By Luka Drca
 
Ivan Fevrier (‘99) - 6’9, PF, FRANCE
Lacks elite size and is an average athlete. Has solid basketball IQ. Plays very hard, high-level motor and physical attitude. Averaged 14.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists. Positions himself well, finds ways to score around the rim. Can score in the low post but doesn’t have many solutions. Very good rebounder, chases the ball outside of his area. Inconsistent shooter, has solid mid range shot and has improved his three-point efficiency. Good defender off the ball but struggles on the ball because of his poor explosiveness.
 
Philipp Herkenhoff (‘99) - 6’10, PF, GERMANY
Named in the All-Tournament Team. An intriguing body frame, long and fluid, but just an average athlete. High center of gravity which limits his efficiency as a low post player. Stretch power forward who averaged 16 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3 assists for third-placed Germany. Mostly comfortable shooting off the catch, can attack the closeout with couple of dribbles. Solid playmaking ability for a big guy, can handle the ball a bit and push it in transition. Doesn’t like much physical contact: needs to improve toughness and gain some strength.
 
Georgios Kalaitzakis (‘99) - 6’7, SG, GREECE
Was the tournament’s top scorer. Versatile and long guard with excellent size, just an average athlete though. Driver with strong right hand, doesn’t like much to use his right one. Can make open threes but tends to overtrust his shot, which is still inconsistent; settles on jumpers, doesn’t like to go all the way to the basket. Good defensive rebounder and comfortable in the open court, loves to push the transition. Tries to get into contact and able to draw fouls, averaged 10 free throws per game; doesn’t finish well against contact though. Tries to steal the ball on defensive which gets him out of position, doesn’t have great lateral quickness. Averaged 19.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists in 30 minutes.
 
Dimitrios Moraitis (’99) - 6’4, PG/SG, GREECE
Strong combo guard with developed body. Has solid quickness and changes speed well, but has just average explosiveness. Aggressive, always in attack mode, tends to attack with his head down but has improved his control and overall decision making. Good vision in the halfcourt. Scorer-first mentality, fearless attacking the rim, pushes hard the ball in transition. Can easily finish through contacts. His shooting ability still comes and goes, but has improved significantly his range an overall efficiency. Aggressive defender, puts high pressure on the ball, has quick hands. Averaged 16.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 7 assists, 3.1 steals.
 
Deni Avdija (‘01) - 6’9, SF, ISRAEL
MVP of the tournament and the most complete player in attendance. Highly productive.   He plays with edge and good energy, tough player who is willing to take responsibilities. Extremely fluid in everything he does. Intelligent player with good floor vision, can have some bad turnovers because of shallow mistakes. Better driver than shooter, mainly drives to the right. Has a leader mentality. Improved defensively this tournament. Averaged 18.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists.
 
Yam Madar (‘00) - 6’3, PG, ISRAEL
Had a breakout tournament and was named in the All-Tournament Team. Averaged 15.9 point, 7.7 assists, 3.1 rebounds in 31 minutes per game. High energy point guard with good vision and scoring talent. Solid athlete that is pretty quick, plays with high speed. Good P&R player. Excellent mid-range game. Good finisher around the rim. Doesn’t take many three point shots but when he does it is with decent percentage (47.6%). Plays with poise. Aggressive defender, puts pressure on the ball, has quick hands and plays well on the passing lanes.
 
Guglielmo Caruso (’99) - 6’9, PF, ITALY
Long and mobile big with solid athleticism. Runs the court, moves well for his size. Catches ad finishes easily around the rim. High release thanks to his wingspan. Can score with a baby hook in the low post. Jump shot looks ok, has potential to expand his range even though didn’t shoot much from outside in Tel Aviv. Doesn’t deal well with contact, needs to improve his frame and become more physical. Intriguing potential on defense, has decent footwork; excellent shot blocker thanks to his mobility, timing, length. Averaged 13.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 blocks.

Lukas Uleckas (‘99) - 6’7, SG/SF, LITHUANIA
Sized wing with elite shooting ability. Quick and high release, consistent form. Takes more threes than twos, but he’s a versatile shooter being able to score both off the catch and off the dribble. No hesitation in shooting. Lives out of his jump shot, doesn’t attack the rim to score. Has good vision and timing as a passer, even though most of the times tends to shoot. Improved as a ball-handler, but lacks burst. His focus on defense comes and goes. Averaged 14.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists.
 
Arnas Velicka (‘99) - 6’4, PG, LITHUANIA
Good body frame for a PG, strong and with good size. Quick and sometimes out of control. Needs ball in his hands to be productive, but his decision making is questionable at times, takes too many bad shots. Can drive both ways and he’s able to finish through contact. Streaky shooter from the three-point line, has good form but his shot selection brings his percentages down. Due to his size he is able to see over defenders and make passes, has good vision and passing skills. Averaged 16.4 points, 6.6 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals in 28.6 minutes.
 
Marko Simonovic (‘99) - 7’0, C, MONTENEGRO
Interesting body frame, decent athlete. Runs the floor well, attacks the basket without the ball. Dynamic rebounder, chases the ball outside of his area. Mostly finishes from out of catch and finish situations or second chance points; good hands to catch and finish, reliable P&R option. Decent mid-range shot, can step out to three point line to shoot off the catch. Needs to improve his toughness and defensive mobility. Top rebounder in the competition, averaged 17.3 points and 13 rebounds per game.
 
Lukasz Kolenda (‘99) - 6’4, PG, POLAND
Quick and strong combo guard with poor length and leaping ability. Lefty, but can finish with either hand; has natural pull up jumper. Driver first, aggressive mentality, goes out of control sometimes. Takes a lot of bad shots, decision making is below average. Scorer-first mentality, has good vision and passing skills but his ability as a point guard is average. Aggressive defender when he wants it, but has poor motor on the defensive end and some key physical and athletic limitations. Averaged 17.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4 assists and 4.3 turnovers per game.
 
Marko Pecarski (‘00), 6’9, PF/C, SERBIA
Left once again mixed impressions, still playing a positive tournament in general. Really talented offensively, can score around the rim with both hands. High-level sense of position. Able to put the ball on the floor from the perimeter, makes good use of fakes. Solid range and good shooting mechanics, but his shot selection is up and down, doesn’t pass the ball out. Excellent rebounder, quick hands and great instincts. Lacks some strength and lateral quickness, below average athlete. Poor defender, both because of poor effort and below average athletic tools. Averaged 18.5 points and 8.8 rebounds.
 
Carlos Alocen (‘00) - 6’4, PG, SPAIN
Was named in the All-Tournament Team. Averaged 11.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists. Solid quickness and explosiveness, plays at good speed for his size. Modern PG, able to both pass and score. Driver both ways. Struggles finishing through contact. Needs to improve three-point shooting, has improved as a shooter but he’s still streaky. High-level vision, quick decisions coming out of the P&R. Has good feet for his size on defense.
 
Sergi Martinez (’99) - 6’7, PF, SPAIN
Named in the All-Tournament Team, averaged 13.3 points and 6.3 rebounds for second-placed Spain. Undersized inside player with strong frame and good footwork. Scores in the paint, mainly through power moves. Can attack opposing forwards off the dribble. Handles easily physical contact and finishes strong at the rim. Rarely changes pace in his game though. Very good rebounder, plays with high motor, not afraid to compete physically. Still no improvements in his jump shot, below average shooter, doesn’t stretch the floor from outside the three point line.
 
Onuralp Bitim (‘99) - 6’5, SG, TURKEY
Strong scoring guard with strong frame and solid athleticism. Loves to handle the ball, has a strong first step and changes speed easily. Understands the game well and possesses all the tools to be elite guard, but sometimes his decision making and shot selection go off. Shooter, driver both ways, can easily pull up off the dribble, has great balance in his shot. Lacks the energy and motivation sometimes, body language is up and down. Averaged 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists in 27.4 minutes.







Photo by fiba.basketball
 
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