Milan Macvan, Gordan Giricek, Novica Velickovic, Raúl López, Yaroslav Korolev, Nikola Vujcic,… They are some of the players who finished as MVPs of the under-17 tournament in Rho, a small town close to Milano (Italy). This year the one who took this trophy back home was the canadian PG Kevin Pangos, from Hoop Factory Elite, leading his team in the final against the lithuanians of Sabonis Kaunas HS. The Toronto block won 93-86 with 28 points of Pangos. Sunday we watched four games, the ones that decided the first eight positions: Real Madrid (Spain) – Prague (Czech Republic), Pau Orthez (France) – FMP Zeleznik (Serbia), Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) – Urspring (Germany) and Hoop Factory Toronto (Canada) – Sabonis HS (Lithuania). We waked up at 04.45 am at home and we came back the same day at 11.15 pm. It was a complete journey, writing interesting names and watching a packed gym in the final. We only needed a Smart, a GPS, an anorak, paper, a pen and good legs to run under the rain to catch the return flight (basiclly from the rent car parking, around 1000 yards from the terminal). We gonna see the most impressive european names we wrote:
-Nikola Pavlovic (FMP Zeleznik, G, 6'5'', 1993): with a good body and strong legs, this guard played many minutes as PG and finished as one of the tournament sensations, even he borned in '93. Plays very comfortable, without getting nervous, with good ballhandling. Finishes fastbreak very easy, and dunking if is possible. Shoots from behind the arc very easy, even he must improved a lot taking a look to his stats on other tournaments. His main weakness, the D. He is not active, at least the game we saw. Last summer he didn't make the u-16 serbian NT that finished fifth in the European Championships of Chieti and Pescara (Italy), but for sure this year he'll be one of the references of Serbia in Kaunas (Lithuania). Some months ago he lead FMP beating Joventut Badalona on the final of Santa Coloma tourney, in Spain (89-57), and in only 19 minutes he scored 11 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, made 4 steals and dished 4 assists.
-Kevin Bright (Urspring, SF, 6'6'', 1992): the main wheapon on offense of the german team, with a lot of plays for him. When the opposite team increased the defense over him Urspring had a lot of problems to take advantages, and only PF Julius Wolf could score. Bright is a black small forward, with a gread physic. His main skill is that he can create his own shot no matter the kind of defense he receives, because he shoots very fast and jumping very high (also with good moves from arm and wrist). He prefers 4-5 meters range. Many times fakes the three points shot, penetrates and stops to shoot. When he has no espaces he doesn't like to put one step in the paint. Very dangerous when he is on fire. Erratic at free throws line. Basiclly a scorer. On defense he is OK. Last summer Germany took the Gold on the U-16 Division B European Championships at Sarajevo, beating Montenegro on the final (76-69). Bright finished with 9.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 46% from the arc. His better game was the final: 18+10.
-Ondrej Balvin (Prague, C, 7'0'', 1992): with Moravek completed a great czech paint power, even they need to improve their shooting range. Both lead Prague on the victory against Real Madrid fighting for the seventh final place, even spanish team played with younger kids. Balvin has a great body, with huge arms. He is a good blocker, and creates many doubts to the opponent in the paint. He missed free throws, but he has improved his legs since last year, and now -with better legs- runs fastbreak very well, being very active. He doesn't use to face basket, scoring most of times with hooks, also through offense rebounds and receiving assists. Smart playing, good passer. Young czech generations are doing a good job, and last summer, in the u-16 European Championships at Italy,they took the Silver after loosing the final against Lithuania (75-33). Balvin didn't play a lot: 1.0 point and 2.5 rebounds in 13.0 minutes.
-Jaroslav Moravek (Prague, PF, 6'7'', 1992): Has to imrpove his shooting capacity to make the final step forward. Great body, very strong, great legs, dunks always he can and always looking for the block. He has problems to change his face, creating doubts about his involvement. Borned in Slovak Republic, he defends the colors of his NT country. Last summer slovakians finish 21 of 24 teams in the u-16 division B European Championships at Sarajevo, but Moravek played in a good level: 8.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. Against one of the worst teams, Louxemburg, he made his best game: 15+17+6. He finished as the best blocker of the tournament.
-Rolandas Jakstas (Sabonis HS, F, 6'9'', 1992): the best lithuanian we saw that day with Paulius Sorokas (6'5''), a PG who show his main weakness: the shot. Jakstas is a forward with a great physic, without 3 points threat during the final except last minutes, scoring two bombs in an important moment. It's similar as Jonas Maciulis (who also played as PF in youth teams), but without his shot. He has a quick first step to fake and penetrate, finishing very high. He is really tough. Last summer the lithuanians took the Gold in the u-16 European Championships. In eight games he made 0/1 from three points line, but we expect he can improve with his exhibition against canadians. In that tournament he finished with 3.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in 10'. The question we ask ourselves is: watching the lithuanians and also Lyetuvos in Hospitalet junior tournament last Christmas in Spain how is possible to get all these interesting players from this small country? For sure Zalgiris have also good elements.
Photo: EH
