By Luka Drca
Final Four of Junior Adriatic League was held in Slavonski Brod, Croatia from the 6th to the 7th of April. Cibona Zagreb clinched the title beating Red Star Belgrade in the finals. Igokea won the third place and Cedevita Zagreb finished last.
All-Tournament Team: Roko Prkacin (Cibona Zagreb), Sandro Rasic (Cibona Zagreb), Rok Radovic (Cedevita), Dalibor Ilic (Igokea) and Bojan Tomasevic (Red Star Belgrade)
MVP: Roko Prkacin (Cibona Zagreb)
Roko Prkacin (‘02) CIBONA ZAGREB
The most skilled and talented player of this tournament. 6’7 guard that can play 1-4. Point guard in the body of power forward. Athletic, explosive and long. Driver both ways and good finisher through contact. He improved shooting a lot from the last year and his form looks good now. Plays with poise and confidence. Floor leader. Excellent floor vision and high basketball IQ. Elite rebounder on both ends of the floor. Good defender on and off the ball.
Sandro Rasic (‘01) CIBONA ZAGREB
6’4 SG with strong and compact body. An average athlete. Great shooter. Doesn’t do much besides shooting but this kid can make shots in series. Spot up shooter. Moves well on offense and always trying to be available for a shot.
Two kids worth mentioning from Cibona team are Lovro Gnjidic (‘01) and Danko Brankvoic (‘00). Lovro is a 6’6 combo guard that likes playing PnR and Danko is a center standing at 7’2 that is soft and has great mid-range game. Danko is lacking physicality and post-up game so far.
Nemanja Popovic (’01) RED STAR BELGRADE
Talented PF standing at 6’9. Solid athlete with high basketball IQ and soft touch around the rim. Needs to improve his shooting in general. Didn’t play particularly well this tournament: he was matching up against other 2 best prospect of this tournament Prkacin and Ilic and he was losing energy on defense.
Bojan Tomasevic (‘01) RED STAR BELGRADE
This kid was the best player of Red Star team during this tournament. He is undersized, pre-matured PF standing at around 6’7. Plays hard and with energy. An average athlete. Solid spot up shooter. Active on the glass on both ends. Understands the game and plays within his limits.
The kids worth mentioning are Marko Pavicevic (‘01) and Lazar Vasic (‘01). Marko is a center standing at 6’9 with good hands and high basketball IQ, but slow and a below average athlete. Lazar is a quick and explosive PG with good motor.
Dalibor Ilic (‘00) IGOKEA
6’9 PF with elite body and athleticism. Explosive and long. Light on his feet and with great leaping ability. Strong right hand. Can handle the ball and make plays for others. Excellent rebounder on both ends of the floor. Good passer from the post, but lacks scoring post-up game. Questionable shooting form and he definitely needs to improve this segment of his game. Can guard 1-4 due to his athleticism but pretty soft defending post-up players.
Dusan Neskovic (‘00) IGOKEA
6’6 wing with strong body. Above average athlete with long and explosive first step. Driver first. Strong driver to the right. Great finisher through contact. Solid shooting mechanics and good spot up shooter. Competitive kid who steps out on the floor ready to play every time.
A player worth mentioning is Kosta Kondic (‘01). He is a quick and explosive PG standing at 6’3. Good shooter from the 3-point line. Solid floor vision and active on defense.
Rok Radovic (‘01) CEDEVITA
6’6 SG with good body frame. Strong body, likes contact but he’s an average athlete. Driver both ways. Good mid-range game. Questionable basketball IQ, once the ball gets in his hands he doesn’t look to pass it. High-level defender, always guarding the best opponents’ guards.
Matej Bosnjak (‘02) CEDEVITA
This kid is 6’8 PF/C with solid body frame. An average athlete but well-coordinated. Not afraid of contact and plays through it. Good basketball IQ with great passing ability. Good mid-range shot but inconsistent free throw shooter. Patient in the low post, scores with a right hook shot. Good defensive rebounder. Tough kid overall.
Vito Cubrilo (‘00) CEDEVITA
6’4 shooting guard. Great shooter, can shoot coming off staggers and off the dribble. Plays PnR well. Makes plays for others. Driver both ways. He is playing with the flow of the game. Defensively he is not gambling and tries to stay in front of the opponent.
A player worth mentioning is Aleksa Gataric (‘02). 6’2 PG who is physically a late bloomer. Solid athlete with great understanding of the game.
Photo: Krunoslav Gruicic
Final Four of Junior Adriatic League was held in Slavonski Brod, Croatia from the 6th to the 7th of April. Cibona Zagreb clinched the title beating Red Star Belgrade in the finals. Igokea won the third place and Cedevita Zagreb finished last.
All-Tournament Team: Roko Prkacin (Cibona Zagreb), Sandro Rasic (Cibona Zagreb), Rok Radovic (Cedevita), Dalibor Ilic (Igokea) and Bojan Tomasevic (Red Star Belgrade)
MVP: Roko Prkacin (Cibona Zagreb)
Roko Prkacin (‘02) CIBONA ZAGREB
The most skilled and talented player of this tournament. 6’7 guard that can play 1-4. Point guard in the body of power forward. Athletic, explosive and long. Driver both ways and good finisher through contact. He improved shooting a lot from the last year and his form looks good now. Plays with poise and confidence. Floor leader. Excellent floor vision and high basketball IQ. Elite rebounder on both ends of the floor. Good defender on and off the ball.
Sandro Rasic (‘01) CIBONA ZAGREB
6’4 SG with strong and compact body. An average athlete. Great shooter. Doesn’t do much besides shooting but this kid can make shots in series. Spot up shooter. Moves well on offense and always trying to be available for a shot.
Two kids worth mentioning from Cibona team are Lovro Gnjidic (‘01) and Danko Brankvoic (‘00). Lovro is a 6’6 combo guard that likes playing PnR and Danko is a center standing at 7’2 that is soft and has great mid-range game. Danko is lacking physicality and post-up game so far.
Nemanja Popovic (’01) RED STAR BELGRADE
Talented PF standing at 6’9. Solid athlete with high basketball IQ and soft touch around the rim. Needs to improve his shooting in general. Didn’t play particularly well this tournament: he was matching up against other 2 best prospect of this tournament Prkacin and Ilic and he was losing energy on defense.
Bojan Tomasevic (‘01) RED STAR BELGRADE
This kid was the best player of Red Star team during this tournament. He is undersized, pre-matured PF standing at around 6’7. Plays hard and with energy. An average athlete. Solid spot up shooter. Active on the glass on both ends. Understands the game and plays within his limits.
The kids worth mentioning are Marko Pavicevic (‘01) and Lazar Vasic (‘01). Marko is a center standing at 6’9 with good hands and high basketball IQ, but slow and a below average athlete. Lazar is a quick and explosive PG with good motor.
Dalibor Ilic (‘00) IGOKEA
6’9 PF with elite body and athleticism. Explosive and long. Light on his feet and with great leaping ability. Strong right hand. Can handle the ball and make plays for others. Excellent rebounder on both ends of the floor. Good passer from the post, but lacks scoring post-up game. Questionable shooting form and he definitely needs to improve this segment of his game. Can guard 1-4 due to his athleticism but pretty soft defending post-up players.
Dusan Neskovic (‘00) IGOKEA
6’6 wing with strong body. Above average athlete with long and explosive first step. Driver first. Strong driver to the right. Great finisher through contact. Solid shooting mechanics and good spot up shooter. Competitive kid who steps out on the floor ready to play every time.
A player worth mentioning is Kosta Kondic (‘01). He is a quick and explosive PG standing at 6’3. Good shooter from the 3-point line. Solid floor vision and active on defense.
Rok Radovic (‘01) CEDEVITA
6’6 SG with good body frame. Strong body, likes contact but he’s an average athlete. Driver both ways. Good mid-range game. Questionable basketball IQ, once the ball gets in his hands he doesn’t look to pass it. High-level defender, always guarding the best opponents’ guards.
Matej Bosnjak (‘02) CEDEVITA
This kid is 6’8 PF/C with solid body frame. An average athlete but well-coordinated. Not afraid of contact and plays through it. Good basketball IQ with great passing ability. Good mid-range shot but inconsistent free throw shooter. Patient in the low post, scores with a right hook shot. Good defensive rebounder. Tough kid overall.
Vito Cubrilo (‘00) CEDEVITA
6’4 shooting guard. Great shooter, can shoot coming off staggers and off the dribble. Plays PnR well. Makes plays for others. Driver both ways. He is playing with the flow of the game. Defensively he is not gambling and tries to stay in front of the opponent.
A player worth mentioning is Aleksa Gataric (‘02). 6’2 PG who is physically a late bloomer. Solid athlete with great understanding of the game.
Photo: Krunoslav Gruicic
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