From March 25th to March 27th, Patras hosted the 2nd stage of the adidas Next Generation Tournament. Stellazzurra Rome got the ticket to Belgrade Final Four, after winning the Championship game vs Maccabi. Next Generation Team got the last step of the podium beating Barcelona. Our Director of Scouting Eugenio Agostinelli, together with Assistant to the Director of Scouting Luka Drca, answer some questions about the tournament.

Who was the best player in the competition?
Luka Drca: The Best Player award of this tournament was well deserved by Matteo Visintin. This kid is the heart of Stellazzurra team. Great motor. Skilled and tough. Takes responsibilities when necessary. Always productive on both ends of the floor. Would love seeing this kid on the next level.
Eugenio Agostinelli: Pacome Dadiet and Alexandros Samontourov showed us so many nice things. French lengthy wing from Paris Basketball, Dadiet is so smooth in everything he does, but also consistent when it comes to be productive. He can score the ball in many ways, and his combo of size and skillset makes him so fun to watch. Samontourov left everybody impressed for being a 6’10 do-it-all player. He knocks down 3s with pretty good release, being able also to push the ball full court and finish with a dunk. Defensively he’s a Swiss army knife: covers a lot of ground with his arms and solid footwork, and has good timing to block or change almost every shot inside the paint.
 
Who was the player that surprised you the most?
Luka: Alexandros Samontourov is for sure one of the top 3 prospects from this tournament. Very agile and mobile big man. Able to put the ball on the floor. Always at the right spot at the right time. Needs to improve on the defensive end of the floor even though he is solid shot blocker.
Pacome Dadiet is the guard that has all the tools to become NBA player. Strong and athletic. If he improves consistency in shooting, he will become a complete player on both ends of the floor.
Eugenio: I must say that Tunde Fasasi left me a good impression. This Swedish swingman has wide frame, while footwork and toughness are still work in progress. He displayed solid bounce and instincts. Scoring efficiency was erratic - especially from the perimeter - but watching him attacking the rack, and trying to posterize bigs a couple of times, was pretty good. And let me add one more: Olavi Suutela, 6’8, 2006-born from HBA. Complete late bloomer, he didn’t have much playing time besides the final game. Has long arms and really wide shoulders, and it looks like he could grow some inches more. He’s a player who’s worth keeping track.
 
It was the guards’ tournament with remarcable performances. Which one impressed you the most?
Luka: Even though Matteo Visintin was the MVP he has been participated in a few ANGTs so far, and he just proved he can be solid player for European leagues. The guard that had a good showing is Tunde Fasasi. Talented big guard standing at 6’7, solid athlete with good feeling for the game. Tall big handler that is able to play the pick&roll and create for others as well.
Eugenio: Despite Miro Little had a great showing, I’d like to highlight Rafa Villar’s tournament. He was the heart and soul of Barcelona, and arguably the best defender on the perimeter in the competition. He loves to finish at the rim, being able to play through contacts. He’s good in involving his teammates in the game, feeding them while driving and kicking the ball out. On defense he has really nice instincts and strong hands, always putting full-court pressure.
 
Who was the most intriguing, among the ANGT freshmen?
Luka: Here I would point out a kid from Olympiacos Apostolos Nikolaidis. This kid is very talented PG. 2006-born, not afraid of contact and challenges. Plays with poise. Able to make plays for teammates as well as to score in multiple ways. Secondly, the kid from Israel Ben Saraf who played for ANGT Patras showed some potential. Even though most of the time he played PG his natural position is SG. He is shifty, crafty, lefty SG.
Eugenio: Mohamed Diawara needs to be mentioned of course. Paris Basketball forward was limited with some physical issues, but showed glimpses as an impressively versatile scorer at 6’10, with a wide array of moves for his size. Hit some tough long-range shots with smooth release. He loves grabbing the rebound and leading the break with nice handle, also with nice looks sharing the ball. Conditioning still needs a lot of work.
 
Matteo Visintin (MVP), Rafa Villar, Miro Little, Ofri Naveh, Alexandros Samontourov. What’s your take on the tournament’s Best-5?
Luka: All the kids deserved their spots in the All-Tournament team. I would only add Pacome Dadiet to this list, as this kid is one of the best prospects from ANGT Patras.
Eugenio: I totally agree with you, Dadiet deserved to be in this lineup. Ofri Naveh is a fair award for a team, Maccabi, that wasn’t among the top-tier teams at the beginning, but ended with a well-deserved 2nd place, and the guy had a really solid tournament.
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