Felipe Dos Anjos headlines a list of five U18 Real Madrid players who will take the floor at the ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT for the second season in a row. 

Tower of power Dos Anjos leads Madrid to Berlin

He is joined by fellow centers Samba Ndaye and Domagoj Proleta, guard Miki Fons and forward Ignacio Ballespin to make Los Blancos a serious contender to repeat as tournament champ next week in Berlin. Of them all, no player has come from farther away than the 2.18-meter Dos Anjos.

A native of Brazil, the long, lanky Dos Anjos has come a long way since leaving his homeland to join Real Madrid’s youth system. He had already shown so much promise as a youth with Brazilian club Esporte Clube Pinheiros that Madrid welcomed him in 2012 at age 14 – a year younger than compatriot and three-time All-Euroleague center Tiago Splitter was when he moved to Baskonia in 2000.

Dos Anjos worked his way up Madrid’s youth ranks year by year and reached a highlight in his adopted hometown last season by winning the 2015 ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT title – the first in the club’s history. Although the Sao Paolo native was a non-factor in the final against U18 Crevena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade, he played a major role in getting Madrid to that spot. Dos Anjos collected 11 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks in the final group game at the ANGT Finals against U18 VEF Riga and averaged 5 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks at the ANGT Finals. Hes had averaged 8.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks at the 2014-15 ANGT Qualifying Tournament – L’Hospitalet.

This season, Dos Anjos has not only dominated on the junior scene but has more than held his own on one of Madrid’s related senior teams. He collected the MVP trophy from the ANGT L’Hospitalet this season after starring with 9.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while shooting 77 percent from the field. And for Madrid’s second team in the EBA this season, he has posted 9.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks, including making 3-of-7 three-pointers in his last four games.

Dos Anjos knows nothing except for winning in the ANGT thus far – winning all 14 of the games his team has played over the past season and a half. And the Brazilian doesn’t want to stop that streak in Berlin.

"My expectation is the same as at the ANGT L’Hospitalet. If we keep working hard, we will win the ANGT," Dos Anjos said. "We work hard every day on the court and off and we have a lot of discipline."

The professional coaching staff in the Madrid ranks has Dos Anjos on the right track and the center has also gained from the opportunity to see outgoing Turkish Airlines Euroleague champion Real Madrid work up close and to learn from its players.

During the season Dos Anjos got a bonus when he was invited to the Basketball without Borders Global Camp in Toronto in February. Dos Anjos, who turned 18 last month, received skills training in drills run by current and former pro players who had taken part in previous Basketball without Borders camps around the world.

"It was a very important opportunity for me to take part in this and compare myself against the biggest stars around the world," he said of the event. "I've learned so much: discipline, hard work. It’s a long list."

For Dos Anjos, the highlight of the trip was the opportunity to meet Yao Ming, who will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this summer. "He's so tall," was Dos Anjos's initial response to his session in which Yao gave lessons on life. "He's a great person, his career was incredible. He is a role model for the players here. He was a great player."

Though he still has a long way to go to reach the accomplishments of stars like Yao, Splitter and Madrid’s current Brazilian big man, Augusto Lima, Dos Anjos can see the path he must follow to get there. And the next stop is Berlin.



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As the ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT moves into its finals stage at the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four in Berlin next week, a new group of future stars looks to build upon an annual tradition that has become the top international youth club competition in the world.

ANGT Berlin will mark a path for future stars

Many of Europe's greatest players have already played their roles in lifting the status of the ANGT, which culminates its 14th campaign in the German capital. A list of ANGT alumni reads like a who's who of European basketball elite: Milos Teodosic, Dario Saric, Jonas Maciulis, Luigi Datome, Alexey Shved, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Cedi Osman, Nihad Djedovic, Alessandro Gentile, Thomas Heurtel, Leon Radosevic, Mantas Kalnietis and Milan Macvan are just some of the past players who wowed fans at the ANGT over the previous 13 seasons.

A number of current NBA players also showcased their skills at the ANGT over the years, including Jonas Valanciunas, Mario Hezonja, Nikola Mirotic and Donatas Motiejunas.

Among the players who have captured both ANGT and Euroleague titles is Nikita Kurbanov of CSKA Moscow and his former teammate at both levels, Vasily Zavoruev, as well as Maciulis, who helped U18 Zalgiris Kaunas claim the first ANGT title in 2003 and captured the last Euroleague crown in 2015 with Real Madrid.

Zavoruev is one of two players who have won the ANGT MVP on two occasions, in 2004 and 2005 in the first two years of U18 CSKA Moscow’s three-peat from 2004 to 2006. The other was Dejan Musli as U18 FMP went back-to-back in 2008 and 2009.

CSKA is the only team to win three ANGTs in a row and is the record-holder with three championships, while FMP and Zalgiris (2003 and 2007) both have two crowns. FMP also owns the mark for consecutive appearances in the title game with four straight from 2007 to 2010.

Three teams – Zalgiris, CSKA and FMP – shared the first seven ANGT titles but there has been a new champion every year since 2009, in order: U18 INSEP, U18 KK Zagreb, U18 Lietuvos Rytas, U18 Joventut Badalona, U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade and U18 Real Madrid.

FMP's star Musli had two of the best performances ever in a final as he collected 25 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks for a 36 PIR against U18 AXA FC Barcelona in the 2008 title game and followed that with 31 points, 17 rebounds and 3 blocks for a 46 PIR in the 2009 final against Lietuvos Rytas.

Another of the great individual showings in a final came from Saric for in 2011 when he collected a triple-double of 19 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists to go with 10 fouls drawn as U18 KK Zagreb beat Zalgiris in Barcelona.

The 2015 title bout between U18 Real Madrid and U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade was the closest final in ANGT history – and the first repeat of a finale since CSKA and Zalgiris faced off in 2005 and 2006. Luka Doncic took the MVP crown last year by guiding Real Madrid to a thrilling 73-70 victory over Zvezda by collecting 14 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

Doncic also showed just how high the level of the competition is by graduating from the junior team and playing an important role for Madrid’s senior side this season in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague. Doncic’s opponent in last year’s final, Borisa Simanic of Crvena Zvezda, also moved from the junior team and appeared in a handful of Euroleague games this season.

And there are a number of players who are just a couple of years removed from the ANGT and are already leaving a major mark on the game including Marko Guduric, Berk Ugurlu, Livio Jean-Charles, Mam Jaiteh and Dragan Bender.

Get ready to see the future of European hoops again in Berlin from May 12 to 15!



The field for the 2016 EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT finals includes two former champions, a past runner-up and a hometown force receiving invitations to compete for the title of European junior club champion. 

2016 EB Adidas Next Generation Tournament finals field confirmed

2010 champion U18 INSEP Paris, 2012 champion U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius, two-time runner-up U18 FC Barcelona Lassa and U18 ALBA Berlin will join the four teams that guaranteed their places via qualifying tournaments thus far: U18 Mega Bemax Belgrade, U18 Real Madrid, U18 Zalgiris Kaunas and U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade.

The 14th edition of the annual tournament finals will run from Thursday, May 12 through Sunday, May 15 in conjunction with the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four in Berlin, Germany. The first three days of the event will be played at Sportforum Berlin and Sunday’s championship game will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Arena on the same floor where later that evening the Euroleague champion will be crowned.

Mega was the first team to book a spot in the finals by winning the Rome qualifying tournament, where it beat Stellazzurra Rome in the championship game. Real Madrid captured its third straight L'Hospitalet title by defeating FCB Lassa in the final. Zalgiris also defended its crown at the Kaunas tourney by beating Rytas in the championship game. Zvezda continued its dominance by winning its sixth consecutive title at the Belgrade event, overcoming Spars Sarajevo in the championship game.

ALBA returns to the finals for the first time since 2009 to play in front of a strong local support, which at the time saw it lose by only 1 point to eventual champion FMP Belgrade. Barcelona will be making its seventh appearance at the finals, hoping to win the elusive championship after finishing as runner up in 2008 and 2013. INSEP has fond memories of the 2010 finals in Paris, where it was crowned champions in its first appearance. Rytas was able to overcome the disappointment of losing the championship game in Berlin in 2009 by winning the title in Istanbul three years later.

ANGT alumni continue to feature legends in the making. Many players who participated in previous events can be seen playing major roles on Turkish Airlines Euroleague and Eurocup rosters today, including Bogdan Bogdanovic and Luigi Datome (Fenerbahce Istanbul), Nihad Djedovic (FC Bayern Munich), Mantas Kalnietis and Milan Macvan (EA7 Emporio Armani Milan), Nikita Kurbanov and Milos Teodosic (CSKA Moscow), Jonas Maciulis (Real Madrid), Gal Mekel (Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv), Cedi Osman and Dario Saric (Anadolu Efes Istanbul).

Entrance to all games of the EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT finals is free of charge, allowing local and visiting fans to be the first to see many of the elite young talents in European basketball compete against each other, all in the same place.

# GAME SCHEDULE
*Thursday 12 May, 2016*
* 09:00 U18 FC BARCELONA LASSA vs. U18 INSEP PARIS
* 11:00 U18 ZALGIRIS KAUNAS vs. U18 MEGA BEMAX BELGRADE
* 13:00 U18 CRVENA ZVEZDA TELEKOM BELGRADE vs. U18 LIETUVOS RYTAS VILNIUS
* 15:00 U18 REAL MADRID vs. U18 ALBA BERLIN

*Friday 13 May, 2016*
* 09:00 U18 FC BARCELONA LASSA vs. U18 MEGA BEMAX BELGRADE
* 11:00 U18 INSEP PARIS vs. U18 ZALGIRIS KAUNAS
* 13:00 U18 CRVENA ZVEZDA TELEKOM BELGRADE vs. U18 ALBA BERLIN
* 15:00 U18 LIETUVOS RYTAS VILNIUS vs. U18 REAL MADRID

*Saturday 14 May, 2016*
* 09:00 U18 MEGA BEMAX BELGRADE vs. U18 INSEP PARIS
* 11:00 U18 ZALGIRIS KAUNAS vs. U18 FC BARCELONA LASSA
* 13:00 U18 REAL MADRID vs. U18 CRVENA ZVEZDA TELEKOM BELGRADE
* 15:00 U18 ALBA BERLIN vs. U18 LIETUVOS RYTAS VILNIUS

*Sunday 15 May, 2016*
* 12:00 1st Place Group A vs. 1st Place Group B

U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade forward Borisa Simanic was named the MVP of the Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Qualifying Tournament – Belgrade on Sunday. 

U18 Crvena Zvezda Borisa Simanic is ANGT Belgrade MVP!

Simanic collected 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks to lead Zvezda to a 92-88 title game victory over U18 Spars Sarajevo. Simanic averaged 22.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.6 assists in five games at the tournament.

Joining Simanic on the All-Tournament selection was his Zvezda teammate Aleksa Radanov. The other three players receiving All-Tournament honors were Sani Campara of U18 Spars Sarajevo, Dzanan Musa of U18 Cedevita Zagreb, and U18 Partizan Belgrade’s Milos Glisic, the tournament’s leading scorer with 27 points per game.

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Learn more about who are some of the players to watch from the eight teams set to clash for a ticket to the ANGT Finals.

Players to Watch: ANGT Belgrade

The final qualifying event in the 2015-16 Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT series comes to basketball-crazy capital of Serbia this weekend for the EB ANGT Qualifying Tournament – Belgrade. The three-day event tips off Friday and features dozens of basketball prodigies eager to showcase their skills on the continental stage. 

### U18 ALBA Berlin: Ferdinand Zylka

Zylka will be competing in his second ANGT after playing a major role for ALBA last season in Belgrade with 17.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 steals a game, including a 32-point outburst against U18 Vaerlose BBK. The 1.90-meter shooting guard played for Germany at the 2014 FIBA U16 European Championship and averaged 4.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists. Zylka is one of the club’s biggest young talents and has already practiced with the professional squad. The Berlin native leads the U19 NBBL team in scoring with 19.9 points, including 41% on three-pointers to go with 5.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.9 steals. He has an excellent scoring instinct and is a very good shooter, who can create his own shot. Zylka has a good pull-up jumper and can also drive to the basket and finish against bigger opponents. The area Zylka must improve the most in is defense.

### U18 FC Bayern Munich: Richard Freudenberg

Freudenberg will appear in his third ANGT; he was named to the All-Tournament Team at the ANGT Rome in 2013-14 and then averaged 14.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2.0 blocks at the ANGT Kaunas last season. Freudenberg, who will be attending St. John’s University in New York next season, has played two summers for Germany’s youth national team ranks. He averaged 5.0 points and 2.8 rebounds at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship. The 2.02-meter forward has played three Beko BBL games for Bayern this season and leads its U19 NBBL team in scoring with 19.2 points a game to go with 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals. The Heidelberg native has great length with long arms and long legs. He is a great shooter with a positive attitude. Freudenburg can attack the rim and also defends well, using his athleticism to come up with big blocks and steals.

### U18 Buducnost VOLI Podgorica: Ognjen Carapic

Carapic enters his second ANGT after averaging 7.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists at the 2013-14 tournament in Belgrade despite being two years younger than the rest of the competition. The 1.95-meter point guard played last summer at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship, where he averaged 16.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 steals for Montenegro. Carapic played in seven Eurocup games this season (2.6 points, 1.0 assists) and 12 Adriatic League contests (2.3 points, 0.2 assists) for Buducnost. He is intelligent, quick, sees the floor well and makes smart plays. He’s an above-average ball-handler with good size and leaping ability, who can drive to the basket and finish or shoot from long range, however his defense is at times suspect.

### U18 Cedevita Zagreb: Dzanan Musa

Musa will make his ANGT debut after joining Cedevita just shortly before last season’s ANGT campaign. The 16-year-old guard led Bosnia and Herzegovina to the 2015 FIBA U16 European Championship title – the country’s first international crown – and won MVP honors with 23.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks. The 2.03-meter guard is a member of Cedevita’s senior squad and has appeared in eight Turkish Airlines Euroleague games this season in which he has averaged 2.3 points, 1.0 rebounds and 0.5 assists. Musa has also posted 4.6 points and 2.9 rebounds in 16 Adriatic League games. The Bihac native is a great one-on-one player and has excellent court vision and passing abilities. He is getting better at moving without the ball and has improved his shot. Musa still needs to improve on his patience.

### U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade: Borisa Simanic

Simanic will be competing at his third ANGT after he averaged 10.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in nine games in helping Zvezda to the ANGT Finals championship game last season. He posted 0.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.5 blocks as Zvezda won the 2013-14 ANGT Finals crown. The 2.09-meter forward played two national team tournaments last summer, averaging 9.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks for Serbia at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship and 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship. Simanic has also played in five Turkish Airlines Euroleague games this season, including a 10-point, 4-rebound, 2-block effort against Real Madrid, and has appeared in nine Adriatic League contests, too. Simanic is blessed with an excellent body for basketball with good agility and quickness. His shot ranges beyond the three-point line and he handles the ball well. Simanic can attack the rim or pull up for a jumper. He defends well and is a rim protector on defense, but plays more of a finesse game on offense.

### U18 Partizan Belgrade: Milos Glisic

Glisic will be playing at his fourth ANGT after averaging 16.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 steal last season. He collected 15.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 2.3 steals at the 2013-14 ANGT Belgrade. The 2.05-meter power forward played twice for Serbia last summer, averaging 8.7 points and 4.9 rebounds at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship as well as 7.7 points and 4.7 rebounds at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship. Last season, the native of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, made his Eurocup debut against CSU Asesoft Ploiesti. Glisic is a very intelligent player with a good feel for rebounding. He plays with a good energy and has a positive attitude. He possesses a solid mid-range shot, which doesn’t quite reach out to the three-point line, but does make him an effective inside-outside player. He still must touch up on his defensive deficiencies.

### U18 Spars Sarajevo: Amar Gegic

Gegic will be playing in his third ANGT campaign after averaging 8.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.4 steals in seven games last season, including the ANGT Finals, where he averaged 5.0 points, 1.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals. The 1.97-meter shooting guard played for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s youth teams for the third straight summer last year and averaged 6.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship. Gegic, who was born in Stuttgart, Germany, also has played at high level international exhibitions, participating in the Jordan Brand Classic as well as the Basketball Without Borders in Gran Canaria and the BWB Global Camp in Toronto. Gegic is playing this season with Spars’ Division 1 team and averaging 1.4 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 14 games. Gegic is very well built and a real athlete. He has a very strong feel for assists, though he has struggled with turnovers. Gegic also must work on his jump shot and his aggressiveness on defense.

### U18 Zemun Belgrade: Mateja Todoric

Todoric will be making his ANGT debut this season after coming to Zemun from Flash Belgrade last September. The 1.84-meter point guard, who has not played for Serbia’s youth national team ranks, led the Serbian cadet league in scoring last season. Todoric is a very creative playmaker, who is great in one-on-one play. He has excellent ball control and is very quick. He also does a good job changing the pace and direction and organizes the game very well. Todoric still must work on becoming stronger and the club is working hard to help him with that.

U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade is shooting for its sixth consecutive Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Qualifying Tournament – Belgrade title and with it a ticket to the EB ANGT Finals in Berlin. 

Crvena Zvezda shoots for sixth straight ANGT Belgrade title

Zvezda is the only team in the ANGT Belgrade field to have won the continental title. Zvezda is joined by U18 Spars Sarajevo (2012-13 and 2014-15) and U18 ALBA Berlin (2008-09) as the three teams in Belgrade that have previously appeared at the ANGT Finals. The winner of the ANGT Belgrade tourney will secure a spot at the ANGT Finals in May along with U18 Mega Leks Belgrade, U18 Real Madrid and U18 Zalgiris Kaunas, which advanced by winning the ANGT Qualifying Tournaments in Rome, L’Hospitalet and Kaunas, respectively. The three-day ANGT Belgrade tips off on February 26.

The field in Belgrade has changed drastically from last season with just four teams returning – Zvezda, Berlin, U18 Partizan Belgrade and U18 Zemun Belgrade. New to the event in Belgrade are Spars, U18 FC Bayern Munich, U18 Cedevita Zagreb and U18 Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. The format has the eight teams divided into two groups, which will play a round-robin format, from which the top two teams of each group advance to the semifinals. ALBA, Buducnost, Zvezda and Spars will compete in Group A and Cedevita, Bayern, Partizan and Zemun square off in Group B.

The last team other than Zvezda to win the ANGT Belgrade was U18 FMP Belgrade in 2010 , which was the club’s third straight title in the Serbian capital. FMP also reached the 2010 final. Zvezda has owned the ANGT Belgrade since then with five titles in a row, including a 22-game winning streak going into this year’s competition. Zvezda’s last defeat at the ANGT Belgrade came during the 2010-11 season – 85-69 at the hands of U18 Beovuk 72. After winning the 2013-14 ANGT Finals crown, Zvezda returned to the title game last season before losing to Real Madrid. ALBA finished last season’s ANGT Belgrade in third place with a 3-2 record. The German club played at the 2008-09 ANGT Finals as the host. Buducnost returns to the competition after sitting out last season. The Montenegrin club was 2-2 and finished fifth in Belgrade in 2013-14. Spars reached the ANGT Finals last season with a wild card after grabbing third place at ANGT Rome with a 3-1 record. The Bosnia and Herzegovina club went 2-1 at the ANGT Finals last season with wins over Zalgiris and U18 Unicaja Malaga.

Cedevita finished fifth at the ANGT Rome last season with a 2-2 record. Bayern was 1-2 at ANGT Kaunas in 2014-15. Partizan lost to Zvezda in last season’s ANGT Belgrade final and finished with a 3-2 record, while Zemun was fourth in Belgrade last year at 2-3.

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U18 Mega Leks Belgrade suffered a big blow ahead of its debut at the Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Finals, losing former ANGT champion, guard Aleksandar Aranitovic for the rest of the season. 

ANGT Rome MVP Aranitovic will miss finals in Berlin

Aranitovic (1.94 meters, 18 years old), who was the MVP of the Euroleague Basketball ANGT Qualifying Tournament - Torneo Citta di Roma in December, torn knee ligaments during an Adriatic League clash, playing for Mega Leks against Cedevita Zagreb last weekend. An MRI confirmed knee ligament injury that will sideline the young star for the remainder of this season.

For Aranitovic this was his third and final year playing ANGT tournaments, and he starred at ANGT Rome for U18 Mega Leks averaging 19.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.5 steals. In the title game and 71-73 win against the host team, U18 Stellazzurra Basketball, he collected 28 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Aranitovic has previously won the ANGT title with U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade in 2014 in Milan and he scored 26 points in the ANGT title game last season in Madrid which U18 Zvezda lost against U18 Real Madrid. In 22 career ANGT games, Aranitovic has an average of 12.5 points, 4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.2 steals.

This season Aranitovic has been playing for Mega Leks on-loan from Crvena Zvezda. In 19 games in Adriatic League action, the 18-year old has posted 5.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists.

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U18 Zalgiris Kaunas big man Isaiah Hartenstein was named the MVP of the Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Qualifying Tournament – Kaunas on Sunday. 

Hartenstein earns ANGT Kaunas MVP honors

Hartenstein registered a double-double of 29 points and 12 rebounds, along with 3 assists and 3 blocks to lead Zalgiris in 87-76 title game win over archrival U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius. Hartenstein averaged 23.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.3 blocks, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals in four games at the tournament.

His Zalgiris teammate Arnas Velicka, who had 18 points and 16 assists in the championship game also received All-Tournament honors, along with Grantas Vasiliauskas of Rytas, Bathiste Tchouaffe of U18 INSEP Paris, and Jakub Tuma of U18 USK Future Stars Prague who was ANGT Kaunas leading scorer with 24.3 points per game.

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The 2015-16 Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT series comes to basketball-mad Lithuanian this weekend for the EB ANGT Qualifying Tournament – Kaunas. 

Players to Watch: ANGT Kaunas

The three-day event tips off Friday and features dozens more basketball prodigies eager to showcase their skills on the continental stage. Learn more about who are some of the players to watch from the eight teams set to clash for a ticket to the ANGT Finals.

### U18 CIBONA ZAGREB: Kresimir Nikic

Nikic will be playing his first ANGT, because Cibona did not take part in the competition last season. The 17-year-old 2.14-meter center also did not play for the Croatian youth national team last summer after an injury caused him to miss the U16 European Championship. The Zagreb native was named MVP of the Croatian U16 Championship last year when he averaged 22.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the semifinals and final. Nikic has great wingspan along with his height, though there is still room to add muscle and mass to his frame. He has a hook shot with his right hand and does a good job keeping the ball high when he receives it near the basket. Despite his size, he’s not afraid of handling the ball and can even drive to the basket from the outside. He also isn’t afraid to battle for rebounds. Defensively Nikic’s length makes him a formidable shot blocker, who takes in a good number of rebounds.

### U18 FENERBAHCE ISTANBUL: Ahmet Can Duran

Duran will be playing his second ANGT after averaging 7.3 points and 7.5 rebounds last season in Kaunas, despite being two years younger than the competition. The 2.04-meter center also played his second U16 European Championship over the summer and finished as the top rebounder with 12.1 boards per game in helping Turkey to the bronze medal. He ranked third with 2.4 blocks per game and also averaged 12.0 points, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals. Duran’s most noticeable trait is his size – and not necessarily his height. The Afyonkarahisar native is blessed with good footwork around the basket and excellent coordination. He is efficient in the paint and doesn’t shy from contact, making him an excellent rebounder. He has good hands and a soft touch with a decent array of moves around the rim. Despite his size, Duran is quick and can get out in transition. He can still work on his body which would improve his entire package.

### U18 PORSCHE BASKETBALL ACADEMY LUDWIGSBURG: Mateo Seric

Seric will be playing his first ANGT, since Ludwigsburg did not take part in the competition last season. Seric played last summer for Germany at the U16 European Championship, where he averaged 1.6 points and 2.6 rebounds. Basketball is actually 17-year-old Seric’s second sport after playing for the German national team in tennis before taking up hoops in December 2013. Within 13 months, he was playing at the U16 Euros. Seric is very intelligent and professional for his age with a great attitude and work ethic. The 2.02-meter forward’s mid-range game has become very consistent, but he still needs to work on his fundamentals, including ball-handling and perimeter shooting. Considering that he’s only been playing basketball for two years, Seric has come a long way. He also boasts has good physical tools and is considered to be very strong mentally.

### U18 ZALGIRIS KAUNAS: Isaiah Hartenstein

Hartenstein will be playing his first ANGT as the German has yet to really join Zalgiris. The 2.10-meter power forward signed a long-term contract with Zalgiris in the off-season, but was kept in Germany on loan with Artland Dragons’ U19 NBBL and third division ProB teams. Hartenstein played for Germany at the 2015 U18 European Championship and averaged 11.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.4 assists and 0.8 blocks despite being a year younger than most of his competitors. Hartenstein is averaging nearly 17 points, 10 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.8 blocks in the NBBL this season and 11.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in the ProB. He has fantastic length and a great motor. He can play inside and outside on offense with the ability to drive to the basket on slower big men, shoot over quicker wings guarding him or back them down with his improving body size. He also can hit three-pointers. Defensively, Hartenstein has good footwork and great length to help in all areas.

### U18 INSEP PARIS: Bathiste Tchouaffe

Tchouaffe will be playing in his second ANGT after averaging 13.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.6 steals while hitting 43%of his three-pointers over seven games last season at the ANGT Kaunas and ANGT Finals. Tchouaffe also had a strong summer with the French national team system for the second straight year. He averaged 9.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists despite being a year underage at the U18 European Championship. In 2014, he was named to the All-Tournament Team as France won the title at the U16 European Championship. The 1.96-meter shooting guard is a smart player who has a great outside shot and excellent quickness. The Poitiers native is an effective player in one-on-one situations. He has struggled this season from long range – hitting just 25% of his threes in the NM1 league and also still has lapses on defense, but Tchouaffe is working on becoming a better leader with a mental trainer.

### U18 LIETUVOS RYTAS VILNIUS: Grantas Vasiliauskas

Vasiliauskas will be playing his second ANGT after gradually getting more minutes on the court last season in Kaunas, where he was two years underage and averaged 2.0 points and 1.3 rebounds. The 2.02-meter forward totaled less than 5 minutes in the first two games at ANGT Kaunas and then had 4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block in 14 minutes in the last game. Over the summer he helped Lithuania to the podium at the 2015 U16 European Championship with 10.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists. The Alytus native is currently playing for the Alytus team in Lithuania’s third division RKL. Vasiliauskas is a hard worker on the court. He’s a great athlete who can play inside or outside. He has a good jumpshot and passes the ball well. His strong and athletic body helps him do a good job of rebounding the ball, too.

### U18 USK FUTURE STARS PRAGUE: Jakub Tuma

Tuma will be playing at his second ANGT after averaging 8.7 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals in Kaunas last year. The 1.93-meter point guard also made his debut in the Czech youth national team system last summer and averaged 1.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists at the U18 European Championship despite being a year underage. Tuma is currently playing in the second Czech 1.Liga league and averaging 6.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists. The Litomerice native has good ball-handling skills and can drive and shoot as well. He can both lead the team both by reading the game and being the scorer. Tuma is still skinny and has to improve his defense, including building up his strength and mass development.

### U18 VEF RIGA: Karlis Garoza

Garoza will be playing in his second ANGT after he averaged 2.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists at the ANGT Finals after joining VEF Riga from BK Saldus during last season and missing the ANGT Kaunas. The 2.05-meter center did not play in the Latvian youth national team system last summer after playing at the 2013 and 2014 U16 European Championships. He averaged 6.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in helping Latvia to second place at the 2014 U16 Euros. The Saldus native is efficient in the post on offense. He’s a good passer and a solid rebounder. Garoza is not über-athletic, but uses space effectively on offense. He can get out on the break and finish, though he’s not an above-the-rim guy. Garoza works hard on defense, seems to really care about it and is showing progress.

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