NICOLAS BALASSONE

EuroProBasket Guard Signs Professional Basketball Contract in Norway

A shooting guard who first walked into L’Alqueria del Basket in September 2024 just signed his first professional basketball contract in Norway. And the coach who wanted him on the roster already knew exactly what he was getting — because he spent months on the court with him in Valencia.

Nicolas Balassone is a 6’4″ shooting guard from Pesaro, Italy. He came up through the Victoria Libertas Pesaro U19 program, one of the classic youth pipelines in Italian basketball, and arrived in Valencia with a clear goal: earn his way into American college basketball and keep the professional door open behind it.

The Valencia Chapters

Nicolas joined the University Prep Program from September 2024 to March 2025. Four hours of training a day, competitive games on the calendar, and a spot in the Torneig Ciutat de Torrent, where he matched up against some of the top youth teams in Europe.

One thing worth saying plainly: EuroProBasket is not an agency. We don’t promise contracts and we don’t take commissions. We provide the training environment, the FIBA-certified coaching, the competitive games, and the film — the player earns everything that comes after.

That environment is L’Alqueria del Basket, the official training facility of Valencia Basket, currently ranked among the Top 4 basketball clubs in the world. Thirteen courts, and ACB professionals, EuroLeague talent, and Spanish national team players working in the same building. Nicolas trained there every day.

His first stint earned him a commitment to Southwest Virginia Community College. His plans in the States evolved, and he ultimately committed to Pfeiffer University, an NCAA Division III program in North Carolina, where he spent the 2025–26 season as a freshman.

Then he came back. In April 2026, Nicolas returned to Valencia for the Pre European Summer League — sharper, stronger, and with a college season behind him.

One of the coaches who worked with Nicolas daily during his time at L’Alqueria was Anastasios Stougiannoudis. Last season, Stougiannoudis took a professional coaching job in Norway. He kept tabs on the guard he’d trained.

The Signing

In August 2026, Nicolas signed his first professional contract in Norway — playing for Stougiannoudis, his former EuroProBasket coach, now running a professional bench. The coach didn’t need a highlight tape to be convinced. He’d already watched Nicolas guard, shoot, and compete for months at L’Alqueria.

That’s what exposure actually looks like. Not a promise, not a placement — a relationship built on the court, and a player who kept showing up until the opportunity was his to take.

Can You Sign a Professional Contract After NCAA Division III?

Yes. Professional teams across Europe sign players from every level — D1, D2, D3, JUCO, NAIA — because they evaluate the player, not the label. What matters is film, physical readiness, and someone credible who has seen you compete. Nicolas went from Italian U19 basketball to American D3 to a professional contract in Norway inside two years.

EuroProBasket is a training, development, and exposure program based at L’Alqueria del Basket in Valencia, Spain, operating since 2015. In that time, 400+ players have signed and committed in 25+ different countries. Games are professionally recorded, and film is shared with a scouting network spanning 20+ countries during peak signing periods. You can see the full list on our players signed page.

For the players reading this who are where Nicolas was two years ago — a good youth resume, no clear path, a pro career that feels far away — his route is the honest version of how this works. Train where the standard is professional. Compete in front of people who matter. Earn the next step, then earn the one after that.

What’s Next

Nicolas heads to Norway for the 2026–27 season. First contract, familiar coach, everything still in front of him.

If you’re chasing the same path, the Euro Professional Program runs flexible periods from August to March in Valencia. Players targeting the college route first, the way Nicolas did, start with the University Prep Program.