Strike 3: The Denver Nuggets got lucky when they drafted Nikola Jokic with their second round draft pick, No. 41, back in 2014. Better to be lucky than good, as they say.

Whether it was intentional or not, plucking a lightly regarded big man from Europe was almost the direct opposite of drafting their “other” highly touted No. 15, Carmelo Anthony, whom they tabbed with the No. 3 draft pick in the first round of the 2003 draft. That’s because Anthony was already a highly touted superstar, having won the NCAA title as a freshman at Syracuse where he was one of those, “one and done” guys. Anthony was born and raised on the east coast of the United States, and as the Nuggets found out after seven and a half years, never stopped wanting to go back to a place where the lights shined just a bit brighter.

Jokic, on the other hand, while he spends his summers back in his homeland of Serbia, said at Nuggets media day recently, “My plan is to be a Nugget forever.”

If you look around, you’ll see that Joker is one of many of the NBA’s foreign born stars who seem more content with where they are, and are less about where they’d like to be.

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle may have been taking notes while he was out on the recruiting trail. This year’s Buffs will have a distinct foreign-born flavor when they take the court at the Colorado Events Center on Nov. 3 against Montana State. Can this help Boyle build a roster of guys who are content staying awhile in Boulder for what’s likely a little less NIL cash and much less spotlight?

Wandering eyes and chasing the money have become a (bad) thing in college basketball in recent years. Keeping players on your campus for more than a year, much less three or four is almost unheard of now. Boyle is an old-school coach whose preferences are not to jump into the transfer portal and try to rebuild his roster every off season and not to bring in a group of “one and done” high school prospects that also leave a rebuilding job behind when they leave after a season. The Buffs 16-year head coach would welcome the chance to do things the old fashioned way – sign talented high school players and develop them, eventually forming a cohesive team and program. Trying to compete in the powerful Big 12 conference – where his team is unlikely to be the more physically gifted group on the floor most nights – requires a lot of what former Nuggets coach George Karl called, “teamness.” That gets built over time.

After losing three players, including “one and done” Cody Williams in the 2024 NBA Draft, and several more who elected to chase more money elsewhere via the Portal, Boyle spent last season in full on rebuild mode, and clearly thinking about some new ways to recruit. This offseason, he brought in three incoming freshmen who are not native to the USA, including 6-foot-9 forward Alon Michaeli from Israel, of whom much will be expected in this, his very first season.

Also moving to Boulder after having come to America as a teenager is seven foot freshman big man Fawaz “Tacko” Ifaola, who’s from Nigeria by way of Arizona, along with 7-foot-1 center Leonardo Van Elswyk who hails from Milan, Italy. He played internationally in the 18U Euro league the past two seasons.

They’ll join 6-foot-11 sophomore forward Sebastian Rancik from Slovakia, who played a lot for CU last season as a freshman after playing his high school ball in southern California, and sophomore guard Felix Kossaras from Montreal, who saw his playing time increase as last season unfolded.

This year’s Buffs may be Team United Nations. Time will tell if CU can develop these prospects into productive college players, and if they do, can Boyle – who is unlikely to be able to match very many NIL offers that budding stars can get in the portal – be able to keep them in Boulder for the duration.

Either way, it makes good sense to try.

When the new season tips off, CU will be leaning heavily on standout 7-foot forward Bangot Dak. While the name may cause a number of folks to assume he’s also from a foreign country, that would not be the case, unless Buff fans think Lincoln, Nebraska is, or should be.