Potential Round Picks for the 2024 NSL Draft

The NSL heads to Nashville on March 22nd, 2024 for the inaugural player draft. Owners from each of the six cities will come together to select their teams and experience a showcase match between six of the potential top draft picks. 

Potential First Round Picks 

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Victor Crouin

Country: France

Age: 24

World Ranking: 7

Strength: Movement

Victor Crouin has to be in the conversation for first overall pick in the draft. He possesses elite speed, agility, and accuracy and his results on the tour have been astonishing in his young professional career. His resume already includes a major title at the French Open in 2022 and a win over the world #1 player at the time, Paul Coll.  Whichever city lands the first pick will have a tough time looking  elsewhere to start their team. Want to know more about Victor? Check out his day in the life video here.

Youssef Ibrahim

Country: Egypt

Age: 24

World Ranking: 31

Strength: Attacking Ability

Youssef Ibrahim is one of the most dynamic and offensive-minded players in the world, rightfully earning the nickname “gunslinger” on the PSA World Tour. The young left-hander has scored several major wins in his career, most notably against former world #1 Mohamed Elshorbagy on three separate occasions. Ibrahim was sidelined with a knee injury for most of the 2022/2023 season, so owners may factor in his fitness into their draft consideration, but it would be hard to envision Ibrahim falling much further than the first 3 picks. 

Nicolas Mueller

Country: Switzerland

Age: 34

World Ranking: 15

Strength: Skill

Nicolas Mueller figures to be a shoe-in for a top 3 pick in the draft. His fast-paced attacking style coupled with his exceptional technical ability makes him a lethal player capable of winning points quickly, a trait that might prove valuable in the NSL format. Look for Mueller to be taken off the board early in the first round, if he falls he could be one of the steals of the draft. Check out his shot of the year contender here. 

Eain Yow Ng

Country: Malaysia 

Age: 25

World Ranking: 18

Strength: Fitness

Eain Yow Ng could be a dark horse for the first overall pick in the draft. His last meeting with Victor Crouin on the PSA World Tour saw the Malaysian star come away with a 3-1 victory at the Optasia Championships in London. Ng is a ferocious competitor and is notorious for gut-busting rallies and heroic retrievals (check out this mammoth 2 minute rally between him and world #8 Joel Makin here). Whichever team drafts Ng will be getting a steady #1 player right off the bat. 

Iker Pajares

Country: Spain

Age: 27

World Ranking: 22

Strength: Toughness 

Iker Pajares is entering the prime of his career having reached the top 20 in the world for the first time this past year. The 27 year old has a star studded resume, having reached the quarterfinals of the El Gouna Platinum level event and scored upsets over top 10 opponents such as Tarek Momen from Egypt. Pajares is a fierce competitor who is not afraid to play long, grueling matches and would be a solid #1 for a team looking to start their roster with a tough, battle-hardened PSA regular. 

Rory Stewart 

Country: Scotland

Age: 27

World Ranking: 46

Strength: Skill

Rory Stewart is one of Scotland’s brightest stars, with a breakout Bronze Medal performance at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. His favored backhand side has shown to be a lethal weapon in the professional game and he has beaten multiple top 20 ranked opponents at this point in his career, most recently a 3/2 victory over Iker Pajares at the Qatar Classic. Stewart certainly will be on the radar of team owners for their first round pick, it would be a steal for any team if he were to fall outside the top 6 picks in the draft. 

Potential Second Round Picks 

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Andrew Douglas

Country: USA

Age: 25

World Ranking: 55

Strength: Technique 

Andrew Douglas will be a hot commodity in the NSL draft as one of America’s  top emerging pros. His debut on the PSA world tour has seen him nearly crack the top 50 after a single full season, due in large part to his fearless attacks and smooth swing. Douglas has scalped wins in World Tour events over notable top 30 PSA opponents such as Cesar Salazar of Mexico and Sebastien Bonmalais of France. Capable of a big upset on any given day, look for Douglas to be taken somewhere in the early second round. 

Spencer Lovejoy

Country: USA

Age: 25

World Ranking: 69

Strength: Movement 

Spencer Lovejoy is another interesting draft prospect out of the United States with high-ceiling early second round potential. Lovejoy builds his game around fast hands and fast feet, moving the ball to all areas of the court to twist and turn his opponents. In the last year Lovejoy reached the final of the U.S. national championships and scored victories over multiple top 50 ranked opponents. Lovejoy has been receiving interest from ownership in Louisville, Chicago and Philadelphia- look for him to be taken off the board  mid second round. 

Timothy Brownell

Country: USA

Age: 26

World Ranking: 49

Strength: Tactics

Timothy Brownell is an enticing second round draft pick, a tricky left-hander capable of racking up points at big moments in the timed NSL format. Brownell’s use of the four corners of the court make him a formidable player and a must draft, but his sometimes-risky play style will prevent him from going in the first round. In the past year Brownell has knocked out multiple top 30 level players in major world tour events- look for him to go off the board somewhere early in the second. 

Late Second/ Early Third Round Picks  

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Matias Knudsen 

Country: Colombia

Age: 24 

World Ranking: 117

Strength: Creativity 

Matias Knudsen is one of the most exciting young players on the PSA World Tour. Known for his unorthodox technique and viral trickshots (click here to see what we mean) he is capable of playing shots most players could only dream of. Despite his flashy playing style, consistency is a question mark for the young Colombian and will likely prevent him from being taken in the first round. Look for him to fall somewhere in the mid second round, and keep an eye on Nashville- there have been rumblings that Knudsen is high up on their draft board. 

Veer Chotrani 

Country: India 

Age: 22

World Ranking: 119

Strength: Ball Control

Veer Chotrani has burst onto the scene in his first year as a professional squash player in 2023, capturing multiple Satellite Tour victories and his first Challenger Tour victory at the 6k Quantifi Framingham Open. His ball control is top tier and warrants him serious second round consideration. Consistency and lack of experience have knocked his draft stock down slightly, and if he were to slip to the third or fourth round teams will be getting a potential bargain at the bottom of their roster. 

Tom Walsh

Country: England  

Age: 24

World Ranking: 73

Strength: Pace

Tom Walsh is a developing English pro training out of Kinetic Indoor Racquet Club in Boynton Beach, Florida. Cracking the top 100 players for the first time this year, his fast paced play has made him a pesky opponent for higher ranked players and will serve him well in the NSL format. Teams will be hard pressed to let him drop through the second round, look for a team to take a chance on the young Englishman somewhere in picks 10-12. 

Jeremias Azaña

Country: Argentina 

Age: 23

World Ranking: 87

Strength: Flair

Jeremias Azaña is another young pro training out of Kinetic Indoor Racquet Club in Boynton Beach, Florida. Hailing from Argentina, Azaña is no stranger to team competition and big moments, winning multiple medals for Argentina at the Pan American championships. His free-flowing movement allows him to play an open style of squash, brilliant for spectators but vicious for his opponents to play against. While Jeremias is an established pro, there might be too many big names ahead of him for him to be considered a true second-rounder. Look for teams searching for a playmaker to take him off the board in the third round. 

Third Round Picks 

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Dillon Huang

Country: USA

Age: 22

World Ranking: 111

Strength: Ball Striking

Dillon Huang is one of the high-risk/high-reward plays of the draft. 2023/2024 is his first season as a professional player coming out of the University of Pennsylvania, but he has shown plenty of potential in his young career and he played well for Chicago in the showcase match vs Louisville in spring 2023, racking up much needed points during multiple  key power plays. Huang figures to be in the starting 3 for a team, look for him to fall to the third round but no further. 

Sam Scherl

Country: USA

Age: 25

College: Harvard

Strength: Defense

Sam Scherl is one of the few non-professional players in the draft- don’t let that distract from his playing level. Scherl is capable of holding his own against the toughest opponents, as shown by his performance in the 2023 NSL Showcase between Louisville and Chicago where his tenacity and fighting spirit proved to be difference makers. Scherl is a First Team All-American player and won multiple national team championships while at Harvard; teams will certainly not let him fall past the third round. There have been rumblings of interest from team Chicago, perhaps they make a move at the bottom of their roster for Scherl. 

Mark Broekman

Country: England 

Age: 31

World Ranking: 169

Strength: Wingspan 

Mark Broekman is currently the tallest man on the PSA World Tour. Standing over 6’5”, his long reach allows him to cut the ball off and trap his opponents in the back of the court. Known for his skillful backhand and lethal volleys, Broekman will be a valuable asset for teams looking to round out their roster on the bottom end. Broekman’s fitness problem will prevent him from going in the first two rounds- look for him to go in the mid stages of the third. 

TJ Dembkinski 

Country: USA

Age: 29

College: Yale

Strength: Deception 

TJ Dembinski figures to be a sleeper 3rd or 4th round pick in the draft, with teams well aware of his height and reach (6’4”) and incredibly deceptive play but with some lingering question marks about his fitness level and current form. If Dembinski plays up to his abilities, he could be one of the hidden gems in the later rounds, bringing great energy and a keen match sense to his team.