After averaging 19.3 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 1.7 steals in FIBA U18 European Championship this summer, Yaacov kept his impressive performances going in Espoirs Elite. Yaacov helped his team ASVEL win all 4 of their games in October. 18 year-old prospect averaged 16.5 points, 4 rebounds and 8.7 assists in those games and deserved to be selected in our All-October team. His court vision and passing skills have always been solid but him growing as a leader adds up to make a big difference in his game and winning basketball. Yaacov makes every pass look cool and operates transition plays and PnR’s with maturity. In the last game of the month against Roanne, he proved that he got what it takes to handle full court pressure, dishing out 13 assists. He missed some easy layups and had trouble finishing around the paint sometimes but definitely showed that he has the package to become a decent slashing guard in the future. Yaacov needs to work on his 3 point shots more and hit his 3s more consistently. Missed 12 of his 16 3-point attempts in October which was his biggest problem. Overall, Noam Yaacov is easily one of the most intriguing guards of his generation and can’t wait to see more from him.
Jan Vide (G | 197 cm | ’05) ~ Real Madrid
After a solid campaign at U17 World Championship where he was averaging 20+ points per game with Slovenia, Jan Vide started the new season at best being absolutely on fire in October with Real Madrid’s youth team and in Liga EBA. The Slovenian youngster put up big numbers and solid performances in October in Liga EBA. His statsheet: 27 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.7 apg, in 3 games. He had a blow-out game on his season debut with 34 points and 10 fouls drawn against Nautico Tenerife. What really impressed me of Vide’s game in these first appearances is the ongoing sensation of total control on his game. He looked really confident in his ball-handling and footwork, finding a lot of shot creation solutions and shooting pretty well from both outside and inside the arc (consistent mid-range game emerging): driving on the perimeter, crossing-over the opponents, finishing at the basket with dynamism, using his floater. In essence, Vide confirmed his dimension as a scorer, showing how difficult it is to guard him when he’s on a streak. Real Madrid has a team full of top tier prospects, but Vide has all the tools to show off in such a competitive context like that. He seems to be not intentioned in lowering the level, having another double digit performance to start the month of November.
Bilal Coulibaly (F | 199cm | 04’) ~ Metropolitans 92
Coulibaly was one of the standout performers of the FIBA U18 European Championship and seems like the hype is not going to stop during the 2022/23 season. Minutes are still not quite there for him in LNB Pro A but he has been on fire in Espoirs Elite. Coulibaly averaged 24.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5 steals in October and rightfully got a spot in our All-October team. He is already one of the best perimeter defenders of his generation and has the potential to make a name as a decent two-way wing. His 9 steals against Bourg was one of the best examples of how active he is all the time with deflections and focused on the defensive end. Coulibaly is way more aggressive around the paint than before and he scored a lot of points both in half court offense and transition, slashing and finishing efficiently. He is not the most reliable player behind the 3-point line but his shot did not look off at all this month, seems like he got all the tools to be better in the future.
Marqus Mitrovic Marion (PF | 204 cm | ’04) ~ BMS Herlev
Marqus was playing great through the whole month in the first division of his domestic Danish league. Let me clarify that Danish league is not amongst the strongest in Europe but it is still noteworthy that such a young player can make that kind of impact in a pro league. Marqus played four games in October and averaged 18.3 points and 9.5 rebounds in about 31 minutes per game. He showcased great defensive instincts too and played and important role in the team defense even if the numbers don’t really show that. His engine was always on and he crushed the boards on both ends and even grabbed rebounds over taller players due to his determination and energy. He scored the majority of his points in the paint but the way he got there was different. There were pick & rolls, cuts from top/wing/corner, after offensive rebounds, drives from top and even transition plays. More a catch & finish type of a player though. Marqus started the season strong and drew interest from colleges and if he continues playing like this, there will be more and more offers coming his way. There is always a need for a team-oriented player that does his job on both ends.
Motiejus Krivas (C | 212 cm | ’04) ~ Žalgiris
Motiejus played mostly for Žalgiris II in Lithuanian NKL (2nd Division) but also got minutes in two matches for the first team in LKL (1st Division) and especially in the game against Nevezis he proved his worth and scored 15 points in 15 minutes. But the constant performances in NKL got him the spot in the All-October Team since he finished the month with an average of 13.7 points, 12.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in about 27 minutes per game. He is really skilled on post ups and can easily create points down low. His finishing at the rim was also on high level throughout the month and he showed soft touch with both hands. Protected the paint and the rim well but struggled with defending on perimer. More of an old school big with skilled and also dominant inside game and there aren’t many players with that prototype in basketball nowadays. If Motiejus will continue putting up numbers like this for the second team, then Žalgiris will need to dress him up for the first team more regularly.
