ANGT Belgrade features teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, Italy and of course Serbia and top talents from those countries and many more.

ANGT: Belgrade Players to Watch 2017

The last of the four Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT qualifying series tournaments tips off this weekend in the Serbian capital. Here's a primer on some of the players to watch from the eight teams in action this weekend.

### U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade: Aleksa Uskokovic

Uskokovic will be playing in his second ANGT season after averaging 8.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.3 steals combined at the ANGT Belgrade and ANGT Finals tournaments. The 1.94-meter point guard really stepped up at the ANGT Finals, where he averaged 12.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.3 steals in helping Zvezda advance to the Championship Game. The Belgrade native also collected 6.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.7 steals for Serbia at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2016. Uskokovic is a leader with a lot of energy and pushes an up-tempo gamer. He is the kind of player who can change the momentum of the game. He is a good shooter with a solid jump shot, who also has a good one-on-one game. He also plays very aggressive defense and gets his hands on a lot of balls.

### U18 GBA Prague: Maros Zeliznak

Zeliznak will be playing at his first ANGT as GBA is making its debut in the competition. The 2.08-meter center played last summer for Slovakia at the FIBA U18 European Championship Division B and averaged 6.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. Zeliznak, who grew up in the town of Vranov nad Topľou, is a late bloomer who just stopped growing and just turned 18 years old this month. Zeliznak has a very strong body and is a good defender. He possesses a good feel around the rim and works very hard. He also has good leadership qualities coming from his time with the Slovakian national team. Zeliznak is working on using his left hand and extending his shooting range.

### U18 Maccabi Teddy Tel Aviv: Amit Ebo

Ebo will be playing his third ANGT after he averaged 12.8 points, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals at ANGT Rome in 2014-15 and collected 16.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals at ANGT L’Hospitalet last season. The 1.80-meter guard improved his three-point shooting from 30.8 percent in Rome to 36.4% last season. Ebo played at the FIBA U18 European Championship, where he tallied 10.2 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game, while hitting 30.3% from long range. The Kfar Saba native is a very quick and smart lefty point guard. Ebo is an excellent shooter with unlimited range. He is also a good passer and pick-and-roll player and he controls the tempo of the game very well.

### U18 Mega Bemax Belgrade: Goga Bitadze

Bitadze will be playing his second ANGT season after he averaged 6.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.9 blocks combined from the ANGT Rome and ANGT Finals last season. The 2.11-meter center from Georgia joined Mega in December 2015 just weeks before ANGT Rome. Bitadze, who hails from Sagarejo, Georgia, averaged 11.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 5.3 blocks at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2016 Division B for Georgia. Bitadze is playing for Mega’s junior team – with whom he is averaging 14.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in 18.5 minutes a game – and for Smederevo in Serbia’s first division – where he is collecting 9.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He is very intelligent and creative on the floor. Bitadze has a fantastic feel for blocking shots and on offense can play face up or with his back to the basket.

### U18 Partizan NIS Belgrade: Tadija Tadic

Tadic will be playing at his second ANGT after posting 7.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals at ANGT Belgrade last season. The 1.94-meter point guard is averaging nearly a triple-double in the Serbian U18 national league and was named the MVP for the month of December. He has played for the Serbian youth national team and averaged 4.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steals at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2015. The native of Zemun, who has been with Partizan since 2013, is a very intelligent player and a true leader on the court. He possesses great character and a huge desire to win. Tadic is known to be a hard worker at practice, too.

### U18 Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg: Mateo Seric

Seric will be playing in his second ANGT after averaging 11.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals at Kaunas last season. The 2.03-meter forward played for Germany at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2015 and collected 1.6 points and 2.6 rebounds. The native of Backnang went from the German national team in tennis to the U16 German national team in basketball in just 13 months, which testifies to his great work ethic and mindset to the game. He picks up things quickly and he has solid physical tools and great footwork. Seric has improved his three-point shooting, but still needs to work on it. He also must improve his fundamentals, especially his ball-handling. He is very tough mentally and will be there when the game is on the line.

### U18 Spars Sarajevo: Tarik Biberovic

Biberovic will be playing his second ANGT despite only turning 16 in January. He averaged 2.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in just over 8 minutes per game at last season’s ANGT Belgrade. The 2.01-meter swingman played last summer for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2016 and averaged 7.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.9 steals. A native of Zenica, Biberovic is a natural leader on the court and a high-level shooter both from inside and beyond the three-point stripe. He is a true offensive player who understands the game at a level higher than other players his age. He still must improve his ball handling and develop his one-on-one game, while also putting in more work on defense.

### U18 Stellazzurra Rome: Kurt Cassar

Cassar will be playing in his first ANGT event, but the 2.08-meter center has played his share of international games. In 2014 and 2015, he played for Malta at both the FIBA U16 European Championship Division C and FIBA U18 European Championship Division C. He was named MVP of the 2014 U16 Division C tournament as Malta won the title and was an All-Star Five selection at the 2015 U16 Division C - both times averaging more than 24 points and 21 rebounds. At the 2015 U18 Division C, Cassar averaged 13 points, 16.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks despite being two years younger than his peers. Going by the nickname the Malta Giant, Cassar is the son of former Maltese international Silvio Cassar. The younger Cassar has greatly improved his body, losing a lot of weight to form an excellent frame. He may still grow a couple more centimeters, but has a soft touch and can shoot from the outside. He is an excellent passer, even out of the post.



ANGT Belgrade features teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, Italy and of course Serbia and top talents from those countries and many more. 

The perennial question at the EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Qualifying Tournament – Belgrade has been whether anyone could beat the host team, U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade.

ANGT Belgrade preview: Crvena Zvezda seeks seventh crown

And that’s the same question this year as the 2014 continental champion is shooting for its seventh straight ANGT Belgrade title. But Zvezda could face a major challenge this time. The Belgrade powerhouse will play in Group A alongside U18 Porsche Basketball Academy Ludwigsburg, city rival U18 Partizan NIS Belgrade and U18 Stellazzurra Basketball Academy Rome. Group B consists of U18 Get Better Academy Prague, U18 Spars Sarajevo, U18 Maccabi Teddy Tel Aviv and U18 Mega Bemax Belgrade. The two group winners will square off in the championship game on Sunday with the victor booking the fourth automatic berth to the ANGT Finals at the 2017 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Istanbul. The three teams that have already secured their spots at the ANGT Finals in the Turkish metropolis are ANGT L’Hospitalet winner and reigning continental champion U18 FC Barcelona Lassa, ANGT Kaunas champion U18 Zalgiris Kaunas and U18 Real Madrid, the victor of ANGT Coin.

Zvezda has reached the ANGT Championship Game in each of the past three seasons and enters ANGT Belgrade with a 27-game winning streak in the Belgrade tournament, having won the last six editions. Its last defeat was an 85-69 loss against U18 Beovuk 72 in the 2010-11 season en route to Zvezda’s first ANGT Belgrade crown. Zvezda has won its last 25 games over five seasons by an average of 29.9 points - with only two games being closer than 14 points (the 2012 Belgrade final by 1 point over Partizan and the 2016 final by 4 points over Spars). Partizan’s loss in the 2012 ANGT Belgrade final was the closest it has come to reaching the ANGT Finals. Last season the club finished third after losing to Zvezda in the 2015 Belgrade final. The previous two finishes were fourth and sixth place in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Ludwigsburg has played its three ANGTs in Lithuania with a 1-2 record at Siauliai 2013, 0-3 at Kaunas 2014 and 1-2 at Kaunas 2016. Stellazzurra will play in Belgrade after years of hosting ANGT Rome. Stellazzurra reached the Rome final the last three seasons, losing in 2014 to U18 Cajasol Seville, beating U18 Unicaja Malaga in the 2015 final and falling to U18 Mega Bemax Belgrade last season.

Group B will see a debut as GBA Prague makes its first ever appearance at the ANGT competition. Spars returns to Belgrade after losing to Zvezda in the final last season. The Sarajevo club finished third at ANGT Rome in 2015 before it was given a wild card to the ANGT Finals. In 2014, Spars finished sixth at ANGT Rome one season after winning the Rome title and playing at the ANGT Finals for the first time. Maccabi lost in the first ANGT Championship Game to U18 Zalgiris Kaunas in 2003 and has reached the ANGT Finals five times - but not since 2008. Maccabi lost to U18 FC Barcelona Lassa in the 2016 ANGT L’Hospitalet semifinals after taking seventh place at ANGT Rome in 2015. Mega also makes its way back to ANGT Belgrade after a one-season hiatus in Italy and the title at the ANGT Rome last season. Mega lost to Zvezda in the 2013 ANGT Belgrade final and then took fourth and seventh place, respectively, the following two seasons.



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Dino Radoncic really doesn't have to look far to find motivation.

Radoncic motivated by "brother" Doncic

Working alongside rising star Luka Doncic helped Radoncic get to where his is today, which is MVP of the EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT - Qualifying Tournament Coin after leading U18 Real Madrid to the title at the event.

"He gives me a lot of motivation because we are like brothers," Radoncic said of Doncic, who won the ANGT Finals with U18 Madrid in 2015 and has since graduated to a crucial role with Los Blancos' senior squad.

Radoncic and Doncic have quite a few similarities. Both were raised in the former Yugoslavia; Radoncic was born in Germany, moved to Spain when he was 5 years old and then to Serbia at age 8. Doncic was born and raised in Slovenia. Both also have fathers who were athletes. Radoncic's dad, Damir, played handball for the Yugoslavian national team and Doncic's father, Sasa, played at EuroBasket 2005 for Slovenia. Both were also born in 1999; Radoncic turned 18 in January and Doncic will celebrate his 18th birthday at the end of February.

Radoncic and Doncic have been with Madrid since 2014, which has given Dino a front row seat to watch Luka’s meteoric rise. "I know how hard he worked for it, so when I see him I know that everything is possible," Radoncic said.

Radoncic has not yet become a regular on the Madrid professional team’s roster despite appear gin a handful of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague or Spanish League games last season. He is with Madrid’s entry in the EBA this season and dominating games similar to how he did at ANGT Coin, where he averaged 19.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals, while hitting 11 of 14 three-pointers (78.6%). He saved his best for last by pouring in 37 points to go with 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals for a performance index rating of 37 in the ANGT Coin championship game against U18 Unicaja Malaga.

"The main motivation for me and the team was to win this championship. We knew it would be tough, but we got it," Radoncic, said. Besides learning from Doncic and his club mates at Madrid, Radoncic also said U18 Madrid’s loss to U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade at last year's ANGT Finals in Berlin had a lingering impact. "I think we played a really good game and gave our everything, but Zvezda was better in key moments and they won," he said. Radoncic had 16 points in the defeat, which meant Zvezda and not Madrid would play in the 2016 ANGT Championship Game, where Zvezda then lost to U18 FC Barcelona Lassa.

"It helped me a lot because this time I knew what to do better than last time," he said. "Always learn." Now Radoncic goes for the ANGT Finals title in Istanbul at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, where he hopes to match his "brother" Luka Doncic and win the continental championship. "We are going there to win, nothing else."



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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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