By SAM LANCE
Paulo Bala might be the best 2025 prospect left on the board that nobody is talking about.
Bala, the 7-foot-2 forward from Angola, came to the United States just three months ago in September. His arrival was a result of a long-standing connection between West Oaks Academy (FL) head coach Kenny Gillion and Angolan-born players. Specifically, prospects are brought over by Rifen Miguel — a former UT Martin forward and native of Luanda, Angola — who played for Gillion at West Oaks. Rifen is also the brother of current Maryland senior guard Selton Miguel.
“Rifen Miguel has been dealing with a lot of the Angolan players,” Gillion told ZAGSBLOG. “And through that connection and their foundation [M3M Foundation], we were able to bring some players from Angola here. I have six guys from Angola that’s on my national team. Out of the 10 players, six of them are from Angola. And that’s a huge shout out to Rifen.”
Bala, of course, is one of the six. And he may be the most talented prospect to ever come out of the country besides Bruno Fernando, who currently plays for the Toronto Raptors.
“I just think in terms of a prospect, you can’t really ask for better,” Gillion said. “He’s a 7-foot-2 guy that moves the way he moves and understands the game.”
Before coming to the states, Bala played professional basketball in Spain for Zentro C.B. There, he wasn’t getting much run and was limited to playing the five spot. So he made the move to the U.S. to showcase his skills on a bigger stage and attract attention from college programs.
So far for West Oaks, Bala has been terrific. He’s averaging 12 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks per game while playing with another 7-footer, Marcis Ponder. This has allowed Bala to play the four spot with more freedom to showcase his abilities.
“I’m a big that can do a little bit of everything,” Bala said of his game. “I can handle. I can shoot. I can go to the basket. I can rebound, challenge shots. Like, I’m 7’2 and can move faster and have mobility. That separates me and other bigs.”
When you walk into the gym, Bala simply jumps off the page. Shoot, he’s a 7-footer and moves like a guard. You don’t see that everyday. During the Grind Session in St. Louis, Bala’s abilities were on full display. In game one against Fort Erie, he scored 12 points with six rebounds and two blocks. But he was most dominant in the second game against Iowa United, finishing with 10 points, six rebounds and four blocks.
In the Iowa game, Bala mostly guarded Arafan Diane, a 6-foot-11 big man and the No. 40 overall prospect in the 2026 class via On3. Bala completely dominated the matchup and sparked a late-game run, but it wasn’t enough. West Oaks ultimately fell 51-47.
“He can move laterally,” Gillion said. “He has a good wing span. He can guard on the perimeter, he can guard the post. So versatility is what stands out.”
As for his recruitment, Bala has six Division I offers: Arizona State, Florida State, High Point, Miami, Ole Miss and Samford. He hasn’t taken any official visits but has toured the campus of Miami. After the holidays, Bala will start taking official visits, but he has no specific schools in mind right now.
Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the schools involved:
Arizona State: “They just offered me. All of these Universities told me that I can adjust my role the way I want. Like play the four and kind of far from the rim. Because back in Spain I was playing the five. And here in the states I’ve had the opportunity to play more open, play like wing too. Arizona State, Florida State too, are the schools that say I can play the way I want. The way I can.”
Florida State: “They have a lot of players in the league. And they tell me that if that’s my big goal, they tell me that’s the place to be — the training for the next level to put me in the league.”
Miami: “Miami is one of the biggest Universities in the states. They have a really big pretty campus. The coaches are so good and they have a good team too. I toured it.”
Bala has no timetable for a decision.
“They just tell me that I can take the visits and take my time with the choice,” Bala said.
Bala isn’t the only athlete in his family. His father, Augusto Bala, played professionally on one of the big teams in Angola. His mother played professional volleyball. Bala is the youngest of three siblings and the only athlete among them.
Two NBA players stick out to Bala and are considered his favorites: Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“We have almost the same height and I have kind of those players abilities,” Bala said. “I can take mid-range shots like Kevin Durant. I can go straight to the rim too like Giannis. But the people they call me the African Wemby [Victor Wembanyama]. Because I’m tall and I can do those things.”
A fun fact about Bala is that he loves to rap and sometimes he even freestyles. He also used to be No. 99 in Spain and that’s his go-to number. But here in the states?
“They couldn’t give me that number,” Bala said. “I don’t know why. They tell me I can not play that.”
With his unique skillset, Bala is surely to generate more buzz and extend his list of offers. Right now, he ranks as the No. 77 overall prospect on ESPN. Be on the lookout for his name, because Bala is just getting started. His dream is to one day make the NBA.
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