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By Eric Guilleminault and Davide Bortoluzzi

The 2015 Under 20 European Championships were comprised of mainly 1995 and 1996 born players and lacked the star power when we first reported on this generation of players in 2013 at the U18 European Championships http://www.nbadraft.net/under-18-european-championships-top-prospects. Some of the stars that played in 2013 were busy in Las Vegas playing Summer League (Kristaps Porzingis and Damien Inglis) and other talented international prospects did not participate for various reasons (Marko Arapovic  and Lovro Mazalin of Croatia, Anzejs Pasecniks of Latvia, Kenan Sipahi of Turkey, and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk of Ukraine for example).  This particularly hurt the national teams of Croatia, France and Latvia’s golden generation. Only France was able to make it to the semi finals. While the talent has watered downed since 2013, it also allowed some fresh talent to showcase their abilities.

Mid First Rounder:

Domantas Sabonis, 1996, Gonzaga via Lithuania PF/ C:

Sabonis after a strong showing at the Nike Skills academy continued his strong summer leading the tournament in rebounding averaging 13.2 per game and double doubles with 5.  He also broke the tournament record by grabbing 28 rebounds in a single game. The unquestionable leader of the Lithuanian team this experience should help his growth as performance expectations in Spokane are much greater entering his sophomore season. -EG

Potential First Rounder:

Guerschon Yabusele, 1995, France PF:

After pool play, France was rated the best defensive team in the tournament and this was due in large part to their formidable front line. Yabusele may only stand 6’7 tall but he has the wingspan to cause havoc and made the two most athletic plays of the entire tournament (Dunk https://youtu.be/T_-NofZm05o , block shot https://youtu.be/5JUfgk27BxQ) His long wingspan allowed him to deflect and steal balls in the post and recover and alter shots. His strong base allows him to hold strong position in the post. He is strong around the basket has good hands and good touch. He’s shown the ability to play a finesse style and avoid charges. His statistics are not jaw dropping in the tournament because of the terrible guard play of the French team other than Luwawu and the depth France had in the post. Ideally NBA team would prefer a couple more inches of height (see 2015 Montrezl Harrell draft  stock). He needs to continue to work on his mid range game to fully maximize his strengths as a player. -EG

Early Second rounder/Late First:

Timothe Luwawu, 1995, France, SG:

After the injury of Axel Bouteille, Luwawu was the only non post player who didn’t seem overmatched for France. This allowed Luwawu to showcase his playmaking skills.  Luwawu was probably the best one on one player in the tournament. He possesses a quick first step and good handles. He has a very good mid range jumper and is creative around the basket. He is good in the catch and shoot. While he was one of the better athletes in this tournament, he’s probably just average by NBA standards. To solidify his chances as a late first rounder / early second rounder he needs to get stronger but more importantly expand his range. He has good percentages at the free throw stripe and inside the 3 point line but his work behind the line needs improving. He shot 22% from three during the tourney and his 3 point progress over the season with Mega Leks is sure to be monitored. -EG

Other Potential Draft Picks:

Petr Cornelie, 1995, PF/C, France

Cornelie was part of France’s formidable front line that forced opponents out of the post (1.2 blocks in less than 20 minutes of play). He possesses a quick first step for a big man and has good dexterity and agility. He can run the floor and is a good defender on the pick and roll. He’s tall and long and shot the 3 ball at a 43% clip. So why is he not the top prospect?  He needs to put on weight or at the very least get stronger.  On offense he gets pushed around when his back is to the basket. Incidental contact in the post and around the basket alters his shot. Despite that he shot over 50% from the field because of his athleticism. As mentioned, he has good range but is a very poor free throw shooter. At the free throw line and in pick and pop situations, he tends to rush his shot. Given his height and his potential as a stretch 4 it is likely that NBA teams will eventually take a flyer on him. -EG

Alpha Kaba 1996, PF /C, France:

Kaba played limited minutes for France as Cornelie and Yabusele’s main back up.  When in the game he seemed longer and stronger than the starters.  He was strong in the post and an intimidator around the basket.  There was however a significant drop off in transition speed when he was in the game and he replaced either of the aforementioned starters. -EG

Okben Ulubay: 1996, SF, Turkey

Okben continues to have a disappointing summer. Unlike in U19s, Ulubay was not overshadowed by the more talented Kormaz and while he continues to show moments of brilliance and creativity, even his supporters have begun to become impatient with his development. In one instance, the lefty will break down a much shorter guard with a crossover and sweep by to the hole and in the very next play he will turn it over and intentionally foul his opponent. Ulubay can create for others and for himself, making improbable floaters with various degree of difficulty. But he looks aloof at times. Defense does not seem a priority and he needs to be crisper at times in order to not make careless turnovers.  He is a talented player but some scouts have not forgiven him for misrepresenting his age at the U16 and to compound it with his cavalier attitude may hurt his chances of ever getting drafted. -EG

Roland Smits 1995, PF, Latvia

In 2013, Smits played a secondary role behind Porzingis and Pasecniks on the front line.  In this tournament he was the featured player on the Latvian team. He averaged 14.6 ppg and 9.1 reb for the tournament.  At 6’8, Smits is a tweener between the 3/4 and does not possess strong athletic attributes nor much height, but he is a smart basketball player that has good strength, good hands, and knows how to create space around the rim.  He needs to be more consistent with his back down, post fade away but hit it on enough occasions that you get the feeling that he is not so far off from it becoming a real weapon.  He shot 32% from 3 and 76% from the charity stripe.  He’s a very solid player who may not be drafted but will always intrigue teams because of his basketball IQ and skill set. -EG

Rade Zagorac 1995, SG, Serbia

Zagorac was one of the pillars of the Serbian golden team, along with Guduric sharing the responsibility of top offensive option. Standing 6-8, he showed terrific size for the role combined with an amazing wingspan. He lacks explosiveness and general speed, but he’s able to use his size combined with good fakes, and change of speed and direction. This has led to some improvements on his ability to attack the basket and to draw contact. He has range and with his size he’s able to shoot over defenders without much difficulty, but he needs to work on his consistency and on his release (30% from 3 points over the competition). He finished with 11.4 points and 7.6 rebounds. -DB

Nedim Buza 1995, SG,  Bosnia and Herzegovina

Buza was 3rd in tournament in scoring at 16.6 per game, second in steals at 2.4, and 11th in rebounds at 7.3, as the only standout talent on a rather weak Bosnian team. Buza is definitely a streaky sharp shooter, showing remarkable mechanics, fluid and quick release basically from every range. Over the competition he also showed improvements in attacking the basket, and to create his shot from off the dribble, since he was already effective in using off the floor game. The biggest question marks about him are related to his limited athleticism and quickness and to the poor level of competition (1st Bosnian division) he has faced over the last couple of years. -DB

Ilimane Diop 1995, C, Spain

Diop showed no significant signs of improvement during the tournament. We can say he’s basically the same player seen over the past 3 years. He’s quick and mobile, showing the ability to screen and be mobile on both ends of the court, furthermore he has the potential to develop a solid jumper from midrange, even if he’s not consistent. On the other side, his physical strength is still too weak to battle under the boards, and his post game is simply not effective – too mechanical and not fluid – also due to the limited handle. He closed the competition with 8.0 pts and 7.3 rbs. -DB

Honorable Mention:

Emmanuel Lecomte, 1995, PG, Belgium

The 5’11 point guard led his country to its best finish and the tournament in scoring at 19.6 points per game. Kudos to those two great achievements and while he was great at the free throw line and inside the arc, at his height the Miami Hurricane needs to develop a 3 point game to garner more interest from scouts. -EG

Ognjen Jaramaz, 1995, PG, Serbia

Jaramaz is a 6’3 combo guard who recently participated at the Eurocamp in Treviso. He was third in the tournament in 3 point percentage at 45.2%, went strong to the hole on occasions and had a couple strong dunks. He was one of the better point guards in the tournament but needs to work on his shot selection while creating for himself as he only shot 35% inside the 3. Like Zagorac he led his team to a the European U20 championship. -EG

Axel Bouteille 1995, SF, France:

Bouteille started the tournament strong having strong performances against both Croatia and Bosnia, but faded and was unable to complete the tournament due to injury. He is best without the ball making cuts and filling the lane so playmakers can kick it to him for an open shot. He is deceptively athletic, making some strong baseline one dribble move and finishing at the rim. However he is not an elite shooter nor a strong shot creator and at 6’6 does not possess ideal small forward height.  He’s a good fundamental player, but does not really possess the tools to become anything more than a role player. -EG

Berk Urgulu:  1996, PG, Turkey

Urgulu after having played in the U19 Championships in Greece played in this tournament. At 6’3 he possesses good height and strength for the guard position but unfortunately does not possess great speed or athleticism.  His international career for Turkey has been good having won the bronze both at this tournament and at the U19 Worlds in Greece. He has a good floater and can hit the open shot but does not blow by opponents and may have a hard time staying in front of top point guards. -EG

Juan Hernangomez 1995, PF, Spain

Hernangomez was the most consistent player for the Spanish team that clinched the second spot in the tournament, finishing with 14.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. The player of Estudiantes Madrid has a great motor, showing great quickness and effectiveness in the transition game. He has a great sense of position and leaping abilities, being a really solid rebounder for his size. Currently he can be considered a tweener, as his transition to a potential role of SF is still ongoing (29% from three points during the competition, even if he has shown good range) and he lacks a solid post game. But his energy, intangibles and fundamentals make him probably the best remaining prospect of the ’95 Spanish generation. -DB

Simone Fontecchio 1995, SF, Italy

The next NBA hope for Italian hoops was the most talented player of the home team, and of the few players on the roster with scoring abilities. After having shined during last season, becoming a legit NBA prospect, Fontecchio struggled during the competition, lacking consistency and shot selection (27% from 3 point during the tournament). He showed some glimpses of talent, especially during the victory over France to advance to the second round, but he struggled with the burden to be the leader of the home team, in fact he was also ejected during the first round showing a lack of composure. -DB

Marko Guduric 1995 SG, Serbia

The MVP of the championship was also the top scorer of the winning team, finishing with 13.4 pts and 4.1 rebounds per game. He grew up with the youth teams of Red Star Belgrade and he’s currently playing with the satellite team of FMP in first Serbian division. Guduric was a consistent offensive threat, especially in primary and secondary transition situations, showing the ability to attack the rim. In addition he showed solid three point skills, especially as a spot up shooter (46 % from the range during the competition). He excels in high post, but he tends to struggle when he has to create from the driblle in half court, showing the need to improve his midrange game. -DB

Emircan Kosut 1995, C, Turkey

Kosut was one of the few true big men playing in the tournament, in a rather disappointing Turkish national team, which was lacking some of the top talents (Sipahi and Osman over all). Standing 6-11, he has good size and a good wingspan, which combined with a good mobility and timing makes him a solid rim protector. He has good instincts as a rebounder, especially in the offensive side. His game is based on facing the basket, and on offense he needs to be served, struggling to create from the post. He has intriguing potential showing good range, but he needs to improve his post game and his body. He finished the competition with 10.3 pts and 7.4 rbs. -DB

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10 Comments

  1. I only watched some of

     I only watched some of France’s games and I don’t entirely agree with some of the stuff you said.

     Luwawu is a solid athlete even by NBA standard,has terrific length,but he doesn’t have "good handles" to me. His shooting will come when he’ll have the legs to shoot 3s,but he has to tighten up his handle. He’ll be a late first to me,considering he’s a very good defender already,and very good passer.

    Cornelie has terrible footwork but terrific touch,and that’s why he’s so efficient. If you give him the ball inside and he’s got solid position,he scores every time because of his touch. But if you ask him to post up and dribble a few times,he’ll get out of control and try to bail himself out with a dangerous pass.

    Both of them will be late first,early second to me.

    Alpha Kaba is just so raw at the moment.

     

     

     

  2. I only watched some of

     I only watched some of France’s games and I don’t entirely agree with some of the stuff you said.

     Luwawu is a solid athlete even by NBA standard,has terrific length,but he doesn’t have "good handles" to me. His shooting will come when he’ll have the legs to shoot 3s,but he has to tighten up his handle. He’ll be a late first to me,considering he’s a very good defender already,and very good passer.

    Cornelie has terrible footwork but terrific touch,and that’s why he’s so efficient. If you give him the ball inside and he’s got solid position,he scores every time because of his touch. But if you ask him to post up and dribble a few times,he’ll get out of control and try to bail himself out with a dangerous pass.

    Both of them will be late first,early second to me.

    Alpha Kaba is just so raw at the moment.

     

     

     

  3. And I forgot one thing,as you

     And I forgot one thing,as you said the talent has watered down because,to me the most interesting youth european championship of the summer is the u18 competition. The u16 are too raw and too far away from the professional level,and as you said the best talents don’t come to the u20 tournament. So the U18 happening right now is the most loaded in terms of pure talent.

  4. And I forgot one thing,as you

     And I forgot one thing,as you said the talent has watered down because,to me the most interesting youth european championship of the summer is the u18 competition. The u16 are too raw and too far away from the professional level,and as you said the best talents don’t come to the u20 tournament. So the U18 happening right now is the most loaded in terms of pure talent.

  5. None of anything from this

     None of anything from this tournament can be considered. The whole tournament was a sham. No air conditioning in any of the games. Players just slipped and fell all over the place and the ball kept squirting all over. And all of the teams from milder climates became exhausted later in the games.

    It was a joke tournament and a disgrace to FIBA and Italy basketball that it was ever to happen. To even try to discern anything from that tournament is absurd.

     

  6. None of anything from this

     None of anything from this tournament can be considered. The whole tournament was a sham. No air conditioning in any of the games. Players just slipped and fell all over the place and the ball kept squirting all over. And all of the teams from milder climates became exhausted later in the games.

    It was a joke tournament and a disgrace to FIBA and Italy basketball that it was ever to happen. To even try to discern anything from that tournament is absurd.

     

  7. @EB

     Yeah, Italians are racist, they hate Greeks and know how they like to play in fresh, air-conditioned venues. That’s why Greece had an awful tournament. Greece is full of marvellous players, but they never win anything because of racism. 

  8. @EB

     Yeah, Italians are racist, they hate Greeks and know how they like to play in fresh, air-conditioned venues. That’s why Greece had an awful tournament. Greece is full of marvellous players, but they never win anything because of racism. 

  9. nice information

    And I forgot one thing,as you said the talent has watered down because,to me the most interesting youth european championship of the summer is the u18 competition. The u16 are too raw and too far away from the professional level,and as you said the best talents don’t come to the u20 tournament. So the U18 happening right now is the most loaded in terms of pure talent. 

    Naukri Sarkari ,

    Govt jobs 2015

     

     

  10. nice information

    And I forgot one thing,as you said the talent has watered down because,to me the most interesting youth european championship of the summer is the u18 competition. The u16 are too raw and too far away from the professional level,and as you said the best talents don’t come to the u20 tournament. So the U18 happening right now is the most loaded in terms of pure talent. 

    Naukri Sarkari ,

    Govt jobs 2015

     

     

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