao’s floor and ceiling is Thierry Serge Darlan.

Ndao turns stocks into transition opportunities, and he gets up for dunks in the open court after using his change of direction. He's also shown intriguing flashes in the pick-and-roll with creative live-dribble deliveries, pull-ups out of ballscreens, and rangy drives into the paint.

Ndao is still an inconsistent shooter and decision maker - but he passes the “eye test,” if you will, and his stats have looked pretty good at every level so far. Having moved to Texas and playing high school basketball in the U.S. should also help his development.

Through 41 games tracked across all competitions, I have Ndao averaging 18.2 PTS (60.9 2P%) on 33.3 3P% (54/162) and 67.8 FT% (196/289), plus 2.4 AST, 3.8 TOV, 2.1 BLK, 1.5 STL, and 2.2 FOULS. He played in the Qatari league for Al Ahli, but currently plays at Legacy the School of Sport Sciences (Spring, TX²).

🇶🇦 Abdulla Yassin Mousa (2008)

BIRTHDAY: June 26, 2008 | HEIGHT: 6-foot-2 | TEAM: Al Rayyan (Qatar)

Two things immediately stood out to me about Abdulla Yassin Mousa: how he keeps playing up levels while being very young, and his three-point volume. For instance, Mousa was the youngest player ever to play in a FIBA West Asia Super League game, or he played at the U-16 level as a 14-year-old. Then, in 13 Qatari league games this season, Mousa is shooting 39/104 (37.5 3P%), averaging 8 attempted threes per game.

Then, after delving deeper into his tape, I really like how loose Mousa plays, particularly as a scorer. I bet he enjoys watching LaMelo Ball, and his game also reminds me of guards like Tre Mann or Anfernee Simons. The 16-year-old prospect’s shot looks easy coming out of his hands, be it attempting movement shots or pull-ups out of screens. As a passer, I think the Qatari 2-guard is largely limited to strong-side reads right now, but he moves the ball.

The biggest thing for Mousa going forward is getting stronger and, as a result, getting more comfortable playing in the paint, in traffic, and with contact. He has a difficult time finishing when length meets him at the rim, and he’s too reliant on tough floaters for my liking. All of this also affects Mousa’s defense.

Through 60 games tracked across all competitions, I have Mousa averaging 12.7 PTS (48.8 2P%) on 28 3P% (104/372, 6.2 per game), plus 1.2 OREB, 2.0 DREB, 1.7 AST, 2.3 TOV, 0.2 BLK, 1.7 STL, and 1.7 FOULS. At the club level, Mousa currently plays for Al Rayyan in the Qatari league. He has been with the club since U-7s.

If Mousa goes the college route, I believe that he’d be a part of the 2026 high school class - but I’m not in the know about his school accreditation, credits taken (really, how those would translate), etc. Mohamed Ndao, for instance, will graduate at 19 in the USA. Mousa looks like a future mid-major prospect, like somebody else in his family…

Also important: Abdulla is the younger brother of Dayton freshman Hamad Mousa. Hamad was the second-ever Qatari D-I player. Their dad Yassin “was the first player from Arab world to be invited to Nike Hoop Summit in 2000 (same roster as Tony Parker), played on the Qatar National Team and was part of Qatar’s 3x3 squad that won the 2014 FIBA championship.”

Bonus: here is a video of Mousa this past summer playing in the United States at what I’m guessing is a SPIRE Academy basketball camp.

🇮🇷 Mohammad Amini (2005)

BIRTHDAY: April 26, 2005 | HEIGHT: 6-foot-7 | TEAM: Nancy (France)

I’m also pretty interested in Mohammad Amini, a 6-foot-7 bucketgetter from Iran. He played in the Asia Cup qualifiers this past week (14p vs. India, 9p vs. Qatar) and suits up for Nancy in the French league as his club team.

Amini has averaged 5.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 turnovers, and 0.9 stocks on 59.4/27.8/57.1 shooting splits in 15.8 minutes per night over 20 games for Nancy. He was previously at Monaco, where he surprisingly never really made it past the U-21 level.

Amini first caught my attention at the 2023 World Cup. He had 19 points vs. Spain, 15 vs. the Ivory Coast, and 22 vs. Lebanon. Even when he struggled, such as his 6-point, 3/9 FG game vs. France, he still played 32 minutes while being very young. To me, that counts for something.

I see Amini as a score-first big guard who lacks that bit of athletic oomph at the rim or with his first step, but who’s crafty and stubborn using ball screens. The high release point on his shot is nice at his size, and he’s clearly a very willing pull-up shooter who’s probably most comfortable when getting a high volume of touches (although he can shoot spot-ups).

If Amini has college eligibility, mid-major D-I schools who have experience accommodating international prospects should think about recruiting him. Otherwise, he should be a fixture of the Irani national team for at least the next decade, and one of the first names on their rivals’ scouting reports.

🇶🇦 Moustapha Ndao (2005)

BIRTHDAY: April 27, 2005 | HEIGHT: 6-foot-2 | TEAM: Al Ahli (Qatar)

Moustapha Ndao from Qatar isn’t someone I’m very high on, but he’s evidently a focal point of his nation’s basketball present and future. Ndao previously played high school ball in the U.S. for Buchtel after family members moved from Qatar to Akron, OH. Michael Beaven from The Akron Beacon Journal wrote a nice piece on him in Jan. 2024, mentioning that “Mous” grew up also playing soccer and cricket, is fluent in English, French, and speaks a bit of Arabic.

He’s currently a pro in the Qatari league, playing for Al Ahli. Notably, the 2005-born guard had a game with 24/4/4 and 4 steals on Jan. 1. Ndao seems like the archetypal quick, slash-and-score-first guard without much of a shot. My issue is that he seems to also lack touch at the rim, even at this level, which then nullifies his main strength (driving). Ndao isn’t really a facilitator, either.

Depending on his college eligibility (since his younger brother is being recruited, I’d imagine he can also play NCAA ball), he can be an option for low major schools.

Through 35 games tracked across all competitions, I have Ndao averaging 8.8 PTS (46 2P%) on 19.8 3P% (23/116) and 44 FT% (33/75), while pitching in 1.3 OREB, 2.7 DREB, 1.6 AST, 2.3 TOV, 0.5 BLK, 1.3 STL, and 1.8 FOULS.

🇶🇦 Mohammed Abbasher (2004)

UPDATE (JUNE 6, 2025): Abbasher is 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. He is interested in playing college basketball.

BIRTHDAY: July 6, 2004 | HEIGHT: 6-foot-7* (see above) | TEAM: Al Ahli (Qatar)

Mohammed Hashim Z Abbasher is another relatively decent Qatari prospect whose tape is accessible. FIBA lists him at 6-foot-7, and he's also playing for Al Ahli.

By relatively decent, I mean at the Qatari national level, and also thinking about their national team’s long-term future. Abbasher looks like a fairly standard wing who spots up and then makes decisions out of that. However, he needs to shoot the three better, and he’s limited to straight line drives.

Even those moments come in slo-mo compared to a high level of play, though, and asking Abbasher to put the ball on the floor to do anything else can get messy. I think he moves well on defense, and he has solid positional dimensions, but I wish his production was better. Overall, Abbasher has been productive in the Qatari league this season, averaging 14.8 PTS on 33.9% from three and a 2.0 A/TO.

Through 46 games across all competitions, I have Abbasher averaging 11.2 PTS (55.6 2P%) on 25.1 3P% (42/167) and 66.1 FT% (113/171), plus 2.0 OREB, 5.2 DREB, 2.1 AST, 2.7 TOV, 0.3 BLK, 1.1 STL, and 1.7 FOULS.

If anyone has any tips on Middle Eastern prospects I should check out, please let me know in the comments, contact me on Twitter, or email me at wilkomartinez@gmail.com.

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To be clear, I don’t expect a sudden massive influx of Middle Eastern talent into the NBA. That is a long ways away, if it ever happens. We’re still wondering whether China might ever accomplish this with more regularity.

However, I do expect more talent from the Arab world to gradually make higher levels of American basketball — high school, community college (ex: Morocco’s Hamza Ghoulial at East Central CC) non-D-I schools (ex: Qatar’s Sultan Abuissa and the UAE’s Marchelo Moreira at D-3 Illinois Tech and Allegheny, respectively), D-I (ex: Qatar’s Hamad Mousa and Egypt’s Aly Khalifa via the NBA Global Academy…), or the G League (ex: Egypt’s Abdullah Ahmed, Egyptian-American Patrick Gardner) — and to have more of a competitive presence in the pros.

1. I’m keeping an eye on Dubai BC’s youth players, especially Diop Amath (2010, Senegal), right now - but it seems like the system is primarily players from the Balkans and Mediterranean Europe. Video courtesy of

The Diaspora Drop

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2. A 35ish minute drive from the University of Houston campus.