Demir Dogan (F | 201 cm | ‘06) ~ Turkey
16.2 pts, 2FG-55.6%, 3FG-16.7%, FT-64.7%, 9.4 rebs, 2.2 ast, 1.4 stl, 3.2 to, 2.4 blks
Turkish wonderkid had a great tournament and was showing why he is one of the most talented players in the world in his generation. Really fluid for his size, athletic too and when his body fully develops he should look really nice. Versatile with great feel for the game and can play in many roles, inside or outside. He is a very good ball handler for his age and size and uses it well in transition. Struggled with his shot but has a good stroke for a player his age and it will just get better. Also showing some good potential on the defensive end and showed his fluidity and athleticism with some nice chasedown blocks.
Zaccharie Risacher (SF | 202 cm | ‘05) ~ France
10.2 pts, 2FG-59.1%, 3FG-28.6%, FT-68.4%, 6.8 rebs, 1.6 ast, 3.4 stl, 1.4 to, 1.0 blks
France was maybe the team with the most talent in their roster and Risacher was definitely one of them. Good penetrator, with his handles and fluidity can go past defenders and usually doesn’t shy away from contact at the rim which is a good habit especially in youth competitions. His shot release looks fine for his age too and should become a good shooter over the years. Uses his skills and tools in transition very well and this could be a big strength of him in the future. Active hands in defense and uses every inch of his long arms very well when going for steals or when contesting shots around the rim. High potential as a two-way wing.
Alexandre Dam Sarr (PF | 210 cm | ‘05) ~ France
12.2 pts, 2FG-52.4%, 3FG-33.3%, FT-58.3%, 5.4 rebs, 0.4 ast, 1.6 stl, 1.8 to, 1.6 blks
Younger brother of Olivier Sarr. Alexandre left Real Madrid youth program and will play for Overtime Elite in next seasons. He is one of the most talented bigs in his generation, a mobile and athletic big that likes to play above the rim. Follows the game well and offers himself for dunks at the dunker spot and goes for dunks whenever there is an opportunity. Great also in pick & roll actions and this will be a big strength from him in the future. In the past he has shown that he has some ball handling and 1vs1 skills too but he didn’t have many opportunities to show that here in this tournament. Has good touch at the rim but needs to improve his finishing in traffic and under contact where he could be a little more efficient with his non-dunk finishes. High potential as a defender too where he knows how to protect the paint and also mobile enough to follow some players on perimeter.
Killian Malwaya (SG | 197 cm | ‘05) ~ France
13.4 pts, 2FG-54.8%, 3FG-30.8%, FT-69.2%, 3.8 rebs, 1.6 ast, 2.0 stl, 2.8 to, 0.2 blks
Athletic & versatile guard with great positional size. Played mostly off-ball and was scoring a lot of points on catch & drives or catch & shoots. Good scorer on all levels, shooting is not completely there yet but it isn’t expected from such a young player to make shots in high percentages consistently. Great slasher and has the ability to absorb and finish under contact at the rim. His body control is above his age and one of the best around the rim finishers among guards in this competition. Has the tools to be a great defender too, versatile with his size and also showing some good motor in energy on the defensive end. The combination of his confidence, athleticism and basketball skills could bring him a long way in the future.
Egor Demin (G | 200 cm | ‘06) ~ Russia
12.2 pts, 2FG-60.0%, 3FG-30.2%, FT-66.7%, 4.0 rebs, 2.0 ast, 2.2 stl, 3.6 to, 0.4 blks
Egor can play on all positions on perimeter but is best used as an initiator. Very fluid as a ball handler, has the ball under control and makes quick and good decisions. Showed some good pick & roll game where he is able to spot all players on the floor which isn’t usually the case with players at this age. Has great passing touch and delivered some precise one handed live passes and also made some no look passes in tight spaces. His shooting percentages were poor but has a smooth release and I believe he shouldn’t have much problems with scoring in the future. Has more to improve on the defensive end but has the tools and basketball knowledge to be a good defender too. Looking at his body I would say that he hasn’t stopped growing and he is definitely a player with high long term potential.
Declan Duru (SF | 202 cm | ‘07) ~ Germany
8.0 pts, 2FG-52.4%, 3FG-11.1%, FT-41.2%, 6.5 rebs, 0.0 ast, 1.0 stl, 1.5 to, 0.5 blks
The youngest player in the competition but already made a name for himself. Elite athlete, really explosive and made a few dunks that we rarely see in Europe, even on top professional level. Has great body and size and also moves fluidly for his age. He is not just a freakish athlete but has a good basketball skill set and feel for the game for a player his age too. Even at this age it is hard to stop him in transition and in my opinion he won’t have any problems on open court later in his career. Of course, he has room to improve in all areas but the physical tools are there and the future looks bright for him.
Martin Kalu (SG | 195 cm | ‘05) ~ Germany
27.0 pts, 2FG-48.8%, 3FG-50.0%, FT-65.0%, 7.5 rebs, 1.3 ast, 2.3 stl, 1.8 to, 0.5 blks
With 27.0 points per game Kalu was together with Jan Vide the top scorer of the competition. He was great in all four games that he played and scored 20, 36, 26 and 26 points respectively. Great scorer from distance and also closer to the rim. His shooting percentages were great on a decent sample size and has the game that can translate to the highest level. Has good handles and no problems getting past the first line of defense and finish with some statement dunk at the rim. Very efficient on open court too where it is almost impossible to stop him when he decides to go all the way. Good rebounder for his position and likes to help the team in rebounding. Knows how to use his athletic tools in defense, slides his feet well and can play good defense on perimeter.
Jan Vide (PG | 195 cm | ‘05) ~ Slovenia
27.0 pts, 2FG-48.6%, 3FG-25.0%, FT-77.8%, 5.6 rebs, 4.2 ast, 0.6 stl, 3.4 to, 0.2 blks
As mentioned above, with 27.0 pts together with Kalu the first scorer of the competition but Vide played in 5 games and scored just 4 points in the last one which ruined his averages a little. Otherwise he scored 34, 28, 31 and 38 points in the first four matches! Really advanced scorer for his age with a great first step and ability to get to the rim. Has great body control and showed some balanced spins that created separation for his floaters where he showed a really soft touch. Also has an extraordinary ability to draw fouls and get to the free throw line. Takes shots from distance with confidence and I’m sure that he will be a decent shooter down the road too. More a scorer than a true playmaker but has good court vision and can spot open teammates just usually taking the matters in his own hands. With his size, great first step and ability to draw fouls he reminds me a little of Vasilije Micić.
Lazar Gačić (PF | 210 cm | ‘05) ~ Serbia
12.8 pts, 2FG-53.8%, 3FG-37.5%, FT-70.0%, 5.3 rebs, 1.8 ast, 1.0 stl, 1.8 to, 0.3 blks
Body is still in development but has the size and should look nice when everything molds out. Mobile and fluid forward that likes to stretch the floor. Wasn’t taking too many three point shots and mostly attacking with drives but I think over the years he will get more confidence in his shot too and has a nice future as a stretch forward. Showing some good ball handling skills for a player his size and can push in transition. Good understanding and feel for the game too. High level offensive game but needs to improve his defensive game in basically all aspects.
Ruben Prey (PF/C | 207 cm | ‘05) ~ Portugal
17.0 pts, 2FG-42.9%, 3FG-30.8%, FT-58.3%, 18.3 rebs, 1.8 ast, 2.0 stl, 1.3 to, 5.3 blks
Dominated in the “Division B” tournament in Sofia on both sides of the court. Led the tournament in rebounds in blocks by a wide margin and finished one game with 21 points and 23 rebounds. But those aren’t some empty stats but he could be spotted on every spot on the court. Great feel and instincts for rebounds and blocks and this could translate to higher levels too. Has the ability to play inside and outside, shot from distance is a work in progress but the release doesn’t look so bad and he should be fine with his shooting. Very good finisher at the rim and has soft touch with both hands. Uses his long arms in defense well in contesting shots or going for steals but lacks strength to be a better post up defender. His competition level was lower than for the other prospects on this list but Ruben has shown the qualities that could get him a deal at the highest level in the future if he will continue to work on his body and game.
