This Summer’s FIBA U20 European Championships have been the last chance for 2004-born European players to play at the FIBA youth categories tournaments. From 12th July to 21st July, Pitesti and Gdynia held the B and A events respectively, and it was a good chance to watch live the recent development of the players who took part in the event. Today, with the release of the newest 2004-born Eurohopes players ranking update, it’s a good moment to take a look at the players who helped themselves the most in the tournament.
Rafa Villar
Rafa Villar has been one of the best stories in the age group over the entire 2023/24 season, including Summer. He ended up being a reliable, starting-caliber PG at the LEB Oro level, played a key role in Lleida’s promotion and later, with the U20 team, he demonstrated he was a grown man playing against less experienced players. In a few weeks, he will already be a valuable part of a Liga Endesa 12-man rotation.
Villar, 20, has grown far from the spotlight during most of his years in youth categories. He developed as a floor-raiser with on-ball defensive value and as a low-usage facilitator on the offensive end, and he has been able to translate both things to the highest stages with excellent habits. In the U20, as well as during the season, we saw how Villar was able to contribute in the game with an outstanding level of defensive activity against ball-handlers, and he also assumed an important role in crunch time. His offensive ceiling will be determined by shooting: he can get to the rim going right in pick&roll and he doesn’t harm floor-spacing because his spatial awareness is good, but he’s just a consistent jumper away from adding a new leap to his career.
Zacharie Perrin
The FIBA U20 European Championship MVP sneaks in our TOP 5 after playing really impactful stretches of basketball this Summer. He will play for SLUC Nancy next season in LNB Pro A.
While there are still some legit question marks around if he will be a 4 or a 5 at the next level, Zacharie Perrin showed the type of offensive value he can bring to his team right now. The French NT lacked perimeter offense initiators, so they relied a lot on what they were able to produce by defending and transitioning and, when they had to play halfcourt offense, two important hubs were Noah Penda and Perrin. Perrin wasn’t at his best at perimeter shooting, but he demonstrated that he could attack his opponents off closeouts and pick&pop situations, and his passing on the drive and in short roll looked improved and highly valuable.
As well as spot-up shooting, defensive contribution and athleticism will be key elements for Zacharie Perrin’s growth. At the level he showed in Gdynia, he will certainly be a name to monitor.
Ioannis Karakostas
One of the most unknown players in the U20 Event. Karakostas caught many eyes in Gdynia because of his poise and manipulation skills in pick&roll actions. He ran the offense for a fun Greek NT and demonstrated an outstanding feel for hitting the roller. His chemistry with Vangelos Zougris was all over the place. Karakostas also displayed his strengths as a self-creator from the three-point line and got to his mid-range spots easily, where he was able to produce through runners and pull up shots. He lacks the athleticism and contact absorption ability to get to the rim and finish through contact, as well as he can work on improving at punishing the switch, but most of his game looks translatable to the next stages.
Matas Vokietaitis
Vokietaitis, who will play for Florida Atlantic University next year, had to solve a difficult role. Sharing rotation with a big like Motiejus Krivas isn’t easy because the margin for having an impact in the game is slight, but he managed to do so on both ends of the floor. As well as during the season in Lithuania, Vokietaitis has been able to contribute by using his high motor and mobility on both ends of the floor. This should help him to turn into a valuable contributor at the CBB level soon. White he still has some ways to go in terms of adding strength and some shooting range in his game, he’s already a solid play-finishing threat with good timing for cuts and rolls, and he makes the right read as a passer in easy, non-dribble situations. On the defensive end, his mix of lateral quickness, length, and coordination allowed him to be a valuable asset in switch schemes, and he also was able to provide some non-contact rim protection and smart rotations.
Rafa Villar
Rafa Villar has been one of the best stories in the age group over the entire 2023/24 season, including Summer. He ended up being a reliable, starting-caliber PG at the LEB Oro level, played a key role in Lleida’s promotion and later, with the U20 team, he demonstrated he was a grown man playing against less experienced players. In a few weeks, he will already be a valuable part of a Liga Endesa 12-man rotation.
Villar, 20, has grown far from the spotlight during most of his years in youth categories. He developed as a floor-raiser with on-ball defensive value and as a low-usage facilitator on the offensive end, and he has been able to translate both things to the highest stages with excellent habits. In the U20, as well as during the season, we saw how Villar was able to contribute in the game with an outstanding level of defensive activity against ball-handlers, and he also assumed an important role in crunch time. His offensive ceiling will be determined by shooting: he can get to the rim going right in pick&roll and he doesn’t harm floor-spacing because his spatial awareness is good, but he’s just a consistent jumper away from adding a new leap to his career.
Zacharie Perrin
The FIBA U20 European Championship MVP sneaks in our TOP 5 after playing really impactful stretches of basketball this Summer. He will play for SLUC Nancy next season in LNB Pro A.
While there are still some legit question marks around if he will be a 4 or a 5 at the next level, Zacharie Perrin showed the type of offensive value he can bring to his team right now. The French NT lacked perimeter offense initiators, so they relied a lot on what they were able to produce by defending and transitioning and, when they had to play halfcourt offense, two important hubs were Noah Penda and Perrin. Perrin wasn’t at his best at perimeter shooting, but he demonstrated that he could attack his opponents off closeouts and pick&pop situations, and his passing on the drive and in short roll looked improved and highly valuable.
As well as spot-up shooting, defensive contribution and athleticism will be key elements for Zacharie Perrin’s growth. At the level he showed in Gdynia, he will certainly be a name to monitor.
Ioannis Karakostas
One of the most unknown players in the U20 Event. Karakostas caught many eyes in Gdynia because of his poise and manipulation skills in pick&roll actions. He ran the offense for a fun Greek NT and demonstrated an outstanding feel for hitting the roller. His chemistry with Vangelos Zougris was all over the place. Karakostas also displayed his strengths as a self-creator from the three-point line and got to his mid-range spots easily, where he was able to produce through runners and pull up shots. He lacks the athleticism and contact absorption ability to get to the rim and finish through contact, as well as he can work on improving at punishing the switch, but most of his game looks translatable to the next stages.
Matas Vokietaitis
Vokietaitis, who will play for Florida Atlantic University next year, had to solve a difficult role. Sharing rotation with a big like Motiejus Krivas isn’t easy because the margin for having an impact in the game is slight, but he managed to do so on both ends of the floor. As well as during the season in Lithuania, Vokietaitis has been able to contribute by using his high motor and mobility on both ends of the floor. This should help him to turn into a valuable contributor at the CBB level soon. White he still has some ways to go in terms of adding strength and some shooting range in his game, he’s already a solid play-finishing threat with good timing for cuts and rolls, and he makes the right read as a passer in easy, non-dribble situations. On the defensive end, his mix of lateral quickness, length, and coordination allowed him to be a valuable asset in switch schemes, and he also was able to provide some non-contact rim protection and smart rotations.
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