The FIBA U16 African Championships were held in Tunisia from July 14-23, 2023 with Guinea being crowned champions after going on a 26-0 run in the fourth quarter of the finals to defeat Egypt 84-76. Mali, a favorite coming into the tournament, came in 3rd after defeating Angola 63-56. While there were some interesting prospects, in terms of post players with height and length the top prospects here are very raw compared to what was displayed in FIBA U16 Europe and Americas. Measurements for these players were much more difficult to find therefore any measurement you see in this write up where there is a range is just a rough estimation. Here are the top longterm prospects to monitor fro this event:
Alassane Doucoure 6’9 Center Mali 2008 Born Highlights FC Barcelona
7.9 points 9.6 rebounds 2.1 blocks 1.3 steals
Alassane has a body that recruiters look for. He has good size, a long wingspan and moves well laterally. He can get in good position on the block and showed good feel setting screens on the perimeter and then diving towards the rim. On the block he showed the ability to drop step and finish strong. He can easily dunk the ball with no step vertical given his wingspan and athletic ability. He often tends to back shoulder fade in the post where he shows some touch but he also saw his 2 point percentage dip to just 44%. Of all the top post prospects, he showed the most potential and willingness in venturing out to the perimeter and may eventually be able to add a pick and pop option to his game. Defensively he plays mainly in drop but has some intrigue to be adequate on switches. Has good instincts as a help defender and positions himself well as a defensive rebounder. His long arms allowed him to get many deflections leading to 2.1 blocks which was tied for 3rd and 1.3 steals. As a 2008 born he was a year younger than most of his competition for this event.
Mahamadou Kouye Diop 6’7/6’8 PF Mali 2007 Born San Gabriel Academy Highlights San Gabriel Academy
12.6 points 15 rebounds 1 block 1.1 steals
Mahamadou (pictured) was the most explosive player around the rim for this event. A good athlete with a long wingspan who has the determination to attack the rim as much as possible. He is quick running the lanes on the fast break or with a quick put back off an offensive rebound. He shot 61% from inside the three point line going 38/62 and was the 4th leading rebounder for the tournament. Still very raw offensively outside of put backs, he shot 9/24 from the free throw line sometimes even rushing his shot so he could attempt to grab the offensive rebound and get a put back. Went 1/6 from three but his shooting and game still in the very early development stages. Fluid in his movements defensively he averaged 1 block and 1.1 steals per game. He is a slightly better athlete and more determined offensively than Doucoure but is a year older, shorter, and less skilled. Was voted to the tournament’s top five.
Arafan Diane 6’11 Center Guinea 2007 Born Dynastie Basketball (Canada)
17.4 points 17.3 rebs 2.7 blocks
Diane plays in Montreal, Canada for Dynastie and already is on the radar for some power 5 schools. Only Doucoure could match up with his physical attributes as Diane at 6’11 with his wide frame is a presence for any level. Diane was tied for first in rebounds and second in block shots for this event. He was labeled as baby Shaq by his opponents at this event due to his sheer girth. He was the 7th leading scorer for this event at 17.4 points per game while shooting 60% from inside the three point line. Of all the top post prospects, he showed the softest touch around the rim and the most polish. He does a good job creating space with his body which is necessary as he does not possess great vertical lift. He was the only top interior prospect who had a positive assist to turnover ratio. He is a tough screen to get around and excellent at blocking out opponents on rebounds. He will have some issues moving laterally against shorter and quicker opponents but does a good job hedging and dropping into coverage. Was voted in the tournament’s top 5 and helped lead Guinea to a championship.
Nour Gassim Toure SG/SF Guinea 2008 Born 6’2/6’3 Highlights Principia (Mo)
20 points 8.1 rebs 8.1 assists 2.1 steals 4.4 turnovers
Toure was voted MVP for the event and was the main cog that helped lead Guinea to winning this event. Toure was the best creator at this event as he was second in scoring (20 points) and led the event in assist (8.1). He showed the ability to slash to the hole on fast break opportunities, shoots a floater, and made an occasional three. Still raw, his efficiency as a shooter needs to improve both at the free throw line (9/16) and from three (11/46) but he wasn’t bashful and was able to shoot the ball at 47% from two. His near two to one assist to turnover ratio is another positive metric. Between his euro step and his floater, he showed his ability to maneuver in the key. Defensively he does a good job to anticipate steals but stays away from bigger opponents on switches or on fast break occasions. Had great rebounding numbers as a guard at 8.1 per game due to his elite athleticism and wingspan. Was not only voted MVP but also in the tournament’s top 5.
Mamadou Sako 6’7 Forward Ivory Coast 2008 Born Saint John’s Catholic Prep (MD)
10.7 points 8.4 rebounds 1 steal 1.3 blocks
Sako is a long, wiry combo forward who showed some intrigue due to his athleticism, wingspan, and can put it on the floor and create for himself on dribble drives. He had a very tough time completing plays however as he did not adjust well to contact. He is very much a work in progress 31/87 from the field (36%) and lacks form at the free throw line (13/31). But his ability to get to the line through his shiftiness and his ability to get steals and block shots with his natural body movement is worth noting.
Ouwa Camara 6’6/6’7 Forward Mali 2008 Born Highlights
Camara averaged 9.2 rebounds which was in the top 10 for this event despite playing only 16.5 minutes per game. A low scorer but a year younger, he showed some highlight flashes. Getting around opponents on fast break with quick lay ins, finishing plays off with strong dunks, getting an offensive flush. Blessed with a good wingspan and really fluid in his running and lateral movements. He was often confused with Mahamadou Diop when he made a play as they are similar in aggressiveness and phyiscal attributes. Very raw in all aspects of his game.
Mohamed Lamine Toure 6’8/6’9 PF/C Guinea 2007 Born San Gabriel Academy
10.3 points 17.3 rebs 1.6 stls 1.1 blocks 52% from the field
Lamine Toure was tied for first in rebounds per game for this event. He looked like he had the longest wingspan at this event (anecdotal I do not have his measurements) But his numbers indicate that this may be the case. In addition to his rebounding numbers he also averaged 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game and was able to guard either the center or forward on defense as he had better lateral coverage than Diane. He kept his scoring to around the basket going 52% from the field and needs a lot of work in his shooting. Kept his asset to turnover ratio even. Still very raw.
Ange Harper Gogoto 6’8 PF Chad 2007 Born Footage
13.1 points 16.3 rebs 3.7 blocks 1 steal
Led event in offensive rebounds and looked most comfortable on left block on offense. Gogoto has a real long wingspan, which deterred opponents from going to the hole. His quick jump in addition to his long wingspan permits him to get a lot of block shots, leading the event in blocks at 3.7 per game. Roams the paint defensively in a drop but is just average moving laterally for a player his size but moves well forward when running up the floor on fast breaks. Has a skinny frame but does not shy away from contact on offense or defense. However he is very raw and limited on offense. Spends much of his time on offense from block to block and does not spend time even at the high post . If he doesn’t dunk the ball he will look to use the glass but ball comes off his hands hard. Shooting is a concern, even when he shoots his free throw he tends to short arm it and looks like he’s rushing through his mechanics. Very very raw offensively but has some intrigue on the defensive side of the ball.
Ivan Mugabo 6’6/6’7 PF Rwanda 2007 Born
10.1 points 8.9 rebs.
Mugabo has a very long wingspan and mainly defended other opponents bigs. He was able to dribble drive against opponents on occasion from the wing. Unfortunately he is rail thin and does poorly against contact and lacks vertical power leading to a poor field goal percentage. Shot 38% from the field but shot 24/38 from the free throw line which better than most of the top prospects at this event.
Sean Williams 6’2/6’3 SG Rwanda 2008 Born
18.4 points 3.6 Rebounds 3.3 steals 24/30 from free throw line.
Sean Williams was one of the few guards at this event who shot the ball well from the line and from the floor (51% from two). Showed some maturation in his game taking the right shot instead of forcing shots. Appears to have plus wingspan which led to 3.3 steals per game which was top 5 for this event.
