Papanikolaou was the player with the second most minutes for Olympiacos behind Vassilis Spanoulis in Friday’s semi-final against FC Barcelona. The 2m01 left handed forward entered the game after 8 minutes and nearly did not leave the court anymore except for a short break in the fourth quarter. He finished with a perfect shooting effort (1/1 2FGs – 2/2 3FGs) combined with 4 rebounds and 2 assists.

His offensive actions were important as he hit two big three-pointers in decisive moments of the game from the corner. His only other basket was a fast break lay-up that he scored though with his left hand from the right. Next to that, he did not have many touches but as you can see on the Video below, he tried to attack the basket hard where he came up with good direction changes or spin moves, even if he was called for a traveling in one of them. He showed at least that he can drive past his defender on the highest European level but needs to become a bit more under control when doing so. It does not look like he can make the pull-up jump shot in these situations when driving with full speed.

His defensive presence was however even more impressive than his impact on the offensive end. Papanikolaou constantly put pressure on the ball handler and forced several bad shots by Pete Mickael and Chuck Eidson. Next to that, he showed excellent defensive positioning and presence on the help lines. With his athletic abilities, he challenged the Barcelona big guys and came up with a block shot against Erazem Lorbek and another very impressive rejection on Boni N’Dong that was called as a foul though.

Papanikolaou was doing an excellent job boxing out and helping his team in the defensive rebound. He grabbed a great offensive board in the deciding moments of the game but his team mate was called for entering the zone too early. His presence as a post defender was very impressive as he did not see many people score over him despite a big height disadvantage in most of the situations. He was even the post-defender on the last offense of Barcelona and helped to bring the victory home with his positioning and pressure on N’Dong.

Being the only real NBA Draft prospect in the event this year, Papanikolaou has certainly helped his stock with his semi-final performance on Friday. With a good final where he might see lots of match-up minutes against Andrei Kirilenko, he can eventually see his name coming up in the second round in June.

Kostas Papanikolaou–a major winning factor is a post from: European Prospects
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Evangelos Mantzaris started 12 games in his first season for Olympiacos after having played for Peristeri Athens before. Manntzaris made a name for himself with the very successful Greek U18 National Team that won the Albert Schweitzer Tournament 2008 where he was an energizer coming from the bench to be a back-up of Nikos Pappas. Mantzaris has now cracked the rotation of a Euroleague Final 4 team while Pappas, who a force 4 years ago, is playing for PAOK. The 1990 born guard plays more than 15 minutes per game in a very defensive role and comes up with the occasional three-point shot. His development may surprise some people as he was not considered as the best prospect of this generation in Greece but he has clearly made huge steps forward by taking over responsibilities early with Peristeri instead of signing a big contract with one of the two powerhouses early.

Kostas Papanikolaou is already a more common name on the European courts. The wing player of the 2008 Albert Schweitzer Tournament team came from Aris to Olympiacos already in 2009 and earned minutes in the Euroleague right from the start. He has become a quite regular scorer in his particular style on Small Forward and coach Ivkovic gives him the fourth-most minutes of the whole team. With his very efficient playing style and left handed touch, Papanikolaou might even become a reach in the upcoming NBA Draft where a team could use a pick on him in the second round as he has the necessary athletic abilities to be a factor in the United States. He is doing an excellent job moving without the ball on offense which creates good scoring opportunities for himself but also spreads the defense to open the lane for his team mates. The left-handed forward can also put the ball on the floor to attack the basket and he does it with either hand. If he can not go until the hoop, he stops in mid-range territory to pass the ball back out without forcing the shot. When he does not have the ball, he is always ready to shot and can do this rather quick.

The next member of the exclusive Greek 90s club is of course Kostas Sloukas. Stacked a bit in the rotation behind Vassilis Spanoulis, Sloukas made his move on the 26th of January when he hit an incredible buzzer beater from 3/4 court to tie a game in Istanbul and go to overtime. You can say that the more minutes Sloukas plays, the higher the chances are that Olympiacos will win. Coming off the bench, Sloukas is immediately ready to take over and has no fear to score the basketball. He is respected by his team mates that have confidence in him and his playmaking skills. Sloukas is also in his first real Euroleague season in 2011/2012 but he used his season with Aris to earn the necessary experience on the professional level. He is now a serious candidate to make the Greek Senior National team and get a significant role in the next years. But first of all, he wants to win his first major trophy.

Dimitrios Katsivelis was a big factor for the Greeks in the beginning of the Euroleague season where he started 4 games and was on the court in 7 out of 8 contests. But since then, no more minutes for him. He was not a member of the golden Greek Generation of the 1990 borns as he is from 1991. So he was always a year later on than the above mentioned prospects and could not celebrate the same successes than Sloukas, Papanikolaou and Mantzaris. But he showed during the U20 European Championship in Bilbao last summer that he has the potential of becoming an interesting player. He averaged 15.4 points per game and even 1.0 blocks. With his defensive presence, Coach Ivkovic gave him some special minutes in the beginning of the season to close down opposing guards. It is not sure if Katsivelis will make the squad for Istanbul but he is another player of this young Olympiacos team that you have to follow in the next years.

So, 12 games started this Euroleague season, 13 games started this Euroleague season, 56.3% 3pt shooting percentage, 4 games started this Euroleague season, you know now who is who. And it might be a good idea to change your opinion about Olympiacos that is not the star-stacked over-paid roster from the previous years but a team built on the long term with a lot of great prospects for the next years.

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Mindauguas Kupsas – 2m15 – Center – 1991 – KK Baltai

The Lithuanian Center has put his name in the pool in order to see what his value is right now. The big guy who is a member of the Zalgiris Kaunas team played a lot of minutes with their second team this season in the LKL and the Baltic League. Nicely gifted but not overly athletic, Kupsas might become an interesting player in a few years in Europe but the NBA seems far away for him at the moment.

Prediction: withdraws

Evan Fournier – 1m99 – Shooting Guard – 1992 – PB86 Poitiers

Fournier looks to be the only first round talent in this year’s NBA Draft. Extremely fluid and elegant when attacking the basket, Fournier had a breakthrough season this year in France. He is the leader of his teams an excels in attacking the gaps and has improved his shot. Still a bit light for playing in the NBA, he will most likely stay in the Pool if he can assure a first round pick. However, he might stay in Europe as well for at least one more season in order to get used to the Euroleague or at least the Eurocup.

Prediction: 1st round

Sertac Sanli – 2m12 – Power Forward – 1991 – Galatasaray

It was not a great season for the Turkish big Sertac Sanli but he decided nevertheless to put his name into the Draft pool this year. After having seen some minutes in the beginning of the season when he was loaned to Tofas Bursa, he was not a factor anymore when he was back with his original team Galatasaray. He will probably try to get some workouts or an invite to the Adidas Eurocamp in order to showcase his value.

Prediction: withdraws

Furkan Aldemis – 2m07 – Power Forward – 1991 – Galatasaray

The team mate of Sanli has played a nice season after a great U20 European Championship last summer. He had a major impact in the Euroleague where he was among the best rebounders per minute. Not very useful outside of the paint, Aldemir is mainly playing inside and using a lot of Pick and Roll situations in order to score. He has an excellent feel for rebounding the ball on both side of the court and is especially effective on the offensive glass. Aldemir can develop into an interesting role player even for the NBA level. Aldemir has shown already in the Euroleague that has the level of the toughest competition in Europe and can earn more experience even next season. I think that he might stay in the Draft, even if he gets only drafted in the second round.

Prediction: 2nd round

Josep Franch – 1m91 – Point Guard – 1991 – UCAM Murcia

Constantly improving over the last seasons with his home town team of Joventut Badalona, Josep Franch made the next step by signing for UCAM Murcia last summer. But even if his stats in terms of scoring increased, the season can not be considered as a full success for Franch. His team is currently not sure yet to stay in the ACB and his minutes have been reduced throughout the season. The quick guard can attack the gaps well and is not afraid to attack the rim hard with good athletic abilities. More a scorer than a creator, Franch might have the profile to become successful in the NBA even if he has to gain a bit more experience on the highest European level first.

Prediction: withdraws

Nemanja Nedovic – 1m91 – Combo guard – 1991 – Crvena Zvezda

Nedovic is a highly athletic and physically strong Serbian guard who could not really impose himself as a leader in the rotation of his team yet. Mostly used as an energizer from the bench, Nedovic is not afraid to immediately attack the basket really hard. He is able to dunk over the defense but needs to become more regular from behind the arc. He has a perfect profile for playing in the NBA but needs to improve his defensive understanding of the game in order to become a factor. He has no major international experience yet on the highest level except Youth European Championships. It would not be a surprise for me if he stays in the Draft even if he has no guarantee to be drafted in the first round.

Prediction: second round

Tornike Shengelia – 2m07 – Power Forward – 1991 – Spirou Charleroi

The Georgian forward seems to be around forever but is still only an early entrant. He has gained a lot of experience by playing in different championships throughout Europe and had a nice Euroleague season this year with Spirou Charleroi. Mainly operating with his face to the basket, Shengelia is quite versatile and can score from both inside and outside. He needs to improve his rebounding but has great handles for a player of his size. He will most likely withdraw again this season in our opinion.

Prediction: withdraws

Abdoulaye Loum – 2m07 – Power Forward – 1991 – BCM Gravelines

Already an early entrant last year when he was still playing for Le Havre, Loum transferred to Gravlines but did not play a lot of minutes with the Senior team this season. In the Espoirs league, he averaged 18.1 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. He did not get invited to the Adidas Eurocamp in 2011 despite being an candidate for the Draft. Eventually, this will change this year but Loum does not seem to be really a target of a lot of teams.

Prediction: withdraws

Tomas Satoransky – 2m00 – Combo guard – 1991 – Banca Civica Sevilla

The season of Tomas Satoransky is somehow a disappointment in terms of statistical contribution. He averaged only 4.7ppg after being at 7.1ppg last season and even regressed in the minutes he played. However, Satoransky remains of the main talents in Europe and has certainly the potential to become a factor in the NBA down the road. Gifted with excellent athletic abilities and nice scoring potential, Satoransky is in a phase of fully learning the role of PG but remains a bit limited in his role with Sevilla.

Prediction: 1st round (if he stays in)

Joffrey Lauvergne – 2m08 – Power Forward – 1991 – Elan Chalon

Already quite experienced, the French Power Forward is more your typical Euroleague player than a NBA potential. He is characterized by good size and correct shot, Lauvergne works hard in the paint and has good positioning. Unfortunately, he goes for a lot of cheap fouls like pushing in rebounding situations and this limits his playing time. His father was already a good player but Joffrey seems to be promised to an even better career, but most likely in Europe.

Prediction: withdraws

Jakub Parzenski – 2m12 – Center – 1991 – Virtus Bologna

The Polish big guy has been loaned by his Italian team back to Poland this season in order to earn some experience on the professional level. This worked quite well as he averaged 6.2ppg and 3.4repg with PBG Basket Poznan. Able to shoot from outside, the long Pole wants to know his value in the NBA Draft process and will most likely opt out before the official date. His goal has to be to become a rotation for Bologna next season and from there he can move on to see what his real potential is.

Prediction: withdraws

Jonas Zohore Bergstedt – 2m08 – Center – 1991 – Torrelodones

A surprising name in the pool is the Danish big guy Jonas Zohore Bergstedt who played in Spain for several seasons already, but only with teams in lower divisions. He is part of a Danish generation producing more and more interesting big guys. Bergstedt was the best rebounder of the U20 European Championship of Division B last summer where he was dominating with 22.4ppg and 13.5rpg. But he has not yet made the next step in order to be a factor on the professional level as he sees only minutes in the fourth Spanish League so far.

Prediction: withdraws

Maximilian Kleber – 2m08 -  Forward – 1992 – Würzburg

The German forward finished his season very well with the Würzburg where he even earned the starting job before the Playoffs. Kleber, who we declared as the wildcard of the German prospects to follow before this season after being out nearly 2 years with several injuries has excellent size (2m08 and not 6-5 as listed in the official NBA Press Release) and good athletic abilities. Capable of shooting from outside with a perfectible shot, Kleber remains quite unknown even on the European scene because he never played for the German Youth National teams so far. He can develop into one of the surprises of this Draft pool if he participates to the Adidas Eurocamp in June.

Prediction: withdraws

Lahaou Konate – 1m95 – Guard – 1991 – Evreux

Konate is a complete unknown to me. He plays in the second French League where he averages 6.8ppg and 2.7rpg.

Prediction: withdraws

Nika Metreveli – 2m13 – Power Forward – 1991 – Sassari

Metreveli is the second Georgian in this year’s Draft group. He plays for the Italian team of Banco di Sardegna Sassari where he sees mixed minutes. Quite a versatile player who is able to shoot from outside, Metreveli was considered a major prospect several years ago when he was signed by Montepaschi in 2007. However, he could never crack the rotation of the Euroleague team and made the right choice to move to LegaDue last season to earn more experience. Despite limited minutes as well, he made the step back to the first division where he is now playing ten minutes per game for 3.7ppg. Even if he will most likely withdraw, putting his name on the board was the right decision in order bring his name back in the mix.

Prediction: withdraws

Alen Omic – 2m16 – Center – 1992 – Zlatorog

The Slovenian big guy played a great season in the Adriatic League where he averaged 9.5ppg and 6.2rpg. Despite being a year younger, he was also great during the U20 European Championship in Bilbao last summer where he had 16.3 points per game. Omic is not the most athletic player but he has excellent length and he likes to score in the paint. He needs to gain a lot more experience on the highest level in order to become a factor in the European scene. Zlatorog was a good place for him to grow as he could play a lot of minutes in a young team. Now, he might need to take the next step in order to improve.

Prediction: withdraws

Mathieu Wojciechowski – 1m97 – Forward – 1992 – BCM Gravelines

A total unknown to me. He plays with the Gravelines Espoirs team where he averages 11.8ppg and 5.0rpg.

Prediction: withdraws

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Mam Jaiteh – 2m06 – C – France – 1994

Despite good numbers in the tournament and similar to his games during the NIJT in Belgrade, Mam Jaiteh did not show much progress compared to a year ago. He is probably still getting used to his body and physique as his moves remain quite slow and sometimes look a bit out of control. Nevertheless, there are not many prospects in Europe that have a body like him to work with . It looks like his growing phase has stopped which makes him a bit undersized to play Center on the highest level and so far, he does not really have a PF game even if he tried a three-point shot here and there.

Close to the basket, he remains a force though. He is not particularly explosive and rarely finishes with a dunk but more with technique. Jaiteh has some legit post moves that he can use against the defender and where he is able to impose his force. However, he does not dominate in the low post like you could imagine him doing when you see his body. He mainly goes for the jump hook avoiding too much contact but he makes these with good accuracy.

You can clearly see that Jaiteh is still in a learning phase of the game and that he tries to use what his coaches are telling him. But he still does not know exactly when to use what. Sometimes, Jaiteh was passing the ball strangely in  situations when it did not make much sense while on the next attack he forced the double-team. Defensively, Jaiteh remains a strong rebounder but not a great shot blocker for a player of his size. But here again, his lack of verticality is a major factor which hinders him from being a real threat. In the end, we can not be too harsh with Jaiteh who remains one of the main players to follow of this generation, but the expectations may have gone too high after the tremendous progress he made one year ago.

Stats: 13.7ppg (63.8% FGs), 9.7rpg, 1.8apg, 1.0bpg, 2.3topg

Ilimane Diop – 2m08 – C – Spain – 1995

Ilimane Diop is one of the most impressive physical specimens in Europe right now. 2m08 tall with a 2m30 wingspan, quite mobile and understanding the game make him a top level prospect that the Spanish Basketball federation was intelligent enough to give a passport. Right now, Diop is not a major factor on offense yet but he has only arrived in structured basketball for a short time. But he showed already interesting aspects of a future offensive game next to his tremendous presence on the defensive end.

On the offensive end, Diop mainly scores from close to the basket. But this is not only the case when openings have been created by his guards or on offensive stick backs. These kind of plays and positioning, he has learned already and when he gets the ball in the paint, he scores with the two handed dunk, even over the defense. The more surprising is his ability to put the ball on the floor from the high post. Multiple times, he attacked his defender on the dribble with either hand and tried to finish close to the rim with the layup. He was not always successful in these situations but you could clearly see that this is a work in progress and going into the right direction. His drive and ball handling do not look very fluid yet but with his wingspan, this is not a major surprise to get this under control.

Next to this, Diop seems on the way to get a serious shot around the key. Even if he barely tried a similar attempt, you could see when he was shooting free-throws that it can only be a question of time before he will knock down jumpers around the key. In fact, his shooting mechanics are fluid and he nets FTs with more than 75%. This is all very encouraging especially if you consider his already very strong impact on the defensive end. With his tentacle arms, he rejects multiple shots and changes trajectories easily. Out of these situations, he runs the floor extremely well and is a good target as trailer on the fast break or as a secondary option.

Diop needs though to work on his defensive rebounding where he is sometimes put out of position by physically stronger opponents. He remains very thin and mostly vertical in his game. He lacks the strong physical built so far but he is a year younger than the competition which gives him a lot of room to improve. With his understanding of the game and improvements he showed in one year, Diop is certainly one of the main prospects in the 1995 generation in Europe. If he continues to work and progress this way, he might become a very interesting player down the road with the potential to play on the highest level.

Stats: 8.7ppg (62.8% FGs), 5.9rpg, 1.7bpg

Guillermo Hernangomez – 2m06 – PF/C – Spain – 1994

The second Spanish inside force next to Diop was Guillermo “Willy” Hernangomez. A lot more technical and physical than Diop, Hernangomez played an excellent tournament and underlined his great progress over the last two seasons. Mainly playing with his back to the basket, Hernangomez has a wide arsenal of moves and fakes that allow him to get open shots or easy baskets close to the rim.

First of all, he looks a lot stronger than we remembered him from last year. He has not lost though his mobility and because of his great footwork, he is able to use multiple spins or put the ball on the floor to beat his defender on the drive. His repertoire is very large, often starting with a good head or shot fake to see the defender’s reaction. Close to the basket, he can finish with either hand and he adapts to what the defense gives him in order to chose from which one he wants to finish. We remember a play where he grabbed the offensive rebound with the right hand, made a head fake to get the defender out of stance and change hand to the left and finish on the layup.

When putting the ball on the floor, he is not afraid to dunk the ball even over taller players. His is not superbly athletic but his leaping abilities allow him to finish regularly above the rim. He can come up for example with the two handed dunk out of a spin move executed from the low block which underlines his good explosiveness by the way. His spin move is one of his favorites actions on the offensive end as he can execute it really well and with excellent speed to get around his defender and stay under control for the tough finish.

When facing the basket, he can also start his drive in cross over fashion and beating his man with either hand. With his growing physique, he can score against the bigger guys with the foul as well. We would have liked to see him also do some jump shots around the key or even the three-pointer but this does not seem to be in his repertoire for now. With his size, he is targeted to become a PF in the future, but it would be good if he could add a scoring potential from around the key to complete his game. But even without that, he will certainly develop into a top level European player in a Felipe Reyes style when all is said and done.

Stats: 13.6ppg (50.0% FGs), 8.7rpg, 1.0bpg

Dusan Ristic – 2m06 – C – Serbia – 1995

The young Serbian Center continued his way after the great NIJT in February by imposing his talent in Mannheim as well. After a slower start into the tournament, Ristic took over in the decisive phase with his polished inside game that we appreciated already before. His hands seem to improve on every occasion we see him and he has a really nice outside touch now on his jump shot around the key. With his long arms, he scored several times over the wingspan of Diop, either on the layup or on the jump hook. From within 2-3 meters, Ristic can score the jump hook with either hand and good accuracy. His shooting percentage is really good as he rarely forces difficult stuff and concentrates on what the defense gives him as the most easiest option.

Stats: 9.9ppg (65.2% FGs), 5.7rpg, 1.4bpg

Nikola Milutinov – 2m06 – C – Serbia – 1994

The development of Milutinov during the days in Mannheim was the opposite of Ristic as the 1994 born inside player saw less and less minutes throughout the tournament. He started well though showing his great length and verticality on both sides of the court. Mainly scoring on the hook shot or the jump shot, Milutinov has no specific go-to-move in the low block and looks like he prefers to play facing the basket. We scouted him in more detail already during the NIJT in Belgrade in February and there is not too much to add right now on his progress.

Stats: 9.4ppg (64.1% FGs), 7.9rpg, 0.6bpg

Stanislav Ilnitskiy – 2m01 – PF – Russia – 1994

The Russian forward could play more from outside with the national team than what we saw him doing with Khimki Moscow during the NIJT in Kaunas. Freed of the rebounding duties more or less, Ilnitskiy was the main scoring option in the paint for his team but forcing a bit too much which has been underlined by his poor shooting percentages. The Russian forward was playing a lot around the key as he could not get close to the rim against the tough competition and therefore preferred the mid-range jump shot game. He also stepped out to the three-point line from where he took more than 4 shots per game with mediocre results.

Additionally, Ilnitskiy put the ball on the floor as well with mixed results. With his lack of speed and ball handling, he struggled to pass by his defenders often. He mainly went for his left hand drive but showed some good finishes when he managed to beat the defense as he can score against the bigger players with the foul as well. Ilnitskiy was often used in Pick and Pop situations in order to free up some space in the paint and use his versatility against slower power forwards. If he manages to improve his handle and become more regular from outside, he can develop into an interesting stretch-four or even small forward in the future. But right now, he remains a bit in between both positions and lacks the necessary physical or basketball skills for the respective specializations.

Stats: 17.2ppg (37.6% FGs – 23.1% 3FGs), 5.8rpg, 3.2apg

Igor Kanygin – 2m07 – PF/C – Russia – 1994

Not a major factor when he played for the Russian U16 National Team 2010 in Bar, Igor Kanygin played an impressive tournament in Mannheim where he showcased excellent athletic abilities and a great motor to run the court for long minutes. Kanygin is a pure inside player who does not step out but plays mainly in the paint. Gifted with great athletic abilities, he tried to finish nearly everything with thunderous slams when there was the smallest opening. The left-handed Center also came up with several hook shots in the paint but this was more or less his only alternative move to the dunk or layup.

Kanygin was the perfect target for the Russian guards for the backdoor plays that he finished often high above the rim. His overall decision making was though questionable as he tried too many difficult dunks or layups as he probably lacks the necessary touch around the basket for the short jump shot. He can finish from close with the hook with either hand but he has nearly no game outside the paint. If he specializes into a pure Center-Screen setting role, Kanygin can have an interesting future as he looks to have good running skills and also nice timing to reject shots. However, he needs to become a better defensive rebounder (only 4.3 defensive rebounds in nearly 30 minutes per game) and be more careful with his passing and ball handling against the defense.

Stats: 14.0ppg (57.9% FGs), 6.0rpg, 1.7bpg

Austin Nichols – 2m06 – PF – USA – 1994

The most interesting inside option of the American team was the 2m06 tall and athletic Power Forward Austin Nichols. Mainly active in the paint, the few options that Nichols took from around the key did not look very well. He airballed a jump shot from the baseline and preferred to put the ball on the floor once he got it outside the key. In the paint, he scores either on the dunk, layup or the right handed jump hook. Nichols does not create much by himself but was more an executer from the passes he got from his team mates. Nevertheless, he was quite effective in what he did, especially on the fast break. More surprisingly, he was a very poor rebounder despite his good size and athletic skills. He does not box out well and misses the timing to grab the ball once it missed.

Stats: 11.2ppg (50.0% FGs), 3.0rpg, 1.2bpg

Amedeo Tessitori – 2m05 – PF/C – Italy – 1994

The Italian big guy only played the group phase of the tournament because he had to leave to participate in a league game with his club. So we could only follow him in one game but he showed there that he is on the right track. The first thing that struck my eye was that he is not wearing anymore the large knee brace he had during the U18 European Championship last summer. Physically, he has not changed much even if he might have added 2-3 centimeters but his overall body structure looks pretty mature right now. In terms of basketball, he has added a quite regular three-point shot which makes him dangerous from outside as well and changed him more into a PF.

Additionally, with him being a threat from outside, he tries to put the ball on the floor as well to beat the defender on the dribble. He remains very slow in this kind of setting but manages somehow to pass the defender occasionally because of his physical presence. Tessitori remains a really surprising leaper who can finish strong with two hands out of the post. With an improving shot and gaining a bit of speed in the next years, he has definitely the potential to become a high level PF on the professional level. He seems to be in the right track now and it will be interesting to follow his development in the next years.

Stats: 15.3ppg (60.7% FGs – 33.3% 3FGs), 6.7rpg, 1.3bpg, 18.0effpg

Francesco Candussi – 2m11 – C – Italy – 1994

The long Italian Center had a so-so tournament and was in the shade of Tessitori in the beginning. He got more minutes later on but his overall performance was correct. Not really a banger down low, Candussi likes to play facing the basket and play more with finesse. He can score around the key with the jump shot but also with the jump hook when he is in the low post. He puts the ball on the floor occasionally but his ball handling is still in the making which resulted in several turnovers. Candussi is certainly a potential to watch because of his size and mobility, but right now, he does not really fit into any specific position which is not a problem yet. He remains young and has a lot of room to improve.

Stats: 7.2ppg (42.9% FGs), 5.3rpg, 0.8bpg

Gavin Schilling – 2m05 – PF/C – Germany – 1995

Schilling dominated heavily the German JBBL Top 4 last summer where his athleticism and physical strength were unmatched. After a year in the United States, we could not really see any development in his game since last May. His above average leaping abilities did not help him against similar athletes on this level and he has not really progressed in his game with the back to the basket. Schilling progressed in his footwork though as we saw him finish for example after a quick spin move executed in a Pick and Roll situation. He looks to become a pure Center in his development as he did not score once from outside or even trying jump shots around the key. Additionally, we had the impression that he lacks a bit of concentration during moments as he turned the ball over quite easily. Schiling has another year of high school basketball in front of him before moving to College. The question is how he can develop in that kind of environment where he physically dominates everybody easily and rarely has any competition.

Stats: 10.7ppg (46.6% FGs), 5.4rpg, 1.1bpg

Burak Yildizli – 2m02 – PF – Turkey – 1994

After his ban with the national team, Burak Yildizli was back and he had an immediate impact on the Turkish team. Physically already very mature without much room to develop, Yildizli used his power to push the ball and score from inside. He likes to put the ball on the floor and he has a good first step especially when going left. He does not lose a lot of time posting up, once he has the ball, he attacks immediately preferring to face his defender. He was a constant match-up problem as he was stronger than most of the power forwards but faster than Centers that tried to defend him.

Out of his drives, he also showed some nice pull-up jumper or even step back shots in order to avoid taller opponents. He is also able to step out to the three-point line from where he was quite regular in catch-and-shoot situations but not really great either. With his force, his game is more inside oriented and most of the time in the paint. He has good positioning and a nice arsenal of fakes that give him several extra options down the road. The question mark on Yildizli is his shot selection which is quite a bit too forced into his own direction not seeing what the defense gives him. Additionally, as there is not much room for physical improvement, the question of his future position remains as he will most likely struggle on the defensive end to play against athletic wing players.

Stats: 13.7ppg (50.7% FGs – 33.3% 3FGs), 5.9rpg, 1.9apg

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Kevin Harley – 1m97 – SF – France – 1994

Kevin Harley is a nicely athletic and elegant wing player, active in the same team than NBA Draft candidate Evan Fournier. Harley can attack the basket and finish close to the rim, even if he prefers sometimes to go for the difficult lay back instead of the hard dunk from the front. His footwork allows him to go for the spin move on the drive and play the good kick-out pass when he sees the wing man open. But he can not only score from close, the Small Forward is also able to hit the three-point shot or create his own mid-range openings. But his overall shooting accuracy needs some work despite the fluid mechanics. He is not very regular from outside and sometime misses the short jumper inside the paint. But he has a good overall package to work with in the future and will certainly have an interesting impact on the French ProA level soon.

Stats: 9.0ppg (38.5% FGs – 20.0% 3FGs), 2.3rpg, 2.5apg

Louison Thomas – 2m04 – SF/PF – France – 1994

Not the most flashy player, Louison Thomas did an excellent job as a rotation and role player for the French team. Thomas was mainly used in a stretch four role to score from outside. In fact, he took nearly all of his shots from behind the arc from where he was particularly effective. His shot is very fluid and looks perfect from a technical point of view when used in catch and shoot situations. Thomas did not create many shots on his own but was the perfect target for kick outs as he moved very well without the ball. He can run the court nicely as well and is therefore an interesting option on the fast break as well. Overall, he does not do too many errors on the court. However, he lacks the international experience and has never played on a high level so far.

Stats: 5.3ppg (47.4% 3FGs), 2.5rpg

Mihajlo Andric – 2m00 – SF/PF – Serbia – 1994

The Serbian forward was more or less a surprise in the All-Tournament team as he was not really putting up big numbers in Mannheim. But he was a major factor of winning for his team as he was present doing the dirty job on both ends of the court. But not only that, he showed great talent as well but was not so much in the focus as some of his team mates. Andric can alternate between the two forward spots but will most likely have to play SF on the professional level. He has an excellent three-point shot which should help him to be a serious threat from behind the arc. Andric can also put the ball on the floor with either hand and has good handling. He underlined this when he used his left hand to beat his defender and avoided the help with putting the ball on the right side behind his back for the easy finish.

On the defensive end, Andric can play both wing positions as well and is doing an excellent job on the defensive rebound. He knows exactly what is going on and uses his great basketball understanding to draw charges but also to free up his team mates with intelligent sharing of the ball or passing the ball well in high-low situations. The Serbian forward is apparently being followed by several major European teams to our knowledge but it looks that he will stay with Partizan for the next years.

Stats: 9.0ppg (49.0% FGs – 47.8% 3FGs), 5.1rpg

Simone Fontecchio – 1m97 – SF/SG – Italy – 1995

The young Italian swingman showed excellent talent during the days in Mannheim as an impact player on the wing. Fontecchio is a good athlete and plays very vertical for his age and size. He is doing an excellent job putting the ball on the floor and running the fast break. The right-handed player can use also his weak hand for the drive where he likes to change speed in order to create the necessary space for the finish close to the basket. Out of his drives, he is also able to make a good pass and he can finish with either hand from within 2 meters. If he is guarded by a smaller defender, which is often the case when he plays the Shooting Guard spot, Fontecchio likes to post up and score from close. His three point shot is still in the making as the mechanics are quite slow and he does not know yet when to use it in which form. We saw him make a couple of shots in catch and shoot situations but also miss badly when he tried to create an option by himself. Still nearly two years younger (born in December 1995) than the competition, the Italian forward was one of the most promising long-term prospects of the tournament in our eyes.

Stats: 13.5ppg (41.9% FGs – 35.0% 3FGs), 4.0rpg

Paul Zipser – 2m01 – SF/SG/PG – Germany – 1994

The kid from Heidelberg was one of the most versatile players of the whole tournament. Long and being able to play multiple positions, Zipser was clearly the go-to-guy of the German team in this tournament. Gifted with excellent athletic abilities, Zipser was playing mostly as a Small Forward which will most likely be his future position on the professional level. However, he is able to play the Point Guard as well as he has good court-vision and nice ball handling skills for a player of his size. When he has the ball in his hands, Zipser can create his own shot with ease and because of his leaping abilities, he has a very high release point on his jump shot which makes him nearly un-blockable. He likes to get the ball on the three-point line to attack the basket and take the  pull up jumper from four to five meters.

When Zipser attacks the basket, he can finish against the big guys as he can play above the rim without any problem. He is not afraid to dunk the ball in traffic or over the big guys either. He sometimes forced his drives a bit too much in the tournament as he wanted to impose himself as the scoring leader of his team. This lead to several unnecessary turnovers but also showed a sometimes questionable shot selection. His three-point shot was not falling on a regular basis which is not too much of a concern though right now. Out of Pick and Roll situations, he has all the possibilities to go either for the quick jumper, the three point shot or the pass. He has the feel for the game to play the perfect bounce pass to the big guy but it is a part of the game that he still has to learn on the highest level.

Defensively, Zipser can become an impressive player as well as he has fantastic shot blocking timing. Multiple times, he came out of nowhere to reject shots against the backboard and change the momentum of the game. His good wingspan helps him in these situations and should also be an asset when playing normal man-to-man. His lateral speed is good but not great which might be a problem if he wants to play guard positions on the next level.

The Heidelberg player is currently in a hard situation concerning his future career steps. Nearly all Bundesliga teams are trying to sign him for next season but he has also offers from the best Division 1 schools in the US. With the tournament, the European teams that did not know him are certainly also taking a closer look at him for their future. Zipser finished his high school now and has all options open for him; it will be up to him to make the right choices together with his family.

Stats: 14.6ppg (42.7% FGs – 22.2% 3FGs), 5.0rpg, 2.3apg, 2.0bpg, 3.4topg

Stefan Wess – 2m03 – SF/PF – Germany – 1994

The big surprise of the German team was Stefan Wess. Nearly unknown also by German followers before the tournament, the 2m03 tall forward played a similar role than Louison Thomas for France. Mainly used as a spot up shooter, Wess also put the ball on the floor several times with different kind of success. He knocked down occasionally the pull up jumper from 4-5 meters but was less successful when he tried to score against the big guys. The forward from Münster showed that he is not afraid to take responsibilities as he scored a very difficult step-back two pointer in the money time of the Bronze Medal game. Next to his offensive shooting arsenal, Wess showed nice defense positioning and lateral speed. Never giving up on the court, it will be interesting to see how far Wess can go as he was the only player of the German team that did not play NBBL so far.

Stats: 5.1ppg (48.4% FGs – 33.3% 3FGs), 3.1rpg, 0.7topg

James Metecan Birsen – 2m05 – SF – Turkey – 1995

Still considered as one of the most promising players in Europe, James Birsen had a so-so tournament in Mannheim and was clearly not the most prolific player of the Turkish team. He shows flashes of brilliance handling the ball, shooting or driving to the basket and looks very elegant playing with his long 2m05. His jump shot looks very fluid and he can take from nearly everywhere on the court in catch and shoot situations but also out of his own dribble. He even played PG during certain moments of the game. However, the negative impression prevailed a bit because Birsen looked extremely passive on the court compared to his team mates. He was more or less just running with them and taking the bites that they left him. This does not mean much in terms of his overall potential but it underlined the impressions that he is not a real leader yet.

Stats: 9.4ppg (39.4% FGs – 33.3% 3FGs), 6.3rpg, 1.7apg, 2.6topg

Albert Schweitzer Tournament 2012: the Wings is a post from: European Prospects
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Boris Dallo – 1m95 – PG – France – 1994

We have seen the French guard at the NIJT in Belgrade where he played full-time PG. In Mannheim, Dallo was also the starting PG of the French National Team and this with the known strengths and weaknesses. Super elegant and athletic, Dallo floats through the gaps on defense when attacking the basket with his left hand. It is still quite surprising to see a right-handed player attack constantly off his left hand and using his weak hand as well for the most difficult layups and floaters. He showed some nice long range scores as well but his playmaking skills remain raw on this level. He was not able to organize the team and handle the game speed as expected which might be an explication for the below-average result for France. If he continues his learning process though and shows continuous improvements over the next years, he might be one of the most interesting long-term projects on the PG position in Europe.

Stats: 12.0ppg (42.1% FGs – 50.0% 3FGs), 5.5rpg, 3.2apg, 2.3topg, 12.7effpg

Anthony Racine – 1m90 – SG – France – 1994

Racine had a very strange tournament as he always came from the bench for the French National team despite being their best scoring potential. But he did not only come from the bench, he also had limited minutes only. I do not know if he was injured or if it were tactical reasons, but Racine showed great scoring talent in the back court. He was the only serious threat from the three-point line for his team on a regular basis. He was able to fire long rangers in series and have some scoring outbursts over short periods. When his shot is falling, he is really tough to guard as he has a good first step and can finish the drive with the floater or go to the rim. He lacks high-level athleticism though but has a strong body which allows him to compensate this. He needs to improve his ball handling in the future to be less turnover prone on his drives and he can have a very future as combo-guard in the next years.

Stats: 9.7ppg (52.8% FGs – 50.0% 3FGs), 1.3rpg, 7.2effpg, 13.0mpg

Josep Perez – 1m88- PG – Spain – 1994

Looking like a child in his Spanish team, Perez was nevertheless the leader on the court and controlled his players nearly to perfection. Excellent understanding of the game and tempo control are two of his multiple assets on the court. Perez likes to attack the basket and play among the big guys. On his drives, he often finishes with the floater in the pure JuanCa Navarro style, even from longer distances. Being pretty thin and not overly athletic, Perez knows that he will struggle to score against the big guys close to the basket so that he made the tear-drop his trademark shot. But not only can he score from mid-range with this option, his jump shot out of the dribble is also good even if his preference goes to the floater. If his shot making is sometimes creative, Perez is not so much the high level assist man. He finds his team mates under the basket, often also in highlight-reel fashion but he remains a tempo control and score-first point guard, at least on this level.

His three point shot is deadly at certain moments and he is not afraid to use it at a high rate, also in crucial moments of the games. On the fast break, the three-point shot is an option for him as well especially if there is one big guy already in transition defense. He recognizes game situations very well and mostly takes the right decisions out of it. Perez sees the defense coming and acts in relation what it gives him. You could see him for example stop on a drive to make a turn around jump hook from 3 meters to avoid the shot blocker. The Spanish guard is playing with the FC Barcelona senior team where he saw some minutes on the ACB or Euroleague level already. This underlines how high the hopes are on this electric guard. The Spanish National Teams and the Catalan club will have a lot of success with him in the next years for sure.

Stats: 10.6ppg (38.7% FGs – 38.2% 3FGs), 1.9rpg, 2.6apg, 2.3topg, 8.3effpg

Albert Homs – 2m00 – SG/PG – Spain – 1994

The tall Spanish combo-guard played a very nice tournament in Mannheim. Using his size well and being also a creative factor, the minutes that Homs earns with Joventut Badalona are key to his development. He can score in a variety of ways due to his size but shows especially a very nice and fluid shot. He is able to come up also with difficult shots like the long step back two for example. Homs has to use this kind of options as he has a quite low but quick release for a player of his size which makes him prone of being blocked. His basketball fundamentals are great, he plays under great technical control and can go for the perfect jump shot out of the dribble or score out of the triple-threat position with the up and under scoop shot.

Homs mainly played Shooting Guard or even Small Forward for Spain in the tournament but he has the potential to be used as a Point Guard on the next level. He is not the super creative playmaker though but he has good handles, court-vision and feel for the game speed so that he is able to run a team. It was him who did this job over certain periods of the Final for example. Together with Perez, Homs forms a very exciting back court as he is able to play multiple positions and makes him therefore very valuable for a team. His natural talent for the game should help him in order to guard this versatility on the professional level as well as he is too good to be stacked at a single position.

Stats: 9.6ppg (33.8% FGs – 37.5% 3FGs), 3.1rpg, 1.7apg, 6.9effpg

Nikola Radicevic – 1m94 – PG – Serbia – 1994

The tournament was the show of Nikola Radicevic again. After having played great during the Nike International Junior Tournament in Belgrade where he lead Partizan to the Final, Radicevic did the same with his Serbian team in Mannheim. With Vassilije Micic absent, Radicevic was the clear leader in the Serbian backcourt and underlined his fantastic driving skills. He is able to see the smallest gaps in the defense and attack it to find the necessary space between the defenders and finish on the layup. Not a great athlete but having a good size, Radicevic is able to score against big guys and close the rim with ease and this with great percentages. He is very creative in the way he drives to the basket as he reacts perfectly to what the defense gives him. He avoids the offensive foul with quick spins or direction changes, has great ball handling but can also stop at 3 meters to take the jump shot over the defender.

His three point shot remains questionable though as he is very streaky. Technically, there remains also a progress margin to have a higher release point for example. He scored several long distance shots though, mainly after creating them himself after a screen or in a Pick and Roll situation. Defensively, Radicevic needs to work as well in order to become a factor on the professional level. Not really active, he should be able to have more impact on that side on the court as he has the physical tools to be a good defensive player. It will be interesting to see how many minutes he will see with Partizan in the next season as it would give an indication of his high level potential.

Stats: 16.4ppg (46.7% FGs – 23.1% 3FGs), 3.7rpg, 3.1apg, 4.0topg, 12.4effpg

Mikhail Kulagin – 1m88 – PG/SG – Russia – 1994

The younger brother of Dmitry Kulagin did not only look physically quite similar to his brother but had also a similar game. Maybe less wild in his overall decision making but also less athletic probably, Kulagin was the back court scoring leader of the Russian team. He has a quick release on his shot and he is able to go for the catch-and-shoot on a high catch without any problem. He drives well to the basket and is not afraid of going to the hoop and attacking the big guys. Out of the dribble, he is able to create his own shot with ease and his size makes him a very valuable asset on the SG spot as well. Defensively, he did not put the most effort to the court but he did a good job in reading the passing lanes so that he came up with several good steals to run the fast break.

Stats: 17.8ppg (42.9% FGs – 43.9% 3FGs), 6.3rpg, 2.0apg, 3.5topg, 15.2effpg

Stevie Clark – 1m80 – PG – USA – 1994

Clearly the back court leader for the American team, Stevie Clark was a thick but quick scoring first point guard who attacked the basket relentlessly. His three-point shot was quite streaky but he could come up with impressive series of long distance bombs. Rather small for the highest level, he has a natural scoring touch that will most likely help him to have a great NCAA career and eventually a professional future in Europe.

Stats: 19.8ppg (45.3% FGs – 44.7% 3FGs), 4.5rpg, 3.2apg, 16.7effpg

Matteo Imbro – 1m88 – PG – Italy – 1994

One of the most mature players of the whole tournament in terms of decision making was the Italian PG Matteo Imbro. He impressed us already during the U18 European Championship last summer where he stepped up when Ohio State recruit Amedeo della Valle got injured. Imbro has everything to become a true floor general with a good shot, excellent court-vision, mature decision making, driving skills, size and game tempo control. Having his head up all the time to see what is going on, Imbro gives the impression to have always the total control of the game. He likes to play the Pick and Roll situation and can find the inside players with spectacular no-look passes. He can also come up with the three-point shot out of these situations that he is able to make with good percentages.

Imbro reads game situations really well and has one eye on the shot clock at every moment. He understands whom to give the ball and when to attack by himself. He works hard on the passing angles, especially to feed his big guys in the low post. Out of the drive, which he can play with either hand, he mostly goes for some mid-range options with the jump shot or the floater. He feels less comfortable when attacking the rim and prefers to use his stronger right hand most of the time. His limited athleticism prevents him from finishing hard close the basket and underlines his overall more finesse game. He reads very well what the defense gives him and he is not afraid to post up smaller defenders if needed.

Defensively, he is present without being an aggressive stopper as his physical volume remains limited for the moment. His looks rather long as he is not very large from his body but he seems to have finished his growing phase only recently as we had the impression that he was taller than last summer. Imbro looks like one of the most promising PG prospects of his generation in all of Europe. He needs to work on the physical aspect of his game but also go for a better shot selection at moments as he likes to fire up very long three-point shots that sometimes come a bit too early or seem to be inappropriate to the situation. Nevertheless, his future looks bright and we should see him on the international level in the next years.

Stats: 11.8ppg (33.3% FGs – 30.6% 3FGs), 5.0rpg, 6.7apg, 3.8topg, 14.2effpg

Mirko Turel – 1m90 – SG – Italy – 1994

Turel was a bit the opposite of Imbro as he was a very physical defender and energy guy. Less elegant than his PG companion, Turel had the job to shut down opposing guards with hard-nosed defense and a lot of energy. On the offensive side, Turel showed some excellent drives to the basket where he was also able to finish with the foul. He can create his own shot but might be a bit small to play the SG position on the highest level as he did not show any kind of PG skills during the tournament in Mannheim.

Stats: 13.7ppg (36.7% FGs – 32.4% 3FGs), 2.8rpg, 7.3effpg

Ismet Akpinar – 1m90 – PG – Germany – 1995

It was not the best tournament for the 1995 born German hope. Labeled as one of the best clutch players in youth basketball, Akpinar suffered during moments against the more physical and taller players in the tournament. This had as effect that he sometimes made some erratic choices and run into a defensive wall. He adapted though throughout the tournament and showed some good plays down the road. Akpinar is able to split defenses with good ball handling and is not afraid at all. He scored a very tough layup in a critical situation with surprising hangtime against a 2m05 tall player for example.

The Hamburg based player can also come up with the mid-range options for the jump shot where he seems very accurate in his execution. His shot mechanics look good overall and quickly executed. After a first season in the German ProB, we expect him to have a lot more effect in Autumn and eventually develop into one most best prospects in his position of the 95 generation next season.

Stats: 8.4ppg (40.4% FGs – 33.3% 3FGs), 3.0rpg, 1.7apg, 6.9effpg

Dominic Lockhart – 1m97 – SG/PG – Germany – 1994

Dominic Lockhart played a very nice tournament in Mannheim where the tall guard showed great versatility on both ends of the floor. Physically impressive with an excellent wingspan and good athletic abilities, Lockhart can play multiple back court positions and showed good playmaking skills in crucial situations of the games. His physical attributes help him to be a big factor on the defensive end where he can put a lot of pressure on the passing lanes.

Offensively, Lockhart mostly attacked the basket but he was not a big factor in the German offense throughout the tournament. However, his jump shot and mechanics look good and he is able to knock down shots from behind the arc with a nice high release. With his good handles, he can put the ball on the floor to drive to the basket but seems sometimes a bit naïve in his decision making in the paint. In general though, he plays under a lot of control and does not make many mistakes on the court. He might need to become a bit more aggressive on the offensive end to be a bigger factor in the games. But this was most likely not his role in this team.

Stats: 5.1ppg (47.8% FGs – 25.0% 3FGs), 3.9rpg, 2.3apg, 8.6effpg

Tayfun Erülkü – 1m96 – SG/PG – Turkey – 1994

The Turkish guard played a very interesting tournament as he was next to Radicevic probably the guard that was the most unstoppable. Erülkü attacked the basket continuously and with great success. With multiple direction changes and using both of his hands, he could reach the basket on multiple occasions to score from very close. But he was also able to hit the jump shot from mid range out of the dribble or in catch and shoot situations. He likes to have the ball in his own hands and create scoring opportunities for him self mainly. Erülkü does not look that much for the pass and is really a score first PG/SG.

Physically already quite strong for this level, he has probably reached his maximum potential in that area for some time. Technically and shooting wise, you could see progress from him as he was a serious threat from behind the three-point arc in Mannheim. Mainly known for his driving skills, Erülkü scored a multiple big long distance shots, also in the crucial moments of the game. He killed Germany in the Bronze Medal game with a series of 17 points in less than five minutes where he nailed at least four three-point shots out of the Pick and Roll situations or after a kick out. Defensively, Erülkü can put a lot of pressure on the ball handler and helps a bit in the rebounding situations. With the return of Kenan Sipahi for the European Championship, the Turkish back court looks amazingly talented between Erülkü and the two 95 born prospects Sipahi and Osman.

Stats: 15.3ppg (47.0% FGs – 47.6% 3FGs), 3.4rpg, 3.1apg, 1.4spg, 14.4effpg

Cedi Osman – 1m98 – SG – Turkey – 1995

Cedi Osman was more or less a major surprise to me in this tournament. Amazingly quick and presenting a great size for playing combo-guard, Osman won the Burkhard Wildermuth Award of the most talented player. And this was deserved. He attacks the basket hard and can finish with either hand also out of the euro-step or on the layback. With his great footwork, he is able to avoid the defenders and attack the gaps nicely. He can score from mid range with the floater or the pure pull-up jump shot. With his great speed and size, Osman was an essential factor in the Turkish team as he could grab the defensive rebound and immediately go to the fast break by putting the ball on the floor.

Osman was playing as a full-time SG for the Turkish team but he looks like being able to move to the PG position in the future as well. He needs to become more of an option from behind the three-point line as well even if his shot looks good. He does not use the three-point shot on a regular basis so far and was only able to hit it in catch and shoot situations. Together with Sipahi, Osman is the leader of the Turkish 95 generation and this three-player rotation in the back court will be probably very amazing to see this summer.

Stats: 12.1ppg (64.0% FGs – 45.5% 3FGs), 2.0rpg, 1.3apg, 11.9effpg

Albert Schweitzer Tournament 2012: the Guards is a post from: European Prospects
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Emmett Naar was playing Point Guard for the Australian team. He showed a nice first step when attacking on his weaker left hand where he regularly could score from close. With his excellent wingspan, he was able to create also difficult scoop shots and score the layup against taller players. His ball handling was correct and he scored also from the jump shot after a crossover dribble. He is the typical high energy player on the defensive end where he puts a lot of pressure on the ball handler. Not very large, he might struggle if he has to play against physically stronger players on the defensive end. His jump shot is not very fluid or quick so that he has some problems to take it against the man. But in general, he looks like an interesting player to follow over the next years, even if he is not a particularly creative for his team mates.

Dane Pineau was the second force of the Australian team. The 2m03 tall forward from Melbourne averaged 11.7ppg and 9.0rpg in the tournament. The very lanky and energetic player did not really show a lot of technical finesse but knew how to use his skills and possibilities to be effective. Most of his moves looked very mechanical and his foot work is at least improvable. However, he managed to beat his opponents on the drive and score against them with some difficult moves like running hook shots or up and under plays. He can post up smaller defenders and is also capable of netting the occasional three-point or mid-range jump shot. His high-energy presence on the defensive end was another important asset that he had to offer but he might be a bit too limited technically to be considered as a top level prospect.

Yaniv Solomon was the statistical leader of the Israeli team. The 1994 born forward from Maccabi Rishon Le-Zion showed good drives to the basket where he was able to finish against the defense. But next to that, he was also capable of netting the three-point shot with good regularity as his shooting mechanics looked well developed. Physically strong, Solomon has also good athletic basics which allow him to finish plays with two-handed dunks and be a big factor in rebounding and shot blocking. Limited by his size to play the inside positions, Solomon was often used as a Small forward which should be his future position as well.

Rafael Menco was the vocal leader of the Israeli team and doing the dirty work for his team. Averaging by far the most minutes for Israel (more than 31 per game) and having only a –0.2 +/- for a team averaging defeats by more than 9 points underlines his importance to the team. Basically, Israel lost their games in the 9 minutes when Menco was on the bench. Physically strong and very versatile, Menco played a role of Point Forward creating a lot for himself but also finding his team mates. He needs to become more stable from behind the line and improve his shoot selection (38.3% FGs) in the future to become a factor on the professional level.

Idan Zalmanson showed some interesting stuff in the few minutes I was able to see him. Looking very big and even a little overweight, Zalmanson had an excellent shooting touch as he was able to knock down several difficult jump shots out of the low post situation or after a Pick and Roll. Clearly not the most explosive guy around, Zalmanson was mainly using his technique to finish around the key. He struggled to score from very close against defense as he is not very athletic or able to use his strength in the right way. If Zalmanson can develop his body in the right way, he will certainly be an important factor for Israel in the future because of his size and overall potential.

Daniel Sealine was the main scoring threat from Israel in the backcourt. Mainly driving to the basket despite his limited size, Sealine showed that he can finish in traffic or even against taller players because of a good athletic package and hangtime skills. Not very effective from the three-point area or creative, Sealine looks a bit undersized to play Shooting Guard at the highest level. His scoring skills will however be a good asset for the different Israeli Youth National Teams over the next years but his long term potential is a bit questionable if he can not develop a more PG oriented game.

Zhou Qi showed tremendous potential in the limited minutes he was on the court when I was seeing a game of China. First of all, he is 2m15 tall and born in 1996 which gives him even a bit of potential growing in the next years (despite the usual Chinese birthday doubts) as he looks very skinny and not fully mature in his body development. His shooting mechanics are very fluid and guard-like and he is able to score the jumper from mid-range in both catch-and-shoot and dribble situations. He even was able to adjust his jump shot to a perfect form out of the dribble after being severely hit on his arm. Qi is not very fast (he is fast for a 2m15 tall player but not guard-fast) or explosive though which makes him finish a lot more with technique than force around the basket.

He tries to score with both hands when he is within a few meters of the basket but was not successful using his left hand in the attempts he made when I was there. Overall, his game remains though very naïve and immature especially on defense where he got called for a lot of cheap fouls. He rebounds the ball well because of his size and has excellent timing for blocking shots. All this makes Zhou Qi one of the most promising prospects overall of the tournament knowing that he was two years younger than the rest. He is definitely one of the players to follow in the future and he will certainly have a huge impact during the upcoming U17 World Championships this summer.

Ludvig “Ludde” Hakanson was another 96 born prospect that showcased his skills during the Albert Schweitzer Tournament 2012 and is theoretically still eligible for the next edition in two years. The Barcelona guard was the vocal leader of the team and showed great shooting skills from behind the arc. He controlled the game speed very well for such a young player and made several clutch decisions in the right way. Physically, he is already pretty strong for a 1996 born and he showed good decision making skills but he has of course still to learn whom to give the ball in which situation. Additionally, he rebounded the ball well and was able to initiate immediately the fast break where he mostly looked for his own scoring possibilities first. Overall, Hakanson is an excellent potential to develop into a future high-level scoring point guard.

Niklas Larsson is a long combo-guard who played a nice tournament for the Swedish National team. Moving very fluidly, Larsson can score from behind the arc or from mid-range areas but lacks a bit of physique and explosiveness to make the baskets from close with defense on him. He even avoids using his left hand for the finish preferring more difficult moves with his right hand instead. Larsson is able to run the Point during stretches as he can find his team mates out of the drives with good dishes or kick outs. He needs though to become stronger but he has the potential to develop into a player that is able to play professionally down the road.

Lukas Bergäng is another highly interesting prospect coming from Sweden. The 1995 born and 2m10 tall forward plays currently for Casale Monferrato in Italy and he showed in Mannheim why the Italian team has recruited him. He is really long and mobile on the court, can take the jump shot out of the dribbling situation and rebounds the ball very well. Physically, there is still a long way to go but he is only 17 years old and has a good frame to work with in the future. He was not a major factor in terms of scoring impact in Mannheim but he has an excellent potential down the road.

Dimitrios Agravanis was one of the few interesting players on the Greek team. He was also the only one who did not have a negative +/- ratio on average. Agravanis is nicely athletic forward who has a good presence on both ends of the floor. He can shoot the three pointer but mainly operates close to the basket. Out of Pick and Roll situations, he does a good job moving to the basket and can finish his plays with two handed dunks against defense. Being 2m08 tall, he has excellent size for playing Power Forward on the next level and is eventually considering the NCAA as an option according to what we heard.

Peter Moeller was the top scorer for the Danish team as the guard logged long minutes for the 15th placed team. We did not see many new stuff on Moeller who showed great progress on the PG position during the NIJT in Kaunas but had to play SG or even SF during long moments in the only game I saw from Denmark. He had to use a lot his left hand as the defense closed his right one and was able to finish several floaters with his weaker hand even against taller players. For more info on him, it’s better to check the report from the NIJT.

Rasmus Larsen came into the tournament after months plagued by several injuries and left with another little foot injury. The big time prospect from Denmark showed his usual tremendous skill set and improved body and it will be interesting to see how well he can play once he is fully healed. Let’s hope that comes in time for the major events of the summer so that he can underline his status as one of the top prospects of the 1994 generation in Europe.

Albert Schweitzer 2012: the Best of the Bottom 8 is a post from: European Prospects
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The United States won the game for the seventh place by beating an overall disappointing French team. The Americans were lead by Derrick Walton Jr who finished with 20 points while Mam Jaiteh was the top scorer for the French team with 25 points and 14 rebounds.

Italy won a nail biter for the fifth place against Russia. Mirco Turel had 20 points while Matteo Imbro scored 15 combined with 2 rebounds 5 assists but also 5 turnovers. Russia was driven by their inside combo Stanislav Ilnitskiy (19pts) and Igor Kanygin (18pts) while Mikhail Kulagin was a little less successful in his scoring (15pts) but helped in other sectors of the game by grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists.

The game for the third place between Germany and Turkey was probably the best one of the Finals day. Both teams were shooting high percentages and there have been several great plays down the road. Germany build a nice lead up to thirteen points throughout the game with four players in double figures who were compensating the not so good game of Paul Zipser. Dominic Lockhart showed some good stuff as the Giessen guard finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Gavin Schilling had a nice game in the paint with 15 points while Ismet Akpinar was present as well. The Turkish team was driven by Burak Yildizli who scored 17 points but it was an unstoppable Tayfun Erülkü who was their winning guarantee. The guard scored more or less 13 points in a row in the final minutes of the game to turn around the score and secure the Bronze Medal to his team. Nobody on the German team could stop him as he made 3 three-pointers in the decisive moments and crowned his tournament with an excellent performance.

After the explosive game for the third place, the Final was a bit disappointing as both teams looked tired after the week long effort. Albert Homs played an excellent game as the Badalona guard took over the lead in this game from Josep Perez who had not his usual impact. Homs finished with 18 points and 3 assists while Sebas Saiz had again a nice game on Saturday. Guillermo Hernangomez had a bit more problems against the long Serbian inside players and struggled in his shooting (5/14 FGs). For Serbia, Nikola Radicevic tried his best but you had the impression that he was less incisive than in the semis for example. Nevertheless, he finished with 19 points and 7 rebounds but he was not making his three-point shots and turned the ball over a bit too much. Dusan Ristic had probably his best game of the tournament with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 3 block shots but it was not enough to help Serbia to win this game.

All-Tournament Team

The all-tournament team of the Albert Schweitzer Tournament 2012 was a bit surprising in my eyes as Mihajlo Andric made it as the best PF. I think, putting Hernangomez as best PF and Nikola Milutinov as best Center would have been more realistic. But that’s a personal opinion.

• G – Nikola Radicevic (Serbia)
• G – Josep Perez (Spain)
• F – Paul Zipser (Germany)
• F – Mihajlo Andric (Serbia)
• C – Guillermo Hernangomez (Spain)

Most talented player (Burkhard Wildermuth Award): Cedi Osman (Turkey)

MVP: Nikola Radicevic (Serbia)

The individual player reports will follow in the next days.

Albert Schweitzer Tournament 2012: the Finals is a post from: European Prospects
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Turkey – Spain 76-90

Both teams started with on a very high speed into the game looking for the first offensive options all the way. Turkey tried to use the mismatch they had with Burak Yildizli against Ilimane Diop as the Turkish big guy faced the basket to beat the long Spaniard of the dribble. This worked quite well especially as Yildizli could also hit the long jump shot or from behind the arc. Spain tried to change defenses in order to stop this situation but the Turkish forward could nevertheless score 21 points in the first half. On the other side though, Josep Perez was doing the same as he came up with 19 points in the first two quarters. He attacked the basket constantly and scored on several floaters. But he was also on fire from three-point land and knocked down 4 long rangers. Additionally, Willy Hernangomez did his job in the paint while Turkey found a good solution against the Spain zone with several high low plays. Spain was up 7 points at halftime but Yildizli had three fouls.

In the second half, Cedi Osman took over the scoring for the Turkish team as he drove several times hard to the basket. The defense on Perez was now a bit better but Turkey could not really reduce the gap significantly. Spain controlled the game at that moment through several scores on second chances while Yildzli remained on the bench. Spain had the better start into the last quarter and could increase the lead to 11 points after a steal and dunk by Javier Marin. Turkey still tried to attack the Spanish zone with high-low situations or attacking the gaps but slowly the defenders knew where the passes were coming. Juan Saiz added a very impressive dunk as well and Spain started their fast break basketball. Tayfun Erülkü tried to bring his team back into the game with several difficult shots but at the two minutes mark, Spain was still up 10 points. Diop did not play anymore in the second half as Saiz was doing a very good job. On the other side, the Turkish defense was better now against Perez who was more limited in his scoring during the last 20 minutes. The Spaniards finished the job from the free-throw line and qualified for the Final on Saturday.

MVP: Josep Perez 26pts (8/13 FGs), 1reb, 2asts, 3stls

Germany – Serbia 58-68

The better start into the game was for Serbia behind an irresistible Nikola Radicevic who showed his full potential in the first minutes with a three-point shot, a mid range Jumper and the score out of the fake to give his team a lead at 16-10. The German team did not find its rhythm yet and several bad choices on offense forced their coach to take a first timeout. However, this did not really help as Radicevic found Mihajlo Andric for the open three-point shot. On the German side, Ismet Akpinar scored several baskets in one-on-one situations but Serbia was already up in double-digits. Radicevic continued his show by scoring several easy baskets and with nearly 7 minutes on the clock in the second quarter, they went up 27-12. Kevin Bryant started to play defense on Radicevic who started to have problems on offense. Germany used these moments to reduce the gap slightly but remained behind in double digits. However, Nikola Rebic who run the point during long moments of the second quarter scored two big three-point shots in the last minute to giver Serbia a 16 points advantage at half.

Germany came out of the locker room in a better shape as they started with two three-point shots from Malik Müller and Paul Zipser. Serbia however continued to control the game with Radicevic attacking the basket at will. Additionally, they controlled the boards on both sides of the court as Germany had not the necessary length to stop Dusan Ristic and Nikola Milutinov. David Taylor made his comeback after his injury and he could speed up the German offense a bit but it did not really help as Radicevic scored another layup on the third quarter buzzer. Stefan Wess scored five points in a row and Taylor managed to hit a difficult layup which brought Germany back to –10 with 8 minutes left on the clock. The score bounced now around these 10 points difference as both teams traded baskets. With only a minute remaining in the game, Serbia was still up by 9 points as Germany was unable to find open shots or good situations for its usual top scorer Zipser who did not have a great game. Serbia reached the final and will play against Spain for the Gold Medal.

MVP: Nicola Radicevic 22pts (8/15 FGs), 2rebs, 5asts, 4tos, 1stl

Albert Schweitzer Tournament 2012: the semis is a post from: European Prospects
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The biggest event in terms of participants is the Osterturnier in Vienna. Thousands of player compete in different youth categories and this year, the boys competition has been dominated by the German teams. In fact, in the U13 category, the winners come from ratiopharm Ulm, the U16 category has been won by Nördlingen, the U18 category by Ludwigsburg and the U20 category by ALBA Berlin. Nördlingen has been lead by the German U16 National team player Joschka Ferner who dominated during the Final and has been considered as the best player of the tournament in his generation.

The Cholet Mondial Basket Tournament has been won by the U18 of Elan Chalon. The team that participated to the NIJT in Kaunas where they finished last had to play without two of their main player (David Michineau and Benjamin Meri) who are with the French U18 National Team in Mannheim. It was enough though to beat the locals of Cholet in the Final 67-62. Chalon was lead by Axel Bouteille who had 26 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals while Clint Capela finished with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks. For Cholet, Kadri Manroufou was the top scorer with 19 points and 10 boards. The third place was for BC Torrejon from Spain who beat KK Zitko 62-56 in the Bronze Medal game.

The Tournoi Mondial in Tourcoing has been won by an American Selection who managed to beat the Canarias Basketball Academy in the final 63-55.The US team has been lead by Andrew Harrison who was the top scorer of the event while Shane Hammink has been elected MVP of the tournament. The third place was for a Serbian selection that defeated Poland in the Bronze Medal game.

In Massagno, Crvena Zvezda won the U16 tournament by beating Fenix Zagreb in the Final 70-56. Vojislav Stojanovic has been elected MVP of the tournament. Eurobasket Roma won the Bronze Medal by beating Cantu 73-58 on Monday. In the U14 competition, Armani Jeans Milan won the tournament by beating the hosts 68-55. Alexander Martino from Massagno has been elected MVP of the U14 competition.

The Swiss U18 National Team won a tournament in Cherbourg by beating Paris in the Final. The All-Tournament team of this event is composed of Branislav Kostic (CH), Adrien Laurent (Paris), Leo Schittenhelm (CH), Daniel Andjelkovic (CH) and Thomas Hieu Courtois (Paris).

The team from Nantes won the U16 tournament in La Roche sur Yon by beating the German Urspring Academy 69-62 in the Final. The winners were lead by Clement Andre who had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists while the German team had a big impact from their Slovakian big guy Norbert Janicek who finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

The Memorial Barila in Italy has been won by Cedevita Zagreb who beat Team Ohio in the Final 88-74. The Croatian team is lead by the U18 National Team player Dorian Jelenek.

Easter Tournaments Review 2012 is a post from: European Prospects
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