The 2024 adidas Eurocamp took place from June 1-3 in Treviso, Italy. The event took a five year hiatus, before and during Covid, and is in its second year back. A gem of a venue and a tremendous event, impeccably run under camp director Gianluca Pascucci, who’s currently an International scout for the Chicago Bulls. I have covered the event live in all but three years of it’s existence, and look forward to getting back to scout it live next year. This report comes from YouTube game footage and from talking to scouts on hand. With plenty of American events to focus on the USA junior guys, I decided to focus only on the International players for this write up.
Nikola Djurisic 6-8 SG Mega Leks (Serbia) 2004
Djurisic (pictured) was one of the main attractions at Treviso. The camp MVP, Nikola has struggled some with efficiency with his pro team, Mega Leks. But in the pre-draft showcases, including Treviso, he’s made a solid impression. He likely was advised not to force shots and just play within the team concept and it was a smart approach. His 3 point shooting, is still not where it should be at 33% at Mega Leks this season. 36% for the camp. On the bright side, he had an impressive showing at the NBA Draft combine. At Eurocamp, he kept that momentum going, as he showed off his excellent passing ability, with five or more assists in each game. His pick and roll game is very impressive for a wing, as he has the ability to feed bigs for ally oops and create offense for others. His shooting also shows a lot of potential, as a legitimate 6’8 playing on the wing. He is not the fastest or most athletic player, but has solid mobility and a polished skill set. While he didn’t have a dominant performance at Treviso, he was solid, showing his main abilities, with great passing and knocking down outside shots. Offensively he can get a little stagnant at times, instead of staying in constant motion to get better looks. He showed a smooth ability to create off the bounce, and also effective in catch and shoot from the perimeter. Overall he hit 4-11 from 3 (36%) for the camp, averaging 11.3 ppg, He had 12 points on day one, and 18 on day 2. His 5 point game in the camp championship game was a disappointment, but overall he had a positive camp. Reminds of a less athletic Bojan Bogdanovic. Defensively he does a good job of contesting and not gambling for steals. Whether his change of pace style will fit in the NBA and whether he can improve upon his efficiency are key questions, but he figures to be a solid pick in the early/mid second round area, if he keeps his name in.
Michael Ruzic 6-10 PF Badalona (Croatia) 2006
A player that will potentially be eligible for the draft next year, (2025) and came in with lottery hype. His outside shooting really stood out, and he’s added a good deal of weight, which helps him in the paint. He shows a nose for scoring, hitting a lefty hook at one point, and seems to maximize his athleticism. Where he struggles is with foot speed, his lack of a first step, running speed and lateral quickness places him firmly as a post player. Athletically and size wise, his game is reminiscent to Dāvis Bertāns, who shined at the same event back in 2011. Ruzic hit 9-of18 from three over the three games, showing off his great form and range. He was especially effective in his final game, going 6-of-9 from three and finishing with 28 points. While he shot the ball extremely well, his speed and athleticism limits his upside. If he can really become an elite level shooter at the Euroleague level, he will increase his chances of becoming a first round pick in the next few seasons. While he shows a nose for scoring, his limitations with regard to explosiveness and foot speed are apparent. But he’s got a long, basketball body and a good feel for the game and competes hard.
Neoklis Avdalas 6-7 Panathanaikos (Greece) 2006
The Greek forward is intriguing due to his size and ability to handle the ball and make plays as a facilitator. He shows really nice versatility to play as a point forward, but seems to only be able to sustain a high level of play for short stints. He still has a long ways to go and did not really play to his ability in Treviso. He may have been nursing an injury as he missed the final day and seemed to be limited. He struggles to get by defenders in the half court set. He’s a player that’s sure to garner hype in the coming years. Maturing and becoming more of a team oriented guy will be important.
Mohamed Diawara 6-9 SF/PF Cholet (France) 2005
A long, athletic combo forward with a developing game. Won most outstanding defensive player of the camp award. Showed a lot of hustle. His feel for the game is still a work in progress, so it remains to be seen if he can continue to improve and advance his skill set. Offensively, his lack of shooting was apparent as he made just 1-8 from three, including 0-5 in the championship game. He averaged 8.3 ppg, showing consistency, but unable to make much of an impact on that end. But his defense was key to his team’s one point win. Athletically and body wise, he’s very similar to former Pistons lottery pick Sekou Dembouya. He’s got NBA athleticism and a prototypical wing forward size. As a 2005 born, he still has some time to figure things out. He seems to struggle with thinking too much on the floor instead of just playing on instinct and allowing the game to flow. Gaining more playing time in competitive environments, and becoming more comfortable operating offensively will be the key.
Bogoljub Markovic 6-11 Mega Leks (Serbia) 2005
A bigman with some intrigue due to his size and age and ability to score. He can shoot it a bit and also showed some ability to put the ball on the deck and make plays driving to the rim. While not a standout athlete, he shows solid fluidity for a near 7-footer. He has yet to decide whether he will keep his name in this year’s draft. Lacks much in the way of strength and athleticism, but good length and decent touch. A potential late second round stash pick but probably pulls his name out and attempts to improve his stock next year.
Andrej Kostic 6-6 SG Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) 2006
One of the real standout performers of the camp. A very smart and steady player who competes. While he lacks much upside, he shows a lot of polish. He can do a bit of everything on the offensive end with a solid feel for passing and ball handling and he also shows a good feel for isolating and shot selection. He’s a bit of a combo guard, On the final day he went for 28, matching Ruzic, on a highly efficient 10-14 shooting. He had 21 on 8-12 on day one. And only had one stinker game on day 2, where he shot just 2-10. He’s one of the top players in his age group in Europe, however his speed and athleticism are below average, so he’s most likely a future European level player.
Abdramane Siby 7-0 C Mega Leks (Mali) 2006
The Mali bigman, by way of Mega Leks in Serbia, showed off some ability on day one with 11 points on 4-4 shooting. He struggled to produce much after that but left an impression on day one. He’s a fairly fluid 7-footer with some touch and a nice basketball frame. How well he can fill out and continue to smooth out the rough edges is the key. He’s draft eligible beginning next year and a guy that should be on the radar as a possible draft pick going forward.
Taran Armstrong 6-6 PG (Australia) 2002
Armstrong is intriguing due to his size and point guard skills. He has not really produced at a high level yet and tends to get pushed around some, even in Treviso by the high school American kids. The pick and roll game and his passing and ball handling is really impressive. Where he’s limited is when games get physical, he has a tendency to get knocked off his game some. A player with an outside shot to get drafted and could develop into an NBA player over time if he’s able to add more physicality and continue to improve his offensive game.
