There were no wide eyes for Kymany Houinsou at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Qualifier Valencia. 

Houinsou's 'adventurous travel' with ASVEL begins in Valencia

The LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne guard made his first endeavor into international basketball this weekend with the start of a journey that promises to be literally "adventurous".

The 1.91-meter Houinsou did not act like he was the youngest player in Valencia; the 14-year-old averaged 5.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 1.3 steals through the first three games of the event.

"It's exciting, but there is no age for me. It's just competition," said Houinsou, who was one of four players on the ASVEL roster born in 2003 or later.

Playing against older competition is nothing new for Houinsou. In 2017, he helped ASSM Pfastatt win the French U15 national championship - at just 13 years of age.

"I was very happy and very proud of my team because nobody expected us to win," he said of the crown.

That title came under the tutelage of veteran coach Jean Luc Monschau, who won two ProA crowns with SLUC Nancy, but decided in 2014 to move down to coach youth basketball after nearly 30 years of coaching professionally.

Houinsou chose this past August to move from Pfastatt near Mulhouse to Lyon and play for ASVEL.

"It's exciting because for me it's the best club in France and it's Tony Parker's club, so we have the best players in France along with CFBB," Houinsou said.

The athletic playmaker did not stay at the U15 level with ASVEL, but has played all season instead with the club's team in the U18 league. He knew things in Valencia would not be easy.

"I had to be ready to play on the court because the guys are older so I needed to be ready," said Houinsou, who has averaged 6.0 points over eight games in the French U18 league.

Regarding what he wanted to do for ASVEL in Valencia, he said: "Just do what you have to do, bring energy, play defense, scoring, passing and play with heart."

Basketball has been part of Houinsou's life for a long time already. He recalled going to games of his father Sam Houinsou in the lower leagues in the Mulhouse area and playing since he was 3 years old.

Houinsou’s earliest role models were his father and Michael Jordan. "My dad showed me tapes of Michael Jordan," said Houinsou, whose newer role models are Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

Houinsou’s father hails from the West African country of Benin and came to France when he was 14 years old. His mother arrived in France from the Caribbean region of Guadeloupe when she was 3 years old.

When looking ahead to the bright future that Houinsou has, it seems only fitting that his first name is Kymany, which has African origins and means "adventurous traveler".

"Yeah, that describes me," the composed youngster said.

Houinsou really doesn't have to look far for role models for his next step. He only needs to look at ASVEL's top team where 17-year-old Theo Maledon has already averaged 7.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in the ProA and 5.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in the 7DAYS EuroCup.

"I want that too. He’s one of my role models," said Houinsou, who envisions himself as a tall point guard down the road. "I want to play in the French national team and be a professional player and one of the main guys at ASVEL.

Houinsou will celebrate his 15th birthday on January 6, meaning he is just about 11 months younger than Luka Doncic was when he debuted in the ANGT in L'Hospitalet in the 2014-15 season. "Everything is possible," was Houinsou’s response to that historical comparison.

Everything is possible looking ahead for the "adventurous traveler".

kymany-houinsou-u18-ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-photo-miguel-angel-polo-valencia-jt18-9cxlgkchfkf3hwcx.jpg

A largely new crop of young players comes each season to the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament. Going into the first qualifying event in Valencia, starting on Friday, December 28, here are some players to watch.

ANGT Valencia: Players to watch 2018

#### Valencia Basket – Guillem Ferrando
Valencia returning to the ANGT for the first time since 2010 means that Guillem Ferrando will be making his ANGT debut. The 2002-born point guard has already experienced some success. He helped Spain take the silver medal at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2018, averaging 3.0 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.9 steals. Ferrando is a very smart player who can read both the offense and defense and is a leader on the court. He can score from the outside and play one on one while also being very good at starting the fastbreak. Ferrando also likes to play in the crunch time of games.

#### FC Barcelona Lassa – Tom Digbeu
Tom Digbeu will be playing his third ANGT after he played sparingly at the 2017 ANGT Finals in Istanbul and then picked up 7.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.8 steals at last season's ANGT L'Hospitalet. The 1.92-meter guard,the son of former Barcelona forward and French international Alain Digbeu, will be called upon to be more of a leader this time around. Digbeu's main strength is his athleticism, which has helped him earn four appearances for Barcelona's second team in the Spanish second division. Digbeu, who has yet to play internationally, still lacks consistency in his performances. He is taking steps in his development and is starting to understand the game better, his maturity giving him a different way to approach to the game.

#### USK Future Stars Prague – David Bohm
Even though Prague did not play in the ANGT last season, David Bohm will be playing his second ANGT after getting in for a couple of minutes with no stats in a game at the ANGT Coin in 2017. But the 2.02-meter forward will come back now as Prague's leader. Bohm averaged 10.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2017, Division B for the Czeck Republic, and then led the team in scoring at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2018, Division B with 15.9 points to go with 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals. Bohm can alternate among all four guard and forward spots but is still working on his rebounding, ballhandling, pick-and-roll and off-ball defense. He is a complete and versatile offensive player with good size and athleticism. He can play one-on-one and is a great three-point shooter. Bohm still must work on his consistency and stability finishing inside against contact.

#### Porsche Ludwigsburg – Ariel Hukporti
Ariel Hukporti will be making his ANGT debut for Ludwigsburg, which did not play in the competition last season. The 2.11 meter center is one of the prizes of Germany's 2002-born generation. He averaged 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2018. Hukporti has great physical tools and size as an exceptional athlete who is very mobile for his size. He is a good finisher around the basket who can score consistently over his right shoulder but can also face up and knock down mid-range jumpers. He is also a good offensive rebounder and shot blocker. He hasn't learned to consistently hit the three-ball yet, and he also needs to be more explosive off the dribble.

#### Divina Seguros Joventut Badalona – Zsombor Maronka
Zsombor Maronka will be playing his second ANGT after averaging 5 minutes over 4 games at last season's ANGT L'Hospitalet, which Joventut won. The 1.98-meter shooting guard, who arrived at Joventut from Hungary three years ago as a 14-year-old, will still be a year younger than the competition as a 2002-born player. Maronka has yet to play internationally. He has a very efficient three-point shot and is smart on the court, with good ability to read the game. He can use his dribble to generate advantages one-on-one in the open court and can also score using screens with his excellent catch-and-shoot skills. Maronka also does a good job rebounding at both ends. He is still working on his passing game.

#### LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne – Matthew Strazel
Matthew Strazel will be making his second appearance in the competition after averaging 11.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists at last season's ANGT L'Hospitalet -. despite being two years younger than the other players. The 1.82-meter point guard will play an even bigger role this season, especially since he is a leader on ASVEL's U21 team, collecting 16.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals as a 16-year-old. The 2002-born Strazel, who has yet to play internationally, is a very good shooter who can hit deep three-pointers and is quick. He's a competitor who wants to win. Strazel can be a good defender but needs to be more consistent. He also needs to take better care of the ball since he's the point guard and the leader of the team.

#### Movistar Estudiantes Madrid – Hector Alderete
Hector Alderete will be playing his second ANGT even though Estudiantes did not play in the competition last season. The 2.05 meter forward averaged 4.8 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.8 steals at the ANGT Coin in 2017 as a 14-year-old. The 2002-born Alderete will still be a year younger than the rest of the competition in Valencia. Alderete has already excelled on the international level, playing for Spain at the FIBA U16 European Championship in 2017 and 2018. After averaging 2.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in 2017, Alderete took over the team last summer in making the all-tournament team as Spain narrowly lost to Croatia in the title game. Alderete averaged 14.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.9 steals. He has a great presence on the court and has good anticipation. He is a solid rebounder and has great offensive skills. Alderete can play from the low post to the pick-and-roll, and is also a good shooter.

#### Virtus Bologna – Gora Camara
Camara will be making his second appearance at the ANGT after averaging 6.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 0.5 blocks at last season's ANGT L'Hospitalet. The 17-year-old big man arrived in Bologna from Senegal in September 2017 and has not yet played internationally. The 2.14-meter center has great potential in terms of technical and athletic skills, but little experience on the court as he has only played 40 games until now. In addition to a strong body, Camara has a natural instinct for the game which makes him a good rebounder and a good passer. He still must improve his fundamentals to become a first-level player. But he is already improving quickly.

gora-camara-u18-virtus-bologna-angt-hospitalet-2018-photo-david-grau-llinares-jt17.jpg

The 17th edition of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament tips off between on the last weekend of the year with two past champions headlining the competition's first stop ever in Valencia, Spain. 

Past champs headline first ANGT in Valencia

The club that has championed the sport in that region over decades, Valencia Basket, is hosting the event from Friday to Sunday, December 28 to 30. U18 Divina Seguros Joventut Badalona, the 2013 continental winner, and FC Barcelona, the 2016 champions, will start the quest for a second title in Valencia, with the winner of the tournament qualifying for one of the eight spots in the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain next May.

The eight teams in Valencia will be broken into two groups, playing a round-robin format in each. The group games will be played at the L'Alqueria Del Basket, Valencia's state-of-the-art facility that is Europe's largest practice center, with nine indoor and four outdoor courts across 15,000 square meters. The placement games will be played at Pabellon Fuente de San Luis, the home of Valencia Basket's team in the 7DAYS EuroCup.

The two group winners will face off in the ANGT Valencia championship game, with the victor then qualifying for the ANGT Finals next spring. The second-placed teams from each group will face off for third place, the third-placed teams from each group will play for fifth place, and the fourth-placed teams from each group will battle for eighth place.

Group A includes Barcelona, host U18 Valencia Basket, U18 Porsche Ludwigsburg and U18 USK Future Stars Prague. The Group B quartet is Joventut, U18 Movistar Estudiantes Madrid, U18 Virtus Bologna and U18 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.

Barcelona enters ANGT Valencia with the goal of getting back to the ANGT Finals after missing out last season following two previous trips, including winning the continental crown in 2016. Barcelona and Joventut met in the final of the last two ANGT L'Hospitalet qualifying tournaments, with Barcelona winning in 2017 and losing in 2018. That will be one of the big questions of this new ANGT Valencia qualifying event: Will Barcelona and Joventut face off again?

Ludwigsburg is back in the competition after missing last season and the German club would love to keep Barcelona from the final. Ludwigsburg hopes to build on its best-ever finish in four participations to date, third place at the 2017 ANGT Belgrade. Prague is also back in the ANGT after not participating last season, which snapped a streak of eight seasons dating back to 2010 for the team from the Czech Republic. The 2010 campaign was also the last time that host Valencia played, when it went winless at ANGT L'Hospitalet as Power Electronics. The club also played in 2008 as Pamesa Valencia.

In Group B, Joventut will be fighting to raise the first ANGT Valencia trophy, having won the ANGT L'Hospitalet crown last season. Joventut may not have as much crowd support as it had in L'Hospitalet, a Barcelona suburb like Badalona. ASVEL is back in the competition for the second straight season after it finished third in L'Hospitalet last season. The French club also competed in 2009, 2010 and 2015. Estudiantes did not play in the event last season after finishing in third place at ANGT Coin in 2017. The club also played in 2008 and 2010. The other team in Group B is Virtus, which finished sixth at ANGT L'Hospitalet last season. This will be the Italian club's sixth appearance in the competition.

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The 17th edition of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament will culminate at the Final Four in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain next May. 

2018-19 Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Qualifier hosts, participants announced

Long before that, fans can start enjoying the best that basketball's U18 generation has to offer with four qualifiers that pave the way to the Finals. The four winners of the qualifiers will each earn a ticket to be among the eight participants in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Valencia Basket will host a qualifier in this 2018-19 edition, marking the first time that the three-time EuroCup champion club will have Europe's elite U18 players in its city. Munich, Kaunas and Belgrade will be the other hosts that decide which teams win and qualify to the Finals.

A total of 32 different U18 teams will participate across the four qualifiers. Each city will host eight teams competing in two groups of four during the first two days, with the first-, third-, fifth- and seventh-place games being held on the last day.

The Valencia qualifier will take place in L'Alqueria del Basket, which is the largest practice facility in Europe. A total of nine indoor and four outdoor courts can be found across the 15,000-square-meter, state-of-the-art installation that was inaugurated in September of 2017. A total of 49 different male and female teams, ranging from U12s all the way up to Valencia's EuroCup seniors, practice at L'Alqueria del Basket.

The first qualifier – in Valencia, Spain from December 28 to 30, 2018 – will feature 2016 champion FC Barcelona Lassa, 2013 champion Divina Seguros Joventut Badalona as well as LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, Movistar Estudiantes Madrid, Porsche Ludwigsburg, USK Future Stars Prague, Valencia Basket and Virtus Bologna.

The second qualifier – in Munich, Germany from January 25 to 27, 2019 – will feature 2015 champion Real Madrid as well as ALBA Berlin, FC Bayern Munich, Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt, Maccabi Teddy Tel Aviv, Panathinaikos OPAP Athens, Partizan NIS Belgrade and ratiopharm Ulm.

The third qualifier – in Kaunas, Lithuania from February 8 to 10, 2019 – will feature three-time champion CSKA Moscow, two-time champions CFBB Paris, Rytas Vilnius and Zalgiris Kaunas, as well as DBA Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar, Stellazzurra Rome and Torrons Vicens L'Hospitalet.

The fourth qualifier – in Belgrade, Serbia from February 22 to 24, 2019 – will feature 2014 champion Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade as well as Cedevita Zagreb, Fenerbahce Istanbul, Mega Bemax Belgrade, Olympiacos Piraeus, Petrol Olimpija Ljubljana, Spars Sarajevo and Umana Reyer Venice.

In honor of the 40th anniversary that the L'Hospitalet U18 Tournament will celebrate this season, Euroleague Basketball is collaborating with the local organizing committee to host elite U18 teams from across Europe. Torrons Vicens L'Hospitalet will also compete in the Kaunas qualifier to fight for a spot at the Finals in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

The alumni of the Euroleague Basketball U18 Tournament Finals make up a who's who of current stars. These include: Arturas Gudaitis and Nemanja Nedovic (AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan), Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks), Thomas Heurtel (FC Barcelona Lassa), Luigi Datome and Marko Guduric (Fenerbahce Istanbul), Alexey Shved (Khimki Moscow Region), Dario Saric (Philadelphia 76ers), Klemen Prepelic (Real Madrid) and Jonas Valanciunas (Toronto Raptors).

The newest future stars of Euroleague Basketball will take the spotlight, ready to demonstrate their talent, ambition and teamwork, in the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament.

The KINEXON tracking system was put to the test during the recent Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals in Belgrade, Serbia, to measure detailed movements of players and game officials throughout the four days of competition. 

KINEXON real-time tracking system brings performance insights to ANGT Finals

The use of the KINEXON tracking system is another example of Euroleague Basketball embracing the latest technological innovations and seeking ways to integrate them for the betterment of players and fans alike.

The players and game officials were fitted with KINEXON's small and lightweight sensor between their shoulder blades. Using unique radio frequency technology, the sensors recorded and transmitted position and movement data accurate to the centimeter, which allowed KINEXON to track the speed, acceleration and jumps of the players.

Even though the KINEXON system was put to use during all 13 games over the weekend, for better comparability the numbers reported correspond to the 12 games of the group rounds before the championship game. A total of 93 players wore the sensors that gathered all the data. Included among the findings was data showing that all players in the ANGT averaged a distance traveled of 3.2 kilometers per game. Also, the average jump height per player was 30.2 centimeters while the average metabolic work per game was of 271.58 kilocalories burned. Top athletes at ANGT Finals reach maximum speed values of up to 27,8 km/h, and jump as high as 83 cm.

The KINEXON tracking system was put to the test during the recent Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals in Belgrade, Serbia, to measure detailed movements of players and game officials throughout the four days of competition.

The culmination of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament came in Belgrade with U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius defeating U18 Stellazzurra Rome 76-71 to capture the 2018 continental title. 

ANGT season in review 

It was the second time that Lietuvos Rytas claimed the elite youth club competition following its 2012 crown. And the thrilling championship game wrapped up a season filled with highlights.

Deividas Sirvydis doubled up on MVP trophies by taking top player honors at the ANGT Finals with a masterful showing in Belgrade following his MVP performance at ANGT Kaunas. He etched his name into the annals of Lietuvos Rytas history with 18 points in the championship game while Marek Blazevic collected 20 points and 11 rebounds. Luca Conti, Dalph Adem Panopio and Paul Eboua combined for 57 points for Stellazzurra, but they were not enough.

Lietuvos Rytas joined U18 Zalgiris Kaunas, U18 FMP Belgrade and U18 CFBB Paris with two ANGT titles; they trail only U18 CSKA Moscow and its record three trophies.

### Joventut gets back on top in L’Hospitalet

The 16th edition of the ANGT tipped off in the Barcelona suburb of L’Hospitalet, where U18 Seguros Divinas Joventut Badalona knocked off U18 Barcelona Lassa for its first qualifying crown since winning both the L’Hospitalet tournament and its sole ANGT continental crown in 2013. Luka Samanic was masterful for Barcelona in taking the MVP title despite losing the final and Joventut’s Joel Parra joined him on the All-Tournament Team. L’Hospitalet saw the emergence of Joventut’s Latvian point guard Arturs Zagars and the debut of the 14-year-old Eleftherios Mantzoukas for competition newcomer U18 Promitheas Patras.

### Down goes Zalgiris: Lietuvos Rytas take Kaunas title
History was made in the second qualifying tournament as U18 Zalgiris Kaunas lost for the first time at Zalgirio Arena as host of ANGT Kaunas. Stellazzurra was the team to take down Zalgiris - and end its 22-game winning streak dating back to 2012 - to reach the Kaunas final, where Lietuvos Rytas prevailed to book its first ticket to the ANGT Finals since 2016.

### Madrid wins the first-ever ANGT Munich
The ANGT made its first stop in Munich in February with U18 Real Madrid being a rude guest in taking its fifth straight qualifying tournament title by knocking off host U18 FC Bayern Munich in the final. Madrid, which was paced by Munich MVP Mario Nakic, now has a 23-game winning streak in qualifiers dating back to its loss in the 2013 ANGT L’Hospitalet final.

### Akay collects fifth-ever triple-double
ANGT Munich also saw Mert Akay of U18 Darussafaka Istanbul collect 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against U18 Brose Bamberg for just the fifth triple-double in ANGT history - joining Dario Saric in 2011, Damien Inglis in 2013, August Haas in 2015 and Amar Gegic in 2016.

### Zvezda extends streak to eight straight Belgrade crowns
U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade proved it is still the dominant force at ANGT Belgrade by winning the tournament as hosts for an eighth straight time. Zoran Paunovic was MVP as Zvezda knocked off city rival U18 Partizan Belgrade in the final to extend its Belgrade winning streak to 35 games going back to 2011.

### Lietuvos Rytas too much for Stellazzurra
The ANGT Finals belonged to Lietuvos Rytas, which survived a tough battle against Real Madrid to reach the championship game. Stellazzurra received a wild card to the finals and showed it was deserving by winning three straight games, including tough games against Zvezda and Joventut. The Italian team was appearing in its second ANGT Finals, but did not win a game in its first trip in 2015. Stellazzurra’s only loss in Belgrade came at the hands of Lietuvos Rytas in the championship game.

### Scorers going wild
The 2017-18 ANGT season saw a number of near records including four of the top five all-time scoring outputs. Morgan Stilma of U18 Unicaja Malaga scored 42 points against U18 Virtus Bologna - ranking him second in the history of the competition, just 1point behind Dragan Bender’s 43 points for U18 Maccabi Teddy Tel Aviv in December 2014. Mustafa Kurtuldum of U18 Anadolu Efes Istanbul hit for 41 points against U18 Spars Ziraat Bank Sarajevo and Nikos Arsenopoulos from U18 Olympiacos Piraeus nailed 41 points versus U18 Brose Bamberg to tie for the third-most all-time. Brose’s Henri Drell poured in 40 points against Bayern Munich to pull even with two others for fifth most.

### Other near records
The season also saw other near record-breaking performances. U18 Virtus Bologna big man Gora Camara pulled down 23 rebounds vs U18 Torrons Vicens L’Hospitalet, just 1 rebound off the record shared by Marko Pecarski and Jonas Valanciunas. Dalph Adem Panopio of Stellazzurra and Joventut’s Didac Cuevas both dished out 13 assists at the ANGT Finals, which was 3 assists behind the record of 16 set by Marius Grigonis in 2012 and matched by Arnas Velicka in 2016. Dino Bistrovic of U18 Cibona Zagreb and Luka Samanic of Barcelona both made 16 free throws in a game, which was 1 off the all-time mark by Luigi Datome with U18 Montepaschi Siena in 2005.

Check out all the champions and MVPs of the Euroleague Basketball U18 Tournament over the 16 years in which it has become the greatest gathering of young basketball talent in the world!

Euroleague Basketball U18 Tournament champions (2003 - 2018)

[2018 - Belgrade, Serbia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2017-18%20BELGRADE%20Finals&team=All%20teams)

U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius **76 - 71** U18 Stellazzurra Rome

*Finals MVP: Deividas Sirvydis, Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius*

[2017 - Istanbul, Turkey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2016-17%20ISTANBUL&team=All%20teams)

U18 CFBB Paris **65 - 58** U18 Mega Bemax Belgrade

*Finals MVP: Ivan Fevrier, CFBB Paris*

[2016 - Berlin, Germany](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2015-16%20BERLIN&team=All%20teams)

U18 FC Barcelona Lassa **90 - 82** U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade

*Finals MVP: Borisa Simanic, Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade*

[2015 - Madrid, Spain](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?season=2014-15&team=All%20teams)

U18 Real Madrid **73 - 70** U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade

*Finals MVP: Luka Doncic, Real Madrid*

[2014 - Milan, Italy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?season=2013-14&team=All%20teams)

U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade **55 - 42** U18 Real Madrid

*Finals MVP: Vojislav Stojanovic, Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade*

[2013 - London, United Kingdom](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?season=2012-13&team=All%20teams)

U18 Club Joventut Badalona **82 - 59** U18 FC Barcelona Regal

*Finals MVP: Agustí Sans, Club Joventut Badalona*

[2012 - Istanbul, Turkey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?season=2011-12&team=All%20teams)

U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius **88 - 70** U18 Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul

*Finals MVP: James Metecan Birsen, Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul*

[2011 - Barcelona, Spain](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?season=2010-11&team=All%20teams)

U18 KK Zagreb **76 - 65** U18 Zalgiris Kaunas

*Finals MVP: Dario Saric, KK Zagreb*

[2010 - Paris, France](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?season=2009-10&team=All%20teams)

U18 FMP Belgrade **73 - 83** U18 INSEP Paris

*Finals MVP: Livio Jean-Charles, INSEP Paris*

[2009 - Berlin, Germany](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?season=2008-09&team=All%20teams)

U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius **110 - 123** U18 FMP Belgrade

*Finals MVP: Dejan Musli, FMP Belgrade*

[2008 - Madrid, Spain](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?season=2007-08&team=All%20teams)

U18 AXA FC Barcelona **70 - 80** U18 FMP Belgrade

*Finals MVP: Dejan Musli, FMP Belgrade*

[2007 - Athens, Greece](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2006-07&team=All%20teams)

U18 FMP Belgrade **74 - 78** U18 Zalgiris Kaunas

*Finals MVP: Donatas Motiejunas, Zalgiris Kaunas*

[2006 - Prague, Czech Republic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2005-06&team=All%20teams)

U18 CSKA Moscow **59 - 55** U18 Zalgiris Kaunas

*Finals MVP: Ivan Nelyubov, CSKA Moscow*

[2005 - Moscow, Russian Federation](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2004-05&team=All%20teams)

U18 CSKA Moscow **97 - 64** U18 Zalgiris Kaunas

*Finals MVP: Vasily Zavourev, CSKA Moscow*

[2004 - Tel Aviv, Israel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2003-04&team=All%20teams)

U18 Montepaschi Siena **62 - 90** U18 CSKA Moscow

*Finals MVP: Vasily Zavourev, CSKA Moscow*

[2003 - Barcelona, Spain](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2002-03&team=All%20teams)

U18 Zalgiris Kaunas **87 - 80** U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv

*Finals MVP: Rolandas Alijevas, Zalgiris Kaunas*

### Sirvydis's late heroics lead Rytas to EB ANGT title

In a thriller that came down to the final minute, U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius won the 2017-18 Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament championship. Rytas U18 Stellazzurra Rome 76-71 at Stark Arena in Belgrade, Serbia, on Sunday morning to become the ANGT champion for the second time in club history. Rytas, which first won the title in 2012, became the fifth team to win multiple EB ANGT titles, joining Zalgiris Kaunas, CSKA Moscow, FMP Zeleznik and CFBB Paris. Deividas Sirvydis netted 5 of his 18 points in the final 36 seconds to seal his team's win after Stellazzurra rallied from a double-digit deficit to tie the game late. Marek Blazevic paced the winners with 20 points and 11 rebounds and Domantas Vilys scored 11 points for Rytas. Luca Conti led Stellazzurra with 22 points, Dalph Adem Panopio had 18 and Paul Eboua posted 17 points and 13 rebounds for Stellazzurra, which was the first Italian team to reach the title game since Montepaschi Siena in 2004.

### [Game Info](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/ngt/game-center/2017-18-belgrade-finals/u18-lietuvos-rytas-vilnius-u18-stellazzurra-rome/JTF417/13/#boxscore)

EB ANGT Championship Game Highlights: U18 Lietuvos rytas Vilnius - U18 Stellazzurra Rome

Vilys got Rytas going with a driving layup and a three-pointer. Sirvydis added a bomb from downtown for a 9-2 lead. Stellazzurra's fiery guard Dalph Adem Panopio revived his team with a driving layup and a jumper. Once Eboua heated up with a power basket and a dunk, Stellazzurra closed the gap to 11-10. Eboua kept pushing Stellazzurra and his layup tied it at 16-16, but a close basket by Mykolas Astrauskas and a wild buzzer-beating triple by Sirvydis restored a 21-16 Rytas lead after 10 minutes. Luca Conti hit a jumper early in the second quarter, Eboua dunked and a three-pointer by Lorenzo Donadio tied it again, 23-23. Sirvydis insisted from downtown and got help from Blazevic and Sarunas Valunta to make it 35-28. Russel Tchewa hit a jump hook and Alessandro Cipolla split free throws, but Blazevic gave Rytas a 38-31 advantage at halftime.

EB ANGT Finals MVP: Deividas Syrvidis, U18 Lietuvos rytas Vilnius

Blazevic and Gediminas Mokseckas combined for all the points in a 6-0 run that gave Rytas its first double-digit lead, 44-31, right after the break. Eboua struck from beyond the arc and a three-point play by Conti gave Stellazzurra hope, but Blazevic kept pacing Rytas and free throws by Dilys made it 52-39 margin. Conti hit free throws and back-to-back three-pointers by Panopio brought Stellazzurra within 55-48. A jumper by Eboua and a tip-in by Erikas Jermolajevas fixed the score at 57-50 after 30 minutes. Rytas struggled to score early in the fourth quarter, while Panopio got Stellazzurra within 59-57 with less than seven minutes left. Blazevic hit 4 free throws and Sirvydis added an off-balance jumper, but Conti made it 67-65 with three minutes to go. A layup by Yannick Nsoza and a big basket by Panopio tied the game at 69-69 with a minute and a half to go. Sirvydis stepped up with the go-ahead three-pointer and free throws by Astrauskas sealed the outcome.

ANGT Finals 2018 Belgrade

The future stars of European basketball learned some valuable lessons about the game at the annual Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Players Educational Session, which focused on giving the players tips about their motivation for playing the game as well as dealings off the court in terms of business and fan interaction.

Education sessions helps ANGT stars meet their goals

All eight teams from the ANGT were given the chance to mingle at the courtyard setting of the Dorkol Platz in Belgrade before hearing presentations from Euroleague Basketball, Adidas and two-time EuroLeague champion Nikola Vujcic.

Alex Ferrer Kristjansson, Senior Director, Marketing & Communications for Euroleague Basketball, talked about the importance of the players interacting with fans, the need for players to feel comfortable in the spotlight, and the advisability that they be authentic in their dealings with fans and media.

"These players are about to cross the door into their main teams, so this is a good time for them to get advice to understand where they are going," Ferrer said.

Adidas's presentation talked about how the company deals a lot with many other sports throughout the world and urged the players to be creative and innovative. The tournament – and the educational session – also provides the players with a chance to interact others from teams spread around Europe.

"This also gives them the opportunity to mingle," Jelena Soce, Senior Sports Marketing Manager for Global Basketball at Adidas, said. "The guys get here and play each other, but they don't really get a chance to really meet each other. What is a tournament about? Of course you want to win that title but you also want to give the kids a chance to meet each other and see other cultures."

Vujcic meanwhile talked to the players about the proper focus in terms of being a professional athlete – to concentrate on winning titles.

"Choose your dreams, make sure your dreams are correct," said Vujcic, who won two EuroLeague titles as a player with Maccabi Tel Aviv and also one as Maccabi's general manager. "Hard work is the most important thing. Respect your coaches, even if you don't like them. They have your best in mind and want to help you."

Vujcic told the players to be aware of how they act at all times – both on and off the court.

"We know everything about you," he said. "We in management want people who our kids will want to have as role models."

The former EuroLeague great relished in the opportunity to talk to the future stars of the game.

"I tried to give them some of the right things to do or think. Hopefully I helped one or two of the kids about how to think in the future for their careers from my experience. These are great kids and great talents and for sure they are the future of the EuroLeague," he said.

The messages definitely hit home with many of the players.

"Everything was important – even the business part," Pedro Barros from U18 Divina Seguros Joventut Badalona said. "For me, the most important information was from Nikola. He has been at the highest level so these things come from someone who has been there. For us, it feels like motivation. The guy is here and we feel important. He is giving advice to us."

Yohan Choupas, the captain of the U18 CFBB Paris team, said one of the most important things he learned was to keep the focus on basketball and all of the side things will come from that.

"It's interesting to hear their lessons because we are young," Choupas said. "We have to learn what we have to do to become professionals. You reflect on what you are doing right now and that is a big help."