After the Group Phase in Chemnitz watching the U20-A some players had really nice performances, so on the following lines, I will talk about who impressed me the most. First of all, as I published in my twitter account (@ericgrgallo), my personal starting five after first games:

Elijah Clarance (’98 – SWE – 195cm) – Led the tournament in scoring, with 22.4 PPG. Illinois State guard was one of the funniest players to watch in the tournament. His unique athleticism and speed were standing out in Chemnitz. Loved his leadership mentality, attitude and interactions with other teammates. Despite that he forced many questionable shots.

Davide Moretti (’98 – ITA – 190cm) – Scoring leader for Italy with 12.9 PPG had his statement performance against Serbia with 29p. Texas Tech SG is a really talented and versatile scorer who has a high IQ, what makes him able to get buckets from many different ways. His size may be a trouble for his progress.

Aleix Font (’98 – SPA – 193cm) – Barça’s SG came from an amazing efficient season in LEB Silver and he was one of the players that I wanted to watch the most in this international environment. He didn’t disappoint. He was Spanish leader in the group phase with an unfair 3- point shooting, he’s able to smoothly score even being contested.

Gytis Masiulis (’98 – LIT – 206cm) – Recently loaned from Zalgiris to Neptunas, the Lithuanian
forward is a really offensive-minded player who averaged 18.3 PPG & 9 RPG. Finished first in win-shares per 40min (according to DraftExpress data). He controls well his long body has elite instincts and basketball IQ.

Ragip Berke Atar (’99 – TUR – 211cm) – Banvit center has been under my eyes as one of the most interesting centers at the tournament. Really dominant in the paint. Turns it to either shoulder. Finishes with both hands. Averaged 15.1 PPG & 6.7 RPG.

With all this said, there were still players that also had good performances and made a huge impact in this tournament, who impressed me in live.

Milos Popovic (’98 – MNG – 198cm) – I think this guy is quite underrated due to his big body and small size for a PF. Despite this, he knows how to use his body really nicely. Gets good positions for rebounds, faster than what can seem. Moreover can shoot. He finished as the second top scorer with 21 PPG above 50% and 60% from 2PT and 3PT respectively. Also top rebounder of the tournament with 11.4 RPG.

Marko Simonovic (’99 – MNG – 212cm) – One of the players I was hyped to watch first time live on the court. The Olimpija center set in some good numbers in the tournament with 14.7 PPG and 10 RPG. Good athleticism and can run the court, really skilled and can score from different ways. Despite this I expected a bit more offensively. Intimidates a lot in defense but motor comes and goes.

Muhaymin Mustafa (’99 – TUR – 197cm) – Tofas swingman didn’t have his best tournament in shooting consistency and he finished with 12.1 PPG. Despite the scoring numbers his stroke seems projectable and also has nice athleticism with a long body. Besides has a good engine in defense.

Matas Jogela (’99 – LIT – 199cm) – Good tournament for the Zalgiris SG, who finished it with 16 PPG. Despite not having a strong body he shows great athleticism with good pace and energy. He offered some nice dunks. Also, he’s capable to shoot nevertheless he needs to step up in this aspect.

Deni Avidja (’01 – ISR – 202cm) – Last but not least, the youngest and the most interesting prospect. Finished with 14.3 PPG and 10.5 RPG. Played with an amazing instinct and scored with a lot of versatility. Showed he can face older players with a lot of confidence. Can shoot and has the strength to arrive at the rim. He is good in transition and handles nicely the ball for his size. The only player from this list to make it to the All Tournament Team.

Photo: FIBA