Cam Wilder, Eli Ellis & more react to Noah Neumann becoming the youngest American to play in China

High school basketball star Noah Neumann may be unranked and unstarred by the big ranking sites, but he just made waves. Unlike many from the Class of 2025, he has chosen to forgo his college career, choosing instead to play professionally in China. He is now the youngest American to play in China, as he announced on Wednesday that he has signed with the Macau Black Bears.

This move by Noah Neumann is a historic one, as this is the first time that an American high school star has chosen to skip college and go pro directly in China. This has gotten many fellow high school basketball stars talking, such as Cam Wilder and Eli Ellis.

"congrats gang ! 🫶🏽," said RWE star Cam Wilder.

"Let’s gooooo 🔥🔥," said reigning Overtime Elite MVP Eli Ellis.

"Congrats fam," added Overtime Mikey, also known as Mike Kaufman.

Cam Wilder, Mike Kaufman, others, react to Noah Neumann choosing to play in China instead of college (source: IG/ nnsquad__ )

Neumann had previously teased that he would be making his college decision soon, as he was choosing between McNeese and Pepperdine University. Instead, the 5'11 point guard chose to play for the Macau Black Bears.

Noah Neumann played for Good Vision Academy in Houston, Texas, and is also an internet celebrity of sorts, with plenty of followers online, including 296,000 on Instagram alone. Though never attracting the big basketball programs, scouts, and insiders, his internet followers remain loyal to him.

Noah Neumann admits the change from US to China would not be easy

As Noah Neumann transitions from high school to the international professional scene in China, he will have to deal with cultural and language barriers. However, he admits the shift will not be easy.

"Mentally, I am very intentional," he said. "I pray every day. Additionally, I plan my days every day on paper. I’m a big believer that if you write it down, you are more likely to accomplish it, so I write down everything: small daily goals and long-term bigger goals."

"Physically, I’ve been in the lab every day. I’ve been lifting weights and eating healthy. I will continue to work every day, every minute, to get bigger, better and stronger. I’ll be ready," he added.

Neumann also stated that he is excited to head to Macau and play under Coach Kevin Connelly, before praising the basketball culture in China and saying that he is "thrilled" to be the youngest player to ever play professionally in the country.