By Marc Kongsgaard

Here is my second recap from Copenhagen. The two Swedish U15 national teams look very raw. Many of their players did a great job. Two from Sweden Yellow you have to follow in the future are Peter (Peppe) Stumer (6’2” ’99) and Beni Fungula (6’0” ’99). Stumer was named to the all-star team after the tournament, and I really understand why. Peter had some cool drives to the basket, where he was good to finish with spectacular lay-ups. Stumer is able to play both guard positions due to his super handle, and he has a high basketball IQ. His jumpshot was pretty good, and he has a beautiful release on his jumpshot. Fungula had some great moves when he attacked the basket. He has a beautiful spin-move, which was difficult to guard by the defense. Also has great speed, long arms and quick hands, which make him to something special considering his age. But Fungula really needs his jumpshot and become a more true point guard. He didn’t pass the ball well, and his basketball IQ seems to be low.

The other U15 Swedish team, Sweden Blue, won the tournament in their class. Sweden Blue has many prospects who all could be great basketball players in the future. Two players from Sweden Blue who really shined were David Czerapowicz (6’1” ’99) and Olle Lundqvist (6’4” ’99). In my opinion Czerapowicz was the best player of the tournament. David was named to Scania King earlier this year, and at this tournament he was named to the all-star team. His ball-handling was very good, being able to play 1, 2 and 3 spot at the court. He has the best jumpshot I ever have seen from a kid of his age, and he was knocking down almost every shot he took. He was hitting a 3-point shot with two men in his face, and he hit 3 or 4 three point shots in row. David, who has a brother playing in NCAA, did also a pretty good job attacking the basket, where he was trying to finish with both hands. In that single game I saw of him he was with no doubt the best player I have seen from ’99 generation. His brother is 6’7”, and if can become just as tall as his brother, I think Czerapowicz can become the next great Swede. Another Swedish player who can reach the top is Olle Lundqvist. At Scania Cup earlier this year Olle was the guy with most scored points in the tournament. But in that game I saw him I was a little bit disappointed because his offensive game. He didn’t score as many points as I expected. However Lundqvist had some great moves when he attacked the basket, and he showed a cool 3-point shot. He did a great job finishing at the rim with contact, and he was able to pass the ball in difficult situations. His defense was really an honor to watch. His help defense was pretty good, and he was good to lock down the offensive player. Lundqvist had some great steals and blocks, and was really showing potential in the game I saw. With his size and his skills I think Olle Lundqvist, together with David Czerapowicz, can become something special. We have to follow these players in the future!

The English U15 team was only placed number 9 in the tournament, but I really like the Englishmen for the team. Many of the players have great physical tools, but almost everyone needs to improve their game. Jacob Iwowo (6’4” ’99) was that guy from England, who seems to become the best player in the future. Iwowo has extremely long arms and he runs the floor very well. Jacob is the captain of the team, and he is really taking the group on his shoulder and showing great leadership. Jacob does a nice job cutting to the basket and when he attacks the rim, he finishes with some beautifully floaters. However he has a cool shot from downtown. Also the U15 national team from Iceland did a great job and won a silver medal. Thorbjorn Óskar Arnmundsson (6’8” ’99) was named to the all-star team, but he wasn’t anything special. The best player from Iceland was with no doubt Hákon Örn Hjálmarsson (6’0” ’99). Hakon has a good midrange jumper, and he takes it strong to the basket. Unfortunately Hakon drives always right about the defender. He really needs to improve his left hand if he will take it to the next level.

I was a little bit disappointed over the Danish U15 team Vaerloese BK. Earlier this year they won a gold medal at Scania Cup in Sweden. I had high expectations about this team, but the only player who has playing well was Mathias Meilsoe (6’1” ’99). Meilsoe has good speed, quick hands and does a good job attacking the basket, where he can finish with contact. The left handed guard had some cool pump fakes, and it was an honor to see a guy with that feeling of the game as he has. Mathias is really working hard but needs to improve his jumpshot in the future if he wants to play outside Denmark. The U15 national team from Slovakia did also have some cool players. Maros Zeliznak (6’7” ’99) was named to the all-star team, but didn’t play well in that game I saw. Davíd Javorsky (6’5” ’99) has a good size for a guard/forward but needs to improve his game in the future. He did a great job attacking the basket, but really needs to improve everything to take the next step. However his potential looks great and he could become a good forward in the future. Another player who shined from Slovakia was Martin Bizub (6’9” ’99). Bizub is running the floor very well and moves his upper part of the body very well. He needs to improve his footwork and needs to get better hands. Martin is good to finish inside the charge zone and he is not afraid to finish with contact. The center from Slovakia is a great rebounder. He crashes the boards very well and takes a lot of offensive rebounds during a game. The last player I think could become great in the future is Timon Riedel (6’8” ’99) from U15 Berlin. Riedel has some great moves in the post and can finish with both hands. Timon can also faceup from the high-post and then take it to the rim. His jumpshot looks pretty good and he does good job to get position in both ends of the court.

 

Photo: C.I. (U15 All Star)

Twitter of the author: @MKP79