U18 Real Madrid forward Dino Radoncic was named the MVP of the EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION Qualifying Tournament - Coin on Sunday.

MVP Radoncic leads ANGT Coin all-tourney team

Radoncic guided Madrid to the title as he saved his best game for last, collecting 37 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in a 72-60 victory over host side U18 Unicaja Malaga. Radoncic averaged 19.3 points over the course of four games in which Madrid, which advanced to the tournament finals next May in Istanbul, went undefeated. He hit 77 percent of his three-pointers to go with 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 23 minutes of action on average over the four games.

Joining Radoncic on the All-Tournament Team were Andrzej Pluta of U18 Real Betis Energia Plus Seville, who averaged 17.8 points; Marko Pecarski of U18 FC Bayern Munich, who had 19.7 points per game and led the tournament with 14.3 rebounds; Kresimir Nikic of U18 Cibona Zagreb, who put up 13.8 points, 7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks on average; and Ignacio Rosa of U18 Unicaja Malaga, whose 11.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game helped his team reach the championship game.

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One of the players most looking forward to the EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Qualifying Tournament Coin was Marko Pecarski.

After long wait, Pecarski makes impressive debut with Bayern

The 2000-born top talent was looking forward to finally making his debut with U18 FC Bayern Munich. And what a debut it was.

Pecarski's first game at ANGT Coin saw him collect 16 points and 24 rebounds against U18 Cibona Zagreb. The 24 rebounds tied an ANGT record set by Jonas Valanciunas with U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius in 2010. Pecarski then left Mega and joined Bayern in early January.

In addition to being his first game with Bayern, it was Pecarski's first game since November 25. That game came for U18 Mega Bemax Belgrade against Zeleznicar in Serbia.

"It's a great feeling (to be back on the court). It would be much better if we had won. But it's good to be back. Even though I am not ready, it's good to play the game," said Pecarski.

"I had flu the last couple of days, but I wanted to help my team at this tournament and support them. It's tough with the conditioning because I didn't practice for a while, but I tried to give my full effort."

Pecarski followed that first game with 28 points and 11 rebounds in Bayern's second loss against U18 Real Betis Energia Plus Seville.

The son of former EuroLeague champion Miroslav Pecarski made just 6-of-14, or 43%, of his shots from the field in his first game. But he shot better against Betis, hitting 10-of-15 (67%) including 3-of-4 three-pointers.

The 2.06-meter Pecarski is considered one of the top players of the 2000 generation. But after just more than one season with Mega, which included him helping the team win the ANGT Rome tournament and play at the ANGT Finals in Berlin, he decided to leave Serbia and landed with Bayern.

"Last year with Mega was amazing. You can see all the accomplishments I made as a player and the team as well. Me and my parents made the decision because I need to grow as a player and a person," said Pecarski, who will play with Bayern's teams in the U19 NBBL league and the third division ProB. "Bayern and Germany is a great place for that. And we believe in the decision."

Pecarski said it was tough starting in a new country on his own, save for his parents being in Munich for the first couple of weeks.

"Now I am on my own. It's not easy, but I want to do everything I can for my career," he said. "And if that means I should leave home, then that's it."

Pecarski, who turns 17 on Sunday, said he talks a lot to his father, who won the EuroLeague title with Panathinaikos in 1996.

"He played at the highest level and knows what it takes to get there. He always tells me that talent doesn't mean much in senior basketball if you don't work hard."

Pecarski may be playing his third season in the ANGT but he also knows it's hard for him to be a leader just yet. "I'm a new player here, so it takes time to become a leader on a new team," he said. "It's my first games, but I try to be positive all the time and help the guys however I can."

He's well on his way to doing that by just letting his game on the court speak for itself.



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The 2016-17 Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT qualifying series returns to Spain this weekend where eight teams loaded with the stars of tomorrow will compete at ANGT Coin. 

ANGT Coin Players to Watch

The event, which is the third in the qualifying series, features teams from Spain, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany and Turkey and talents from many more countries. The winning team earns a spot at the ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT finals held over Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four weekend in Istanbul in May. Here’s a primer on some of the players to watch from the eight teams in action this weekend.

#### U18 Real Madrid: Dino Radoncic

Radoncic will be playing his second ANGT after he averaged 14.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season at ANGT L’Hospitalet. At the ANGT Finals in Berlin, he posted 22.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.3 steals. This season, the 2.02-meter small forward is playing in the EBA league after appearing in both the EuroLeague and Spanish League last season. Radoncic, whose father was a Yugoslavian international handball player, debuted with the Montenegro senior national team last summer and averaged 5.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists at the EuroBasket 2017 qualifiers. Born in Giessen, Germany, Radoncic is a complete player who can play one-on-one inside and outside on offense. He also has three-point range and can penetrate to the rim. Radoncic can be aggressive on defense and attacks the passing lanes and also is a skilled passer.

#### U18 Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul: Mert Akay

Akay will be playing his first ANGT since this is the first appearance for Darussafaka. The 1.93-meter point guard does however have high level experience, having played at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2016, where he averaged 2.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists for Turkey, which finished third in the tournament. The 2000-born playmaker is a smart player with excellent court vision, who can create for his teammates. The native of Beyoglu is also a good shooter who can also create his own shot. However, Akay must improve on his own shot selection. His long arms give him a long reach, which allows him to be a good and aggressive defender. Akay is also a good rebounder for his position. He participated at the Adidas Eurocamp last summer.

#### U18 Real Betis Energia Plus Seville: Andrzej Pluta

Pluta will be participating in his first ANGT. The combo guard has played two straight summers at the FIBA U16 European Championship and averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.7 steals in 2016. The 1.90-meter guard has been worth 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in the EBA league in his second year in Spain. He is the son of former Polish international Andrzej Pluta, who played 11 years for Poland, including appearing at the 1997 and 2007 EuroBaskets. The younger Pluta has practiced with the ACB team this season and even appeared in one game. He is thought to be very strong mentally and quite competitive. Pluta shows an excellent focus on the details of the game, which can be complicated for 16-year-olds. His shooting range reaches beyond the three-point line. He is also a good defender with excellent physical conditioning.

#### U18 USK Future Stars Prague: Jan Zidek

Zidek is playing his second ANGT after averaging 2.3 points and 2.3 rebounds at Kaunas ANGT last season. This season, he is averaging 6.5 points and 0.9 rebounds in the Czech second league. Last summer, the 2.02-meter forward collected 6.0 points and 1.9 rebounds at the FIBA U18 European Championship Division B. The Prague native is the son of 1999 EuroLeague champion George Zidek. Jan is one of the Czech Republic’s biggest prospects. He is still growing, but has an excellent three-point shot. Zidek can play with both his right and left hands and plays inside or outside with his face or back to the basket. He is working on improving his driving skills and ball-handling. Zidek reads the game well with good court vision and a good feel for the game. He is a hard worker with good habits and attitude.

#### U18 Unicaja Malaga: Ignacio Rosa

Rosa will be playing his second ANGT after he averaged 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds at ANGT Rome last season. Last summer, the 2.08-meter forward did not make the Spanish team for the FIBA U17 World Championship 2016, but he played at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2016 in December and averaged 11.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals, including scoring 27 points in the fifth-place game against Bosnia and Herzegovina to secure Spain a spot at the FIBA U19 World Championship 2017. He is currently averaging 15.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals in Spain’s EBA. Rosa is a versatile player who alternates between the two forward positions. His physical development will show at which position the Badalona native stays long term. Despite his height, Rosa is a good ball-handler and he has a good touch around the basket. He also has an easy stroke from beyond the three-point line. Rosa also has great speed in getting his shot ready and does an excellent job grabbing offensive rebounds.

#### U18 Movistar Estudiantes Madrid: Alex Tamayo

Tamayo will be playing his first ANGT with this marking the club’s first time at the event since 2009-10. Tamayo played last summer for Spain at the FIBA U16 European Championship and averaged 5.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists as the Spanish won the title. The 1.91-meter guard, who was born in Lusikiski, South Africa, is currently averaging 8.6 points and 2.5 rebounds in Spain’s EBA league. Tamayo has good size, which allows him to defend almost any perimeter player. He is very aggressive when dribbling the ball and has a real ease going to the basket and getting to the rim. He can finish when he gets into the lane, but also has good shooting range from outside.

#### U18 Cibona Zagreb: Kresimir Nikic

Nikic will be playing his second ANGT after he averaged 6.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks at ANGT Kaunas last season. The 2.14-meter center has not yet played for the Croatian national team, though he is expected to be one of the leaders of the U18 team, which hopes to earn promotion back to Division A at the FIBA U18 European Championship this summer. The Zagreb native has been with Cibona for years already and won national titles at the U14, U16 and U18 levels. He excels on both sides of the court. His great length gives him a strong advantage on defense, where he serves as an excellent rim protector. Nikic also possesses an excellent shot, which allows him to drive to the basket when he takes the ball outside. He has a great understanding of the game and good passing skills, which help him create space for himself and others.

#### U18 FC Bayern Munich: Nelson Weidemann

Weidemann will be playing his second ANGT after he competed on loan with Bayern last season at ANGT Belgrade and averaged 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals. The 1.90-meter playmaker guard joined Bayern in the off-season and is averaging 7.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steal in the ProB third division. The Berlin native played for Germany at the FIBA U18 European Championship in December and averaged 5.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists as Germany took fourth place. Weidemann has a strong personality with a very good attitude and always gives his full effort. He is a team guy that gets along with everyone in a locker room. Weidemann has high ambitions and is motivated to reach the highest level in basketball. He has an excellent all-around game, but also enjoys working on improving his game. At the moment he is working most on developing his point guard skills.



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The EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT will unveil a new qualifying event this weekend with the introduction of the ANGT Coin hosted by U18 Unicaja Malaga from February 10-12. 

ANGT Coin preview: New qualifying event starts this week

Coin, located in the Province of Malaga, will host the third leg of the journey to the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Istanbul. The event features one former continental champion, U18 Real Madrid, and one ANGT debutant, U18 Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul. The eight teams will play round-robin games in two groups of four with the winners playing in the final and the champion booking its place in the ANGT Finals. U18 FC Barcelona Lassa and U18 Zalgiris Kaunas have already secured tickets to Istanbul by winning the ANGT Torneig de Bàsquet Junior Ciutat de L'Hospitalet and ANGT Kaunas, respectively.

Group A is made up of Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul, U18 Movistar Estudiantes Madrid, U18 Unicaja Malaga and U18 USK Future Stars Prague. Darussafaka is making its debut in the tournament. Estudiantes has played twice in the competition, and will be competing for the first time since 2009-10 when it played in L’Hospitalet. Unicaja finished fifth in Rome in 2015-16 after having lost in the Rome final in 2014-15 and L’Hospitalet final in 2013-14. USK Future Stars Prague lost all of its games at ANGT Kaunas the last two seasons.

Group B is headlined by 2015 continental champion, U18 Real Madrid, and also includes U18 Cibona Zagreb, U18 FC Bayern Munich and U18 Real Betis Energia Plus Seville. Madrid moves to the Coin tournament after winning the qualifying competition in L’Hospitalet the last two seasons. Bayern took sixth place at ANGT Belgrade last season after going 1-2 at ANGT Kaunas in 2014-15 and taking fourth at ANGT Rome a season earlier. Cibona is back for the third time in the last four seasons after taking third at ANGT Kaunas in 2015-16 and fifth at ANGT Rome in 2013-14. Real Betis Energia Plus Seville took seventh place at the ANGT L’Hospitalet last season after reaching the L’Hospitalet semifinals in 2014-15 and winning the ANGT Rome qualifier in 2013-14.

The first qualifying event in the 2016-17 Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT series is the Torneig de Bàsquet Junior Ciutat de L’Hospitalet, which tips off Friday in the Barcelona suburb. 

ANGT L'Hospitalet Players to Watch in 2017

The three-day event brings together a host of tomorrows stars, all competing to lift their clubs to the ANGT Finals at the site of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Istanbul this May. Here’s a primer on some of the players to watch from the eight teams in action this weekend.

#### U18 ALBA Berlin, Badu Buck
Buck played at the ANGT last season in Belgrade and at the ANGT Finals in Berlin. He averaged 4.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in Belgrade and 3.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in Berlin. Buck is currently playing for ALBA Berlin’s second team in Germany’s fourth division and averaging 8.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists. The 1.95-meter shooting guard also played for Germany at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2015, where he averaged 4.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists. Buck has a great basketball IQ, is fast and has a very good knowledge of offense. He also is very intuitive on defense. The Berlin native must still work on his body while also improving on his reading of the game – especially at the senior level. But the club expects that will come over time.

#### U18 Herbalife Gran Canaria Las Palmas: Aleksander Balcerowski
“Olek” is one of the top prospects in all of Europe in the 2000-born generation. The 2.15-meter native of Poland, who has a 2.18-meter wingspan, helped Gran Canaria finish second in last season’s Spanish U16 national championship. He is currently alternating between the club’s U18 and EBA teams. Balcerowski played at the 2016 Jordan Brand Classic, where he collected 7 points and 6 rebounds in 18 minutes in the game in Brooklyn in April. He was unable to play in this summer’s FIBA U16 European Championship for Poland due to injury. Balcerowski is a multi-skilled low post player who can shoot, pass and dribble. Having just turned 16 in November, Balcerowski is working on building lower-body strength to get faster, more explosive and quicker. He is playing mainly as a power forward with a very good face-to-the-basket game, but he also can post up with his excellent touch and vision.

#### U18 Cedevita Zagreb: Darko Bajo
Bajo will be playing his third ANGT season after averaging 1.2 points and 1.2 rebounds for U18 Spars Sarajevo in 2014-15 and 9.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks last season with Cedevita. The 2.04-meter forward averaged 13 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in the first three games of the ANGT in Belgrade last season before playing just 5 minutes in the third-place game. Bajo played two summers with Croatia at the FIBA U16 European Championship and in December played at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2016. Croatia dropped to Division B despite his 8.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. The native of Nova Bila, Bosnia and Herzegovina, can play both forward positions and sometimes can defend the center position as well. Bajo can use his size advantage to post up small forwards and he can attack bigger opponents with his quickness. He continues to work on increasing his shooting range.

#### U18 Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens: Georgios Kalaitzakis
Kalaitzakis will be playing in his first ANGT since Panathinaikos will also be making its debut in the competition. The 1.98-meter point guard has played twice for Greece’s youth national teams. After averaging 7.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2015, the Heraklion native averaged 6.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2016 in mid-December. His best game was a 13-point, 4-rebound and 2-steal effort against Slovenia. Kalaitzakis, who turned 18 on January 2, works out with Panathinaikos’ senior team and even played a game in the Greek League last season. Kalaitzakis has a 2.08-meter wingspan, which gives him great length as a point guard and allows him to get his hands on a lot of passes. He has good speed and agility and can drive and slash to the basket. Kalaitzakis also possesses excellent leadership skills.

#### U18 FC Barcelona Lassa: Sergi Martinez
Martinez will be playing his second ANGT season after serving as one of Barcelona’s biggest weapons last season. In the ANGT – L’Hospitalet, the 2.02-meter forward averaged 14.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals. In helping Barcelona to its first title, Martinez collected 13.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals at the ANGT Finals in Berlin, including 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in the championship game. After playing in the FIBA U16 European Championship in 2014 and 2015, Martinez led Spain to the Semifinals of the FIBA U17 World Championship 2016 and was named to the All-Star Five after averaging 19.9 points and 12.9 rebounds. In mid-December, the Barcelona native helped Spain qualify for the FIBA U19 World Championship 2017 by averaging 16.2 points and 9.3 rebounds at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2016. Martinez, whose brother David Martinez played at the 2012-13 and 2013-14 ANGTs for Barcelona, can play inside or outside, creating mismatches from both spots. He can get out and finish on the break and has a good understanding of the game.

#### U18 Torrons Vicens L'Hospitalet: Raul Verano
Verano will be playing his first ANGT for the host team. The 1.87-meter shooting guard has a great understanding of the game and uses his various resources to help the team in the best way possible. Verano also is a major asset with his excellent shooting abilities. One of his most valuable aspects is his fighting spirit and competitive nature. Verano continues to work on improving his defense and adding strength, which he will need at the older age categories.

#### U18 Divina Seguros Joventut Badalona: Pedro Barros Nunes
Barros will be playing his second ANGT season despite still being a year younger than the rest of the competition since he is from the 2000-born generation. He averaged 9.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals at ANGT L’Hospitalet last season. The 1.96-meter guard participated at the 2016 Jordan Brand Classic in Brooklyn and represented Brazil at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship 2015, where he averaged 6.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals. Barros, who was born in Vitoria, Brazil, is a versatile player who can play above the rim, excels in the open court and possesses three-point range. Barros is strong in one-on-one situations with a good off-the-dribble jump shot. He works aggressively on defense and is a good rebounder at both ends. Barros also has a good work ethic.

#### U18 Union Olimpija Ljubljana: David Kralj
Kralj will be playing at his third ANGT for Olimpija. After being held scoreless in two games in 2014-15, the 1.91-meter guard averaged 5.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals last season at L’Hospitalet. He played for Slovenia at the FIBA U16 European Championship Division B 2015, where he averaged 12.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game. The Ljubljana native played in mid-December at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2016 and collected 7.2 points and 2.6 rebounds. Kralj is an explosive combo guard who can take the game into his own hands. The lefty possesses good court vision, has an excellent work ethic and a strong personality. Kralj is still returning from an ankle injury, but hopes to be back to full strength for the tourney.

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Aleksandr Ershov etched his place in the annals of EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT history by being named the MVP of the ANGT Kaunas, an honor that the U18 CSKA Moscow talent describes as very touching.

Ershov touched to be ANGT Kaunas MVP

The 16-year-old torched U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius for 37 points in the third-place game, a total that was just 6 points shy of the all-time ANGT single game record of 43 points by Dragan Bender in December 2014. That big game catapulted Ershov to the leaderboard in the scoring title (24.0 ppg), while the Krasnoyarsk native also led the tournament in three-point shooting percent (57 percent), free throw percentage (95 percent) and performance index rating(22.0). And all that earned Ershov the MVP trophy. 

"It is really great. It was a very touching," said Ershov."I had a thought that it might happen because of how things were going. It is important for me that I became the MVP. It gives me a chance to continue on my career."

Ershov has already seen a couple of highlights in his young career. ANGT Kaunas was actually in his second ANGT after averaging 3.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists at ANGT Rome last season. He also averaged 11.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game in helping Russia win the FIBA U16 European Championship Division B and getting the country promoted to Division A. And his 2016 also included the Jordan Brand Classic in April, when he scored 12 points to go with 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals at the showcase for 2000-born players. 

Ershov, who won't turn 17 years old until late August, is also in his third season in the CSKA youth ranks. Starting basketball at 10 years old, Ershov was spotted by CSKA scouts among U13s playing for a Siberian club. He joined the European powerhouse prior to the 2014-15 season. 

"When CSKA called me I didn't think a second about it, I went," he says. "I know about this club with all the great players, great coaches and great tradition."

Ershov has been playing with CSKA's youth team in the U21 league, averaging 6.1 points and 1.7 rebounds despite being as many as five years younger than other players in the competition.  

"I am not thinking about the physicality or that I will have any problems. I am just playing my game and not looking at the age of other players," Ershov said. "I just want to play, be involved and play defense. I'm just playing my game, my kind of basketball."

One of Ershov's greatest moments was watching his club win the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title last season after Victor Khryapa saved the team's chances with a tip-in to force overtime, after which CSKA went on to beat Fenerbahce Istanbul and lift the trophy.

"That was a great moment for the club and for me just being part of the club," Ershov said.

The 37-point outburst in Kaunas will be right up there among Ershov's great moments, as well.

"I was just playing. I wasn't thinking about how much I would score. We really just wanted to win it," Ershov said of the third-place game. "In the end, it was good for us and we finished how we wanted. I will probably remember this game for the rest of my life."

Ershov said he was not aware of his spot in the historical ranking in the tournament, but was amazed to hear that he joined the top six all-time in the single-game ANGT scoring list, along with Bender, Marc Garcia, Alessandro Gentile, Milos Glisic, Luigi Datome, Dzanan Musa and Marko Arapovic.

"I didn't know that such records existed, so it is really great to be in this group of players," Ershov said. "It is amazing when you are close to these great players, to have similar statistics like they did."

Exhibiting the amount of talent needed to produce those statistics bodes well for Ershov to quite possibly match the success those players have had at the senior club level as well. And much of it will have stemmed from a touching moment in Kaunas in early 2017. 

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U18 CSKA Moscow guard Aleksandr Ershov was named the MVP of the EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Qualifying Tournament - Kaunas on Saturday. 

Ershov of U18 CSKA named MVP in Kaunas

Ershov helped CSKA to third place and finished the tournament with a bang as he poured in 37 points against U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius in the third place game to go with 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Ershov led the tournament in scoring (24 points per game), three-point percentage (57 percent), free throw percentage (95 percent) and index rating (22.00). He also averaged 4.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals over four games.

Joining Ershov on the All-Tournament Team were Grantas Vasiliauskas of title-winning U18 Zalgiris Kaunas, Isaac Bonga of U18 Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt, Ivan Fevrier of U18 CFBB Paris and Yauhen Massalski of U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius. Massalski was not on hand to accept the award with his teammate Domantas Vilys accepting it on his behalf.

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The U18 Fenerbahce Istanbul star is still trying to keep his emotions under control at the EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Kaunas.

Experienced Duran aims to control his emotions

This isn’t the first time playing on a major stage either at the club or national team level for Ahmet Duran.

Duran first popped onto ANGT radars three years ago as a 15-year-old from Afyonkarahisar in the middle of the mountainous countryside in Turkey at the 2014-15 ANGT Kaunas. Duran probably didn’t know better and just played his game and showed he could dominate in certain aspects, combining for 22 points and 26 rebounds in his first two ANGT games three years ago.

Back then he was also a big body - but a bit undersized for the low post - with a touch for the game, good footwork and a feel for passing. Duran has improved all of those parts of his game and put together an All-Tournament Team-worthy showing this season with 17 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.8 steals for Fenerbahce.

“I have been playing here for three years and I really work hard. I practice with the Fenerbahce senior team so it helps me a lot to play here. This tournament has helped me become a better player,” said Duran, who will turn 18 years old on January 28.

Duran’s skill set also includes some solid dribbling and driving skills and the 2.06m big man can also shoot a bit from long range. One trait that is also evident though is Duran’s inability to control his emotions. Whether it’s throwing the ball high in the air in disappointment or separating himself from teammates at times in timeouts or other outbursts of frustration on the court, Duran’s emotion control game is still a work in progress.

But he knows and recognizes that.

“Outside the court I am really an enjoyable and funny guy, but on the court it’s always different,” Duran says with a laugh and smile while talking with his Fenerbahce teammate serving as his interpreter.

“Even though I try to stay under control I get frustrated some times and there is nothing i can do about it. I just try to keep going.”

Duran showed enough leadership skills to help Fenerbahce to a 2-1 record in Group A, including a 69-68 victory over U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius in the final group game, which kept Lietuvos Rytas from reaching the Kaunas final against U18 Zalgiris Kaunas.

“We always go to the court to win the game. We didn’t want two Lithuanian teams to play in the final. So the win means a lot to us,” said Duran, who knew that he and Fenerbahce would have needed a 47-point victory over Lietuvos Rytas to advance to the title game.

Duran arrived at Fenerbahce three years ago from Afyonkarahisar, which has a population of about 200,000 and located about 250 kilometers south-west of Ankara. Since then Duran has been playing at one big youth competition after another. In addition to three ANGT Kaunas events, Duran has played at two FIBA U16 European Championships, including a third place finish in 2015; and last year played at the FIBA U17 World Championship and the FIBA U18 European Championship.

The U17 Worlds last summer in Zaragoza was probably Duran’s biggest moment in his career as the tournament debutant Turkey knocked off Spain in the semifinals and ended up with the silver medal as it played against the United States in the final.

“Having the silver medal at the World Championship was really important for us. The biggest memory was the last second win over Spain,” said Duran, who averaged 10 points, 12 rebounds and 2.4 assists in the game.

When asked what he took away from the U17 World Championship, Duran said: “The most important thing I learned was to stay calm on the court even though I still can’t all the time.”

His game is getting better and better but Duran is still trying to work on that part of his total package.

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Isaac Bonga already has a loud game with a tantalizing mix of skills. But the U18 Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt point guard is looking to step up leadership-wise at the EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Kaunas.

Leadership, taking responsibility atop Bonga's development list

Bonga has been Frankfurt's top player in Kaunas, averaging 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.5 steals and 1.5 blocks through two games in Group A – albeit two losses.

"I have to be a leader," said the 2.03-meter 17-year-old. "It's a young group and I am also young, but I am one of the older guys here. I want to be a role model for the other guys. And to be the guy to whom the guys look up and say they want to be like me."

After he missed two major national team tournaments in 2016 with injuries, Bonga was one of the biggest names people were looking forward to seeing in Kaunas. Now healthy, Bonga is flashing the tools that make him one of the top prospects of his generation in all of Europe.

This is the second time ANGT fans have seen Bonga, whose parents were both born in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He helped U18 Brose Bamberg reach the semifinals of the 2015-16 ANGT Torneig de Bàsquet Junior Ciutat de L'Hospitalet, where he was named to the All-Tournament Team by averaging 12.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals.

"Last year helped me a lot. I was one of the good players but we also had Moritz Sanders and Arnoldas Kulboka. Now I have good young guys and I have to take responsibility now," said Bonga, who had 16 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals in the opening day 65-94 loss against U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius.

That defeat made Bonga realize even more that he needed to be more of a leader: "Sometimes, if things aren't going well, I just have to take the ball and say guys I'm going to do something now. Just be a leader."

Bonga started in the sport when he was 7 years old, playing street ball in Neuwied. He moved to the local club at 9 years old and last season was sharing time with fourth division side Koblenz and the youth teams of Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt.

Bonga has sports in his family. His 20-year-old older brother Tarsis Bonga plays in the youth ranks for German football power Bayer Leverkusen. And Isaac said his younger brother, the 2005-born Joshua, is already wowing observers, playing in a U16 league.

Bonga's father came to Germany from the Democratic Republic of Congo about 20 years with the original intent of heading on to Canada. He ended up staying in Frankfurt and moved to Koblenz, where he lives with Isaac's mother, who is also from DR Congo. Bonga said his oldest brother still lives in Africa.

Bonga, who is a big fan of Dwyane Wade, signed a four-year deal with Frankfurt last off-season because of the chances the club offers.

The 2.03-meter guard already made his debut in the German BBL league, playing the last 29 seconds of Frankfurt's game in late September at Brose Bamberg in front of nearly 7,000 fans. He has played four times for Frankfurt in the top flight, but not since early November. Instead he is playing in the U19 NBBL league and the third division ProB.

The game in Bamberg was an early reward from the Frankfurt coaching staff for Bonga's work in training camp. Bonga was excited about playing a high level after he missed the 2016 Albert Schweitzer Tournament in April because of an injury. And then in December, Bonga was hit in the thigh and ended up missing the FIBA U18 European Championship 2016.

Bonga was only cleared to play on Friday before the ANGT Kaunas started. When asked how he felt being able to finally play again in a high level tournament, Bonga said: "I am really happy because I was really angry about not being able to play. But now it's time for me to be a leader."

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