Partizan holds off Trento, 81-66

In the opening game of Saturday action at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet used a big third quarter to down U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento 81-66. Partizan improved its record to 1-1 in Group B, while Trento dropped to 0-2.

Lukas Bojovic paced Partizan with 24 points, Aleksa Kojic scored 13, Zivko Mirkovic had 11 points while Daris Sijaric collected 10 points and 9 rebounds. For Trento, Cesare Placinschi scored 16 points, Mario Machetti 13 points, while Patrick Hassan had 11 points and 10 assists.

Partizan scored the last 5 points of the second quarter, and the first 6 of the third quarter to open a 44-36 lead. The margin continued to grow as Partizan held 62-47 lead after 30 minutes, then increased it to 69-47 early in the fourth. Trento answered with a 0-13 run, but never got closer than that.

Game News

U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento (2025-03-08T08:00:00.000Z)

U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan made it two wins from two at the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Belgrade tournament having beaten U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv 64-89 in the final game of Friday night. Maccabi is bottom of the group with a 0-2 record.

Luigi Suigo was one of the key performers for Milan, finishing with a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double in addition to 2 steals and 2 blocks. Achille Lonati led Milan in scoring with 20 points, while Omar Karem and Diego Garavaglia netted 11 points apiece. For Maccabi, Arbel Lachmanovich scored 14 points and Gabriel Artmenko poured in 10.

It was a tight first half that saw the teams go into the break with just a four-point difference, yet it was in Milan’s favor after the Italian side had won the first quarter 21-23 and the second 15-17. Milan really pulled away from Maccabi in the third frame after holding the Israeli outfit to 12 points, with the 25 points it netted allowing it to open a 48-65 advantage. To compete the job, Milan won the fourth quarter 16-24 to come away with a convincing 64-89 victory.

The Italian side had four players score in double digits

Luigi Suigo posts double-double as Milan defeats Maccabi, 64-89

U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv v U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-03-07T18:00:00.000Z)

U18 Joventut Badalona got its first win on the board at the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Belgrade tournament after beating U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade 72-81 in both teams’ second game of the group stage. Joventut and Zvezda both hold a 1-1 record.

 

Two players led the way for Joventut as Ian Platteeuw and Eric del Castillo joined forces to devastating effect. Platteeuw finished with a team-high 33 PIR having posted 20 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 1 block, while Del Castillo amassed 23 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals en route to a 26 PIR. Daniel Balde also chipped in with 13 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 1 block, and Helmuts Petrovics had 12 points, 11 assists and 5 steals. Zvezda’s Stefan Marjanovic finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds, with teammates Andrej Lucic and Jovan Bikic netting 13 points apiece. Lazar Stojkovic was the hosts’ other double-digit scorer, pouring in 10 points.

 

It was Zvezda which had the better start to the contest, holding a 25-13 lead after 10 minutes, but Joventut reduced the deficit heading into halftime after a 15-20 second quarter, meaning it was 40-33 to the hosts at the interval. Joventut went to another gear on offense in the third period by scoring 29 points to Zvezda’s 23, but it was Zvezda which led 63-62 entering the final frame. The comeback attempt was completed in the fourth period as Joventut restricted Zvezda to just nine points in the quarter while scoring 19 itself, which allowed it to secure a 72-81 victory.  

The Spanish team’s duo combined for 43 points, 19 rebounds and 12 assists

Platteeuw, Del Castillo lead Joventut past Crvena Zvedza, 72-81

U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade v U18 Joventut Badalona (2025-03-07T16:00:00.000Z)

INSEP gives Trento no chance, 72-43

U18 Pole France INSEP Paris grabbed its first win at NextGen Belgrade by thrashing U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento 72-43 in Group B. Nathan Soliman paced the winners with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Noa Koaukou-Heugue added 14 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists while Meissa Faye had 13 points and 8 rebounds for INSEP. Patrick Hassan led Trento with 8 points. 

Soliman had 12 points before the break to lead INSEP to a 35-22 lead at halftime. INSEP did not slow down after the break, boosting its margin to 60-33 at the end of the third quarter and cruising to a well-deserved victory. 

U18 Pole France INSEP Paris v U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento (2025-03-07T14:00:00.000Z)

NextGen Belgrade beats Partizan, 75-42

U18 NextGen Team Belgrade used an impressive defensive effort to top U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 75-42 in the opener of Group B and the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade. NextGen Team had Akram Naji score 14 points, while Kaur Tomann and Aaron Towo-Nansi each added 11, with Towo-Nansi also dishing 9 assists. Uros Danilovic was the only double-digit scorer for Partizan with 12 points.

NextGen Team started pulling away in the second quarter with a quarter-ending 13-1 run to open a 36-18 lead, then a 10-0 run early in the third to open a 46-21 advantage. The margin was as big as 35 points before the final buzzer.

U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade v U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2025-03-07T12:00:00.000Z)

Milan eases past Joventut, 61-82

U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan started its participation the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade in style with a 61-82 win over U18 Joventut Badalona. Milan led from start to finish as Achille Lonati finished with 17 points, Diego Garavaglia has 12 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds, while Luigi Suigo had 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Ian Platteeuw starred under the rims for Joventut with 16 points and 22 rebounds, including 14 on the offensive end, while Terence Kekenbosch had 13 points in a loss.

Milan scored the first 6 points of the game, needed less than 6 minutes to open a double-digit lead and never looked back. Margin was as big as 31 points as Milan cruised to a win.

U18 Joventut Badalona v U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-03-07T10:00:00.000Z)

Watch LIVE: Day 1 of NextGen EuroLeague in Belgrade

The fourth event of the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague 2024-25 season has tipped off this morning at the legendary Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia, where the continent’s top young talents will battle in the last of four NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournaments.

After U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade and U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan registered impressive victories in the opening games of Group A, the next two games will be Group B fixtures, U18 NextGen Team Belgrade vs. U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, and U18 Pole France INSEP Paris vs. U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento.

The day will end with Round 2 of Group A, where Zvezda will play U18 Joventut Badalona, and Milan will face U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv.

### Watch it live

In the opening game of the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, the host team U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade downed U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv 84-59. Lazar Stojkovic was the leader for the winners, collecting 24 points on 9-for-12 two-point shooting and 9 rebounds. Andrej Lucic and Stefan Markovic scored 16 apiece for Zvezda, while Eran Barak was the only double-digit scorer for Maccabi with 12 points.

Zvezda never trailed in the game, and pulled away with a 14-0 second-quarter run, during which it held Maccabi scoreless for more then 8 minutes to finish the half and take a 39-23 lead into the break. The margin was 26 points at then end of the third, and as big as 37 points late in the fourth before Maccabi scored the last 12 points of the game.

Crvena Zvezda blows past Maccabi 84-59

U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade v U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv (2025-03-07T08:00:00.000Z)

NextGen EuroLeague Belgrade: Players to watch

The Adidas NextGen EuroLeague 2024-25 season will hold its final qualifying tournament this weekend in Belgrade with the Serbian capital hosting the event for the 18th time. The tournament features past continental champions U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade, U18 Pole France INSEP Paris and U18 Joventut Badalona as well as debutant U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento, U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv, U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade. 

The teams will compete over three days at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade from March 7 to 9 with the aim of reaching the NextGen EuroLeague Finals, which will be played at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in May in Abu Dhabi. Here are some of the names to look out for from the teams in Belgrade.

 

### Uros Danilovic - U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

Uros Danilovic is competing in the competition for a second season after playing a key role in 2024 with 6.5 points and 1.8 rebounds. He has proven to be an excellent scorer in the U19 Serbian league by averaging 13.9 points along with 2.8 assists. Danilovic has scored 20+ points five times - including 27 points against BKK Radnicki - and he is shooting 45 percent on three-pointers this season. He also averaged 15.3 points in the U19 ABA League. Danilovic does a good job going coast to coast after defensive rebounds, is a good spot-up shooter and a great leader. He still needs to work on his pick-and-roll game.

 

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### Tamir Gold - U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv

Tamir Gold will be appearing in his third NextGen campaign after playing in Zadar in 2023 and then averaging 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in Belgrade in 2024. After playing in the U16 EuroBasket 2023, the forward was part of history for Israel last summer in helping them take fourth place at the U18 EuroBasket 2024 with 8.1 points and 2.0 rebounds to secure their first-ever berth at the U19 World Cup. Gold could be limited in his play as he has missed the last two months with a knee injury. Gold has a high-level character, is very mature for his age, a great locker room guy and leader. He is hard-working and focused with a high basketball IQ. He runs the floor well and is long and moves pretty well. Gold has worked to improve his shot and has good timing for rebounds, blocks and deflections on defense. 

 

### Patrick Hassan - U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento

Patrick Hassan will be playing his second NextGen tournament after he averaged 3.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals playing for U18 Orange1 Bassano at Patras 2023. The guard helped Italy win silver at the U16 EuroBasket 2023 with 3.4 points and 2.0 rebounds, and he collected 5.1 points, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals as Italy grabbed second place at the U17 Basketball World Cup 2024. Hassan made his BKT EuroCup debut in mid-October against Bahcesehir College Istanbul. In the Italian U20 Next Gen Cup, he averaged 21.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.8 rebounds and he is scoring 20.4 points per game in the Italian U19 league. He is really aggressive off the dribble, uses the ball screen well, has a good mid-range jumper and consistent three-point shot though he needs to add more creativity to his finishing. Hassan excels with his on-ball defense, has strong mental toughness and communication skills on the floor.

### Noa Kouakou-Heugue - U18 Pole France INSEP Paris

This will be the second NextGen campaign for Noa Kouakou-Heugue after he collected 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds at the Paris 2024 tournament and followed that with 4.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals at the NextGen Finals. He contributed 1 rebound in 6 minutes in last season’s NextGen EuroLeague Championship Game. Kouakou-Heugue was part of France’s youth national team the last two summers going for 2.3 points and 3.3 rebounds as the French took third place at the U16 EuroBasket 2023. He then averaged 6.6 points and 3.4 rebounds at the U17 Basketball World Cup 2024. This season he is tallying 9.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in the French third division NM1. Kouakou-Heugue has excellent mobility and verticality. He also is quite versatile with the ability to play facing the basket or his back to the basket. The long forward can also defend multiple positions.

 

### Aleksej Nedeljkovic - U18 Crvena Zveza Belgrade

Aleksej Nedeljkovic will be appearing in his first NextGen event. The 2008-born guard helped Serbia to third place at the FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2024 with 6.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He has collected 10.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in three U19 ABA League games. Nedeljkovic has a strong one-on-one game and penetrates well to the rim. Despite being a guard, he rebounds well on both the offensive and defensive glass. He excels in open space in transition and also on help defense from the weak side. Nedeljkovic needs to improve his three-point shot and his mid-range game. 

 

### Ian Platteeuw - U18 Joventut Badalona

Ian Platteeuw will be appearing in his third NextGen season and averaged 9.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks in Paris last year. The 2.13-meter big man helped Spain win the title at the U16 EuroBasket 2023 with 7.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. Last summer he tallied 8.6 points and 7.1 rebounds at the U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 and then had 5.4 points and 3.6 rebounds at the U18 EuroBasket 2024. This season Platteeuw appeared in four BKT EuroCup games and collected 10 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in a combined 24 minutes. He made his Spanish ACB debut last season and the big man has appeared in two games this season. He is splitting time with Prat in the third division Segundo FEB (8.8 ppg., 5.2 rpg.) and Joventut’s second team in the fourth division Tercera FEB (14.3 ppg., 11.4 rpg., 3.4 apg.). Platteeuw is a highly skilled center with exceptional passing ability and court vision that allows him to function as a playmaker and create scoring opportunities for his teammates. He has a strong work ethic and high basketball IQ. He must work on his physical toughness to become more competitive in contact situations and improve his mid-range and three-point shooting to diversify his offensive game.

 

### Luigi Suigo - U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 

Luigi Suigo is playing his second NextGen season after he had 4.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in Belgrade last year. He then averaged 6.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks at the NextGen Finals. The 2.20-meter center debuted for Italy at the U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 and collected 7.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks for the silver medallists. Later in the summer, he contributed 7.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks at the U18 EuroBasket. This season he helped Milan repeat as champion of the Italian U20 Next Gen Cup, taking home MVP with 20 points and 11 rebounds in an 87-68 win over Tortona in the final. He is also averaging 10.2 points for fourth-division Oleggio Magic Basket. Since arriving at Milan at the beginning of the 2022-23 season, "Gigi's" growth has been exponential thanks to his determination to train. He has improved both technically and physically, earning call-ups to the first team in both the Italian League and Turkish Airlines EuroLeague - though he is yet to make his debut with the pro team.

### Aaron Towo-Nansi - U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade 

Aaron Towo-Nansi will be playing in his second NextGen event after he had  8.5 points, 1.2 rebounds 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals in Podgorica 2024 for U18 Cholet Basket - despite not even turning 15 years old. The 2009-born guard guided France to the gold medal at the U16 EuroBasket 2024 with 8.6 points, 5.0 assists and 2.7 steals. This season, the 1.74-meter point guard is averaging 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.1 steals in the French U21 league, twice topping 20 points - including 24 points against JDA Dijon. Towo-Nansi is a great leader who can change the game with his creativity, defense and three-point shot. His weakness is his size but the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague has shown with the likes of Mike James, TJ Shorts and Markus Howard that smaller guards can still be highly effective. 

Here are eight top talents to keep an eye on at the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Belgrade