By Javier Molero/ jmolero@eurohoops.net
The NCAA continues to add European talent for the upcoming season. According to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, Noam Yaacov will play for the University of Utah next year.
At 21 years old, Noam Yaacov is one of the most promising young talents in Israeli basketball, and he won the 2025/26 BKT Eurocup with Hapoel Tel Aviv. Now, averaging 17.8 points and 5.8 assists per game for Oostende, he has decided that the next step is the NCAA.
Utah is coming off a rough year. The Utes finished last in the Big 12 with a 2-16 conference record, for a 10-22 season total. Yaacov, a key player for Oostende, a team that played in the Basketball Champions League this year, will try to turn things around.
It is also confirmed that the guard will go through the 2026 NBA Draft process as a self-eligible prospect. Yaacov is one of the leading figures in FIBA youth basketball, having recently led Israel’s U20 and U18 teams. After impressing at Hapoel, he signed with Oostende, aiming to become a future star of European basketball.