Matej Rudan (‘01), 6’8, SF/PF, Croatia

Named in the All-Tournament Team, averaged 17.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists shooting 62.8% from two. Another solid showing for Rudan, who had some impressive performance in the knockout phase. Skinny and long forward with versatile skillset, loves to play off the dribble and has some impressive passing instincts. Solid three point shooter. Struggle to handle contacts, but on defense can use his length and understands the game.

Daniel Batcho (‘02), 6’8, PF/C, France

Young big man who brought solid contribution off the bench. Good size, long with wide shoulders, his frame will fill up nicely. Mobile, showed good footwork and lateral quickness. Solid feel for the game, but his ball skills looked limited so far.

Timothe Crusol (‘01), 6’3, SG, France

Off ball player with nice frame, Crusol has interesting physique for his position. Not much of a ball-handler so far, at his best playing off the catch. Confident shooter with range, struggled with percentages in Podgorica (22.2% from three) but made some big shot in the final.

Killian Hayes (‘01), 6’5, SG, France

Named MVP in Podgorica, averaged 16.6 points, 7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.7 steals, leading France in all categories while shooting 68% from inside the arc. A dominant tournament for the strong lefty guard, a disruptive athlete who created havoc on both sides of the court. Getting to the basket at will both in transition and in the halfcourt, finished at an impressive rate close to the basket. He’ll need to improve as a shooter.

Theo Maledon (‘01), 6’3, PG, France

Averaged 14.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.6 steals, leading the way for France together with Hayes. A more poised and less athletic guard than Hayes, has good size and length. Played with composure and showed great feel for the game. Efficient P&R player, moves the ball out of the screen. Confident shooter from outside, hit few key shots. Came up big in the knockout phase, making a bunch of big plays on both ends of the court.

Essome Miyem (’01), 6’9, C, France

Still raw in his skills and attitude, didn’t have a big impact in Podgorica. Motor needs to improve, most of the times he doesn’t look that committed. His combination of size, length, mobility and quickness is highly intriguing. Decent finisher around the rim, has some touch and can easily scorer over the defender.

Ariel Hukporti (‘02), 6’11, C, Germany

Massive big man with impressive body and length for his age. Averaged 5.4 points, 8.9 rebounds 1.4 blocks in just 18.5 minutes per game. Fluid and quick for his size but not extremely explosive. Solid defensive footwork for his size and age. On offense uses well his big body to seal and push in the low post, has good feet and improving touch around the rim with decent hook shot.

Len Schoormann (‘02), 6’3, PG/SG, Germany

Extremely long and explosive guard. Can easily get by his defender, great changing speed and direction with the ball. Can easily finish above the rim. Very good shooter with quick and consistent release, despite not textbook mechanics; shot a total 9/22 (40.9%) from beyond the arc. Didn’t have a major on-ball role for Germany, sometimes just settling for the spot-up shot.

Luc Van Slooten (‘02), 6’7, SG/SF, Germany

An already physically and athletically mature player, Van Slooten was disruptive on both ends of the court when mentally committed to play. Highly talented with the ball in his hands, explosive, crafty and creative. Smooth body control when driving and finishing. Good shooting stroke with range from well behind the arc. Has great vision and passing skills, but too often takes questionable decisions and bad shots. Body language and attitude still a work in progress.

Franz Wagner (‘01), 6’5, SG, Germany

Played only five games, missing the first two in the tournament and averaging just 18.7 minutes per game. Really undeveloped frame but with plenty of potential, tall and extremely long. Fluid and shifty with the ball. High basketball IQ, natural feel for the game. Shoots efficiently off the catch. Tends to go away from contact, physical development will likely be a turning point for him.

Deni Avdija (‘01), 6’7, SF, Israel

One of the most versatile players in attendance, Avdija had a breakout tournament. Averaged 15.3 points, 12.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and only 1.6 turnovers per game, finishing as the leading rebounder in Podgorica. Able to play basically any position for his team. Playing as a point guard, shows high-level vision and ability to make shots off the dribble. Crafty with the ball with very good body control. Does everything on offense: runs the P&R, posts up smaller wings, pushes the transition, hits spot-up shots, runs off screens. Plays with extremely high confidence and intensity.

Raziel Hayun (‘01), 6’4, SG, Israel

An aggressive wing with decent explosiveness, Hayun was the second best scorer in Podgorica, scoring 18 points per game while shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc. Was among the best shooters in attendance, quick and consistent form, able to shoot it right off the catch or pulling up after couple of dribbles. Hit threes coming out of the P&R. Solid slasher on a straight line, attacks hard the basket in transition. Ball-handling will need some work.

Nicolò Mannion (‘01), 6’2, PG, Italy

Was the tournament’s leading scorer and often the only one able to create in an Italian team which looked almost a one-man show. Averaged 19.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals per game, leading the tournament also in the last category. Impressive athlete with explosive change of pace, plays through contacts and is highly aggressive with the ball. Advanced ball-handler, splits easily on the P&R, creates separation with ease. Solid shooter, comfortable shooting coming out of the P&R. Made number of plays on defense and rebounding the ball thanks to his high motor and disruptive athleticism.

Sasha Mattias Grant (‘02), 6’7, PF, Italy

Forward with already a mature body, left mixed impressions in Podgorica. Was Italy’s second best scorer and rebounder, showing good face up skills, being able to attack on a straight line or to shoot off the catch. Not much willing to fight inside the paint, had the tendency to settle on outside shots. Motor and feel for a game will need to improve.

Roberts Berzins (‘01), 6’4, SG, Latvia

Averaged 14 points, 4 rebounds, 1.7 steals while shooting a total 19/46 (41.3%) from three point range. Combination of size and ability to play off the dribble is intriguing, showed to be able to play both on and off the ball. Good shooter, put together couple of remarkable shooting performances, willing to shoot out of the P&R.

Marek Blazevic (‘01), 6’10, C, Lithuania

Leading scorer for Lithuania and one of only two players in the tournament to average a double-double, finishing with 16 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.6 blocks per game. Has a massive body for his age, which he’s willing to use to fight in the low post and to get deep position. Highly skilled post player, can score on both sides turning around both shoulders, solid footwork and excellent vision and hands to pass the ball out of the post. Developing his perimeter game on both ends of the court would be a plus.

Modestas Kancleris, (‘01), 6’7, SF, Lithuania

Struggled to consistently perform in Podgorica. Still very skinny frame, doesn’t play through contacts. Usually a smooth and fluid shooter, struggled with percentages (21.9% from three, 43.8% from the free throw line). Intriguing prospect giving his physical upside, instincts with the ball and ability to handle on the perimeter.

Jovan Kljajic (‘01), 6’5, SG/SF, Montenegro

The main architect of Montenegro’s second place, averaged 14.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals, shooting 57.8% from inside the arc. Tremendous leader with impressive activity level, able to impact the game in many different ways. Handles the ball naturally and get easily to the rim at this level of competition, finishing well at the basket thanks to his strong body and soft touch. Shows impressive vision and passing skills, regularly finding the open man off the dribble. Key defensive presence because of instincts and intensity. Outside shot is still not there. Not much physical upside.

Bojan Tomasevic (‘01), 6’7, PF, Montenegro

Named in the All-Tournament Team, averaged 13.6 points, 9 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 2.1 blocks, leading the competition in blocks per game. Key inside player for Montenegro, with a strong body and physical attitude. Efficient P&R player, major offensive weapon thanks to his ability to pop after the screen to either shoot or attack the closeout. Intriguing his natural ability to pull up for a shot after couple of dribbles. Showed soft touch to finish with his strong hand.

Stefan Vlahovic (‘01), 6’4, SG/SF, Montenegro

Named in the All-Tournament Team, averaged 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals while shooting 58.9% from inside the arc. Another emotional leader for Montenegro, an aggressive wing who was always in attack mode with the ball. Quite strong and mature body, doesn’t look like he has major physical upside. Slasher, not much explosive but gets inside with power drives and finishes well around the rim, finding angles. Great motor. Was able to hit some open three off the catch. Will need to improve his ball-handling.

Pavel Zakharov (‘01), 6’10, C, Russia

Had an average production in a highly disappointing Russian team which ended up in the last place. Raw ball skills but some promising touch. Impressive physical potential with a frame that should fill up greatly, long arms, high-level quickness, coordination and fluidity. Mostly effective on offense off offensive rebounds or cuts and rolls, but his team struggled often to pass the ball inside.

Aleksandar Langovic (‘01), 6’8, PF/C, Serbia

Had a very good showing in the knockout phase, as a dynamic, aggressive and explosive big man able to make plays above the rim. Solid frame and length. Lefty finisher inside, decent touch around the rim. Good awareness as a cutter, crashes the offensive glass and scores off second chances. Still in between the two frontcourt positions, has to expand his shooting range.

Djordje Pazin (‘01), 6’7, SG/SF, Serbia

Among the top scorer in Podgorica, averaged 17.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, shooting 40% from three and being named in the All-Tournament Team. Good size for his position, but average frame and athleticism. Makes shots, pure scorer, impressive shooter with quick release and deep range, moves well without the ball. Not much of a creator though, right now he’s mainly an off the ball player. Doesn’t impact the game that much besides scoring, and his shot selection will need to improve.

Nemanja Popovic (‘01), 6’8, SF/PF, Serbia

Third youngest player in the Serbian roster, youngest among the ones getting true minutes. Quite impressive combination of size and length for his age. Great defensive footwork and instincts, still not always using at its best his length. Doesn’t have a true position on offense right now, raw scoring skills, but he’s a quick decision maker with good vision. Averaged 5.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals. Will turn 16 just at the end of the year.

Gregor Glas (01), 6’5, SF, Slovenia

Led Slovenia in scoring (15.9 points per game). Strong wing with good size for his position. Smooth shooter, confident off the catch, has extended range and consistent form. Ball-handling is average, but can make plays attacking the closeout. Too often was settling for outside shots in Podgorica.

Rok Radovic (‘01), 6’6, SG/SF, Slovenia

Covered three positions for Slovenia, ended up averaging 14.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals, leading his team in rebounding. Aggressive wing with solid explosiveness and strong first step. Natural feel off the dribble, played a good amount of point guard minutes. Can push the transition right off the defensive rebound. Combination of efficiency both as a P&R ball-handler and as a post-up wing is intriguing. Still inconsistent shooter.

Santiago Aldama (‘01), 6’9, SF/PF, Spain

Still raw and physically undeveloped, but showed lot of intriguing flashes. Size and length are high-level, extremely fluid and comfortable moving on the perimeter. Excellent footwork. Solid ball skills, natural putting the ball on the floor against the closeout, can pass off the dribble. Still slow and not reliable shooter, but form is promising.

Jaime Pradilla (‘01), 6’9, PF/C, Spain

Averaged 15.4 points and 9 rebounds per game, leading his team in both categories. Inside player with potential to add some perimeter game. Strong body which he uses well to work in the low post and fight for rebounding position. Solid low post footwork and fundamentals, can turn around both shoulders, finishes well around the rim. Catch and finishes well off dynamic situations.

Mustafa Kurtuldum (‘01), 6’4, SG, Turkey

Aggressive guard with good frame, was the top scorer for Turkey in the competition. Didn’t shoot well from outside, but he’s a confident shooter off the catch with decent release. Most effective in transition or off the ball in the halfcourt, showed excellent awareness as a cutter. Made some play as a ball-handler as well, ball-handling is not advanced but has decent feel and vision.

Tarik Sezgun (‘01), 6’10, C, Turkey

Didn’t always find playing time, but had his two best games in the last two days of the tournament. Fluid and coordinate big man, runs the court extremely well, efficient off cuts. Nice activity level. Quick and reactive finisher around the rim, soft touch and high release with his strong hand. Shooting motion off the catch looks promising, was solid from the free throw line.


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