By Luka Drca
The 2019 Szent Istvan Cup was held in Szekesfehervar, Hungary from the 31st of January until the 3rd of February. The winner of the tournament was Stellazzurra Rome from Italy. Real Madrid took the 2nd place and Hungarian national team U16 finished third.
Below you can find the placement of all the participants and the All-Tournament Team including MVP:
1th: STELLAZZURRA ROME
2nd: REAL MADRID BALONCESTO
3rd: HUNGARIAN U16 NT
4th: BAYERN MÜNCHEN
5th: UNIPOL B. VIRTUS BOLOGNA
6th: C.S. U-BT CLUJ NAPOCA
7th: ALBA FEHÉRVÁR
8th: KK MLADOST ZEMUN
All-Tournament Team:
VISINTIN, Matteo (Stellazzurra Rome)
SEYI, Awogbemi Sodig (Alba Fehérvár)
KOVÁCS, Ákos (Hungarian U16 NT)
NDIAYE, Eli John (Real Madrid Baloncesto)
SCHRÖDER, Benjamin (Bayern München)
Yannick NZOSA from Stellazzurra was named the MVP of the tournament.
Winner of the Slam Dunk Contest: DIABY, Modibo (C.S. U-BT Cluj Napoca).
Here are our Top Ten prospects of the tournament.
Yannick Manzila Nzosa (5, Democratic Republic of Congo, 7’0, 2003, Stellazzurra Rome) was awarded MVP of the tournament. He is a skinny, lefty, very mobile, well-coordinated, big man with huge wingspan. Decent athlete. Runs the floor well. Soft touch around the rim. Pretty light on his feet and explosive. On the post he is mostly using left jump hook. Sets good screens and rolls quickly. Good hands for a big guy. Excellent rebounder on both ends of the floor. Plays with energy. Can make mid-range shots, solid FT shooter.
Defensively he is a great shot blocker. Needs to improve his body strength. Not afraid of contact.
Matteo Visintin (2/1, Italy, 6’3, 2004, Stellazzurra Rome) is a combo guard with decent understanding of the game and excellent motor. Solid body frame. An average athlete. Plays with poise and takes responsibilities in crucial moments of the game. He is a crafty player. Does a little of everything on offense, from driving both ways to shooting mid-range shots and threes. Even though scoring is his first option he is able to make plays for others. Tries to play through contact. Defensively he is aggressive, making opponents commit turnovers. Okay rebounder for his size. Needs to improve PnR game and decision making.
Eli John Ndiaye (5/4, Senegal, 6’9, 2004, Real Madrid) has an elite body frame. He is long and lengthy with soft touch. Excellent athlete. Runs the floor well. Plays above everyone. Great rebounder on both ends of the floor. Plays with high energy and competes on every position. Smooth shooting mechanics. Can step out to the three-point line but he feels more comfortable taking mid-range shots. On the post uses both hands. Plays through contact. In PnR situtations he slips a lot. From PnR most of the time he rolls all the way to the rim. Takes pride in his defense. Can guard 2-5.
Tristan Vukcevic (4/5, Serbia, 6’11, 2003, Real Madrid) is a power forward that stretches the floor well. He is long and skinny with enormous wingspan. An average athlete that is well-coordinated. Doesn’t like contact and tries to avoid it. Excellent spot up shooter with solid shooting mechanics. Confident is his shot. On the post he is looking for a fade-away. In PnR situations he is always popping out. Attacks glass on both ends of the floor. Defensively he struggles against stronger bodies and since he is playing with high knees he is not able to effectively stop the guards.
Urban Klavzar (1/2, Slovenia, 6’2, 2004, Real Madrid) is the scoring PG of this Real Madrid team. This kid is extremely quick and explosive. Has a strong body. Looks like he is pre-matured. He is always playing at high intensity at both ends. Plays at the same speed at all times which puts him in troubles sometimes. This kid likes taking big shots and taking responsibilities when necessary. Decent pull-up shooting, either from inside and outside the three-point line. Mostly creates for himself out of PnR. Can shoot coming off staggers. His floor vision is just ok. Good finisher around the rim. Aggressive on defensive, likes pressing full-court.
Akos Kovacs (4/5, Hungary, 6’8, 2003, Hungary U16) played mostly center position since he was the tallest player in his team, but his natural position is most likely at the PF spot. Even though he is not a consistent shooter, his form looks good and he is able to stretch the floor. Decent body frame, strong and compact body. Well-coordinated, solid athlete. On the PnR he reads the situations and he is able to short roll or pick and pop. Good hands. Doesn’t have post-up game. He is active defensively. Goes hard for an offensive rebound.
Benjamin Schroder (2/1, Germany, 6’3, 2003, Bayern Munich) is a combo guard and the best player of this team. Good athlete, explosive first step. Likes changing rhythm. Great mid-range game. Driver both ways and excellent finisher around the rim. Lacks some strength but manages to play through contact. Decent basketball IQ. His shooting mechanics are solid but he needs to extend the range. He is more of a scorer but able to create for others as well. Likes taking big shots in crucial moments of the game. Due to light weight he is having problems on defense. Looks like he will grow another inch or two, he is a late bloomer.
Jonas Marz (1/2, Germany, 6’3, 2003, Bayern Munich) is a quick, high energy scoring PG. He is the best shooter in his team, has deep range and his shot is fluid. Likes using hesitation dribbling and crossovers. Doesn’t have mid-range game. Strong right hand. Lacks some strength but he’s able to find solutions in traffic. Sometimes he gets out of control. In PnR he looks for his shot first. Aggressive on defense. Presses full court and has nose for steals. Gambling on defense which takes him out of position. Has a good floor vision in general but likes scoring more than passing.
Modibo Diaby (5, Republic of Mali, 6’7, 2003, Cluj) is an undersized center and the best player of this team. He is a decent athlete with long arms. Plays hard and with tremendous energy on both ends of the floor. Not really skilled but he compensates that with toughness. Needs to improve coordination. The best rebounder of this tournament, very aggressive at the glass. Solid free throw shooter that likes playing in contact. Not afraid of bigger and stronger players, likes to compete. Stronger right hand. Great hands for a big guy, can catch everything and intercepts a lot of passes. Solid basketball IQ. Always rolling to the basket in PnR situations. Excellent defender.
Seyi Sodiq Awogbemi (4/5, Nigeria, 6’8, 2003, Alba FEHÉRVÁR) is a talented, well-coordinated, long and skinny kid. Improved his toughness from the beginning of the season. He is a solid ball-handler for his height. Strong right hand, doesn’t use his left almost at all. Needs to work on body strength. Not consistent with his shot but his mechanics look ok and he takes threes occasionally. Despite lack of strength he finds ways to score the ball in the post. Goes on glass on both ends of the floor. When he gets the ball, he is not looking to pass. His mid-range game is solid. Gets in foul trouble against more physical players. Trying to play defense, but still has to learn how to use his length for that purpose.
Photo by: stellazzurra.it
The 2019 Szent Istvan Cup was held in Szekesfehervar, Hungary from the 31st of January until the 3rd of February. The winner of the tournament was Stellazzurra Rome from Italy. Real Madrid took the 2nd place and Hungarian national team U16 finished third.
Below you can find the placement of all the participants and the All-Tournament Team including MVP:
1th: STELLAZZURRA ROME
2nd: REAL MADRID BALONCESTO
3rd: HUNGARIAN U16 NT
4th: BAYERN MÜNCHEN
5th: UNIPOL B. VIRTUS BOLOGNA
6th: C.S. U-BT CLUJ NAPOCA
7th: ALBA FEHÉRVÁR
8th: KK MLADOST ZEMUN
All-Tournament Team:
VISINTIN, Matteo (Stellazzurra Rome)
SEYI, Awogbemi Sodig (Alba Fehérvár)
KOVÁCS, Ákos (Hungarian U16 NT)
NDIAYE, Eli John (Real Madrid Baloncesto)
SCHRÖDER, Benjamin (Bayern München)
Yannick NZOSA from Stellazzurra was named the MVP of the tournament.
Winner of the Slam Dunk Contest: DIABY, Modibo (C.S. U-BT Cluj Napoca).
Here are our Top Ten prospects of the tournament.
Yannick Manzila Nzosa (5, Democratic Republic of Congo, 7’0, 2003, Stellazzurra Rome) was awarded MVP of the tournament. He is a skinny, lefty, very mobile, well-coordinated, big man with huge wingspan. Decent athlete. Runs the floor well. Soft touch around the rim. Pretty light on his feet and explosive. On the post he is mostly using left jump hook. Sets good screens and rolls quickly. Good hands for a big guy. Excellent rebounder on both ends of the floor. Plays with energy. Can make mid-range shots, solid FT shooter.
Defensively he is a great shot blocker. Needs to improve his body strength. Not afraid of contact.
Matteo Visintin (2/1, Italy, 6’3, 2004, Stellazzurra Rome) is a combo guard with decent understanding of the game and excellent motor. Solid body frame. An average athlete. Plays with poise and takes responsibilities in crucial moments of the game. He is a crafty player. Does a little of everything on offense, from driving both ways to shooting mid-range shots and threes. Even though scoring is his first option he is able to make plays for others. Tries to play through contact. Defensively he is aggressive, making opponents commit turnovers. Okay rebounder for his size. Needs to improve PnR game and decision making.
Eli John Ndiaye (5/4, Senegal, 6’9, 2004, Real Madrid) has an elite body frame. He is long and lengthy with soft touch. Excellent athlete. Runs the floor well. Plays above everyone. Great rebounder on both ends of the floor. Plays with high energy and competes on every position. Smooth shooting mechanics. Can step out to the three-point line but he feels more comfortable taking mid-range shots. On the post uses both hands. Plays through contact. In PnR situtations he slips a lot. From PnR most of the time he rolls all the way to the rim. Takes pride in his defense. Can guard 2-5.
Tristan Vukcevic (4/5, Serbia, 6’11, 2003, Real Madrid) is a power forward that stretches the floor well. He is long and skinny with enormous wingspan. An average athlete that is well-coordinated. Doesn’t like contact and tries to avoid it. Excellent spot up shooter with solid shooting mechanics. Confident is his shot. On the post he is looking for a fade-away. In PnR situations he is always popping out. Attacks glass on both ends of the floor. Defensively he struggles against stronger bodies and since he is playing with high knees he is not able to effectively stop the guards.
Urban Klavzar (1/2, Slovenia, 6’2, 2004, Real Madrid) is the scoring PG of this Real Madrid team. This kid is extremely quick and explosive. Has a strong body. Looks like he is pre-matured. He is always playing at high intensity at both ends. Plays at the same speed at all times which puts him in troubles sometimes. This kid likes taking big shots and taking responsibilities when necessary. Decent pull-up shooting, either from inside and outside the three-point line. Mostly creates for himself out of PnR. Can shoot coming off staggers. His floor vision is just ok. Good finisher around the rim. Aggressive on defensive, likes pressing full-court.
Akos Kovacs (4/5, Hungary, 6’8, 2003, Hungary U16) played mostly center position since he was the tallest player in his team, but his natural position is most likely at the PF spot. Even though he is not a consistent shooter, his form looks good and he is able to stretch the floor. Decent body frame, strong and compact body. Well-coordinated, solid athlete. On the PnR he reads the situations and he is able to short roll or pick and pop. Good hands. Doesn’t have post-up game. He is active defensively. Goes hard for an offensive rebound.
Benjamin Schroder (2/1, Germany, 6’3, 2003, Bayern Munich) is a combo guard and the best player of this team. Good athlete, explosive first step. Likes changing rhythm. Great mid-range game. Driver both ways and excellent finisher around the rim. Lacks some strength but manages to play through contact. Decent basketball IQ. His shooting mechanics are solid but he needs to extend the range. He is more of a scorer but able to create for others as well. Likes taking big shots in crucial moments of the game. Due to light weight he is having problems on defense. Looks like he will grow another inch or two, he is a late bloomer.
Jonas Marz (1/2, Germany, 6’3, 2003, Bayern Munich) is a quick, high energy scoring PG. He is the best shooter in his team, has deep range and his shot is fluid. Likes using hesitation dribbling and crossovers. Doesn’t have mid-range game. Strong right hand. Lacks some strength but he’s able to find solutions in traffic. Sometimes he gets out of control. In PnR he looks for his shot first. Aggressive on defense. Presses full court and has nose for steals. Gambling on defense which takes him out of position. Has a good floor vision in general but likes scoring more than passing.
Modibo Diaby (5, Republic of Mali, 6’7, 2003, Cluj) is an undersized center and the best player of this team. He is a decent athlete with long arms. Plays hard and with tremendous energy on both ends of the floor. Not really skilled but he compensates that with toughness. Needs to improve coordination. The best rebounder of this tournament, very aggressive at the glass. Solid free throw shooter that likes playing in contact. Not afraid of bigger and stronger players, likes to compete. Stronger right hand. Great hands for a big guy, can catch everything and intercepts a lot of passes. Solid basketball IQ. Always rolling to the basket in PnR situations. Excellent defender.
Seyi Sodiq Awogbemi (4/5, Nigeria, 6’8, 2003, Alba FEHÉRVÁR) is a talented, well-coordinated, long and skinny kid. Improved his toughness from the beginning of the season. He is a solid ball-handler for his height. Strong right hand, doesn’t use his left almost at all. Needs to work on body strength. Not consistent with his shot but his mechanics look ok and he takes threes occasionally. Despite lack of strength he finds ways to score the ball in the post. Goes on glass on both ends of the floor. When he gets the ball, he is not looking to pass. His mid-range game is solid. Gets in foul trouble against more physical players. Trying to play defense, but still has to learn how to use his length for that purpose.
Photo by: stellazzurra.it
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