The first ever Youth Basketball Champions League in the books! Nymburg, Rytas, Herzliya, Hapoel Jerusalem, Igokea, Lenovo Tenerife, Oostende, Ludwigsburg, TOFAŞ and UCAM Murcia all competed for the championship and Igokea won the final game against TOFAŞ, being the first champions of the event. Here are the standout performers of the tournament.
Dusan Makitan – 2005 – 205cm (6’9) – Igokea
18.3 points, 45.9% FG, 12/28 3FG (42.9%), 12 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.3 steals, 1.2 blocks
Makitan dominated the tournament on both ends of the floor for Igokea and was named the MVP deservingly. His confidence behind the 3-point line was one of the most impressive parts of his game on offense, has good mechanics and shooting touch. He is an important catch and shoot threat, also shows upside on shot creation. He was active on boards, showed that he is a solid rebounder with his timing and long arms and averaged 12 rebounds even though he is not a natural big man. His effort on the defensive end was really intriguing, his rim protection and shot blocking skills stood out especially in the final game against TOFAŞ, he was relentless on defense and played with 6 blocks. Makitan is also good with timing of deflections, can run the floor after his steals and initiate fast break opportunities for his team. He is a good finisher around the rim and has got some post moves especially against mismatches, need more high level games to see how he does against bigs with bigger upsides and defensive skills. He needs to be more careful with some easy turnovers, work on his fundamental skills, improve the quickness of his first step and become a better off the dribble shooter overall. He can be a part of the Serbian U18 National Team this summer and has potential to have a good career in top European competitions.
Özgür Cengiz – 2005 – 185cm (6’1) – TOFAŞ
20.3 points, 38% FG, 10/45 3FG (22.2%), 7.2 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 3.8 steals
Özgür Cengiz was the assist leader of the Turkish National Team in the U18 European Championship in their final run and this season, he has been one of the best prospects in the Turkish U19 League, also getting limited minutes in Basketball Super League for TOFAŞ. Cengiz was one of the top performers of the first Youth Basketball Champions League, posting the first triple-double in the tournament history and having all-around performances through the event. His offensive skillset is really impressive, his basketball IQ, passing touch and court vision are top-notch. Cengiz is also a solid rebounder for his size and position, his anticipation on deflections make him a factor on defense and he gets a lot of pick pocket steals as well. He was the first scoring option and the primary offensive weapon of his team all tournament and we could see various defects in his game during the event. Cengiz made only 10 of his 45 3-point attempts (22.2%) and his shot selections were often not the ideal choice for his team. His decision-making needs progress and he needs to work on his mental approach to the game, gets frustrated easily with 1-2 mistakes and has a hard time finding his rhythm back. He has trouble on both ends against guards that have more size and athleticism which might be a concern for pro level. I can see him in the guard rotation of a BCL or EuroCup team in as he works on his shooting, decision making and athleticism.
Ognjen Radosic – 2006 – 195cm (6’5) – Igokea
19.5 points, 48.4% FG, 2/19 3FG, 4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals
Ognjen Radosic was one of the standout performers of the Youth Basketball Champions League and got himself a spot in the All-Tournament Team. Radosic’s size and frame for his position makes him a hard player to defend in both transition and half court. He is one of the best slashers of his generation in Europe, can finish through contact and draw fouls really well. He can also grab rebounds and initiate fast break opportunities for his team. He is aggressive, athletic and has good feel for the game as a scorer around the rim. He is known for his scoring ability and he proved it right in every competition he participated so far but there should be some question marks about his game translating to pro level. Radosic only made 2 of his 19 attempts behind the 3-point line and his mechanics don’t seem ideal for progress as of now. Makes some hard shots from midrange sometimes but doesn’t seem like he is going to be a reliable shooter from that area either. He is not a decent playmaker or shooter so chances of him becoming a high level player as a guard is debatable. His hustle plays and long arms makes him effective on the defensive end, not the best defender but shows upside. He needs to improve his right hand, work on his passing skills, court vision and shooting. There is no doubt that Radosic is really skilled and a prospect to keep an eye on for the future.
Roe Avneri – 2005 – 199cm (6’6) – Hapoel Jerusalem
18.7 points, 42.2% FG, 27/63 3FG (42.9%) , 10 rebounds, 1.8 steals
Roe Avneri led Hapoel Jerusalem to the 3rd place game in the Youth Basketball Champions League and was named in the All-Tournament Team. Avneri shot 43% behind the 3-point line while averaging more than 10 attempts per game, has good mechanics and fast release, has potential to become an elite shooter. He is a solid pick and pop and catch and shoot player. Avneri’s rebounding instincts stand out, he is a solid rebounder despite being undersized for his position. He moves well without the ball, can run the floor and has really high basketball IQ. One of the biggest questions about Avneri is going to be his position. He is not the best post scorer and not a great finisher around the rim, can slash to the rim after shot fakes but has trouble against rim protectors. He is not athletic enough to become an undersized power forward/big at pro level and his impact would be more limited as a wing on both ends. As he adds more muscle to his body and works on his weaknesses, he should be monitored again and again because he is too good of a shooter and rebounder to be counted out as a legit prospect.
Ernestas Matulevic – 2005 – 198cm (6’6) – Rytas
12.2 points, 44.1% FG, 6/19 3FG (31.6%) , 8.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1 steal
Ernestas Matulevic was dominant in Bursa, leading Rytas to the 3rd place in the tournament. Matulevic is a really strong prospect with a wide frame, uses his strength well to create for himself. He is a good slasher, can make tough shots around the rim, finish through contact with balance or draw fouls. He is strong but doesn’t have a lot of moves in his bag as a post scorer as of now. He is a good rebounder, averaged 8.5 rebounds per game, can grab the rebound and initiate transition plays or make plays in half court offense, can dribble the ball even though he doesn’t have the prettiest fundamental skills and he can commit some easy turnovers. Matulevic is not reliable behind the 3-point line but still is a threat and has potential to become a better shooter in the future. He has a big body for his size so he is slow, has trouble against fast players on defense, might not be the ideal player for a team that plays with high tempo. Has some rim protection upside but his lack of athleticism gets in the way, shows more weaknesses outside the paint as a defender. If he manages to keep his strength while having a more fit body and become a really good catch and shoot threat, we can see him getting a lot of minutes for Rytas or other big Lithuanian teams in the future.
Ognjen Stankovic – 2005 – 198cm (6’6) – Igokea
14.3 points, 46.9% FG, 1/4 3FG, 6 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 2 steals, 0.8 block
Ognjen Stankovic joined the tournament a little bit later than his teammates but made sure that they got to win the first ever Youth Basketball Champions League. Stankovic had all-around performances and was the floor general of Igokea most of the time. He is a solid pick and roll operator, has good court vision and passing touch. Can play as a post player and use his size advantage especially against guards, can find the open man and cutter, make plays for himself. Has some decision making issues, can commit easy turnovers and make simple mistakes but he has really high potential as a sized guard and point forward. Stankovic is a decent slasher, can finish through contact and draw fouls. Does everything at his own pace and is a good finisher around the rim. His rebounding instincts really stand out as well. Can grab the rebound and initiate the offense with his playmaking skills, active on offensive boards, can create a lot of second chance point opportunities. He is a solid pick and roll defender, can switch and stand up against the bigs, contest their finishes. Doesn’t create any mismatches. Can defend 1 to 5, is also good at contesting shots behind the 3-point line and is a good shot blocker. Might be slow for some guards and athletic wings at open-court. Stankovic’s biggest weakness is his shooting. Does not even consider shooting even if he’s wide open behind the 3-point line most of the time. Only attempted 4 3-pointers in the event. There is not a significant problem with his release or mechanics, the confidence is not there yet. Needs to work on it and also try more attempts in order to learn how to make them consistently in game, only practicing might not be enough. He is one of the top prospects who participated in the tournament and has potential to become a solid EuroLeague player in the future.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Louis Riga – 2005 – 203cm (6’8) – Lenovo Tenerife
Riga is probably one of the better prospects who participated in the Youth Basketball Champions League but joined the team late and played in only 2 games which were not really decisive. He started getting some minutes for Tenerife’s senior team this season and his body is already ready for pro level. With the right attitude and work ethic, his future looks bright and should be monitored closely.
Nojus Kuliesa – 2005 – 185cm (6’1) – Rytas
Kuliesa was one of the best guards of the tournament, averaging 14.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game for Rytas. He is an important threat as a shooter, made 18 of his 36 3-point attempts in the event, can create his own shots and work as a catch and shoot player too. Kuliesa needs to work on his playmaking and decision making, defense and slashing. Needs to create better chances for himself around the rim. His overall performance in the tournament was a good signal for his development.
Babel Yitu Lipasi – 2008 – Lenovo Tenerife
Lipasi is arguably one of the best long term prospects of the Youth Basketball Champions League. Played 17.8 per game and his performance was impressive at only 14 years old. He obviously has a lot of growing up to do but has good instincts for rebounds and rim protection. Averaged 7.8 points, 6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. Has two-way potential and we’ll be able to see more of him in the upcoming years and tournaments.
Mohamed Sangare – 2007 – Lenovo Tenerife
Sangare dominated the paint throughout the tournament in Bursa, averaging 16.8 points, 13 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. He is a really good rebounder on both ends, grabbed 5.2 offensive boards per game. His overall basketball knowledge is pretty limited for now, does not have a high chance to shine against better competition. Still raw on every aspect of the game and his size might not develop more so translating his game to pro level might be an issue for him.
Rom Hitkes – 2005 – 189cm (6’2) – Hapoel Jerusalem
Hitkes was one of the standout performers of the Youth Basketball Champions League, averaging 13.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists per game of Hapoel Jerusalem. Hitkes has some efficiency problems in terms of scoring from all 3 levels but has decent ball handling and playmaking skills. He is a good rebounder for his size as well. He is also effective in transition and fast breaks. Needs to improve his shooting and defense. Expecting to see him getting minutes in Basketball Champions League or EuroCup in the future seems realistic.
Evren Demirci – 2005 – 205cm (6’8) – TOFAŞ
Evren Demirci had a good showing in Bursa and was an important piece of the TOFAŞ roster in their final run. Demirci is a solid finisher around the rim, his 2-point field goal percentage was almost 73% during the tournament. He often hesitates shooting midrange shots in U19 Turkish League but shot well in this event, showed real upside and progress. He is also a decent rebounder an averaged 8.3 boards per game. Demirci should be more aggressive and vocal on the court, work on his defense and should do his best to stretch the floor as much as he possibly can. He needs to work on his quickness and athleticism to be able to become an undersized big in the pro level.
Jarne Elouna Eyenga – 2006 – 203cm (6’8) – Oostende
Eyenga was one of the new names that impressed me during the tournament in Bursa, carrying the scoring load of his team and averaging 17.2 points per game, also grabbed 6.5 rebounds. His current body and size show promise for his age as a wing, considering he is almost a 2007-born prospect (December 31st 2006). His athleticism, decision making, shooting and defense need work. His name should be noted down and monitored for the future.
