The last 2006-born 2024 Eurohopes players ranking is out. This age group has a very particular story compared to the previous ones, since many players in the list are expected to be first round picks in the upcoming Draft and some of them have decided to play their first season out of youth stages in the NCAA. Egor Demin (BYU) and Kasparas Jakucionis have revamped their stocks by headlining HM programs, while at the same time players such as Hugo González, Nolan Traore or Noa Essengue are doing their best to cement their NBA status in European professional basketball. The 2006-born age group in Europe is especially strong in Guards and Forwards, and there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the competitive hopes many players have. Check out below which are the players who have climbed the most compared to our previous 2006-born TOP 50 list.
Kasparas Jakucionis (6'5, PG/SG, Illinois)
This is one of the updates with most changes in the TOP-5, and one of the welcomers is Kasparas Jakucionis. The 2006-born Lithuanian Guard has taken over the leading spot in the Illinois rotation and has placed himself in the Draft lottery discussions at this point.
The main thing with Jakucionis is that his floor as a basketball player is very high. Jakucionis is a mature player with an excellent competitive approach to the game, and that’s why he always plays with tension and makes the most of every small window the game offers. He has an elite skill, which is 3PT shooting, and he has done some strides as a main ball-handler, even though he’s more of a self-creator who can pass more than an advanced playmaker. However, having an elite skill, combined with the vast physical improvements he’s done and fine size and athleticism, give him the chance to succeed at the highest level.
It will be interesting to see, from now on, if Jakucionis can keep the level of production he has right now and what type of defensive and playmaking evolution we see during the season. If he demonstrates he can stay with guards at a good enough level, and he feels more comfortable setting plays and operating at the mid-range, his game will surely reach a new dimension and his status will be even better.
Ben Saraf (6'6, PG/SG, Ratiopharm Ulm)
After a crazy good FIBA U18 European Championship, Ben Saraf has taked a front seat in Ratiopharm Ulm’s program and has emerged as one of their leaders. The 6’6 Israelian PG possesses many valuable qualities, but the best one among all of them is how much he enjoys being competitive and creating fear in the opponent. We saw this in Summer, and it has translated perfectly to the professional stages.
As Jakucionis, Saraf does also have a very safe floor. His selling point is scoring, and all his game is built around the gravity his scoring threat carries, but he’s a pretty functional passer with an excellent ability to keep angles alive and create passing windows who understands at a high level the pick&roll game. Saraf, because of his size and poise, can hit a wide repertoire of passes and put his teammates in good positions to score. Despite not being the most explosive guy in the room, he can create separation with his opponent and get to the rim with good cadence and tight handles, and he does also have a really good L-R crossover that helps him take advantage of the width of his dribble. If finishing and shooting click, which are his main areas for improvement on the offensive end, there shouldn’t be much debate about him. Improving contact absorption and shooting release speed would be huge for him.
Defensively, Saraf projects well as an off the ball defender. He’s not the fastest or most reactive player in the class, but his ability to anticipate and how well he uses his size to tighten the defensive spaces are helpful attributes for his team.
Hannes Steinbach (6'10, C, Würzburg)
Steinbach is the type of big you can trust for the ugly work: he will get rebounds, defend the rim, work well through multiple pick&roll coverages and show a strong level of effectiveness scoring in the margins of the game. All of this is what he has been showing so far with the Würzburg this season when he has been a backup for the first team, and it was also a huge reason why the German U18 team succeeded last season.
And, while it will also be what he will be asked to do consistently in the upcoming stages in his career, it’s also good to see the amount of on ball reps he’s enjoying at the ProB level this season. Steinbach is shooting the ball from outside at a high volume with solid mechanics, he’s being allowed to push the pace in transition, and he’s getting the license to take the type of risk that will help us figure out where his ceiling sits.
Players who like contact and show toughness in the frontcourt usually are a safe bet, and that’s Steinbach’s case. If he’s able to add more qualities to his repertoire as the ones he’s working on as of right now, we will surely be discussing his case for a while.
Bruno Alocén (6'6, PG/SG, Indiana State)
Bruno Alocén stood out for a flawed U18 Spanish Team this Summer and put his name on the radar because of this event, but we shouldn’t be unfamiliar with his progresses before that stage. He was already a significant player for Manresa during the whole season, stepping up in big moments for their Junior team, and his physical and confidence meant a gigantic boost for him. Now, at Indiana State, he’s one of the international Freshmen playing most minutes in Division 1.
Bruno Alocén provides lineup flexibility. At the College level, he can fill any perimeter position on the defensive end, and he can also adjust to a more primary or secondary offensive role depending on the needs of the team. His solid spot-up shooting and relocation skills mean a lot to Indiana State, and he makes life easier for his teammates.
Alocén chose the College route as a more than likely 4-year path and decided to go to a program where he could enjoy playing time rather than a significant amount of money in the first stretch of the season, and as of right now it’s paying dividends.
Kasparas Jakucionis (6'5, PG/SG, Illinois)
This is one of the updates with most changes in the TOP-5, and one of the welcomers is Kasparas Jakucionis. The 2006-born Lithuanian Guard has taken over the leading spot in the Illinois rotation and has placed himself in the Draft lottery discussions at this point.
The main thing with Jakucionis is that his floor as a basketball player is very high. Jakucionis is a mature player with an excellent competitive approach to the game, and that’s why he always plays with tension and makes the most of every small window the game offers. He has an elite skill, which is 3PT shooting, and he has done some strides as a main ball-handler, even though he’s more of a self-creator who can pass more than an advanced playmaker. However, having an elite skill, combined with the vast physical improvements he’s done and fine size and athleticism, give him the chance to succeed at the highest level.
It will be interesting to see, from now on, if Jakucionis can keep the level of production he has right now and what type of defensive and playmaking evolution we see during the season. If he demonstrates he can stay with guards at a good enough level, and he feels more comfortable setting plays and operating at the mid-range, his game will surely reach a new dimension and his status will be even better.
Ben Saraf (6'6, PG/SG, Ratiopharm Ulm)
After a crazy good FIBA U18 European Championship, Ben Saraf has taked a front seat in Ratiopharm Ulm’s program and has emerged as one of their leaders. The 6’6 Israelian PG possesses many valuable qualities, but the best one among all of them is how much he enjoys being competitive and creating fear in the opponent. We saw this in Summer, and it has translated perfectly to the professional stages.
As Jakucionis, Saraf does also have a very safe floor. His selling point is scoring, and all his game is built around the gravity his scoring threat carries, but he’s a pretty functional passer with an excellent ability to keep angles alive and create passing windows who understands at a high level the pick&roll game. Saraf, because of his size and poise, can hit a wide repertoire of passes and put his teammates in good positions to score. Despite not being the most explosive guy in the room, he can create separation with his opponent and get to the rim with good cadence and tight handles, and he does also have a really good L-R crossover that helps him take advantage of the width of his dribble. If finishing and shooting click, which are his main areas for improvement on the offensive end, there shouldn’t be much debate about him. Improving contact absorption and shooting release speed would be huge for him.
Defensively, Saraf projects well as an off the ball defender. He’s not the fastest or most reactive player in the class, but his ability to anticipate and how well he uses his size to tighten the defensive spaces are helpful attributes for his team.
Hannes Steinbach (6'10, C, Würzburg)
Steinbach is the type of big you can trust for the ugly work: he will get rebounds, defend the rim, work well through multiple pick&roll coverages and show a strong level of effectiveness scoring in the margins of the game. All of this is what he has been showing so far with the Würzburg this season when he has been a backup for the first team, and it was also a huge reason why the German U18 team succeeded last season.
And, while it will also be what he will be asked to do consistently in the upcoming stages in his career, it’s also good to see the amount of on ball reps he’s enjoying at the ProB level this season. Steinbach is shooting the ball from outside at a high volume with solid mechanics, he’s being allowed to push the pace in transition, and he’s getting the license to take the type of risk that will help us figure out where his ceiling sits.
Players who like contact and show toughness in the frontcourt usually are a safe bet, and that’s Steinbach’s case. If he’s able to add more qualities to his repertoire as the ones he’s working on as of right now, we will surely be discussing his case for a while.
Bruno Alocén (6'6, PG/SG, Indiana State)
Bruno Alocén stood out for a flawed U18 Spanish Team this Summer and put his name on the radar because of this event, but we shouldn’t be unfamiliar with his progresses before that stage. He was already a significant player for Manresa during the whole season, stepping up in big moments for their Junior team, and his physical and confidence meant a gigantic boost for him. Now, at Indiana State, he’s one of the international Freshmen playing most minutes in Division 1.
Bruno Alocén provides lineup flexibility. At the College level, he can fill any perimeter position on the defensive end, and he can also adjust to a more primary or secondary offensive role depending on the needs of the team. His solid spot-up shooting and relocation skills mean a lot to Indiana State, and he makes life easier for his teammates.
Alocén chose the College route as a more than likely 4-year path and decided to go to a program where he could enjoy playing time rather than a significant amount of money in the first stretch of the season, and as of right now it’s paying dividends.
ADVERTISING
