The biggest storyline going into the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Munich is whether reigning continental champion U18 Real Madrid can extend its streak of qualifying tournament first place finishes to seven. 

U18 Real aims for seventh straight ANGT qualifying win

U18 CSKA Moscow, winner of a record three ANGT crowns, and host side U18 FC Bayern Munich are among the seven teams looking to stop Real's run, along with German teams U18 ALBA Berlin, U18 Porsche Ludwigsburg and U18 ratiopharm Ulm, U18 Promitheas Patras from Greece and Italian outfit U18 Stellazzurra Rome, which reached the 2018 ANGT Championship Game. The winner of Sunday's first-place game at the Audi Dome will reach the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Cologne, Germany, where it will join U18 Herbalife Gran Canaria, winner of the ANGT Valencia in December.

Bayern and CSKA are both in Group A along with Ulm and Stellazzurra. Bayern, which hosts the tournament for a third consecutive season, finished fifth last season before picking up a wild card for the ANGT Finals in Vitoria-Gasteiz. In 2018-19, Bayern became the first German team to reach the first-place game of a qualifier, but ended up losing to Real. CSKA's three continental titles date back to 2004, 2005 and 2006. CSKA took fifth place last season at the ANGT Kaunas and will be playing in Munich for the first time after competing in Kaunas in five of the last six seasons, also appearing at the ANGT Rome in 2016. Ulm is competing for a third time in the ANGT – and both previous appearances also in Munich – and it is the only team to beat Real in a qualifying tournament since 2013, collecting its first-ever win in 2018. Ulm took fourth place last season at the ANGT Munich. The other team in Group A is Stellazzurra, which lost to U18 Rytas Vilnius in the 2018 ANGT Championship Game. Stellazzurra finished fourth at the ANGT Kaunas last season, its second campaign playing in the Lithuania tournament after competing in Belgrade in 2017.

Group B's favorite undoubtedly is Real, which won the first-place games in the other two ANGT Munich tournaments. The Spanish powerhouse went on to win the ANGT title last season for its second crown following 2015. But Real did lose one game in Munich, getting beaten by Ulm in 2018 in the final group game after having already locked up a spot in the first-place game. That loss snapped Real's 21-game winning streak in ANGT qualifying games, dating back to the first-place game of the 2013 ANGT L'Hospitalet against U18 Joventut Badalona. That run saw Real finish first in the ANGT L'Hospitalet tournaments in 2014, 2015 and 2016, in the ANGT Coin in 2017, and in the last two ANGT Munich events. ALBA, for its part, is playing at the ANGT Munich for a third straight season, having finished third in 2018 and sixth in 2019. Ludwigsburg is competing in the competition for a sixth time, finishing fourth last season at ANGT Valencia. Ludwigsburg also played in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017, the latter with a club-best third place finish at ANGT Belgrade. Promitheas is back for its second appearance in the competition after winning one game but finishing eighth at ANGT L'Hospitalet in 2017-18.

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Euroleague Basketball regrets to inform fans that, due to ongoing restrictions in Germany to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the next qualifying event of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament, which had been set to start in Munich later this month, will not be held as scheduled.

ANGT Munich qualifier postponed

Germany's pandemic protocols at present do not allow non-professional sporting events to take place, a restriction that applies to the staging of the ANGT Munich qualifier for U-18 players from around the continent.

Evaluations are underway to outline all possibilities of holding the qualifier at a later date and, possibly, in a different location. All eight U18 club teams that were invited to the ANGT Munich qualifier were previously informed that it will not take place on the planned dates.

The ANGT Munich qualifier is one of three scheduled for this season. The first, held in Valencia in late December, saw U18 FC Barcelona crowned champion. The third event, ANGT Belgrade, is due to be played from February 19 to 21 in the Serbian capital.

As is the custom throughout the tournament's history, the winners of each qualifier gain automatic berths in the ANGT Finals, which are held in parallel with the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four every spring.

U18 FC Barcelona last captured the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament title in 2016. Michael Caicedo said he is ready to end that U18 continental hardware drought after helping the club take first place at the ANGT Valencia.

Caicedo eager to bring another ANGT crown to Barcelona

Caicedo tallied 29 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 6 fouls drawn for a performance index rating of 37 in helping Barcelona knock off U18 Joventut Badalona 79-55 in the ANGT Valencia first-place game. That victory earned Barcelona a berth at the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four for the first time since 2017.

"I am happy about reaching the Final Four with the team. We worked hard and I think we will do good things there. I cannot wait to get there and compete. We will also try to win and enjoy the experience since last year we were not able to qualify,” said Caicedo, who as a 16-year-old could only help Barcelona place fourth at the 2019-20 ANGT Valencia.

For the 2020-21 tournament, Caicedo averaged 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals for a PIR of 19.5. He ranked third in scoring and second in PIR while leading the competition in three-point shooting percentage at 43.8%.

Now the goal is to add a trophy to the Barcelona clubhouse.

"We will try everything we can to give that trophy to our club because we know it's been too long without winning it," the shooting guard said. "We are representing one of the top clubs in Europe, so we hope to do good things there and take the trophy back home."

The basketball world almost missed out on having Caicedo in it. The native of Mallorca moved to Barcelona for family reasons and he had actually been playing football his entire life.

"One day my stepfather said that if someday I wanted to try basketball, due to my height, I could do so, and if I didn't like it, I could go back to football. So I tried it, and the rest is history. I stayed in basketball because I liked it a lot. I think it's one of the most beautiful sports," the 1.99-meter guard said.

Not only a top prospect for his club, but Caicedo has also already excelled with the Spanish youth ranks. He averaged 11.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game as Spain won the title at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019.

When asked what his favorite memories of the championship run in Italy were, Caicedo said: "After the games, when we won. Those were moments of being united, playing music, being happy and congratulating each other. I will cherish those moments."

Just like in the ANGT Valencia first-place game, Caicedo stepped up in the U16 European Championship final against France by scoring 21 points with 5 three-pointers and 5 rebounds.

This is Caicedo’s fourth season with Barcelona’s B-team and he has a clear favorite among the club’s professionals: "Watching the games, Adam Hanga is one of my favorite players in the club and I watch him a lot, both on and off the court," he said.

Caicedo’s performance in Valencia helped convince management that he was ready for a step up and on Saturday he was called up to train under Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and the Barcelona first team for the first time.

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In addition to having many great players in the pro club, another key element of the Barcelona basketball team is the Catalan rivalry with Joventut from the city suburb of Badalona. The two clubs had plenty of big-game ANGT history coming into the Valencia encounter.

Joventut defeated Barcelona in the ANGT Championship Game in 2013 and the first-place game at the 2017-18 ANGT L’Hospitalet. Barcelona bested Joventut for first place at the ANGT L’Hospitalet in 2016-17. Beating Joventut for a chance to play at the ANGT Finals meant that much more to Caicedo.

"To me, it brings up many memories we experienced in games played against them. That is the Catalan derby - Joventut vs. Barca - so I am happy to have won this game," Caicedo said. "I am happy having won the MVP, but I would have not been able to do it without my teammates, the coaching staff and the physio staff. I am very happy, but now we must keep working."

Because there is still that Barcelona trophy case that is looking to add a second ANGT crown next to the lonely one from 2016.

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There is a long line of Latvians who have left their homeland for Spain as youngsters to improve their development. The latest highly regarded prospect from the Baltic country is Freds Bagatskis, who chose Valencia Basket because of its outstanding new training facility and proximity to professional players.

Facilities, nearby pros attract Latvian Bagatskis to Valencia

Bagatskis once again showed at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Valencia why he is one of the next great talents from Latvia. The guard averaged 10.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist in four games for U18 Valencia Basket at the event.

"This has been a tough year for everyone, so I’m just glad that we were able to play the tournament and compete at the highest level," said Bagatskis, who was playing in his second ANGT Valencia after averaging 9.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in 2019-20.

The 2.01-meter swingman said playing in the tournament last season helped him a lot this time around: "[I learned] not to be scared. This is a big stage for everyone and it’s important you don't get a mental block just from stepping on the court," he said.

Bagatskis was one of the few Valencia players returning from last year's team, and that meant he needed to take on more of a leadership role - something he enjoyed. "Having more leadership only makes me feel more confident about myself and the team, which is a huge plus in my book."

Bagatskis is the latest talent from Latvija to come to Spain early in his development following the likes of Kristaps Porzingis, Anzejs Pasecniks, Rolands Smits, the Kurucs brothers Rodions and Arturs, and Arturs Zagars.

"I didn’t really talk to anyone in that position at the time. I talked with Kristaps Porzingis after my move to Valencia and he said that Valencia is a great place for me to continue developing my game," Bagatskis said.

The club in eastern Spain has one of the best facilities on the continent in terms of capacity to help develop young talent in L'Alqueria del Basket. The venue, which hosted the ANGT Valencia for a third straight season, features six practice courts, an extra court with stands as well as amenities for workouts and business enterprises.

"The facilities were a huge standout," Bagatskis said about his decision to leave DSN Basketball and join Valencia in 2018. "Having the best installations in Europe really sets you out ahead over other clubs."

Bagatskis has already played for his native Latvia on the international level; he averaged 8.9 points and 1.4 rebounds at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019. With Valencia, he has been playing for the club’s EBA fourth division side. But more importantly, he has been working on his game at L'Alqueria del Basket facility.

"The progress has been unreal and I’m thankful to the coaching staff for that. I would say they expect me to be the best player I can be at all times. It’s very simple," he said.

Another huge advantage for youngsters like Bagatskis is that Valencia’s professional team is only a stone's throw away since La Fonteta Arena is adjoined to L'Alqueria del Basket.

"You can really have that feeling of being a professional no matter what age you are and having the real professionals nearby is an even bigger bonus," he said.

For those wondering if they recognize the name Bagatskis, yes, Freds is the son of Ainars Bagatskis. The elder Bagatskis played at four FIBA EuroBaskets for Latvia, including placing second in scoring in 1997. He also competed professionally in Latvia, Norway, Poland, France, Russia and Lithuania. He appeared in 29 games in the EuroLeague for Zalgiris Kaunas from 2003 to 2005.

Ainars Bagatskis then became a successful head coach, serving as the play-caller for Zalgiris in the EuroLeague in 2006 and 2007 and also guiding Ukrainian side Budivelnyk, Nizhny Novgorod of Russia and Israeli giant Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague. He was the Latvian senior national team head coach from 2011 to 2017 and guided it to three EuroBaskets.

In terms of lessons Freds learned from his father, he said: "The biggest one would be not to think too much. Just to go and play as well as I possibly can while enjoying the moment."

His father was known as a deadly marksman and Freds Bagatskis has inherited some of that. He boasts a sweet stroke from outside - through he struggled in this season’s ANGT Valencia, hitting just 8 of 34 three-pointers (23.5%).

"I can definitely dunk better than him," Freds joked about where he is better than his father. "One thing I hope I will have one day is his basketball IQ."

The younger Bagatskis is aware that dozens of players have gone from the ANGT to the EuroLeague and he hopes to follow in their footsteps one day.

"I'm pretty sure everyone thinks about stuff like that at some point when playing. I try to just focus on developing my game and competing day in and day out. Of course, it would be a dream to play in the EuroLeague and that’s definitely the goal for me," he said.

And being at Valencia and practicing with the coaches at L'Alqueria del Basket with the club’s professionals in the building next door will definitely help in him achieving that.

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Michael Caicedo claimed the MVP trophy at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Valencia after carrying U18 FC Barcelona to a 79-55 victory over U18 Joventut Badalona in the first-place game on Tuesday to earn a spot in the ANGT Finals. 

Barcelona's Caicedo heads ANGT Valencia all-tournament team as MVP

Joining Caicedo on the all-tournament team were Miguel Allen from Joventut, Jeremy Sochan of U18 ratiopharm Ulm, Killian Malwaya from U18 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and Marc-Antoine Loemba of U18 Nanterre 92.

Caicedo tallied 29 points, including 10-for-10 free throw shooting, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 6 fouls drawn for a performance index rating of 37 in the first-place game. For the tournament, he averaged 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals for a PIR of 19.5. He ranked third in scoring and second in PIR while leading the competition in three-point shooting percentage (43.8%) and hitting 100% of his 15 free throws. Allen compiled 22 points and 10 rebounds in the first-place game to finish the tournament averaging 14.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and a PIR of 13.3. He ranked third in scoring, fourth in rebounds and 10th in index rating.

Sochan led the competition in index rating with 22.5 while ranking second in scoring (15.5 ppg-) and first in rebounds (12.8 rpg.) to go along with 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks, the latter placing him sixth-best in Valencia. Malwaya averaged 14.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.7 steals for a PIR of 13.3. He ranked sixth in points, eighth in index rating and second in offensive rebounds (4.3 orpg.). Loemba led the tournament in scoring (16.0 ppg.) and steals (3.8 spg.) while ranking second in two-point shooting percentage (62.5%) and fourth in PIR (16.8) to go along with 3.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

The Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Valencia qualifying event is the first chance to see this season's crop of future stars on the courts. Eight teams from three countries will compete for an automatic berth to this season's ANGT Finals to be held in May at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Cologne, Germany.

ANGT Valencia: Players to watch

The participating clubs collectively bring an elite group of promising talents to the international stage - in some cases for the first time. Get familiar with a top performer from each team in preparation for an exciting tournament.

### Miguel Allen, U18 Joventut Badalona

Allen will be playing in the competition for the second time after collecting 10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 blocks at the ANGT Kaunas last season. The 2.03-meter forward is mixing time this season in the Spanish third and fourth divisions, averaging 14.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in the lower league. The Tenerife native has lived in Badalona since he was 14 years old and trained with Joventut. Allen is versatile enough to play various positions thanks to his physical build and knowledge of the game. His great athletic ability allows him to run the court in offensive transition and be a constant threat on rebounds.

### Freds Bagatskis, U18 Valencia Basket

Bagatskis will be competing at the ANGT for a second time after he averaged 9.8 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 36.0% on three-pointers at the ANGT Valencia last season. The 2.01-meter guard is the son of retired Latvian international scoring ace Ainars Bagatskis, who also coached the Latvian national team and currently is the head coach of BC Kyiv in Ukraine. Freds played for Latvia at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019, where he averaged 8.9 points and 1.4 rebounds. He is averaging 10.1 points on 38.3% three-point shooting and 1.7 rebounds this season in the Spanish fourth division. Bagatskis is a great offensive talent and a great shooter, who is very fast in both catch-and-shoot situations and running off screens.

### Michael Caicedo, U18 FC Barcelona

Caicedo will be playing at the ANGT Valencia for the second time after he averaged 8.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.3 steals last season. The 2.00-meter shooting guard played a leading role for the Spanish team that won the title at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019 with 11.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. This is Caicedo's fourth year with the club, for which he is playing on the Barcelona B team this season. He takes responsibility on offense and has a good variety of finishes. Caicedo also brings energy and intensity to the team, including at the defensive end.

### Kymany Houinsou, U18 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne

Houinsou will be competing in his third ANGT Valencia despite still being a year younger as a 2004-born player. The 1.96-meter point guard averaged 4.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 2018-19 and then 8.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.0 steals last season. He has posted 9.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists in the French U21 league this season. Houinsou practices sometimes with ASVEL's senior squad and was on the bench in its EuroLeague game against Zalgiris Kaunas. He helped France finish second at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019 with 2.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals. Houinsou is tall with good size for his position and possesses good length, a high basketball IQ and excellent body control while driving to the basket. He has made progress with his shooting and is a good ball-handler, too.

### Jean Montero, U18 Herbalife Gran Canaria

Montero will be playing in his second ANGT Valencia after winning the MVP award in guiding Gran Canaria to first place last season, in which he collected 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals. The 1.88-meter Dominican Republic guard is in his second season with Gran Canaria. He starred at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2018 with 15.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 4.1 steals and has already debuted with the Dominican senior national team. Montero predominantly plays in the Spanish third division and is averaging 22.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals. He has also tallied 5 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist in 13 minutes in two Spanish League games as well as 4 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist in 9 minutes in three 7DAYS EuroCup contests. Montero has a great work ethic both on and off the court and is mature for his age. He is not afraid of big moments or taking a risk. Montero is a great scorer who can go to the basket or shoot with a high percentage. His speed makes him difficult to defend in transition. Montero is very intuitive on defense with fast hands and is a good rebounder because of his intuition and excellent vertical leaping ability.


### Maxime Raynaud, U18 Nanterre 92

Raynaud is playing this season with Nanterre’s U21 team and has averaged 9.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.7 blocks. He has also suited up in the French U18 league where the 2.14-meter center posted 27 points and 16 rebounds. Raynaud helped France win the silver medal at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019 with 2.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists. He is a mobile and athletic big man who started basketball late after swimming at a high level and winning several French national championships. Raynaud has a strong physique with an excellent basketball IQ and good hands. He will be playing his first ANGT event.

### Jeremy Sochan, U18 ratiopharm Ulm

Sochan was born in the United States, but spent his childhood with his Polish-born mother in England, where he also learned the game. He played high school basketball in the United States in 2019-20 before moving to Germany to join the Ulm organization. In the summer of 2019, Sochan was named MVP of the FIBA U16 European Championship Division B after he helped Poland finish first and earn promotion to Division A. He averaged 16.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.1 steals and 1.5 blocks at the event. This season, Sochan has been worth 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.8 blocks in Germany’s third division. The 2.04-meter forward has excellent athleticism and can finish at the basket. He also rebounds and passes well and can defend multiple positions as an all-around team player. Sochan will be playing in his first ANGT event.

### Pablo Tamba, U18 Unicaja Malaga

Tamba will be playing in the ANGT Valencia a second time after he averaged 12.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists last season. The 2.00-meter guard was part of the Spanish team that won the title at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019 with 1.8 points and 1.5 rebounds. He is averaging 13.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists this season in the Spanish fourth division. Tamba has an impressive physique that helps him to be a solid defender both on and off the ball. His one-on-one skills and his verticality to the basket make him a great offensive player.

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The 19th edition of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament will tip-off in western Spain on Sunday with the ANGT Valencia the first of three qualifying tournaments in the 2020-21 season of Europe’s top U18 club competition. 

Two former champs highlight ANGT Valencia field

Two former continental champions are among the eight-team field at the ANGT Valencia, which will determine the first of three direct qualifying spots for the ANGT Finals to be played at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four from May 28-30, 2021 in Cologne, Germany.

The ANGT Valencia will be hosted by U18 Valencia Basket with the 2013 champion U18 Joventut Badalona and 2016 title-winner U18 FC Barcelona also among the teams. The other clubs are fellow Spanish sides U18 Herbalife Gran Canaria and U18 Unicaja Malaga, U18 ratiopharm Ulm of Germany and French clubs U18 Nanterre 92 and U18 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. The games will be played at L’Aqueria del Basket from December 27-29, 2020.

Barcelona tops Group A, which also includes Ulm, Nanterre and Gran Canaria. Barcelona, which also reached the ANGT Championship Game in 2008 and 2015, is playing at the ANGT Valencia for the third time. Last season, Barcelona won its first two games and then lost to Gran Canaria to miss out on the game for first place and ended up fourth. Ulm is appearing in the ANGT for the fourth time with all three previous showings at the ANGT Munich. The German side lost all four games last season in the event and took eighth place. Nanterre debuted last season at the ANGT Kaunas and went 2-1 to finish fourth overall. Gran Canaria returns to the ANGT Valencia, where it finished first last season in undefeated fashion and secured its second trip to the ANGT Finals following 2009.

Group B is made up of Valencia, Joventut, Unicaja and ASVEL. Valencia defended its home court in 2018-19 and won all four games and then won its first two games last season before losing to Unicaja and finishing third. Joventut was selected as the replacement for U18 Umana Reyer Venice, which pulled out of the competition. Joventut was 1-2 in the group stage at the ANGT Kaunas last season and finished third. Unicaja reached the ANGT Valencia first place game last season, but lost to Gran Canaria. The only non-Spanish team in Group B is ASVEL, which is competing in its fourth straight season. The French club was 2-1 in the ANGT Valencia group stage - including beating Gran Canaria - but ended up taking fifth place.

The other two qualifying tournaments are the ANGT Munich in southern Germany from January 22 to 24, 2021, and the ANGT Belgrade in the Serbian capital from February 21 to 23, 2021. The teams finishing first in those events will also book a direct ticket to the ANGT Finals. The other five teams will be chosen via wild cards.

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Many of Europe's top players over the last 18 years have gotten the chance to measure their game against the rest of the continent's best at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament. And Valencia Basket is thrilled to once again give its top young talents that opportunity with the upcoming ANGT Valencia.

Valencia relishes opportunity to host ANGT qualifier

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague club will be the host of the U18 tournament for the third straight season as Valencia will compete with seven other teams from December 27 to 29, 2020 for a spot at ANGT Finals, which will be played at the EuroLeague Final Four in Cologne, Germany, from May 28 to 30, 2021.

Valencia's youngsters from the 2018-19 season – players born in 2001 and 2002 – played at the ANGT Finals in 2019 and got the chance to experience first-hand the 2019 EuroLeague Final Four in Vitoria-Gasteiz after the team finished first at the first-ever ANGT event at the L'Aqueria del Basket in December 2018.

"To think that they have played [in the ANGT Finals] and reached the elite... It is a real stimulus for them," Valencia youth coach Xavi Albert said about his players seeing Europe's best players up close at the Final Four.

Albert hopes he can get his current generation to Cologne next spring. But the main thing is giving them the chance to develop.

"It's a very nice tournament and it's great to have one of the venues here, having the best clubs in Europe here and the boys being able to measure themselves against the highest level that we have in the junior category," Albert said.

Valencia in 2018 returned to the competition for the first time since 2010. And Albert said the club was excited about being back in the event.

"We entered with great enthusiasm without any pretensions other than competing to the fullest. We were taking part in one of the best tournaments that we can play in and were able to win it at home," said Albert, who led his team to first place in the 2018-19 ANGT Valencia, winning all three group games and then knocking off U18 Virtus Bologna in the first-place game.

In last season's ANGT Valencia, the host side won its first two games but then lost to U18 Unicaja Malaga to miss out on a chance for the ANGT Finals and ended up beating U18 FC Barcelona in the third-place game.

This time around, Albert is happy that the event will even take place during the pandemic, which has kept the Spanish youth championships on hold.

Given the few competitive situations that we are seeing this year, it will be a success just to be able to play it," said Albert.

Valencia will play in Group B with U18 Unicaja Malaga, U18 Joventut Badalona and U18 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne while U18 ratiopharm Ulm, U18 Nanterre 92, U18 FC Barcelona and 2019-20 ANGT Valencia first place team U18 Herbalife Gran Canaria compete in Group A.

The goal will be to finish first in the tournament, but in the end, Albert is just happy that his players will get a chance to play.

"The important thing is that we can celebrate it, that we are lucky enough to do it here, and that generation after generation of the juniors that we have in the club have the opportunity to play," he said.

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Euroleague Basketball is pleased to announce the identities of the 24 teams that will compete this season in the 2020-21 Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament. 

2020-21 ANGT Qualifiers hosts, dates, participants announced

This season will be the 19th edition of the annual event, which boasts clubs and academies representing 13 different countries. They will clash to be the last one standing when the continental junior club champion is crowned on May 30, 2021, in parallel with the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Cologne, Germany.

To reach the ANGT Finals in Cologne, teams will first compete in three-day Qualifiers held in Valencia, Spain; Munich, Germany; and Belgrade, Serbia. Each Qualifier will feature eight teams, of which the first placed team earns an automatic berth to the Finals. Five additional teams – including some of the best performers in the qualifiers - will receive wildcard invitations to challenge for the U18 continental crown. The 24 sides include the U18 squads from eight EuroLeague and nine EuroCup participants.

The first qualifier – in Valencia, Spain, from December 27 to 29, 2020 – will feature host Valencia Basket, 2016 ANGT champion FC Barcelona, 2013 ANGT champion Joventut Badalona, Herbalife Gran Canaria and Unicaja Malaga, all from Spain, as well as LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and Nanterre 92 from France, plus ratiopharm Ulm from Germany.

The second qualifier – in Munich, Germany, from January 22 to 24, 2021 – includes 2015 and 2019 ANGT champion Real Madrid and Casademont Zaragoza, both from Spain, as well as Basket Brno from the Czech Republic, 2010 and 2017 ANGT champion CFBB Paris from France, hosts FC Bayern Munich from Germany, Promitheas Patras from Greece, Stellazzurra Rome from Italy, and 2003 and 2007 ANGT champion Zalgiris Kaunas from Lithuania.

The capital of Serbia will host the third qualifier from February 19 to 21, 2021. Partizan NIS Belgrade, 2014 ANGT champion Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade and fellow Serbian side Mega SoccerBet Belgrade, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica from Montenegro, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana from Slovenia, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar from Russian Federation, Maccabi Tel Aviv from Israel and U-BT Cluj Napoca from Romania make up the slate for the Belgrade event.

The nearly two decades of the ANGT has seen a host of tomorrow's biggest and brightest stars pass through. Among the players currently on EuroLeague rosters who previously dazzled in the ANGT are Marcus Eriksson and Niels Giffey (ALBA Berlin), Vasilije Micic (Anadolu Efes Istanbul), Luigi Datome (AX Armani Exchange Milan), Borisa Simanic and Branko Lazic (Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade), Nikita Kurbanov (CSKA Moscow), Nikola Mirotic, Sergi Martinez and Thomas Heurtel (FC Barcelona), Diego Flaccadori, Leon Radosevic, Nihad Dedovic and Sasha Grant (FC Bayern Munich), Alexey Shved (Khimki Moscow Region), Yovel Zoosman (Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv), Livio Jean-Charles (Olympiacos Piraeus), Nemanja Nedovic (Panathinaikos OPAP Athens), Alberto Abalde and Usman Garuba (Real Madrid),  Klemen Prepelic, Vanja Marinkovic and Guillem Vives (Valencia Basket) and Arturas Gudaitis (Zenit St Petersburg).