Belgium’s Toumani Camara becomes the first Chaminade-Madonna grad drafted into the NBA

Toumani Camara grew up in Belgium, but chased his basketball dreams in Hollywood and now he’s off to the NBA.

Camara is headed to the Phoenix Suns as the 22nd pick in the second round — No. 52 overall — of the 2023 NBA draft.

The 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward spent four years at Chaminade-Madonna and was a first-team All-Broward County selection as a senior in 2019. He finished high school as a four-star recruit and the No. 103 prospect in the Class of 2019, according to the 247Sports composite rankings, and initially signed with Georgia before transferring and finishing college with the Dayton Flyers.

Last year, he averaged 13.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 54.6 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from three-point range. He earned first-team all-conference honors as a senior at Dayton and averaged at least 10 points per game in each of the last three years.

His size and athleticism, as well as his production, makes him an interesting NBA prospect and he entered the draft even with a season of eligibility remaining. He even landed an invitation to the NBA Draft Combine.

If and when he appears in an NBA game, he’ll be the first former Lion to play in the NBA.

Camara’s selection adds to an already-historic NBA draft for South Florida.

Never before had more than three South Floridians been picked in a single draft and then four were taken in the first 11 picks alone Thursday.

Pine Crest’s Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, twin brothers, went back to back at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively, to kick off the draft. Calvary Christian Academy’s Taylor Hendricks then went at No. 9 and Jett Howard, who won a state title at NSU University before transferring to Bradenton IMG Academy, went at No. 11.