Looking at the European basketball scene, Sweden rarely ranks among the continent’s elite. In fact, for the 2025-26 National Basketball Association season, only two Swedish players found themselves on NBA rosters: Bobi Klintman of the Detroit Pistons and Pelle Larsson of the Miami Heat.
However, William and Mary men’s basketball has found itself with a Swedish star on its hands: junior forward Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi.
The road from Stockholm to Williamsburg was far from traditional for Fasasi.
“Basketball is not that big, there’s not a lot of traction, people don’t really care about basketball back home,” Fasasi said about the basketball culture he experienced in Sweden.
Despite the crazed soccer culture Fasasi experienced at a young age, basketball captured his attention.
“I played soccer and basketball growing up, but I always liked basketball more,” Fasasi said.
At the youth level in Sweden, Fasasi played for the sports club Allmänna Idrottsklubben. To this day, he still roots for AIK alongside Real Madrid.
Fasasi also competed with Sweden’s National Team. Fasasi said his time representing Sweden — particularly at the 2022 Fédération Internationale de Basketball European Championship — was especially memorable.
“It was an honor to play for my country,” Fasasi said, who has now played 16 games for Sweden across the U18, U20 and senior levels.
At the 2022 championship, Fasasi averaged over 19 points per game across the seven-game tournament. He played a key role in Sweden’s success and subsequent promotion to the top division of the U18 level.
Even with his achievements on the court for Sweden, Fasasi said his memories off the court will always stick with him.
“I met some of my best friends in life at these national team camps, so it has been great,” Fasasi said.
With the rise of European stars in the NBA, differences in playing style have only become more apparent.
“In Europe, I feel like it’s more [of] a team game in general compared to what I’ve seen in the United States,” Fasasi said. “You’re playing defense as a team, and you’re attacking as a team; it’s not just one-on-one.”
After two years at La Salle in Philadelphia, Pa., Fasasi entered the National Collegiate Athletic Association transfer portal.
Fasasi credited head coach Brian Earl’s unique coaching style for influencing his decision to commit to William and Mary.
“I love how fast-paced it is,” Fasasi said. “It is just a really exciting way to play basketball, and that is what brought me here. We have played team first, and everyone is looking to find their teammates.”
Fasasi also attributed this playing style to his development as an athlete.
“The way we play, I think it benefits my skillset more than at my previous school,” he said.
Fasasi’s numbers this season support this observation. After averaging just above six points per game across his two seasons at La Salle, Fasasi has taken his scoring levels to above 11 points per game.
Even while playing a similar number of minutes, Fasasi has shown a far greater capacity to put the team on his back at William and Mary compared to La Salle. Across 22 games this season, Fasasi has recorded three games of over 20 points compared to just one in his 66 games at La Salle.
Fasasi has also seen positive differences in playing in a small town like Williamsburg versus global cities like Stockholm and Philadelphia.
“You can focus on what matters, and that is school and basketball, so I like it,” Fasasi said.
Looking ahead, Fasasi was clear about the final goal.
“Our goal as a team is to make the NCAA tournament, and I just want to help our team win in whatever way that would be,” he said.
