The Fiba U16 Europe Division A was held in Skopje, North Macedonia from August 12th to 20th. Lithuania defeated Spain for the gold while France defeated Greece for the Bronze. Division B was held in Sofia where Germany defeated Finland for the Gold while Belgium defeated host Bulgaria for the Bronze. Neither event had any clear cut lottery level guys. However these players are far from finished products and there was some interesting talent at these events. Things can change drastically and there is no doubt that the skill sets of players will improve at different levels prior to their draft eligibility in 2025 or 2026. With that in mind listed in alphabetical order are the first 10 that caught our attention and then the next 10:
Top 10:
Christian Anderson: 5’9: Point Guard, Germany 16.5 ppg 2.8 asts and 1.1 stl. The Michigan commit shot 85% from the free throw line and 60% from 3. Was probably the most efficient guard for Division A or B. Voted MVP for Division B and led Germany to a first place finish. IF he can grow another 3-4 inches he will have a great shot at an NBA career.
Dwayne Aristode: 6’6, Wing, Netherlands 15.3 ppg 9 rebs 3.1 ast. Looked like the fastest player in either event and one of the top athletes overall. He was top 10 in points, rebounds, assists and blocks. Needs to work on overall efficiency.
Neoklis Avdalas: 6’5, Wing, Greece 14.7 ppg 4.1 rebs 1.9 stl. Made some highlight reel plays at this event. The Panathinaikos wing has a high motor. Had some foul issues in this tournament. Voted all star 5 by FIBA
Mohamed Diakite: 6’8, Forward, France 9.4 ppg 8.4 rebs 1.9 stl. Diakite (pictured) has potential as a stretch 4 as he shot 30% from 3 and free throws as a decent clip (70%). Good athlete as he can run well on fast break for a flush and also moves well defensively. Lacks shot blocking presence. Voted all star 5 by FIBA
Nojus Indrusaitis: 6’6, Wing, Lithuania 15.1 ppg 4.6 rebs 1.3 stl Ranked in the top 100 in the class of 2024 Indrusaitis led his team to a first place finish. Good shooter both from the free throw line and from beyond the arc. Was able to create a bit more at this event than EYBL. Voted all star 5 by FIBA
Urban Kroflic: 6’5, Small Guard, Slovenia 20.7 ppg 8 rebs 3.3 stl The lefty has a smooth looking shot. You would expect his analytical shooting numbers to correlate with his shot as he ages.
David Mirkovic, 6’9, Center, Montenegro: 22.1 ppg 10.3 rebs, 3 ast. Top 10 in points, rebounds, assists and block shots. Shot 76% from the line and 36% from 3. 1.6 assists to turnover ratio. Great passer as you can run an offense through him and has good touch. Lacks athleticism.
Mario Saint-Supery: 6’3, Point Guard, Spain: 21.9 ppg 4.1 ast 2.9 stl Led team to2nd place finish and was voted MVP of Division A. A flashy player who seems to get all of his teammates involved in the showmanship He’s a 16 year old White Chocolate type going behind the back for dribbles or passes. “Super Mario” was a fan favorite at this event.
Dame Sarr, 6’5, Wing, Italy 14.4 ppg, 2 stl 1.6 blocks. Fluid athlete who shot 38.8% from 3. Strong on defense has real potential as a 3 and D wing. Needs to improve his numbers from the free throw line.
Nolan Traore: 6’3, Combo Guard, France 13.6 ppg 4.6 ast 2.4 stl Has a great first step and is blessed with a long wingspan. Needs to continue to work on his efficiency numbers and as a lead guard.
Next 10
Seal Diouf: 6’9, Power Forward, Netherlands 13.7 ppg 9.4 rebs 2.7 blocks. Led Division A in blocked shots. Raw but is willing to get outside of his comfort zone and defend the perimeter on switches. Could gain some athleticism as he gets stronger/leaner.
Declan Duru: 6’8, Forward, Germany 11.9 ppg 8.1 rebs 2.4 stl One of the younger players as he was born in 2007. Showed some flashes and helped lead Germany to move up to Division A
Noa Essengue: 6’8, Forward, France 13 ppg 5.7 rebs 2.1 Has a long wingspan and can move well laterally and finishes well around the rim. Needs to continue to work on his handles and strength. Born in December of 2006, he was one of the younger players that participated.
Jayden Hodge: 6’4, Wing, Belgium 12.9 ppg 5.4 rebs 1.9 stl Another 2007 born player at event. Led Belgium to a place on the podium in division B. Strong body, played well in loss to eventual champion Germany.
Ivan Kharchenkov: 6’6, Forward, Germany 13.3 ppg 5.5 rebs Playmaking forward needs to be more efficient from beyond the arc. Voted top 5 by FIBA in B Division
Mantas Laurencikas: 6’2, Point Guard, Lithuania 13.7 ppg 46.7% from 3. Excellent shooter both from 3 and the free throw line 84.4% Created well enough for himself to shoot 54.5% from 2. Needs to be able to create more scoring opportunities for teammates and to become net positive in assist to turnover ratio. Won gold in Division A for Lithuania.
Julius Price: 6’2, Combo Guard, Sweden 19.1 ppg 4.9 rebs 2.9 stl. Well built guard who gets to the hole and creates contact around the rim. Good free throw shooter who needs to continue to work on creating opportunities for teammates. Voted top 5 by FIBA in B Division
Ognjen Radosic, 6’5, Small Guard, Serbia 21.7 ppg. Only played the first 3 games but proved to be one of the better scorers at this event. Has a nice repeatable stroke. Needs to continue to work on other aspects of his game.
Ben Saraf: 6’5, Guard, Israel: 24.3 ppg 6.7 rebs 4.1 ast 2.3 stls. The lefty led the tournament in scoring while being top 5 in assists with an efficient assist to turnover ratio. Was voted all star 5 by FIBA.
Imran Suljanovic: 6’5, Forward, Austria 19.9 ppg 5.2 reb 2.5 stl Forward who was third leading scorer in B Division. Needs to cut down his turnovers and expand his range.
