Last weekend, the Top Four of the German U16 (JBBL) and U19 (NBBL) championships took place in Frankfurt. Both titles were secured by the junior teams of ALBA Berlin after close victories against Frankfurt and Vechta.
This report covers the most intriguing players and looks at their performances.
U16 MVP: Mathieu Grujicic – ALBA Berlin
U19 MVP: Rikus Schulte – ALBA Berlin
Semi-finals U16:
Young Rasta Dragons – Fraport Skyliners (60:68)
ALBA Berlin – RheinStars Cologne (84:79)
Semi-finals U19:
FC Bayern – ALBA Berlin (66:83)
Young Rasta Dragon – Team Urspring (78:61)
Finals U16:
Fraport Skyliners – ALBA Berlin (85:93)
Finals U19:
Young Rasta Dragons – ALBA Berlin (75:78)
JBBL standouts:
Mathieu Grujicic, ALBA Berlin (07’ – 193cm/ 6.4ft – Germany): Guard
Top Four stats: 43.5 PTS – 25/40 2FG – 6/11 3FG – 19/25 FT – 9.5 REB – 3.5 ASS – 4 STL – 5.5 TO in 39:49 MIN
By far the best player of the Top Four from the Under16 league was the German-French Mathieu Grujicic. The fully deserved MVP of ALBA Berlin showed an all-around performance. Scoring, rebounding, lockdown-defense and even took over the playmaking by himself. He is a tall guard who easily emerged as a shot creator and playmaker at this level. Defensively, he also knew how to use his physical assets in the form of outstanding lateral quickness and athleticism on the perimeter and rebounding.
He then exploded in the finals with 52 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists in the game against Frankfurt after double overtime. Particularly remarkable is on the one hand his enormously high understanding of the game and flair, and on the other hand the shot selection that followed. He did not take a lot unnecessary shots, which is once again confirmed by his field goals from this game. 14/21 2FG, 4 of 7 threes and 12 of 16 from the free throw line. In addition, he impressively showed his strong lower body, finishing with contact and also his motor never seemed to stop working.
Special attention will be paid to his development in pick and roll in the near future. While he has occasionally shown productivity from it, he has also shown room for improvement in ball distribution at the same time. Exciting near future: How will he grow physically (brother is listed 6.5ft)? How will he use his tools at the next level, playing against more mature and older players?
(Florian Kurth)
Davi Remagen, RheinStars Cologne (07’ – 185cm/ 6.1ft – Germany): Guard
Top Four stats: 41 PTS – 9/21 2FG – 3/10 3FG – 14/16 FT – 8 REB – 5 ASS – 6 STL – 7 TO in 40:00 MIN
Even though he was not able to lift his squad past ALBA in the semifinal, Davi Remagen rose to the occasion in Frankfurt. Despite carrying the lion’s share of Cologne’s offense, the young ball handler did not seem to run out of energy and showcased his elite burst throughout the entire game to get in the lane. Thanks to his high-level balance, Remagen managed to finish against and around shot blockers on a regular basis. In addition, he proved that he already has a fairly reliable pull-up jumper in his toolbox to keep the defense honest around the perimeter. While he had a handful of instances off the ball on defense where he was caught flat-footed, it was evident that Remagen has a sound understanding of the passing lanes, putting himself in a position to succeed and being accurate with his stunts and digs. He will likely be a key member for Germany’s U16 squad this summer and could create some buzz with his electric style of play.
(Jonathan Götting)
Ivan Crnjac, Fraport Skyliners (07’ – 200cm/ 6.7ft – Germany): Forward
Top Four stats: 30 PTS – 18/42 2FG – 3/12 3FG – 15/22 FT – 10.5 REB – 2.5 ASS – 2 TO – 0.5 STL in 40:51 MIN
Besides Grujicic, Ivan Crnjac was the second main figure who made the JBBL final such a joy to watch. He finished the game with 41 PTS (14/35 FG, 10/13 FT) and displayed an impressive blend of scoring versatility. Equipped with a forward-sized frame, Crnjac showed that he can play inside-out and has some notable pull-up versatility. He is fluid with his ball handling, enabling him to create paint touches with high quality. Moreover, Crnjac flashed his capability to manipulate slim passing windows to maintain or increase existing advantages created by his teammates. With his skillset, Crnjac should have an immediate impact for Frankfurt’s NBBL team in the upcoming season.
(Jonathan Götting)
Julius Messer, Fraport Skyliners (07’ – 197cm/ 6.6ft – Germany): Guard
Top Four stats: 17.5 PTS – 7/17 2FG – 6/21 3FG – 5/10 FT – 4 REB – 1 ASS – 5 TO – 1 STL in 38:19 MIN
The direct opponent in the final of Grujicic was mostly Messer, who played a rather weak final (9PTS-5TO-3/16FG), but was convincing in the semifinals and instrumental in his team’s entry into the final. He scored a total of 26 points (5/11 3FG) and contributed 5 rebounds. He used his biggest strength efficiently, his jump shot. He shows very good range for his age and could also score from the dribble in the mid-range. His weak percentages in the final shows that he certainly needs to be more consistent in his shooting, though. During the season he has already shot only 27.7% from the three-point line.
His move to the basket should not be concealed. Due to his rather long arms, he was able to finish near the basket quite a few times in the semifinals and handled contact solidly, but not great. Although he was only able to sink 50% of his free throws over the weekend, he still proved that he can draw fouls and get to the free throw line. Julius Messer’ athleticism is on a good level for German standards at his age, because he has a quick first step paired with a good start in transition and also a solid bounce. Defensively, he was sometimes a bit unlucky in certain situations, but was mostly able to keep his opponent in front of him in 1v1 and occasionally even steal balls.
(Florian Kurth)
Noah Koch, Fraport Skyliners (07’ – 185cm/ 6.1ft – Germany): Guard
Top Four stats: 13 PTS – 6/17 2FG – 1/6 3FG – 11/13 FT – 5 REB – 4 ASS – 5.5 TO – 2.5 STL in 40:53 MIN
After an underwhelming semi-final, Noah Koch bounced back in the JBBL final and provided Frankfurt with well-needed secondary scoring (24 PTS (6/15 FG, 11/13 FT), 5 AST, 5 REB, 10 fouls drawn). Especially in transition, Koch made his presence felt. Whenever he received an outlet pass, he pushed the tempo and made good use of his well-developed upper body to get all the way to the basket. His strength is also a key factor for his prowess as a perimeter defender. While nobody was able to fully contain Mathieu Grujicic, Koch made it noticeably harder for the JBBL Top Four MVP to get to his desired spots. Going forward, Koch has to find additional ways to be a bigger threat in the halfcourt and needs to add a more consistent shooting stroke from long range.
(Jonathan Götting)
NBBL standouts:
Rikus Schulte, ALBA Berlin (04’ – 209cm/ 6.10ft – Germany): Center
Top Four stats: 20 PTS – 13/25 2FG – 4/8 3FG – 2/6 FT – 11.5 REB – 2 ASS – 1.5 TO – 1.5 STL in 28:38 MIN
Schulte capped off his productive 2022/23 campaign with another efficient showing in Frankfurt and was rewarded with both the regular season and Top Four MVP award. Though he had some issues around the rim against Johann Grünloh, his determination as an ambidextrous play finisher once again was on full display, thanks to his large arsenal of finishing moves around the block. Moreover, the big man showed promise as a floor spacer, going 4/8 from long range against Vechta including a crucial go-ahead bucket late in the fourth quarter. Heading into the pros, Schulte’s game would immensely benefit from reliable floor spacing, which would require opposing defenses to guard him “up-to-touch” in pick and pop situations. In addition, he has to find ways to improve or make up for his limited vertical explosiveness on both ends of the court. Overall, the weekend provided additional confirmation that Schulte has a realistic chance to stick at the next level.
(Jonathan Götting)
Johann Grünloh, ALBA Berlin (05’ – 210cm/ 6.11ft – Germany): Center
Top Four stats: 10.5 PTS – 8/18 2FG – 1/5 3FG – 2/5 FT – 12.5 REB – 2 ASS – 0.5 TO – 2.5 BLK in 33:32 MIN
Grünloh may not have been as dominant as he was at the ANGT Patras, but still showed why he is widely considered to be the most promising German big man in the 2005 generation. Time and time again, his towering wingspan, positioning and instincts as the primary rim protector shined through and put Grünloh in a position to either come up with a deflection or entirely deterred opponents from even attempting shots near the basket. On the offensive end, he took advantage of the attention that he drew with timely kickout passes, especially out of the short roll. Occasionally, Günloh had some issues to establish a favorable position around the basket and could have been more resolute as a play finisher. However, he flashed his solid touch and could provide decent floor spacing once he has a cleaner and more consistent energy transfer. As Vechta’s first and second team got promoted to the BBL and Pro A respectively, Grünloh will be in an ideal position to receive notable minutes at different levels with varying responsibilities going forward.
(Jonathan Götting)
Nils Machowski, ALBA Berlin (04’ – 190cm/ 6.3ft – Germany): Guard
Top Four stats: 12 PTS – 3/14 2FG – 5/11 3FG – 3/3 FT – 3 REB – 5 ASS – 1 STL – 2.5 TO in 23:40 MIN
Of course, over Machowski’s Top Four performance shines the incredible three-pointer to win the tournament. With the game tied and 16 seconds left on the clock against Vechta, he took the ball, sent his big man teammate Schulte under the basket to start an isolation and created himself a tough step-back three-pointer for the win. It was an incredible shot that put him in the history books.
The German junior national player showed a mature performance throughout the tournament. Few unnecessary turnovers, good overview / ball distribution and in addition he always showed responsibility as a senior to deliver in tricky moments and carry his team. He was especially convincing from the three-point line, but he was also not too shy for hustle plays and acting as emotional leader.
Basically, it remains to be said that Machowski is a player for whom ALBA Berlin’s system is perfectly tailored. The team play is always in the foreground and each player has a lot of freedom. The German guard is not someone who convinces because of his technical skills or physical abilities, but with his playfulness and feeling for the game.
(Florian Kurth)
Kilian Brockhoff, Rasta Vechta (04’ – 205cm/ 6.8ft – Germany): Forward
Top Four stats: 12.5 PTS – 7/10 2FG – 3/11 3FG – 2/3 FT – 6.5 REB – 1 ASS – 1.5 STL – 2 TO in 27:10 MIN
After a very difficult season for forward Brockhoff at the beginning, in which he had to fight for 4 months with a wrist injury and whistling glandular fever, he improved steadily in the course of the season. He confirmed this with another solid performance last weekend. In the final he put up 19PTS – 9REB – 7/15FG – 3STL, which gave his team a chance to win until the end. His athleticism obviously stands out and is on a good European level. He also confirmed this again and again in the games. Either with alley-oop dunks, crashing dunks after drives or also strong rebounds against opposing bigs. In addition, his nice quality in post-up situations. Again and again, he posted up with his strong physique and could either finish by himself or find the better-positioned teammate at the three-point line. Three-point line is a good keyword because he was a legitimate threat there as well. While he only hit 27.2% from distance, his improved body stability and quicker release were clearly evident when comparing his shot, to that of a year ago. The most important and exciting component of his performance, however, was his development in playmaking. Not infrequently he provided relief for his guards by being the main ballhandler, showed improved approaches to act as a point forward in pick and roll and generally regulate the pace of the game.
In the next days, it will be decided whether he will choose the European path at Rasta Vechta and continue his education at the highest level here or whether he will leave for the USA and college.
(Florian Kurth)
Honorable mentions:
Kenan Reinhart, Rhein Stars Cologne (07’ – 193cm/ 6.4ft – Germany): Guard
Jack Kayil, ALBA Berlin (06’ – 190cm/ 6.3ft – Germany): Guard
Linus Ruf, ALBA Berlin (05’ – 211cm/ 6.11ft – Germany): Center
Elias Rapieque, ALBA Berlin (04’ – 201cm/ 6.7ft – Germany): Forward
Noah Jänen, Rasta Vechta (04’ – 199cm/ 6.6ft – Germany): Forward
Ivan Kharchenkov, Bayern Munich (06’ – 198cm/ 6.6ft – Germany): Guard
Alec Anigbata, Bayern Munich (04’ – 198cm/ 6.6ft – Germany): Guard
