By Pietro Cristofori
The 7th edition of the LBA Next Gen Cup has had its first stage of the season. Like in past years, this is a very good showcase for some of the best Italian talents in the U19 competition, where they are able to display their skills in front of many executives and decision-makers in the Italian men’s basketball landscape.
Let’s go through the performances of four of the prospects with the highest ceiling who displayed their talent in Verona at the beginning of December.
Patrick Hassan - 01/20/2007 (18.9), 6’2”, Point Guard, Italy, Aquila Trento
Hassan is turning into the best point guard in a stacked Italian 2007-born generation. This season, the 6’2” PG is gaining important minutes with the men’s team, and he’s the undisputed leader of the Aquila Trento U19 team.
Despite playing an inconsistent event, Hassan has always been under control on the floor, showing remarkable improvements in poise and maturity over the last few years. His motor and energy have always been above average for the Italian competition, and his explosiveness and toughness allow him to project at a high level in men’s and college basketball. He’s a three-level scorer with solid stop-and-go ability. He looked improved from a decision-making standpoint: he’s a scoring-first PG rather than a passing one, but he’s adding a facilitator dimension to his game, where he can use his burst and intensity to create advantages.
Cheickh Niang - 09/16/2008 (17.3), 6’5”, Small Forward, Senegal/Italy, Aquila Trento
Niang continues his rise, and after a remarkable 2024–25 season, where he won the U17 Italian National Finals and made his debut in the Italian first division, the 2008-born prospect has started at a high pace this season as well. In the 2025–26 season, the 6’5” small forward has consistently played in the LBA, and he showed up for the Next Gen Cup.
Throughout the event, Niang had some ups and downs, not being able to impact the second game against Brescia, but being dominant in the other two games, attacking the rim and putting pressure on the defense. While his three-point shot is still coming along, his motor and strength stand out. He has the mobility and fluidity to project at the guard spot, but he needs to work on his reads and ability to handle the offense all-around. At the moment, he’s comfortable playing at the 3 spot with slasher duties. A reliable defender at this level, he can switch from 1 to 3. A disruptive player on both ends of the floor.
Fallou Sow - 02/20/2007 (18.7), 6’3”, Shooting Guard, Italy, Napoli Basket
Sow played the tournament for Napoli Basket, on loan from Orange1 Bassano. The 6’3” guard has a high wingspan that allows him to play bigger than his size. Above-average athleticism and explosiveness give him an appealing mix of physical tools for the next level.
Compared to his role with his club, in this event Sow had the ball in his hands much more: he was able to create from the dribble and take some pull-up shots from the mid-range, where he posted good percentages. A solid spot-up shooter with a smooth and quick release. What makes Sow appealing for the next level is his defensive versatility. He can cover a lot of ground laterally, and he’s good at navigating screens. Despite lacking high-level ball-handling, Sow can act as a guard with secondary offensive duties, while being a Swiss army knife on the defensive end of the floor.
Sow is involved in the “Star Alliance” cooperation between Orange1 Bassano and Stellazzurra Rome, where players from the two teams compete in the Grind Session circuit. Sow’s athleticism has stood out against that level of competition as well.
Ivan Prato - 01/21/2007 (18.9), 6’10”, Center, Argentina, Varese Basketball
Prato stood out as one of the most talented big men in the entire event. With already significant experience at the international youth level, despite his very young age, the Argentine center played under control and with poise. He erupted for a 35-point performance in the second game vs Napoli Basket, being dominant in the paint and showing smooth touch around the rim. In the last game, vs APU Udine, he struggled to deal with the intensity brought by smaller-sized opponents. His frame is slowly filling in, and despite his average athleticism, he’s now ready to withstand a pro-level workload. At the moment, he’s still a tweener, a concern that has followed his development over the past seasons. Ultimately, he will most likely project at the 5 spot, with a reliable mid-range and three-point dimension.
Prato has been practicing with the LBA Varese team for a long time, and he’s also logging important minutes in the Italian fourth division. These experiences are having a big impact on his game.
The 7th edition of the LBA Next Gen Cup has had its first stage of the season. Like in past years, this is a very good showcase for some of the best Italian talents in the U19 competition, where they are able to display their skills in front of many executives and decision-makers in the Italian men’s basketball landscape.
Let’s go through the performances of four of the prospects with the highest ceiling who displayed their talent in Verona at the beginning of December.
Patrick Hassan - 01/20/2007 (18.9), 6’2”, Point Guard, Italy, Aquila Trento
Hassan is turning into the best point guard in a stacked Italian 2007-born generation. This season, the 6’2” PG is gaining important minutes with the men’s team, and he’s the undisputed leader of the Aquila Trento U19 team.
Despite playing an inconsistent event, Hassan has always been under control on the floor, showing remarkable improvements in poise and maturity over the last few years. His motor and energy have always been above average for the Italian competition, and his explosiveness and toughness allow him to project at a high level in men’s and college basketball. He’s a three-level scorer with solid stop-and-go ability. He looked improved from a decision-making standpoint: he’s a scoring-first PG rather than a passing one, but he’s adding a facilitator dimension to his game, where he can use his burst and intensity to create advantages.
Cheickh Niang - 09/16/2008 (17.3), 6’5”, Small Forward, Senegal/Italy, Aquila Trento
Niang continues his rise, and after a remarkable 2024–25 season, where he won the U17 Italian National Finals and made his debut in the Italian first division, the 2008-born prospect has started at a high pace this season as well. In the 2025–26 season, the 6’5” small forward has consistently played in the LBA, and he showed up for the Next Gen Cup.
Throughout the event, Niang had some ups and downs, not being able to impact the second game against Brescia, but being dominant in the other two games, attacking the rim and putting pressure on the defense. While his three-point shot is still coming along, his motor and strength stand out. He has the mobility and fluidity to project at the guard spot, but he needs to work on his reads and ability to handle the offense all-around. At the moment, he’s comfortable playing at the 3 spot with slasher duties. A reliable defender at this level, he can switch from 1 to 3. A disruptive player on both ends of the floor.
Fallou Sow - 02/20/2007 (18.7), 6’3”, Shooting Guard, Italy, Napoli Basket
Sow played the tournament for Napoli Basket, on loan from Orange1 Bassano. The 6’3” guard has a high wingspan that allows him to play bigger than his size. Above-average athleticism and explosiveness give him an appealing mix of physical tools for the next level.
Compared to his role with his club, in this event Sow had the ball in his hands much more: he was able to create from the dribble and take some pull-up shots from the mid-range, where he posted good percentages. A solid spot-up shooter with a smooth and quick release. What makes Sow appealing for the next level is his defensive versatility. He can cover a lot of ground laterally, and he’s good at navigating screens. Despite lacking high-level ball-handling, Sow can act as a guard with secondary offensive duties, while being a Swiss army knife on the defensive end of the floor.
Sow is involved in the “Star Alliance” cooperation between Orange1 Bassano and Stellazzurra Rome, where players from the two teams compete in the Grind Session circuit. Sow’s athleticism has stood out against that level of competition as well.
Ivan Prato - 01/21/2007 (18.9), 6’10”, Center, Argentina, Varese Basketball
Prato stood out as one of the most talented big men in the entire event. With already significant experience at the international youth level, despite his very young age, the Argentine center played under control and with poise. He erupted for a 35-point performance in the second game vs Napoli Basket, being dominant in the paint and showing smooth touch around the rim. In the last game, vs APU Udine, he struggled to deal with the intensity brought by smaller-sized opponents. His frame is slowly filling in, and despite his average athleticism, he’s now ready to withstand a pro-level workload. At the moment, he’s still a tweener, a concern that has followed his development over the past seasons. Ultimately, he will most likely project at the 5 spot, with a reliable mid-range and three-point dimension.
Prato has been practicing with the LBA Varese team for a long time, and he’s also logging important minutes in the Italian fourth division. These experiences are having a big impact on his game.
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