By Jordan Sensi
After 30 weeks of competition, it is time for a review of the French Espoirs Level. Here are some quick facts about it:
This league is actually made for the U21 teams of each ProA teams, and both follow the same schedule.
Scouts appreciate it a lot because the Espoirs game is played 3 hours before the ProA game. This season, players born in 1994, 1995 and 1996 take part in this league but players born in 1997, 1998 and 1999 are allowed as well.
This competition is very physical, the average level is not very high to be honest, players do not have excellent fundamentals but they have good athletic tools. Nevertheless, each team has at least one or two interesting prospects.
Lately, players like Rudy Gobert, Clint Capela, Livio Jean-Charles, Petr Cornelie, Timothé Luwawu, Isaia Cordinier or Killian Tillie played this competition for example.
Let’s start this review with the best academy in France: Chalon sur Saône, we already wrote some notes about it earlier this season and even if they have an average record this season (15-15), it is the team that has the most interesting prospects in its roster. The main attraction of the team is Ibrahima Faye Fall (1997-C-6’9), his development throughout his first season in France is slow but he has an interesting profile of defensive center. With a long wingspan, a good mobility and a good timing he has a future as a rim protector and rebounder, plus he can score some basket at the low post with his right hand. The problem is his bad pick and roll defense and his lack of basketball understanding.
We also find other interesting players like Victor Mopsus (1999-PG-5’11); the young guard was the youngest player to ever play in the French ProA earlier this season. His maturity is impressive, he is a true floor general and is pretty versatile, but he needs to work on his big turnover prone. On the wing Chalon has the super athletic but selfish Ivars Rihars Zvigurs (1995-SF-6’7) from Latvia and Assane N’Doye (1995-SF-1995). N’Doye is an all-around player, athletic and good defender but he cannot shoot from the outside and has consistency issues. The last player is Abdoulaye N’Doye (1995-C-6’11); averaging a double-double (13&11), the young player from Senegal is a defensive/rebounding center.
The best team this season is, just like in the ProA, Strasbourg (28w-2l). They have the leading scorer of the league averaging 17.2 points: Anthony Labanca (1994-SG-6’4). We saw him with the U20 France team last summer; he is a pure shooter with a nice 41.9% from the 3 points range. With excellent off-the-ball movements and a high basketball IQ he has a future in the French ProA, but his important lack of athleticism will penalize him.
Next to Labanca, there is a big prospect in the backcourt: Frank Ntilikina (1998-PG-6’2). He played his first minutes in the French ProA last week and it was enough to show off his impressive maturity, his feeling for the game and his huge potential. This kid has a very future; he is not super athletic but is able to change rhythm and direction well enough to beat his defender. He is a good outside shooter and his profile is very promising because he is like a typical European guard in the body of a future NBA point guard.
If Strasbourg has a great backcourt, Le Mans has an amazing frontcourt. Petr Cornelie played the first 10 games of the season before going with the professional team but there are still Youssoupha Fall (1995-C-7’3) and Antoine Wallez (1996-PF-6’8). Both combine 27.8 points and 17.8 rebounds per game dominating each paint week after week.
They are very complementary. Fall is a super tall center playing close to the rim, he can score with his soft right hand but he is mainly a rim protector, a rebounder and an anchor in the paint. Nevertheless Fall has good fundamentals, for example this season he already attacked the rim from the high post with a dribble behind the back and a lay-up, but he has a limited mobility though and he cannot defend outside the paint. Wallez plays further from the basket; he is a stretch four with a big scoring instinct. He can get closer to the rim thanks to a great footwork but his lack of athleticism is a concern and his intensity level in defense is at least questionable.
Photo: BEBASKET
Twitter of the author: @Jordan_Sensi
After 30 weeks of competition, it is time for a review of the French Espoirs Level. Here are some quick facts about it:
This league is actually made for the U21 teams of each ProA teams, and both follow the same schedule.
Scouts appreciate it a lot because the Espoirs game is played 3 hours before the ProA game. This season, players born in 1994, 1995 and 1996 take part in this league but players born in 1997, 1998 and 1999 are allowed as well.
This competition is very physical, the average level is not very high to be honest, players do not have excellent fundamentals but they have good athletic tools. Nevertheless, each team has at least one or two interesting prospects.
Lately, players like Rudy Gobert, Clint Capela, Livio Jean-Charles, Petr Cornelie, Timothé Luwawu, Isaia Cordinier or Killian Tillie played this competition for example.
Let’s start this review with the best academy in France: Chalon sur Saône, we already wrote some notes about it earlier this season and even if they have an average record this season (15-15), it is the team that has the most interesting prospects in its roster. The main attraction of the team is Ibrahima Faye Fall (1997-C-6’9), his development throughout his first season in France is slow but he has an interesting profile of defensive center. With a long wingspan, a good mobility and a good timing he has a future as a rim protector and rebounder, plus he can score some basket at the low post with his right hand. The problem is his bad pick and roll defense and his lack of basketball understanding.
We also find other interesting players like Victor Mopsus (1999-PG-5’11); the young guard was the youngest player to ever play in the French ProA earlier this season. His maturity is impressive, he is a true floor general and is pretty versatile, but he needs to work on his big turnover prone. On the wing Chalon has the super athletic but selfish Ivars Rihars Zvigurs (1995-SF-6’7) from Latvia and Assane N’Doye (1995-SF-1995). N’Doye is an all-around player, athletic and good defender but he cannot shoot from the outside and has consistency issues. The last player is Abdoulaye N’Doye (1995-C-6’11); averaging a double-double (13&11), the young player from Senegal is a defensive/rebounding center.
The best team this season is, just like in the ProA, Strasbourg (28w-2l). They have the leading scorer of the league averaging 17.2 points: Anthony Labanca (1994-SG-6’4). We saw him with the U20 France team last summer; he is a pure shooter with a nice 41.9% from the 3 points range. With excellent off-the-ball movements and a high basketball IQ he has a future in the French ProA, but his important lack of athleticism will penalize him.
Next to Labanca, there is a big prospect in the backcourt: Frank Ntilikina (1998-PG-6’2). He played his first minutes in the French ProA last week and it was enough to show off his impressive maturity, his feeling for the game and his huge potential. This kid has a very future; he is not super athletic but is able to change rhythm and direction well enough to beat his defender. He is a good outside shooter and his profile is very promising because he is like a typical European guard in the body of a future NBA point guard.
If Strasbourg has a great backcourt, Le Mans has an amazing frontcourt. Petr Cornelie played the first 10 games of the season before going with the professional team but there are still Youssoupha Fall (1995-C-7’3) and Antoine Wallez (1996-PF-6’8). Both combine 27.8 points and 17.8 rebounds per game dominating each paint week after week.
They are very complementary. Fall is a super tall center playing close to the rim, he can score with his soft right hand but he is mainly a rim protector, a rebounder and an anchor in the paint. Nevertheless Fall has good fundamentals, for example this season he already attacked the rim from the high post with a dribble behind the back and a lay-up, but he has a limited mobility though and he cannot defend outside the paint. Wallez plays further from the basket; he is a stretch four with a big scoring instinct. He can get closer to the rim thanks to a great footwork but his lack of athleticism is a concern and his intensity level in defense is at least questionable.
Photo: BEBASKET
Twitter of the author: @Jordan_Sensi
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