On Saturday, August 16, the FIBA U16 EuroBasket Greece ended. The French team won with a balance of 7/0 after a very close final against Spain. The bronze medal was won by the Serbs, who defeated the hosts. Here is a list of the players who were the most outstanding during the tournament.
Cameron Houindo – Pôle France (France)
Projected Level: HM
Position- Center
Nationality- France
Birth Year- 2008
Height- 6’8
Active hand- Right
7 GP, 21.8 MIN, 13.9 PTS, 38/692FG (55%), 0/3 3FG, 21/41 FT (51%), 7.9 REB (3.6 OREB), 0.3 AST, 2.7 TO, 2.3 STL, 2.3 BLK, 16.1 EFF.
Cameron Houindo was chosen as MVP FIBA U16 EuroBasket. The most athletic player in this tournament. Incredibly strong and jumpy with a soft touch around the rim. High IQ, especially in P&R plays. He sets very strong screens at good angles, knows when to roll and has great timing. Pretty fast and mobile. He has perfect shooting form, but at this tournament he didn’t try to shoot 3-pointers (sometimes he tries from mid-range).
Good defender, but sometimes he focuses too much on blocking shots than on defense. Thanks to his mobility, he can defend smaller players than himself. Amazing rebounder, with a great vertical jump.
Andrej Bjelic- Real Madrid (Spain)
Projected Level: HM
Position- SG
Nationality- Serbia
Birth Year-2008
Height- 194
Active hand- Right
31.6 MIN, 18.4 PTS, 18/53 2FG (34%), 22/59 3FG (37%), 27/33 FT (82%), 6.7 REB (1.0 OREB), 2.9 AST, 2.1 TO, 1.0 STL, 0 BLK, 15.7 EFF
Andrej is one of the best shooters born in 2008 who was selected to the All-star five of the tournament. He shoots from amazing positions and does it in an incredibly effective way (37%, before game 6 he had 51%). Quick release, great mechanics, uses his legs very well so he is always in a stable position. He can create his own shot, an incredibly creative player. Works well with tall players, when someone goes under the screen he shoots immediately. Andrej has problems with attacking tall players, runs away from contact and throws hook shots that are not very effective. He’s not the best playmaker, he plays quite selfishly. Average court vision and sometimes makes strange passing decisions.
Strong player, although an average defender. He doesn’t always give 100% on defense, often gets blow by on close outs.
Fabian Kayser – Real Madrid (Spain)
Projected Level: HM+
Position- SG/SF
Nationality- Germany
Birth Year-2009
Height- 6’5
Active hand- Right
6 GP, 26.1 MIN, 11.3 PTS, 18/43 2FG (42%), 7/28 3FG (25%), 11/13 FT (84%), 3.3 REB (0.3 OREB), 2.8 AST, 3.0 TO, 1.2 STl, 0.8 BLK, 8.5 EFF.
Fabian Kayser is one of the most talented players born in 2009, a 6’5 swingman with great mobility and a lot of skills.Great scorer, he makes a lot of contact during drives, but rarely forces shots.Solid shooter with great form, although during this tournament he had problems with effectiveness (25%). Good playmaker with decent court vision, very good at finding open teammate during drives. He has slight problems with ball handling when playing on PG, he often lost the ball under pressure.
Very good defender thanks to his physical condition, great mobility and speed combined with his height and winspan. Decent athlete, he looks like one of the more physically mature players, being a year younger.
Aviv Aronov – Hapoel Nofar Galil Elion (Izrael)
Projected Level: HM-
Position- SG
Nationalioty- Izrael
Birth Year- 2008
Height- 6’4
Active hand- Right
7 GP, 29.3 MIN, 12.9 PTS, 24/50 2FG (48%), 8/29 3FG (27.6%), 4.9 REB (0.9 OREB), 3.7 AST, 1.4 TO, 1.4 STL, 0.6 BLK, 13.9 EFF.
One of the best scorers of this tournament. Very dynamic player who plays with incredible energy on both sides of the court. Plays very aggressively to the basket and initiates contact very strongly, which forces a lot of fouls. He creates a space very well through contact and step backs. Great shooter with good mechanics. Amazing playmaker, great court vision. He distributes the ball very well during drives and rarely makes stupid decisions regarding passing.
Aggressive defender who presses the ball all the time. Moves quickly through screens, knows when to go under or over. Very mature body. Fast but not too athletic.
Omer Kutluay- Real Madrid (Spain)
Projected Level: HM+
Position- PG
Nationality- Turkey
Birth Year- 2009
Height- 6’4
Active hand- Right
4 GP, 29.2 MIN, 19.0 PTS, 26/48 2FG (54%), 5/15 3FG (33%), 9/14 FT (64%), 4.8 REB (1.3 OREB), 4.0 AST, 3.8 TO, 1.3 STL, 16.0 EFF.
Omer Kutluay is extremely talented and crafty point guard. He showed that he is one of the biggest talents of 2009 age. Great ball handling skills, copes very well with pressure and stronger players. Amazing playmaker with outstanding court vision, great at P&R actions. He is not afraid of contact and often literally jumps into the opponent. Kutluay plays very well one on one and is great at creating space for himself.
Decent defender who presses the ball well. He defends the off ball very well and moves smoothly through screens. Omer has problems with stronger players, but this will be resolved when he plays with players his own age.
Chrysostomos Chatzilampou- Aris (Greece)
Projected Level: MM+
Position- SG/SF
Nationality- Greece
Birth Year- 2008
Height- 6’6
Active hand- Left
7 GP, 33.1 MIN, 17.9 PTS, 23/54 2FG (42%), 20/56 3FG (36%), 6.0 REB (1.0 OREB), 1.4 AST, 2.4 TO, 0.4 STL, 0.7 BLK, 13.1 EFF.
The leader of the Greek team who was selected to the All-star five of the tournament and has nerves of steel. Great shooter (spot up/ of the driblle) who is amazing at creating his own shot. Can shoot from very difficult positions, bo rzuca z niesmowicie wysokiej pozycji. He can play on post and is very aggressive, he creates space for himself with a few bumps and throws a circus fadeway. He drives to the basket well, initiates contact strongly, and can finish with both his left and right hand.
Solid defender but mainly focuses on offense and is not that aggressive on defense. Decent athlete with okay vertical.
Marcos Zurita- Real Madrid (Spain)
Projected Level: LM+
Position- PG
Nationality- Spain
Birth Year- 2008
Height- 6’3
Active hand- Right
7 GP, 23.8 MIN, 16.4 PTS, 26/47 2FG (55%), 12/39 3FG (31%), 27/37 FT (73%), 3.4 REB (1.1 OREB), 1.9 AST, 1.3 TO, 2.0 STL, 0 BLK, 14.1 EFF.
Spanish player who was selected to the All-star five of the tournament. The best scorer of the Spanish team, who showed that he is a decent shooter. Deep range, but he can also shoot nicely from mid-range. Attacks the rim very well, nice floaters. He is not afraid of contact and often jumps into the defender. He is not the best at creating a shot, he prefers “catch and shoot” actions. Not the best playmaker, he doesn’t see much and.
Average defender who is fast and mobile. Not very athletic and not very strong. He has a good eye for interceptions.
Federico Cattapan- Aquila Basket Trento (Italy)
Projected Level: MM-
Position- SG
Nationality- Italy
Birth Year-2008
Height- 6’5
Active hand- Left
7 GP, 29.4 MIN, 16.9 PTS, 19/52 2FG (36%), 18/51 3FG (35%), 26/41 FT (63%), 7.4 REB (1.9 OREB), 3.1 AST, 1.1 TO, 1.3 STl, 0.1 BLK, 15.7 EFF.
Cattapan is 6’5 lefty sharpshooter who can shoot of the dribble/ catch and shoot. Very quick release and at the same time has a stable position. Great scorer who is good at forcing fouls. He floats the ball very well, has good acceleration and creates a lot of space by his long crossovers. During drives, he runs away from contact, throws hooks that are effective. Decent playmaker who makes quick decisions.
Solid defender. Not the best athlete and not the best physically. He doesn’t always give 100% on defense.
Nikola Karalic- Mega Basket Beograd (Serbia)
Projected Level: HM
Position- SG/SF
Nationality- Serbia
Birth Year- 2008
Height- 6’8
Active Hand- Right
7 GP, 25.7 MIN, 8.6 PTS, 14/33 2FG (42%), 6/14 3FG (43%), 14/24 FT (58%), 4.6 REB (1.4 OREB), 3.4 AST, 1.4 TO, 1.1 STL, 0.6 BLK, 11.6 EFF.
Nikola is 6’8 swingman with outstanding body. Amazing defender with crazy wingspan who can do everything on the court. Very smart defender who doesn’t overhelp. Extremelly mobile, fast and strong.
He is very versatile on offense; can play on positions 1-3. Solid playmaker with decent ball handling skills. He always initiates contact when he drives to the basket. Karalic can shoot, but he needs to become more consistent, especially from free throws (58%). He’s not a very creative player, but at least doesn’t make stupid mistakes.
Aaron Towo-Nansi- Cholet Basket (France)
Projected Level: MM+
Position- PG
Nationality- France
Birth year- 2009
Height- 5’9
Active hand- Right
7 GP, 23.0 MIN, 8.6 PTS, 12/28 2FG (43%), 8/29 3FG (27%), 12/14 FT (86%). 2.9 REB (0.3 OREB), 5.0 AST, 1.3 TO, 2.7 STL, 0 BLK, 12.3 EFF.
If he was 3 inches taller, he would be Top 3 prospect on this tournament. Aaron plays with incredible energy on both sides of the floor, he works very hard on defense and tries his best, and in offense he is a real floor general. Incredible ball control, he is amazing at changing the pace and creating space. He is not afraid to make contact and often forces fouls. Good playmaker who speeds up the game.
He has a problem with his shooting, form looks nice, but he needs to be a better shooter, especially at his height.
Ricards Aizpurs- Stella Azzurra Roma (Italy)
Projected Level: MM+
Position- SG
Nationality- Latvia
Birth year- 2008
Height- 6’6
Active hand- Right
7 GP, 24 MIN, 18.1 PTS, 30/57 2FG (52%), 14/40 3FG (35%), 25/33 FT (76%), 3.4 REB (0.9 OREB), 2.4 AST, 3.1 TO, 1.3 STL, 1.1 TO, 14.6 EFF.
One of the more versatile and mature players at this tournament. He can play in positions 1-4. In the national team he played mainly as a PG, in his team he sometimes played as a PF. A strong player who can play both with his front and back to the basket. Very technical hook shoots, smove and soft touch. A solid playmaker who is a real floor general. Good one-on-one player who has long and quick crossovers. Solid shooter with perfect shooting form.
Aizpurs has problems when he is under pressure. He needs to improve his court vision. Solid athlete with nice vertical jump.
Javier Viguer- Valencia Basket Club (Spain)
Projected Level: MM
Position- SF/SG
Nationality- Spain
Birth year- 2008
Height- 6’8
Active hand- Right
7 GP, 21.9 MIN, 12.7 PTS, 22/34 2FG (64%), 9/37 3FG (24%), 18/23 FT (78%), 6.0 REB (1.7 OREB), 2.6 AST, 1.6 TO, 1.0 STL, 0.9 BLK, 15.1 EFF.
Great offensive potential with great physical conditions. Very long arms and legs that he can use when he wants to score points. His Eurosteps are unstoppable. Good shooter, he feels best in catch and shoot actions. He can create space for himself and is very creative in it, but sometimes he tends to overdribble too much and gets lost. He quickly decides whether to attack close outs or shoot.
Not the best on defensive side. He isn’t quick enough laterally to be a great defender. He can’t use his long years to block shots, although he has a pretty good eye for interceptions.
Louka Letailleur- BCM Gravelines Dunkerque (France)
Projected Level: MM
Position- SF
Nationality- France
Birth year- 2008
Height- 6’6
Active Hand- Left
7 GP, 20.4 MIN, 10 PTS, 29/50 2FG (58%), 2/5 3FG (40%), 6/10 FT (60%), 6.3 REB (2.7 OREB), 1.3 AST, 0.9 TO, 0.9 STL, 0.7 BLK. 14.3 EFF.
Louka Letailleur was one of the leaders in French team and was selected to the All-star Five. High IQ player who knows when to cut, great spacing, good shot selection and makes good use of his opponent’s deficiencies. He can play with his back or forwards towards the basket. When drives to the basket initiates into contact strongly. He is strong and has a great vert. An average shooter who is not confident in his shot.
Aggressive defender with average mobility. He fights very hard for rebounds on both sides of the court. He always plays with great energy and gives 100%.
Lukas Klein- Rhein Stars Koln (Germany)
Projected Level: MM
Position- Center
Nationality- Germany
Birth Year- 2008
Height- 7’0
Active hand- Right
7 GP, 16.3 MIN, 7 PTS, 16/34 2FG (47%), 2/4 3FG (50%), 11/13 FT (85%), 6.4 REB (1.3 OREB), 1.1 AST, 0.6 TO, 0.6 STL, 1.7 BLK, 13.1 EFF.
Born in 2008, Lukas Klein is one of the more interesting players in this tournament. Seven-footer with decent body, long arms, good mobility and solid vert. He needs to build more muscles (especially the lower parts) because the body look quite sloppy. He positions himself very well in the paint, which, combined with his height, mobility and long arms, is impossible for short guards to score on him. Great shot blocker. One of the best rebounders on this tournament (1.7 BLK) who fights very hard on the board.
There is a lot of potential in his offensive game. Klein has very good court vision, had some crazy cross passes. He can play facing the basket and attack close outs. When he does this, he usually finishes it with a dunk. Solid post moves and soft touch. Can shoot, form looks nice.
