Follow all the action from the ANGT Podgorica this weekend with live blogs from courtside by junior basketball specialist David Hein while watching the live video from Verde Sports Hall.

 ANGT Podgorica live blog: U18 SC Derby vs. U18 ALBA

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 ANGT Podgorica: U18 SC Derby 82-48 U18 ALBA

 ANGT Podgorica live blog: U18 NGT Podgorica vs. U18 Cholet 

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 ANGT Podgorica: U18 NGT Podgorica 82-67 U18 Cholet

 ANGT Podgorica live blog: U18 Munich vs. U18 Cedevita 

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 ANGT Podgorica: U18 Munich 82-68 U18 Cedevita

U18 FC Bayern Munich Basketball v U18 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2024-01-26T14:45:00.000Z)

 ANGT Podgorica live blog: U18 Real Madrid vs. U18 Umana Reyer Venice 

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 ANGT Podgorica: U18 Real Madrid 92-66 U18 Reyer

U18 Real Madrid v U18 Umana Reyer Venice (2024-01-26T12:30:00.000Z)

 ANGT Podgorica live blog: U18 ALBA Berlin vs. U18 Next Generation Team Podgorica 

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 ANGT Podgorica: U18 ALBA 53-93 U18 NGT Podgorica 

U18 ALBA Berlin v U18 Next Generation Team Podgorica (2024-01-26T10:15:00.000Z)

ANGT Podgorica: U18 Cholet 72-86 U18 SC Derby 

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U18 Cholet Basket v U18 SC Derby Podgorica (2024-01-26T08:00:00.000Z)

One of the world's premier youth basketball showcases begins with the first of four qualifiers in the Montenegrin capital.

ANGT Podgorica players to watch

This season's Euroleague Basketball Adidas EuroLeague Next Generation Tournament gets underway with the first of four qualifiers being held from Friday to Sunday in Podgorica, Montenegro, a first-time host of the event. Subsequent qualifiers are scheduled for Belgrade (March 1 to 3), Dubai (March 22 to 24) and Paris (March 29 to 31). The top junior club teams and individual players on the continent will come together seeking glory led by the stars of tomorrow. Here are some names to watch out for from each of the eight teams in Podgorica.

[David Mirkovic, U18 SC Derby Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/david-mirkovic/012451/)

Mirkovic will be appearing in the ANGT for a second season after playing for the select Next Generation team in ANGT Belgrade and the ANGT Finals in 2022-23. The 2.07-meter big man averaged 17.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in Belgrade and then 7.5 points and 6.0 rebounds at the ANGT Finals. Last summer he collected 15.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals in helping Montenegro finish third at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2023, Division B to earn promotion to Division A. Mirkovic also picked up 8.9 points and 4.1 rebounds at the FIBA U20 European Championships 2023 as a 17-year-old. Mirkovic has played this season for Derby in the ABA Adriatic League and the Montenegrin League, averaging 14.2 points and 10.7 rebounds in the latter. Mirkovic has a good mix of size, strength and coordination with great body control and great touch to make him a threat from all positions on the court. He has good footwork and can create for himself in the paint and for others with his back to the basket. Mirkovic can also play on the wing as a solid three-point shooter who make plays, handle the ball and finish with both hands.

[Pietro Iannuzzi, U18 Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/pietro-iannuzzi/012493/)

Pietro is making his second appearance at the ANGT after finishing ANGT Belgrade with 21.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists as the fourth-best scorer of the competition with 4.5 triples per game. The Venetian guard also made his debut in the Italian league in Milan at the beginning of November while he scored his first points the following game against Reggio Emilia. The 1.94-meter guard also made his debut in the BKT EuroCup with 1 minute against Veolia Towers Hamburg. Iannuzzi is an excellent 3-point shooter both off the blocks and off the dribble. He also has greatly improved his pick-and-roll reads and his ability to finish or pass the ball in traffic after penetration.

[Romain Valakou, U18 Cholet Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/romain-valakou/012848/)

Romain will be playing his first ANGT event. The 1.92-meter guard is averaging 21.4 points in 22 minutes in the French U18 championship while shooting at 50% on three-pointers. He is also collecting 8.5 points with 35.7% on three-pointers to go with 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in the U21 championship. Valakou played last summer the FIBA U17 3X3 Europe Cup and helped France finish third. He can score on the fastbreak, driving to the basket, one-on-one or from the outside. Valakou still must improve on his toughness, especially on defense. But he is an elegant player who plays with ease when he has the ball and is a hard worker wanting to get better every day and help the team win.

[Amon Doerries, U18 ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/amon-doerries/011626/)

Doerries will be playing in his third ANGT season as one of the club's top prospects. He totaled 4 points and 1 steal in 29 minutes at the 2021-22 ANGT Ljubljana, and then averaged 11.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals at the 2022-23 ANGT Munich. The 2.10-meter forward helped ALBA win the German U19 league title in 2023. Doerries is averaging 14.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals in the U19 league this season and is also tallying 3.1 points and 1.2 rebounds in 16 minutes per game in the German third division. Doerries is a versatile forward who has the potential to play also at the center and guard positions. His seven-foot wingspan allows Doerries to influence games both offensively and defensively. He can play one-on-one facing the basket and from the post. He still needs to get consistency on his shot but has good court vision and good shot-blocking ability. Doerries missed nearly two months of action from late November to mid-January but has returned to the court.

David Mirkovic, U18 SC Derby Podgorica

Pietro Iannuzzi, U18 Umana Reyer Venice

Amon Doerries, U18 ALBA Berlin

Hugo Gonzalez, U18 Real Madrid

Mark Morano, U18 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana

Jack Kayil, U18 Next Generation Team Podgorica

[Hugo Gonzalez, U18 Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/hugo-gonzalez/011649/)

Gonzalez will be playing in the ANGT for the second season after helping Real win the title in 2023. The 1.98-meter forward was named MVP of the ANGT Munich qualifier, where he averaged 19.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks. He then collected 16.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 3.3 steals and 1.8 blocks in the ANGT Finals. Gonzalez helped Spain finish second at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022 and the FIBA U18 European Championship 2023, averaging 14.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks at the latter. The wing has played 10 games in the Spanish League this season and also appeared in four EuroLeague contests. Gonzalez has a strong physique, which gives him an advantage against his opponents. He has excellent versatility and can contribute in all facets of the game. The son of a former professional player, Gonzalez has a deep understanding of the game and a strong desire to continue learning and improving. He is also a fierce competitor. Gonzalez can still improve on reading the game offensively as well as his ball-handling and defensive focus to minimize errors.

[Mark Morano, U18 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/mark-morano/012331/)

Morano will be competing in the ANGT for a second consecutive season after averaging 7.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals at the ANGT Zadar qualifier against opponents who were two years older. He is averaging 12.8 points in the Slovenian third division and 14.9 points in the Slovenian U20 league. He was the best scorer at FIBA U16 European Championship 2023, averaging 20.6 points to go with 6.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1 steal, 0.6 blocks for Slovenia. Morano is a multi-level threat when catching the ball on the perimeter. His combination of 1.97-meter size and fluid ball-handling ability allows him to get to his spots on the floor and makes him hard to contain for opposing defenders. His shooting ability, however, might be his biggest selling point, as he shows tremendous efficiency in tough shots off the dribble.

[Ivan Volf, U18 FC Bayern Munich Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/ivan-volf/012126/)

Volf will be playing in his second ANGT after he collected 4.5 points and 1.5 rebounds at the ANGT Munich. The 2.01-meter wing averaged 9.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals for Croatia at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2022. Volf is playing this season for Bayern's second team in the German third division, tallying 9.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 47.4% on three-pointers. Volf has natural mechanics, long arms and legs, and broad shoulders. In the future, he might emerge as an elite spot-up threat due to his incredibly smooth shooting mechanics. His aim is to develop into an offensive weapon who can score in a variety of ways, and he is working hard on spot-up, off-screen, off-the-dribble and pick-and-roll situations. He is also attacking closeouts more. Volf is a late bloomer physically and is still a little weak in terms of dealing with contact.

[Jack Kayil, U18 Next Generation Team Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/jack-kayil/011621/)

Kayil will be competing in his second ANGT season after he was named to the All-Tournament Team for the ANGT Munich for picking up 18.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.8 steals with ALBA Berlin. The 1.91-meter guard, who this off-season moved to RASTA Vechta, helped Germany win the FIBA U16 European Championship 2022, Division B to get the country promoted to Division A. Last summer, Kayil collected 10.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.7 steals at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2023, where Germany finished third for their first-ever podium result in the competition's history. Kayil this season is averaging 11.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists for Vechta in the German second division. He is also picking up 18.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.2 steals in the German U19 league. Kayil stands out with his leadership and he can score in many different ways. He still needs to improve his playmaking and his defense.

U18 Next Generation Team Podgorica v U18 Cholet Basket (2024-01-26T17:00:00.000Z)

U18 SC Derby Podgorica v U18 ALBA Berlin (2024-01-26T19:15:00.000Z)

U18 Umana Reyer Venice v U18 FC Bayern Munich Basketball (2024-01-27T08:00:00.000Z)

U18 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v U18 Real Madrid (2024-01-27T10:15:00.000Z)

U18 Cholet Basket v U18 ALBA Berlin (2024-01-27T12:30:00.000Z)

U18 SC Derby Podgorica v U18 Next Generation Team Podgorica (2024-01-27T14:45:00.000Z)

U18 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v U18 Umana Reyer Venice (2024-01-27T17:00:00.000Z)

U18 FC Bayern Munich Basketball v U18 Real Madrid (2024-01-27T19:15:00.000Z)

U18 Real Madrid Baloncesto, the reigning ANGT champion, is one of eight teams that will be competing at the first-ever edition of the ANGT Podgorica tournament.

Reigning champ Real Madrid starts its title defense at first-ever ANGT Podgorica 

The [2023-24 Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/news/angt-qualifiers-2024-to-feature-28-teams-from-11-countries/) season — the 22nd edition of the competition — tips off on Friday, January 26. U18 SC Derby Podgorica will make history by hosting the first-ever ANGT Podgorica. Reigning champion and four-time U18 continental winner U18 Real Madrid headlines the eight-team field, and the first ticket to the ANGT Finals at May’s Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin will be awarded in the Montenegrin capital.

### Who is playing at the ANGT Podgorica?

The eight teams in Podgorica are broken down into two groups of four. Each team will face the others in its group in a round-robin fashion at Verde Sports Hall. The top teams in each group will then square off in Sunday’s first-place game, with the winner of that contest securing one of eight spots in the ANGT Finals. 

The breakdown of the eight teams is as follows: Group A has U18 ALBA Berlin, U18 Cholet Basket, U18 Next Generation Team Podgorica and host Derby. Group B is made up of reigning champion Real, U18 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, U18 FC Bayern Munich and U18 Umana Reyer Venice.

### Evaluating Group A

ALBA is competing in the ANGT for the 14th time since 2008-09, missing only 2013-14 and 2020-21. The German side went 2-2 at the ANGT Munich last season and took fourth place. 

France's Cholet returns for a second appearance in the competition after debuting at the ANGT Patras in 2023 and grabbing third place with just one loss to eventual winner U18 Joventut Badalona. 

The NGT Podgorica squad will be a gathering of many of the top talents across the continent and coached by Finnish legend Petteri Koponen for a second straight season. 

Host Derby will be making its debut in the competition.

### Evaluating Group B

In Group B, Real competes in the event for the 17th straight time. *Los Blancos* won the continental crown in 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023 and lost in the ANGT Championship Game in 2014. Real has won its qualifying tournament in each of the last 10 seasons. 

Cedevita is appearing for the 18th time, including the last six and 16 of the last 17 seasons. The club went 1-3 in the ANGT Zadar last season and took fourth place. 

Bayern is competing for the ninth time, but this is the first time it is playing a qualifying tournament not at home since 2016-17 in Coin. The German side took eighth place last season and lost to Real in the 2019-20 ANGT Munich first-place game. 

Reyer is making back-to-back appearances — and its seventh overall — but the Italian side has never finished better than sixth place. Reyer was eighth at the ANGT Belgrade last season.

Hugo Gonzalez, one of U18 Real Madrid's most talented players, in action during last year's ANGT Finals in Kaunas, Lithuania.

The qualifying event comes to Montenegro for the first time. 

Listen to some of the top prospects on the continent, including Nikola Topic and Kasparas Jakucionis, as they experience the 2022-23 ANGT Finals.

ANGT ‘The Future Stars of Gen Z’ documentary is out now!

The Adidas Next Generation Tournament provides a platform for the superstars of tomorrow to showcase their talents, with Gen Z taking center stage during last year’s ANGT Finals in Kaunas, Lithuania. In ‘The Future Stars of Gen Z’ documentary, presented by SKWEEK, you can follow the players’ progress through the tournament as they discuss the importance of the event, what it means for them moving forward, and the lessons they have learned.

Thanks to the support of Adidas and SKWEEK, this documentary provides an opportunity to get inside the mindset of what makes an elite prospect in Europe during the ANGT Finals. In addition to hearing the thoughts of 2006-07 MVP [Donatas Motiejunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/donatas-motiejunas/lcz/) (now of AS Monaco) and 2012-13 MVP [Alberto Abalde](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alberto-abalde/003733/) (now of Real Madrid), FC Barcelona guard [Rokas Jokubaitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/rokas-jokubaitis/007519/) also talks about the impact of being on the big stage for the first time.

A couple of stars from last year’s ANGT Finals – who feature prominently during this documentary – have already been given a chance to shine on the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague stage this season, with [Nikola Topic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-topic/010985/) of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and [Kasparas Jakucionis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kasparas-jakucionis/012197/) of FC Barcelona both making their debuts in the 2023-24 campaign.

Other players to feature in the documentary include: [Mantas Laurencikas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/mantas-laurencikas/011645/) (U18 Zalgiris Kaunas), [Neoklis Avdalas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/neoklis-avdalas/010798/) (U18 Panathinaikos Athens), [Urban Kroflic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/urban-kroflic/011688/) (U18 Mega MIS Belgrade), [Illan Pietrus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/illan-pietrus/011435/) (U18 Next Generation Select Team), and [Mohamed Diawara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/mohamed-diawara/010801/) (U18 Next Generation Select Team).

Petteri Koponen, the head coach of the U18 Next Generation Select Team, and Roger Grimau, the ex-U18 FC Barcelona head coach and now Barca first-team boss, offer their insights on this new generation and also how pivotal a tournament like the ANGT can be in a player’s development.

Over four days in May 2023, ‘The Future Stars of Gen Z’ documentary captures the highs and the lows of the players as they go in search of the ultimate prize: winning the ANGT trophy and cementing themselves as one of the top prospects in the world.

Plenty of current and former stars were in attendance across the tournament, too, such as: Real Madrid’s Abalde, Vincent Poirier, Sergio Rodriguez, Rudy Fernandez, Walter Tavares and Felipe Reyes; Monaco’s Motiejunas; ex-London Lions head coach Ryan Schmidt; ex-Zalgiris boss Kazys Maksvytis; Zalgiris assistant coach Tautvydas Sabonis; Barcelona legend and current director Juan Carlos Navarro; Euroleague Basketball President Dejan Bodiroga; and Zalgiris legends Paulius Jankunas and Arvydas Sabonis.

With so much star power both on the court and in the stands, it’s no surprise that the ANGT continues to grow and grow. Don’t be surprised to see some of the names in ‘The Future Stars of Gen Z’ documentary feature on EuroLeague and NBA courts in the years to come.

The Adidas Next Generation Tournament provides a platform for the superstars of tomorrow to showcase their talents, with Gen Z taking center stage during last year’s ANGT Finals in Kaunas, Lithuania. In ‘The Future Stars of Gen Z’ documentary, you can follow the players’ progress through the tournament as they discuss the importance of the event, what it means for them moving forward, and the lessons they have learned.

Thanks to the support of Adidas and SKWEEK, this documentary provides an opportunity to get inside the mindset of what makes an elite prospect in Europe during the ANGT Finals.

Listen to some of the top prospects on the continent as they experience the 2022-23 ANGT Finals.