The 2024 U18 Eurobasket Tampere: Top Prospects

The 2024 U18 Eurobasket was held in Tampere, Finland from July 27 to August 4th, 2024. Some of the biggest international names for the 2025 Draft participated including Nolan Traore and Hugo Gonzalez. In the end it was neither powerhouse programs Spain or France who were in the running to medal with France and Spain both getting eliminated by a hot shooting Israel (led by Ben Saraf). A very talented Germany took home the gold with a 93-83 victory over Serbia, while Slovenia placed 3^rd with a victory over Israel. This event has become a hot bed for top talent. Below are the top prospects, some players who will be in NCAA or in top high school grassroot programs this season, top prospects to return next season, and top post players that NCAA programs will surely look at.

Top Prospects

Nolan Traore 6’4 PG Saint Quentin 2006 Born France Highlights

Nolan Traore was the highest rated player going into the competition. Measuring at 6’3 with a 6’5 Wingspan and 8’3 Standing Reach at the Nike Hoop Summit back in April and 6’3.75 with a 6’8 Wingspan and 8’6.25 Standing Reach at BWB Salt Lake City. He helped lead France to a 6 and 1 record. Unfortunately, that one loss was in the quarterfinal game versus Israel. Nolan Traore speed pops and while the European point guard tends to lack the athleticism to the USA point guard on average, he faced LA based point guard Julius Price and looked like the quickest one on the court there as well. He’s likely the best point guard prospect France has developed since Tony Parker. His raw ability to make plays others simply cannot were on display here. Averaging 14 point per game and leading the tournament in assist with 9.3 per game he was content setting his teammates up. The French go to play was a pick and roll action with Noa Essengue or Joan Beringer and he looked for the dive and roll. In fact, it looked at times that Nolan could have gone to the rack and finished the plays off with his quick step but preferred to feed his teammates and let the play develop. Most of his threes came in catch and shoot situations where he went 9/21 (42.9%). Off the dribble he will use a quick first step to create space, stop on the dime and take a mid-range extended elbow shot when pressed with the shot clock winding down. With his athleticism there wasn’t a defender at the event who could close the space for that shot. Usually, a good free throw shooter he shot surprisingly poorly from the line going 13/21. Nearly had a 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio with 65 assists to 35 turnovers. On defense is a ball hoc getting 14 steals in the 7-game slate and was particularly adept at stopping offensive players at the point of attack.

Hugo Gonzalez 6’4 SG Real Madrid 2006 Born Highlights

Hugo Gonzalez averaged 20.7 points (4th leading scorer) in 30.3 minutes per game. He was particularly effective inside the 3-point line where he shot 41/69 from the field (59.4%). He moves well off the ball scoring free throw extended catch and shoot opportunities or rubbing off screens set at the elbow and shooting floaters right inside of the free throw line. He also is very good at finding opportunities off cuts for layups and dunks. In pick and roll situations he can create offensive opportunities to get downhill and finish plays off. This was the competition where we saw Hugo in a situation where the offensive talent around him was not particularly strong. This manifested itself with his poor assist to turnover ratio where he had 25 turnovers and 18 assists. A more concerning trend on offense is that he has been poor shooting from the three-point line at major events: 7/25 at U17 in 2022, 7/23 at U18 EuroBasket 2023, 11/45 at ANGT in 2024, and 10/48 at this event. As a 6’4 shooting guard he will need to improve in this area. He was very adept at drawing fouls but wasn’t particularly efficient from the free throw line shooting just 69% (33/48) but may have been just a poor tournament as he usually hovers around 80%. Defensively he is very fundamentally sound and can get steals and block shots as a help side defender. He averaged 2.7 steals and 2 blocks (3rd at event) per game often making key defensive plays in opportune moments. A good rebounder for a guard, he averaged 6.9 rebounds per game for the tournament.

Noa Essengue 6’10 PF Ulm 2006 Born France Highlights

Noa Essengue is the top finisher near the rim shooting 41/61 (67%) from inside the arc for the tournament. If he gets a first step on an opponent inside of the arc he’s finishing the play off with either a lay in or a dunk. He has nice soft hands and touch and a quick jump that allows him to avoid shot blockers contests. Averaging 17.6 points per game and 7.6 rebounds he was a very efficient scorer. He runs the lanes well on fast break and has the length and quickness to play either forward position. Slim build, he needs to add strength to his body and some power as he moves up levels. Offensively moves well without the ball and was very good in pick and dive situations in half court sets. He has good handles and is very slippery and can slither through defenders. He is very adept at drawing fouls averaging nearly 8 per game (7.9), but he’s leaving points on the table at the free throw line going 38/55 here (69%). It is worth noting, however, there is a level of improvement in this area as he went 18/43 (42%) at the ANGT in Dubai in the Spring and then 16/29 (55%) at the ANGT Finals in Berlin in May. Shooting from three is another story, and for him to be at the top of team draft boards in 2025, he will need to show progress. He was 1/12 here at the U18 EuroBasket and 3/26 at the ANGT all cumulative in 2024. On defense due to his agility and dexterity he is highly switchable allowing him to get just enough steals (1.4 per game) and deflections to disturb opponents. As in offense it would be beneficial for him to add some strength so he would be better equipped to defend centers on switches.

Ivan Kharchenkov 6’6 SF Bayern Munich 2006 Born Germany Highlights

Ivan Kharchenkov missed three of the 7 games due to a minor injury at the U18s. He was able to play the last three single elimination games to help lead Germany to victory. Kharchenko has a well chiseled body, solid handles, and a smooth midrange game. He can get downhill with either hand using his broad shoulders to get past opponents. He has strong basketball instincts as the ball handler in pick and roll situations in finding the offensive advantage and taking advantage of momentum. He also can back down opponents by using back to the basket footwork and his strength to slide around opponents for points in the key. Off out-of-bounds plays he’s particularly good at going around a screen at the elbow, catching the ball baseline, and has great stability in his core to stop full speed and hit the mid-range jump shot. He is good in catch and shoot situations but will properly read pick and rolls and hit the outside jump shot when the defender goes under the screen. He lacks athletic pop, and did not shoot it efficiently from three at the U18 (6/21). As opponents’ bodies mature some of his ability to overpower opponents with strength may not come as easily. Averaged 17.5 points 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists in the four games he played.

Kasparas Jakucionis CG 6’5 Illinois 2006 Born Lithuania Highlights

Kasparas Jakucionis averaged 19.4 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.3 rebounds at the event. Lithuania always played with a three-guard lineup sharing lead guard duties with Nojus Indrusaitis and to a lesser extent with Mantas Juzenas. A proven shooter he didn’t quite shoot it as expected in Tampere going 15/47 from long distance (32%). He’s very good in catch and shoot situations and shot it well from the charity stripe at 81% (25/31). He took a few too many off the dribble threes here but was very efficient inside of the arc going 33/56. He makes strong reads off pick and roll in halfcourt offense leading to him getting downhill and either finishing off plays himself or kicking the ball out to the corner for catch and shoot opportunities. In addition, he has great vision when he not heavily pressured leading to the 5.3 assists per game.  While he played point guard for the U18 Barcelona team, his position as a pro is at best as a combo guard and most likely as a shooting guard as he is still turnover prone under pressure. As he had 31 turnovers in 208 minutes of game play and had a 1.2 assist to turnover ratio. Smart and competitive defender he averaged 1.7 steals in Tampere and is a helpful rebounder as a guard. Stayed away defensively against the quicker smaller guards and usually defended the bigger guards at the event. A decent athlete his anthropometrics are good if you see the vision as him as a point guard and well below average for a pro if he’s a shooting guard. Measured at 6’4 without shoes and a 6’5 wingspan, with an 8’2 standing reach at the Nike Hoop Summit in late Spring. He does have good positional strength.

Julius Price 6’3 PG St Joseph High School 2006 Born Sweden Highlights

Julius Price was the second leading scorer in Tampere averaging 21.6 points per game and was particularly proficient from behind the three-point line where he went 18/41 (44%). He was able to showcase his skill set both as a playmaking lead guard and as a long-range shooter. Averaging 5.1 assist he had 36 assists to 21 turnovers and a 1.71 assist to turnover ratio for the event. He was great at setting up Samuel Obenjo and Alliou Fall for lobs on screen and dives or finding him in the dunker spot. He showcased his athleticism, easily zooming past opponents and getting downhill with either hand, leading to a high percentage from two, 56% (37/66). Price has very good shooting mechanics and is good both in catch and shoot opportunities and scoring from long distance off pick and rolls where the defender goes under the screen. On defense Julius has good strength and competes, he averaged 1.7 steals per game which equated to 12 steals in 214 minutes.  He is an excellent help defender and has a high basketball IQ both on defense and offense. Julius is a good barometer for US grassroots scouts and college recruiters as he is a known talent who is a 4-star point guard from the class of 2026 who I had previously seen this summer both at the Pangos All-American camp and for his high school at Section 7 in Glendale, Arizona.

Ben Saraf 6’5 SG Ulm 2006 Born Israel Highlights

Ben Saraf was sensational at the U18 EuroBasket leading the tournament in scoring at 28.1 points per game, leading his squad to an upset of tournament favorite France, and MVP being voted the MVP. The Lefty is a good shooter and has a very strong jab step. That combination was enough to give defenses fits in Tampere. While he rarely finished plays off with dunks in half court sets, he was able to get downhill off that jab step and pump fakes and will finish plays inside the dotted line and use his length to finish over his opponents with his nice soft touch. He ended up going 51/105 from inside the arc (48.6%) and 17/47 from, three (36%). He was measured with a 6’7.5 wingspan and 8’6 standing reach at BWB Salt Lake City.  Israel defensive strategy was to trap and put pressure on opponents this led to Ben Saraf getting 4 steals per game (28 total) and many fast breaks point opportunities. Saraf did a very good job running the lanes and finishing or drawing fouls at the rim, averaging over 8 free throws per game and 44/58 (76%). In addition to his scoring ability, he showed excellent playmaking ability averaging over a 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio with 37 assists to his 17 turnovers.  Defensively he even averaged 1 block per contest. Despite this excellent tournament performance there are still some questions he needs to answer this season to increase his chances as an NBA prospect. Does he have the athleticism to play either guard positions at the NBA level?  Israel only went 3 and 4 in the tournament due to their style and Saraf and his teammates were particularly hot from beyond the arc against France and Spain in elimination games.  Always a solid shooter, did Saraf increase his efficiency from beyond the arc or was it a hot streak in a 3-game span?

Andrej Kostic 6’6 SG/SF Crvena Zvezda 2006 Born Serbia Highlights

Andrej Kostic averaged 12 points on 41% shooting from the field while taking 2/3 of his shots from three. Measuring 6’6.75 with a 8’6 Standing Reach in Treviso, he’s on the shorter side for a SF but has good anthropometrics for a shooting guard. He has a textbook shot that was on display in the semifinal game versus Israel when he hit a buzzer beating 3 pointer to take Serbia to the Championship game versus Germany. Solid build but not particularly athletic he can handle the ball with either hand or uses a change of pace crossover dribble to get downhill. Given most of his shots are jump shots he did not go to the free throw line very much which is something you’d like for him to improve in since he’s very efficient from the charity stripe. Shot 17/46 (37%) from three In Tampere. He needs to work on his assist to turnover ratio which was negative both at this event and in his ANGT performances in 2024. Defensively due to his lack of length and athleticism he only had 6 steals in 177 minutes. His pro potential is how much you profile him as an elite shooter.

Dame Sarr 6’5 SG Barcelona 2006 Born Italy Highlights

Dame Sarr was worst at the U18 EuroBasket in 2024 than 2023 despite being more experienced and among the older players at the tournament. He’ still an interesting prospect but has not improved his shooting in the last 18 months.  He’s still a very streaky from the three point and free throw line. In 2023 he went 18/44 from three and 27/45 from the charity stripe. In 2024 he went 7/33 from three and 29/49 from three. Those numbers aren’t going to work as an NBA guard prospect despite his length and potential on the defensive end of the ball. On fast break opportunities he can finish plays with the best of them with strong one-handed dunks. On half court sets he is able to create for himself and for other’s as he had 33 assists to his 22 turnovers. He can get downhill and create contact to either finish plays or get to the line. He did have a better shot selection profile in Tampere by taking less threes than shots inside the arc. He still creates offensive opportunities with his defense with his length with 22 steals in 194 minutes (3.7 per game). Playing with the top club at Barcelona it will be interesting how efficient he can be as a scorer.

Savo Drezgic 6’3 PG Georgia 2006 Born Serbia Highlights

The University of Georgia point guard measured at 6’3.25 with an even wingspan and 8’4.5 Standing Reach at BWB Salt Lake City. Voted to the all-tournament team, Savo Drezgic averaged 20.4 points and 5.6 assists in Tampere. Drezgic displayed some versatility with the ability to exchange roles and play either guard positions on offense effectively. A very efficient player, his shooting splits for the event were 48.5% (47/97) from the field, 39% (16/41) from three, and 79% (33/42) from the free throw line. Drezgic is very good off the pick and roll reading the defenses; hitting the open jump shot when the defender goes under the screen or getting downhill if the defender trails him off the screen. His one season playing in the US for DME has helped him gain strength and become craftier around the basket when the tall help defender comes to alter his shot. Off the ball he is very good off catch and shoot situations from three and running off screens to get his catch and shoot opportunities. Defensively, he’s not going to block shots due to his lack of length and athleticism, but he is physical, anticipates plays well, and competes resulting in 18 steals in 7 games and averaging 5.6 rebounds per game. He seemed as prepared as any point guard from this event to play at the Division 1 level this season.

Honorable Mention

Mohamed Diakite 6’9 Forward Saint Quentin 2006 Born France

Mohamed Diakite has a prototype forward body. He moves up and down the court and was asked to defend the top scoring wings at the U18 event including Ben Saraf and Kasparas Jakucionis. Measuring with a 7’3.75 wingspan and a 9’2.25 Standing Reach at Eurocamp he has measurements that NBA teams seek out. On offense, Diakite served as the third or fourth option on the French team scoring mostly on fast break baskets or in catch and shoot opportunities. While he only went 4/17 from three at the event, he did go 8/11 from the free throw line showing a nice and smooth jump shot. His scoring tended to happen in spurts and when he was aggressively moving without the ball in half court sets, reading open spots he tended to have more success. He has had some growth and improvement since ANGT in Paris and in Berlin. At Tampere, he seemed to play with better spacing and seemed more comfortable as a wing player. He, however, still can get sped up and tends to not catch passes cleanly in tight spaces. In addition, his focus and intensity wavers relatively to the other players on the court. He shows flashes of being at times the most talented player on the court and other times where he’s a liability both on offense and defense. For example, on defense he routinely lost his man on out of bounds plays. As mentioned, France often trusted him to defend the opponent’s number one scoring option, yet his defensive stats are quite mediocre, with a total of 6 combined blocks and steals in 157 minutes of playing time. He averaged 8.9 and 49.5 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game. The vision with Diakite isn’t with what his current production is but what he could be.

Neoklis Avdalas 6’7 SG Panathinaikos 2006 Born Greece Highlights

Neoklis Avdalas received some buzz in February at the BWB Salt Lake City where he measured 6’6.25, with a 6’7.5 wingspan, and 8’9.25 standing reach. He has not performed to the buzz since that event unfortunately. A good athlete here in Tampere he averaged 11.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. On offense he tends to be very methodical with the ball but when he is more efficient with his dribbles and attacks the rim getting downhill with or without a screen he can finish efficiently. For the event he went 24/50 from two, blending in floaters and hard dribble towards the baseline mid-range jump shots to his lay ups and dunks. He did not shoot it well from long distance missing going 9/32 from three (28%) and 5/9 from the free throw line in 180 minutes. Avdalas inefficiency from the outside is due to shot selection which is accentuated by his lack to draw fouls to get to the line despite his athleticism and handles. On defense his play is very uneven in terms of focus and intensity. He did get his share of steals 11 in 7 games. In addition, the number of rebounds he accumulated,27, is surprising low given his natural athletic ability. Greece ended up 10^th at the event with 3 wins in 7 games.

Urban Kroflic 6’5 SG Mega Mis 2006 Born Slovenia Highlights

Urban Kroflic help lead Slovenia to a 6-1 record with their only loss being against eventual champions Germany. His measurements from EuroCamp in Treviso were 6’5.5 with a 6’9 wingspan and a 8’6.25 standing reach. Known as a shooter going into U16 Europe and ANGT events he had been inconsistent, here he put it together showing his fluid shooting motion. He averaged 16.4 points per game (30/60 from 2), 38% from three (14/37), and 87% from the charity stripe (13/15). With his ability to make shots he played off of it to get downhill and create opportunities in the key for himself. On pick and roll situations he was able to use the momentum to get downhill and score or set teammates up for catch and shoot opportunities. Leading to 38 assists and 22 turnovers in 205 minutes of playing time.  A very offensive minded player he held his own on defense and even had 11 steals for the tournament. Lacks ideal athleticism but has good shooting mechanics and decent positional size. He helped himself with his play in Tampere.

Mario Saint-Supery 6’3 Point Guard Unicaga 2006 Born Spain Highlights

Mario Saint Supery was the third leading scorer at Tampere, averaging 21.4 points per game while shooting 43% from the field (51/119). Mario does a good job blending his shooting profile with both attacks to the rim and taking long distance three-point shots. His ability to slither through and find offensive advantages is uncanny. While he isn’t particularly explosive or strong, he is good at changing pace and being patient on a screen or play to develop to find the offensive advantage. When getting downhill he avoids blocks by shielding the ball with his body and was able to get to the free throw line over 6 times per contest (6.3).  A solid free throw shooter (34/43), he has solid shooting form and was best from long distance in catch and shoot opportunities. He effectively used pump fakes to reload from long distance or to find an open mid-range jump shot. Mario needs to improve his efficiency from three and to cut down his turnovers. But he did showcase his ability to create for others, averaging 6.3 assists per game (2nd in tournament) and had excellent rebounding numbers for a point guard (5.4 per game). Defensively, he’s a good team defender averaging 1.7 steals per game and as mentioned rebounder.

Jack Kayil 6’4 CG Mega Mis 2006 Born Germany Highlights

Jack Kayil had to play off the ball more in Tampere, as he shared primary ball handling duties with Christian Anderson. Kayil who measured at 6’3.25, 6’5.25 wingspan, and a 8’5.5 standing reach at BWB Salt Lake City has good size for a lead guard. He shoots it well from the free throw line and from the corner where it’s primarily catch and shoot situations. From the top of the key and the wing he will increase in difficulty taking threes off the dribble, off the pick and roll, and an occasional sidestep three. He took almost 8 threes per game (7.7) and overall shot them at 35.2% (19/54). Off pick and roll he is very adept at getting downhill by using his body to shield off opponents and likes to use his body to create contact and get to the line. He went 24/27 from the charity stripe for the tournament. There are some concerns with his finishing around the rim where he was 13/32 and with his penance of shooting 1/3 more 3’s than shots inside the arc this led to a very inefficient sub 40% field goal percentage for the event 37% (32/86). And while he can use his body to get downhill some question if part of his inefficiency is due to lack of top end speed. Demonstrated some good playmaking ability to set teammates up for corner threes or lobs off the pick and roll and overall had 24 assists to 10 turnovers. Defensively was able to guard bigger or smaller opponents and showed a knack of being a good help defender taking charges and getting in passing lanes for steals where he had 10 in 7 contests (1.4 per game). Averaged 15.3 points per game.

Hannes Steinbach 6’9 PF 2006 Born Germany Highlights

Hannes Steinbach recently signed with BEO so will likely be playing for an ABA club this season after having played for TG Würzburg last season. Voted in the tournament top 5 he led the event in rebounds at 12.7 per game while also averaging 1.4 blocks and 1 steal per game. A good athlete he showed the ability to be quicker to the ball on secondary jumps than anyone on the court. Most of his makes were around the basket and listed between 6’9 and 6’10 (measured at 6’9.5, 7’1.75 Wingspan, and 9’1 Standing Reach at Treviso EuroCamp) he’s probably not long enough to be a center but has the positional size as a 4. Did not make a shot from the outside but went 21/27 from the free throw line. Averaged 15.4 points per game and had 5 double doubles in 7 games and was statistically the second most efficient player in the tournament.

Joan Beringer 6’10 PF Cedevita Olimpija 2006 Born France Highlights

Joan Beringer exposure to the international scout scene has grown tremendously in 2024, where he played for the Next Generation team in Dubai. Listed at 6’10, with measurements from events in 20204 at 6’9.5, he played as the screen and dive front court player for France at the U18 EuroBasket. Beringer is a fluid athlete who runs the lanes well on fastbreaks and will finish plays strong with an explosive dunk. Beringer had great chemistry with Nolan Traore on pick and dive plays where he often finished plays off with two handed lob dunks. In half court sets, other than pick and dives, he’s primarily an offensive threat at the dunker spot or as an offensive rebounder in this stage of his development. He does not have much of a face up game although he can avoid charges with a euro step and only had 2 turnovers in 147 minutes of game play. Defensively, he was the enforcer in the interior for France despite having a wiry frame. He had 8 blocks in 7 games and averaged 9.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Since the tournament he has left SIG Strasbourg program and will be playing his upcoming season for Cedevita Olimpija in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Kristers Skrinda 6’8 PF BA Turiba 2006 Born Latvia Highlights

Kristers Skrinda averaged a double-double with 17.7 points (10^th) and 10.4 rebounds (2^nd) per game. A bit of an unknow prior to the U18 EuroBasket, he showcased his feathery touch featuring solid shooting mechanics going 18/41 (44% from three) and 26/27 (96%) from the free throw line. On fast breaks he can finish with dunks and is a solid athlete running up down the court. Showed some potential off the dribble playing off his strong shooting touch and solid handles. Defensively is an excellent rebounder and has good strength on the block. Despite playing mainly in the post at the event for Latvia and listed at 6’10 on his FIBA profile our intel indicates he’s closer to 6’8/6’9 which leads to a future as a hybrid forward in lieu of PF/C.

NCAA or US HS

Christian Anderson 6’0 PG Texas Tech 2006 Born Germany Highlights

Christian Anderson helped lead Germany to the first-place finish with a 31-point outburst in the Championship game. Overall, he averaged 20.4 points and shot over 60% from inside the arc. He easily could get downhill against his opposing defenses and was adept in a pullback mid-range shot. He had 35 assists to 24 turnovers which was a 1.45 assist to turnover ratio and shot 32% (18/56) from three on high volume (8 per game). As he heads to campus at Texas Tech, he will need to increase his efficiency in both those categories. His lack of height (likely will be just under 6 feet without shoes whenever he gets his pro day measurements) are an issue for him on the defensive side of the ball. His lack of rebounds and blocks reflect this statistically speaking. In addition, his steal numbers are low for a player with his speed. He will need to showcase that ability to always bring full court pressure for Texas Tech. Anderson was voted in the tournament’s top 5.

Samuel Obenjo 6’9 Forward AZ Compass 2006 Born Sweden

Samuel Obenjo stands out both in rawness and length a 6’9 Forward with a 7 foot plus wingspan he was top 10 in both rebounds and blocks at Tampere. He averaged 14.9 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks while shooting 68% from the field (44/65). He moves very well up and down the court for a player with his length and has potential with his lateral movement although he has issues opening up too much and rawness in his positional awareness on defense. Offensively, he’s a great pic and dive option due to his athleticism and length; and most of his points came off lobs, offensive rebounds (almost 3 per game), and dunker spot points. Catches the ball very well in the air but needs some work catching the ball off the bounce in traffic. Can make the occasional catch and shoot play but was inefficient both from the free throw line (15/31) and from mid-range. Did a great job when in position as a help defender blocking shots. Needs to add strength as a defensive presence in the post and has some work in terms of reading plays both on offense and defense but has a high motor. Has high potential upside but will probably play limited minutes for the powerhouse AZ Compass starting out. But this will be a perfect environment for him to accelerate his growth and be a contributor for them by end of season.

Jayden Hodge 6’7 Forward St. Rose, NJ 2006 Born Belgium *Class of 2026 Highlights

Jayden Hodge averaged 15.9points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in Tampere.  Playing both forwards positions for Belgium he scored many of his points off fast break baskets or in the post at the dunker spot (39/76 from2). Seemed to be the most comfortable shooting form the midrange and three from the baseline. Did not shoot the ball efficiently from the line or from three going 5/23 from three (22%) and 18/38 or 47% from the free throw line. Like most US based players, he was stronger than most of his opponents overwhelming his defensive opponent at times just with his strength. Participated at the BWB Malaga measuring at 6’6.25, with a 6’7.75 wingspan, and a 8’6.75 standing reach.

Returning Next Year (2007 Born top players):

Declan Duru 6’8 Forward Real Madrid 2007 Born Germany

Declan Duru measured at 6’8 with a 7’0-foot wingspan at the BWB Europe in Malaga this summer just prior to the U18 EuroBasket. He averaged 9.8 points and 5.7 rebounds for Germany in Tampere. Playing 23.7 minutes per game he can defend his U18 EuroBasket title next season. His wingspan and length allowed him to play either forward position or even in a pinch some center at this level. As with Real Madrid he is more of a complimentary player than a primary offensive player. Most of his points come off fast break points, off the roll in pick and roll, or offensive putbacks near the rim. He continues to demonstrate he is a good, low volume, corner three shooter going 6/13 at this event. A good free throw shooter going 21/26 or 81%. Defensively his length intimidates opponents, but you would like to see more production in terms of steals and blocks for him to be considered a 3 and D prospect (5 steals and 5 blocks in 7 games). With Real Madrid losing their primary scorers on the U18 season he has the opportunity to demonstrate he can create for himself and for others. This will determine his upside as a prospect for the highest level. Should he remain a complementary player on offense then he will have to become a stellar defensive player for the highest level.

Mark Morano Mahmutovic 6’6 SG Cedevita Olimpija 2007 Born Slovenia

Mark Morano Mahmutovic, some events will just list him as Mark Morano, was a key contributor coming off the bench for the 3^rd place Slovenia. In BWB Malaga he measured at 6’6 height, with a 6.6.75 wingspan, and 8’5.5 standing reach. He averaged 8.6 points and 1.1 steals in 19.5 minutes per game. He was good inside of the arc finishing plays off with dunks (35.5 max vert in Malaga) and has a fluid mid-range jump shot. Going 16/27 from inside the arc. He’s much more explosive with momentum which could be an issue as he matures given his lack of ideal length. Went 9/18 from three, mostly in catch and shoot situations. Needs to add strength as he would too often get to the hole and get his shot blocked on marginal contact instead of creating space by initiating the contact. This was demonstrated in his stats with his lack of free throw attempts (2 in 136 minutes). Defensively is where is lack of explosive power stands out as he has some trouble moving laterally against quicker guards.  Perhaps with some more strength he could push the offensive player further away and make the angles to get by him more difficult. Mark has the mentality of a scorer, we will see if he is able to make the necessary adjustments for the next iteration of this event.

Ognjen Srzentic 6’7 SF Mega Mis 2007 Born Serbia Highlights

Ognjen Srzentić was a key contributor to help lead Serbia to the finals. Averaging 6’3 points per game in 15.5 minutes he was highly efficient when he played. A role player on this team he made most of his opportunities shooting 71% from the field (17/24) and 73% from three (8/11). In addition, he had a positive assist to turnover ratio and scored 13 points in the Finals versus Germany. Measured at Basketball Without Borders Malaga this summer at 6’7.5 height, 6’9.25 Wingspan and 8’7 Standing Reach. On defense needs to cut down on his fouls.

Avtandil Bakhtadze 6’9 PF/C Kaunas 2007 Born Georgia

Avtandil Bakhtadze played in the EuroBasket U18 B Division. One of the top prospects in the U16 B division a year ago. He was measured at the BWB Malaga 6’9.75,7’5 wingspan, and 9’2 standing reach. Measurements that are excellent for a power forward and adequate for a center.  He averaged 14.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 33.5 minutes of game time. On half court sets he’s a good offensive option in the post with his wide base and excellent lower body strength. His length allows him to finish around the rim where he went 42/71 (59%). He has some potential shooting making a few couple catch and shoot threes and going 11/15 from the charity stripe (73%).  On defense his length and strength help him defend the rim and grab rebounds. He has some lateral mobility but is best in the drop in pick and roll defense.

Nikola Janicic 6’5 SF 2007 Born Macedonia

Nikola Janicic spelled Janichikj on FIBA profile was voted MVP of the FIBA U18 European championships. He led the tournament in scoring at 22.6 points per game and was seventh in assists averaging 4.1. He averaged more than 11 3 point shot attempt per game making almost 4 per game (3.9) and went 31/91 overall. He went 20/26 from the charity stripe. He has a knack to find the open lane and making the proper read off the ball.

Centers:

With NCAA always looking for post players here are 5 to mention who stood out

Oskar Giltay 6’10 PF/C Limburg 2006 Born Belgium

Oskar Giltay led the tournament in blocks 3.1 per game (22 blocks in 158 minutes) averaging 5.5 block per 40 minutes and 1.2 blocks per foul. He showed good strength defending the post and to alter shots and get deflections (6 steals in 7 games).  Averaging 10 points per contest he went 28/50 from the field for the event. Running down the lanes on fast break opportunities and finishing plays with dunks. Did not shoot a three in the competition but showed some potential in catch and shoot situations and going 14/17 from the free throw line.

Aleksa Dimitrijevic 6’11 C Partizan 2006 Born Serbia

Aleksa Dimitrijevic was second in blocks in Tampere averaging 2.7 per game. His ability to defend the rim helped lead Serbia to the championship game. Dimitrijevic averaged 10.4 points and 7.1 rebounds, flashing some footwork and quick feet around the rim. Most of his points come inside of the key either off rebounds, dives or on the left side of the block where he can finish going middle. His better offensive scoring games came off where he had 2 or more offensive rebounds. His willingness to do the dirty work for Serbia with limited touches was key to their success. He went 23/34 from the free throw line (68%) and had 15 assists to 12 turnovers, making him an option as a passer in high low situations. Defensively his length allowed him to deflect shots and get some steals where he had 7 in 174 minutes.

Luigi Suigo 7’3 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 2007 Born Italy

A year younger and taller than everyone on this list Luigi Suigi measured at Basketball Without Borders Malaga at 7’3 with a 7.4.75 wingspan and 9’6 standing reach. In 147 minutes, he averaged 7 points, 7.4 rebounds (8^th best), and 1.9 blocks (5^th best). As you can envision Luigi still has much room to fill out his body and needs to add strength. He tends to get in trouble when he attempts to put the ball on the floor or lowers his hands to waist level. For a player with that length, he needs to be more efficient around the rim 19/39 and should do in a year at this event. His intrigue is that he is already comfortable as a pick and pop option. And while he had a small sample size here, going 3/9 from long distance, he also seems comfortable as an outside shooter at ANGT events in 2024. He’s not a good switchable player on defense either and was primarily used in the drop in pick and roll situations and used to defend the basket.

Ivan Juric 6’10 PF/C Bubrava 2006 Born Croatia

Ivan Juric averaged 14.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in 24.9 minutes. He has good strength and likes to use his weight as leverage in the post on defense. He showed some potential shooting going 20/28 from the free throw line and 7/14 from three.  He will make the open jump shot if left open in catch and shoot situations. In the post he’s a back to the basket post player using his footwork and body to create leverage and space to finish. He is not a great athlete and is not particularly long which shows with his lack of blocks and steals at the event (7 combined in 175 minutes). He lacks ideal lateral speed.

Marcus Moller 7’1 PF/C Malaga 2006 Born Denmark Highlights

Marcus Moller averaged 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds (11^th), and 1.7 blocks (6^th) at the EuroBasket U18.  His height and ability to shoot from the outside are two of his assets as a player. Like other taller players who can shoot at this level he needs to add strength as he gets pushed around and would not be able to guard a division 1 center due to his lack of strength at this moment, but he protects the rim as a help defender has above average leaping ability and was proficient as a rebounder. On offense he will run the floor or be in the dunker spot to finish plays with dunks (30/47 or 64% from 2) and has a fluid shooting motion from the outside. He is a threat from long distance, going 6/18 at the event. In addition, he went 14/17 from the free throw line. With his heigh and shooting motion he will be a coveted player by NCAA teams in a year provided he adds weight and or strength.

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Source:

BWB Salt Lake City Measurements Link

BWB Malaga Measurements Link

2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket Division A Stats Link

2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket Division B Stats Link