2024 FIBA U20 EuroBasket, Gdynia, Poland: Top Prospects
FIBA U20 EuroBasket was held from July 13th-21 in Gdynia, Poland where, for the second consecutive year, France won gold. In the Finals, France defeated Slovenia 82- 78, coming from behind for the second time in three tries, after Noah Penda made a game winning three versus Spain in the quarterfinals.
By the time the U20s commences, many of the top talents of the generation are no longer participating, as a number of them are with their senior national team or have NBA team obligations. France alone has nine players who were drafted within the past year that were born in 2004 or 2005 and did not participate. This allowed new players to shine and created more parity in the competition. In fact, the teams that ended up 3rd (Greece) and 4th place (Belgium) in total competition, including pool play, ended up with a 4 – 3 record while the 5th seeded Lithuanians, the 7th seeded Spaniards, and the 9th seeded Italians ended up with a 5 – 2 record.
Exactly one player in my write up from last year was drafted in the 2024 NBA Draft ( Juan Nunez write up here) and one is a 2 way (Armel Traore). However, many from last year are prospects for the 2025 NBA draft. In addition, many that performed well last year had a major impact for power 5 schools and one even had a huge performance during the NCAA tournament (Daniel Wolf). Here are the top prospects from this year’s event.
2025 NBA Draft Prospects
Zacharie Perrin 6’10 PF Nancy, 2004 Born France Highlight
Zacharrie Perrin (pictured) won the most valuable player award for the event leading his team to the championship. He averaged 15.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1 steal and 1.1 blocks in 26 minutes per game. The lefty has good height for a power forward, at 6’10 he has a strong enough base to play either of the front court positions. He also has the physicality to play against taller centers and has no problem establishing his presence with contact in the post both on offense and defense. A good rebounder, he posted double digits in rebounds and a double double against Spain and Slovenia. A good athlete on defense, he can move laterally and alter shots and passes. On offense, he moves well on the fast break, running the lanes and is a post player with good passing ability on the move. He will finish plays off with dunks and even has a euro step to avoid charges. In the post he was a bit of a hub for France as he made good decisions with the ball in his hands, averaging more than 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio as he had 24 assists to his 10 turnovers in 7 games. He flashed a few passes off entry passes in the post where with his back turned on the block he threw a behind the back pass to the weak side baseline cutter. He also has good anticipation from the post on when the help will come from the wing to pass it to his teammate for an open three pointer. He’s a good screener on pick and roll action and has great hands and verticality to finish off plays on the dive. He’s a good decision maker when he has the ball in his hands at the free throw line extended. He will find the offensive advantage and attack and has soft touch when he shoots inside the key. With his good footwork, physical presence, and soft touch around the rim, he does not need to just dunk the ball to score in the key. he did not shoot it particularly well from three (5/21) or from the free throw line (25/46). Teams are going to take a real look at him at Nancy this season for the 2025 NBA Draft. His improvement in his outside shooting will be a determining factor and where Perrin is on their big boards. Overall he had a great tournament
Noah Penda 6’7 SF Le Mans, 2005 Born France Highlights
Noah Penda had a strong tournament and was voted into the tournament’s top 5 and made the biggest shot of his basketball career with a buzzer beater three pointer in the quarterfinals against rival Spain. Penda averaged 11.7 points 8.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 26.2 minutes per game. Penda showcased some good versatility as he is well built and is equally adept on posting shorter players on the block or taking taller players to the basket from the wing on half court sets. He’s a load to prevent him from getting offensive rebounds as he had 19 in 7 games. He will finish plays off strong at the rim and if there isn’t a direct path, he uses his strength to create space allowing him to finish plays off with his soft right-hand touch near the basket. Not a high volume 3-point shooter, he did however go 9/16 from long distance in Poland. He showed a strong willingness to share the ball with 21 assists in 7 games of action. He’s solid defensively and was able to handle switches well, staying in front of the point guards at this event and pushing the taller front court players away from the basket on dives. he flashed good defensive instincts and was able to get 13 steals and five blocks. He needs to show that with added volume, he can be consistent with his outside shooting this season for Le Mans.
Izan Almansa 6’9 PF/C, Perth, 2005 Born Spain Highlights
Izan Almansa was a dominant force for the Spanish national team both at the U19 WC, U18 Europe championships and at the U17 WC even being awarded the MVP at the U19 World Cup last summer. What a difference a year makes. After a disappointing season with the G League Ignite and a lack of intrigue at the NBA Combine which forced him to pull out of the 2024 NBA Draft, there is now a higher level of skepticism among scouts. With a 7’1 wingspan and a 9’2 standing reach (NBA combine measurements) can he be a good defensive center at the NBA level? And if he is best suited to be a power forward, can he shoot it well enough to play the position? For Spain, in Poland, he played the 4 alongside Aday Mara to start the game, but when Mara was subbed, he played mostly the 5. He averaged 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. On offense, he is primarily a scorer in the key. He can dive and finish, score with half hooks, and of course with lob dunks from pick and dives and off the dunker spot. He did sprinkle a few push shots just inside of the free throw line and overall shot 61% (45/74) from the field. He has good athleticism (35-inch max vertical at the combine) and broad shoulders. He runs the floor well and can finish plays at the rim on the fast break. Over the course of his FIBA career, he has steadily improved from the free throw line; going from a sub 50% shooter in past events to 17/24 (70.8%) here. He even made 3 three pointers in 7 games. There is no doubt he is making progress in his shooting. But although still quite solid, he is no longer the dominant defensive player he was in the earlier years of his FIBA competitions. He had 6 steals and 5 blocks in 7 games and 24.3 minute per game of playing time. Almansa, now playing with Perth, will need to continue to show his ability on offense to spread the floor, and given his high IQ on defense, adapt to the difference in athleticism and length at the pro level.
Alexandros Samodurov 6’11 Forward Panathinaikos, 2005 Born
Alexandros Samodurov averaged 9.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 30.9 minutes of game action, helping lead Greece to a third-place finish. His 13 blocks were second most for the event. And here in Poland and in Greece he has shown some flashes of being able to spread the floor as a 3-point shooter. Here he went 9/29 (31%) and last season all culminated (17/51). He also shot the ball well from the free throw line here going 9 for 10 for the tournament. He has good handles for a post player and is dangerous on the wing or from the baseline with drives and catch and shoot opportunities. He was very efficient around the rim going 15/22 in 7 games. Some concerns as a prospect is with his body composition. He measured poorly at the BWB in Salt Lake City with a subpar wingspan and standing reach for a player his height. He also did not have particularly good vertical measurements and combine that with the lack of body weight and strength there are some questions if the lack of scoring opportunities from inside the arc is due to the lack of his ability to get himself open near the rim. He looks frail and weak at times versus opponents in this competition. Both his rebounding numbers and shot selection at this event indicates he’s behind in those areas compared to his peers in his age grouping, But he’s a fluid rim runner with some handles, and shot making ability at his height perhaps with some growth in strength and continued growth as a floor spreader he can be a more dominant player at this event next year.
Nathan Missia-Dio 6’9 Forward OTE, 2004 Born Belgium Highlights
Nathan Missia-Dio led the Belgium squad to the semifinals and to the all-tournament team leading all competition in rebounding with 10.6 per game and averaging 15.4 points, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks in 28.4 minutes per game. In Gdynia Missia -Dio was able to showcase his scoring ability where he was proficient in catch and shoot situations from three, adept to pump fake and take a one dribble mid-range jump shot, or back down smaller opponents to finish plays near the rim. He’s strong and has length. He has some ability both as a 3 and 4 but probably more of a 4 as he seems a little heavy footed at times as a wing. Offensively will finish plays with dunks with his length and will run the lanes on fast break scoring opportunities. He was very good defensively for the tournament as he led it in rebounding, was top 10 in steals, and top 12 in block shots. Well built (235/240 lbs) with his broad shoulders helps him both as a rebounder and allows him to defend taller opponents. His long wingspan and standing reach also help him get both steals and block shots here. Took over 5 threes per game here going 12/37 (32.4 %). Needs to stay consistent at the free throw line where he went 36/55 overall (66%) and needs to make better decisions as a passer as he had twice as many turnovers than assists. 6 of the 7 games he played were great (the one poor game was against Spain) and overall was able to create some buzz from his plays at the U20’s. Nathan Missia-Dio led the event in double doubles with 5 in 7 games.
Mohamed Diawara 6’9 Forward Cholet, 2005 Born France
Mohamed Diawara won best defensive player at the 2024 Eurocamp in Treviso. 6’9 with a measured 7’3.75 wingspan and 9’2.25 standing reach he has the length and athleticism to defend wings and centers. France in their championship run liked to use him at the top of a zone defense putting pressure and disrupting the opponent’s offense. And while he looks a little stiff at the hips at times, his length and athleticism make him a very tricky player to play against on defense. It’s on that side of the ball that gives scouts intrigue. On offense he averaged 7 points and 3.7 rebounds in just under 20 minutes per game. With time he’s a good shooter as he was 8/11 from the free throw line here and 47/60 from the line for Poitiers last season. In addition, his 31% (5/16) from three holds true to what he shot this season for Poitiers. Mohamed scoring tends to be when he shoots wing threes and from the baseliner to back opponents down to the block and shoot a shot within the key. In half court sets he tends to have the ball stick in his hands. Making quicker decisions would improve his statistics as it leads to some late shot clock shots and leads to him moving better without the ball. In the second quarter in the semifinal game against Greece he did a very good job of moving without the ball and single handedly created a huge gap in the score of that game. When he cuts and runs the floor, he has the length and athleticism to finish plays off with dunks and is agile enough to use a euro step to avoid charges.
Roman Domon 6’8 Forward Gravelines, 2005 Born France Highlights
Roman Domon averaged 11.3 points and 2 steals per game in 17.1 minutes of playing time for France. Roman Domon’s game is quite unorthodox, he has a change of pace style that keeps opponents guessing. On offense he has good length as a small forward and is a deadly shooter when given space. A little slow footed he creates space by doing unusual moves including a reverse pivot free throw line extended one legged pull up jumper. Usually when the defender sees the reverse pivot, they believe he’s going to make a pass to the wing or top of the key but instead he does so just to lull his opponent asleep to take the shot. He moves well off the ball in half court sets finding cuts and open spaces to make himself open. On defense reads opponents plays well and anticipates passes leading to his 14 steals in 120 minutes of gameplay. Does not possess great lateral or vertical quickness, nor does he seem to have a long wingspan but has some lower body strength to help him compete on the defensive side of the ball. Had a low amount of rebounds (24) and 0 block shots for the tournament. His upside as a prospect will be if he can become more consistent from three while working on a quicker release.
The NCAA Players Ripe for a Big Season
Paulius Murauskas 6’8 Forward St Mary’s, 2004 Born Lithuania Highlights
Paulius Murauskas looked like one of the top prospects here. He averaged 18.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 28 minutes per game. After a year of DNPCD at University of Arizona it was good to watch Paulius play extended minutes for the first time in a year. He displayed a more mature body and a good mix of shooting from long distance and finishing plays around the rim. He seemed more efficient from three from the baseline and the wing on catch and shoot opportunities. And while the efficiency from long distance needs to increase, going 14/45 (31%), taking nearly 5 per game shows a good comfort level from long distance for the combo forward. When the initial catch and shoot opportunity was unavailable Paulius was able to put the ball on the floor and off one dribble to create space for a mid-range jumper. He showed some ability to make himself available around the rim on cuts for easy lay-ups and was strong on the offensive glass. On the fast break he’ll run the lanes well and finish plays off with dunks using his athleticism and length. His offensive is good enough to be impactful in the WCC this season, but what will determine his opportunities with Randy Bennett is on the defensive side of the ball where at times he showed lack of focus. He has the length and lateral quickness to stay in from wings at U20 but seemed to lose focus on in bounds and screens at times.
Motiejus Krivas 7’2 Center Arizona, 2004 Born Lithuania Highlights
Motiejus Krivas was the best center at the event, averaging 13.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, and leading the tournament in block shots at 2.1. His expulsion in the quarterfinal game versus Greece due to an iffy unsportsmanlike foul call is a likely reason that they did not place in the event. He was good against Spain where he had to face the duo of Izan Almansa and Aday Mara scoring 11 points and 12 rebounds in an 82- 73 victory. In that game on one play, he bullied Mara. Going baseline and driving his shoulder in Mara’s body to displace him and finishing the play off with a two-handed slam. Krivas’ strength and height is an absolute asset in the post. He is physical and gives a great target to get the ball to him. Shooting over 60% from the field he’s highly efficient in the key. Due to his physicality he’s able to get to the free throw line almost 5 times per game and shoots it well for a center going 26/34 (77%). On fast break sets he’s an ideal trailer to finish plays off the rebound or on a secondary break at the rim. On half court sets he still has work to do as a pick and pop option (slow release) and as a passer 8 assists and 14 turnovers. But he’s an excellent screener and dive option. On defense he protects the rim well and is a good rebounder. He still needs work on the drop off a screen and roll and isn’t an ideal player to switch with on the perimeter. Krivas has a reported 7’5 Wingspan with a 9’2 standing reach.
Jakub Necas 6’7 Small Forward Duquesne, 2004 Born Czech Republic Highlights
Jakub Necas led the tournament in scoring at 18.6 point per game and was 5th in rebounding at 8.4 per contest. Jakub was a high volume 3 point shot taker and maker shooting 19/49 in 7 games at 39%. That combined with his 95.8%from the free throw line 23/24 says a lot about him as a shooter and given his size makes him interesting both as a prospect and in his upcoming NCAA season. He has some ability to put it on the floor if the defense overcrowds him on closeouts and is crafty near the rim. A little turnover prone need to be more efficient in his passing and is not yet prepared to make plays for others on half court sets. Has great strength but not great athleticism for a wing. On defense, was solid as a team defender but could not stand out as the Czech Republic played a lot of zone. He was most often a low man in zone defense. Overall looked like a player who could be a sought-out transfer by power conference teams a year from now.
Honorable Mention NCAA
Aday Mara 7’3 Center UCLA, 2005 Born Spain Highlights
Aday Mara averaged 8.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 14.5 minutes per game. If you’re a UCLA fan it would be advisable to stay patient and not expect very much from Mara this season. However, he still has chances to be good both in college and as a pro down the road. On offense he shot nearly 60% from the field. He showcased a push shot from the free throw line and some post moves on the block. He led all players in blocks per minute, but he had a hard time staying on the floor both due to fouls he committed (nearly 3 per game in less than 15 minutes) and lack of stamina and strength. As his body matures, he should be able to add both strength and stamina. This will help him both to avoid fouls against him and get more foul calls on offense where his lack of strength causes him to shy away from contact. For UCLA he should be able to make an impact in small doses as he is huge and is a true rim protector but do not expect a large role for him in 2024-25.
Berke Buyuktuncel 6’9 PF Nebraska, 2004 Born Turkiye Highlights
Berke Buyuktuncel averaged 12 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks in 30.7 minutes per game. He shot the ball well from three going 13/24 for the event (54%) and from the charity stripe where he went 9 for 10. He and the Turkish team however did not impact wining as they lost 5 times in 7 games in their last youth international tournament.
Urban Klavzar 6’1 PG Florida, 2004 Born Slovenia Highlights
Urban Klavzar led Slovenia to the finals with 16.1 points, 1.1 steals, and was voted on the all-tournament team. The incoming Gator is an excellent shooter and scorer, going 18/47 from three (38.3%) and 21/25 (84%) from the free throw line. He demonstrated a good ability to score off pick and roll opportunities and shot a solid 45.1% from the field (37/82). At Florida, he will need to be more efficient with the ball and focus on setting teammates up for their scoring opportunities.
Honorable Mention Europe
Jordi Rodriguez 6’6 Wing Joventut Badalona, 2004 Born Spain
Jordi Rodriguez averaged 11.7 points and 1.6 steals in 21.5 minutes per game. Jordi has a real quick release and excellent form going 17/46 (37%) from three for the tournament. Most of his shots were from beyond the arc taking only 3 per game from two and most of those coming on cuts and fast break opportunities.
Noam Yaacov 6’1 PG ASVEL, 2004 Born Israel Highlights
Noam Yaacov averaged 15.6 points, 7.2 assists (led tournament), and 1.6 steals in 30.1 minutes per game. Naom lacks ideal size for the NBA but showcased his playmaking skills with his 36 assists to 9 turnovers in 5 games. He’s very crafty and one of the best in his age category in Europe to get downhill. A known player he was the player every opponent tried to stop from scoring leading to a rather inefficient stat line from the field and from three. He has a great ability to draw fouls but needs to increase his efficiency there as well going 26/39 (67%).
Vangelis Zougris 6’8 PF Peristeri, 2004 Born Greece Highlights
Vangelis Zougris averaged 11.6 points, 8.3 rebounds,1.4 blocks and 1.7 steals while being voted on the all-tournament team. Vangelis is strong and crafty around the rim. Undersized for a power forward he has some vertical ability to finish off plays. A smart player on offense he can draw fouls by causing minimal contact. On defense he’s a good team defender and with his strength and anticipation can be a small ball five in a pinch.
Melih Tunca CG 6’5 Anadolu Efes, 2005 Born Turkiye Highlights
Emre Tunca averaged 17.6 points and 6.4 assists in 32.7 minutes of playing time. He showed a good ability to overpower smaller guards near the rim and an improved shooter at the free throw line. There are still concerns from 3-point range as his shot is still flat and he went 8/33 for the tournament but it’s improved in the last year.
Sergej Macura 6’9 PF Mega MIs, 2004 Born Slovenia Highlights
Sergej Macura averaged 11.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in 21.1 minutes per game. He’s a good athlete and an excellent lob threat on pick and dive’s and primarily at the dunker spot. He’s a good cutter and will get points and find holes in the defense. He shot it well from the free throw line in Poland going 18/25 in 7 games. Currently is not an impactful player on defense.
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