The Romanian forward found a new source of self-belief after scoring 34 points against U18 Crvena Zvezda

Big game at ANGT Belgrade changed U18 Milan's Denis Badalau

[Denis Badalau](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/ngt/players/denis-badalau/012114/) had a Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Belgrade to remember, and an up-and-down day in Serbia changed the U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan forward, who now wants to make history for Romania at the ANGT Finals. 

Badalau was extremely excited when he heard the news that Milan was given one of the wild cards for the season-ending tournament in Berlin. 

“For me personally, it was great news, because it is a new opportunity to perform at the highest level. As a team, after our performance in Belgrade we are eager to prove that we belong there and to show again what we can do on court,” said Badalau, who was named to the All-Tournament Team as Milan took second place at ANGT Belgrade.

“It was the last chance for me to be at the ANGT Finals and I’m very pleased that we will be there along the best U18 teams in Europe. Every team is taking it to the next level and that means we have to as well.”

Milan will be appearing at the ANGT Finals for the second time after the club hosted the event as part of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in 2014. 

U18 Real Madrid lost to U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade in the 2014 ANGT Championship Game. The 2015 ANGT Championship Game was a repeat between those teams and Real Madrid won the title - the first of its record four U18 continental crowns. One of the leading figures for Real in the 2015 final was Emanuel Cate, who collected 11 points, 8 rebounds and 8 blocks in a 73-70 victory. 

Cate was also the first Romanian player to appear at the ANGT Finals. And Badalau will be the second - a fact about which he is very proud. 

“I’m always proud and satisfied when I can represent my country in top-level competitions,” said Badalau, who averaged 21.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 5.5 fouls drawn for a PIR of 22.5 at ANGT Belgrade. “I take every competition as an opportunity to represent something bigger than myself and that carries weight. I’ve taken this concept with me everywhere I go. And I’m so grateful to represent also Romania and give it all my best.”

Denis Badalau Highlights, U18 Milan

The native of Giurgiu - a city about 50 kilometers from Bucharest - left Romania in 2021 at age 15 and went to E3 Energy Todi. One year later he joined the Milan organization and last season played in the ANGT Milan and averaged 14.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 2.8 steals.

Badalau did that despite being a year underage for the event and expectations were high that he would play well at this season’s ANGT Belgrade. Badalau had a first game to forget against the U18 Next Generation Team Belgrade with just 7 points on 3-of-16 shooting for a performance index rating of 3 - albeit a 75-68 victory.

That game tipped off at 11:00 local time. By the time Milan faced host U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade at 17:00 later that day, Badalau had a completely different mindset.

The 1.97-meter forward connected on 13-of-20 shots - including 3 three-pointers - in scoring 34 points to go with 11 rebounds and 5 assists for a PIR of 38. The game was all the more thrilling as Zvezda’s Andrej Kostic scored 32 points, but in vain as Milan prevailed 97-90.

“That game has a special meaning for me. It was the second game of the day, and the first one didn't go as I expected. I was a little bit down and before the game, a very important person to me told me: ‘Give them something to talk about.’ And I just did it,” he said. 

“Besides the points I scored and what I did on court, I can say that game changed something in me as a player and helped me a lot to really believe in myself.”

That new-found belief in himself will undoubtedly help Badalau as he looks to make more history for Milan - and Romania.

The U18 ALBA Berlin big man is looking forward to playing in the ANGT Finals in his hometown

Win or lose, Doerries wants to learn from the experience

[Amon Doerries](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/ngt/players/amon-doerries/011626/) has experienced both highs and lows in his career. And looking back, the U18 ALBA Berlin forward realizes the only thing that matters is taking those results and learning from them for the future. 

One of Doerries's biggest low points came in the 2021-22 season in Germany’s U16 JBBL league where ALBA lost in the playoff quarterfinals. 

“One thing I thought about for a long time was our playoff loss in the JBBL. What made it particularly difficult was that everybody saw us as the favorite for the title and then we lost. I was really disappointed after the series even though we didn’t play that bad,” said Doerries. 

The Potsdam native only had to wait one season to experience his top moment to date as ALBA defeated Young Rasta Dragons to win the 2023 U19 NBBL domestic crown. 

“It was great. To finish the season in the best way possible with all those guys you like, it feels amazing. And it shows that all the work you put in matters,” said Doerries, who was two years younger than the competition. 

Still, the 2.10-meter forward said in the long term, it doesn’t really matter much that his youth team was upset early in the playoffs or captured the championship. 

“The thing I learned from both events was that in a couple of years, nobody cares about what happened, whether you lost or won. So what I took away from those experiences is that even if you have a bad game or season in the youth, it’s not so much about the result itself. But your development and the experience you gain throughout the first years of your career matter so much more,” he said. 

Doerries is part of a very talented 2006 generation for Germany and he enjoys so many great players being in the same age group.

“It makes everything more competitive and brings so many opportunities. I think the German 2006 generation is a pretty good one, so we can compete with the top countries in the championship and against some of the best players all over Europe. That brings a ton of experience and chances to learn. So I think it only has upsides,” said Doerries, who in April played in the Albert Schweitzer Tournament - a biennial U18 national team event that takes place in Germany. 

Another experience Doerries had with his generation was the Basketball Without Borders Europe Camp in August 2023 in Poland. 

“The biggest takeaway for me was that you just have to take the shots you get. You cannot always be nice and try to find a more open shot. Of course, you don’t shoot every time you get the ball, but if there is a chance, just take it,” he explained. 

Amon Doerries, Highlights, U18 ALBA Berlin

Doerries will go through another major learning event in his home city in late May as ALBA was awarded a wild card for the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals. 

“I’m very happy about it. To be honest, I didn’t expect it because of our placement in Podgorica. But now that we got it, it’s another really good chance to measure yourself against the best teams in Europe,” Doerries said of the German club placing sixth at the ANGT Podgorica with just one victory. 

“And now with Overtime Elite joining as well there will even be some talents from the United States. It is going to be very exciting,” he added, referring to the American youth league that will field a team in Berlin as another wild card recipient. 

Doerries is not only excited about the ANGT Finals but also about the EuroLeague Final Four. 

“I am really excited to see some world-class basketball. I actually prefer to watch EuroLeague over NBA and at the Final Four there will be the best of the best,” he said. “So just by watching the games you can learn so much. And at the same weekend competing against some of the biggest prospects of Europe is just great. It’s going be a really exciting weekend.”

A weekend where Doerries will have new highs and lows that will help him develop in the long term.

The guard heads to the finals for the third straight season

Mega’s Kroflic thrilled with chance to play ANGT Finals after injury

U18 Mega MIS Belgrade has become one of the most successful teams in the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament. And [Urban Kroflic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/ngt/players/urban-kroflic/011688/) is thrilled to have a chance to show the continent why that’s the case at the ANGT Finals after coming back from an injury. 

Mega claimed the ANGT crown in 2022 and reached the ANGT Championship Game in 2017 and 2019 - making the Serbian side one of just eight teams to reach the title bout at least three times. U18 Real Madrid is the only one to match the feat since 2017.

Kroflic was thrilled to hear the news that Mega was given one of the wild cards for the season-ending tournament that takes place as part of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four.

"When I heard that we received a wild card, I was very happy and excited. Mega is a regular at the ANGT Finals from 2016 and I am glad we are continuing that streak,” said Kroflic, who will be playing at the ANGT Finals for a third time after helping the U18 Next Generation Select Team reach the ANGT Championship Game in Belgrade in 2022 and playing with Mega in 2023.

Kroflic in 2021-22 played for two Next Generation teams, initially playing at the ANGT Ljubljana event. One of the biggest things he looked back on from that season was getting to play under select team head coach Vassilis Spanoulis.

“The experience was amazing. I couldn’t believe that I was able to talk with great Vassilis Spanoulis. He helped me a lot through every game - both on offense and on defense,” he said about his time as a 16-year-old in 2022.

The games in Berlin later this month will be Kroflic’s first ANGT action since last season’s ANGT Finals in Kaunas as the Slovenian missed this season’s ANGT Belgrade tournament with an injury.

“Being unable to play at ANGT Belgrade was so frustrating for me because I couldn’t help my team on the court and I had to watch it from the sidelines,” said Kroflic. 

The wing said Mega feels comfortable going into the ANGT Finals in Germany.

“Coming to the tournament, we don’t feel much pressure. I think if we play like a team and give everything on the court, I am sure that we can be very successful,” he said. 

Kroflic and some of the Mega players will come into the tournament on a high note after the club won the U19 Adriatic League for a fourth straight time. The games at the U19 ABA Final Four in Novi Pazar, Serbia in mid-April were actually Kroflic’s first games returning from his knee injury. 

uRBAN Kroflic, Highlights, U18 MEGA Belgrade

He scored 20 points to go with 9 rebounds and 5 assists in the U19 ABA final - a 79-60 win over SC Derby.

The U19 ABA Final Four came about a week after Kroflic signed a multi-year contract with Mega, where he joined in 2022.

“When I got the offer from Mega, I set down with my family and we decided that I have to go because Mega is the best basketball club for young players to develop and chase their dreams,” he said about joining Mega after previously playing two seasons in Spain at Spanish Basketball Academy. “I stayed here in Belgrade because I want to develop myself into a better basketball player and at the same time a better person.”

Mega has built a major reputation of developing young players with a number of them reaching the NBA, including former EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic and reigning EuroLeague MVP Nikola Jokic. 

“Through the history of Mega, I would say it’s their system that makes it so special. Everybody in the club is very dedicated to players. We have great conditions in the club and players get the chance to play at a very high level of basketball at a young age,” he said. 

Kroflic and Mega now have another chance in Berlin to show what makes them so special.

Everything is ready for the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals in Berlin, Germany! This season's ANGT Finals will be played at Uber Eats Music Hall in the German capital between May 23 and 26. Eight U18 teams will battle for the title and become the 21st winner of this prestigious tournament that has become a reference in youth competitions worldwide. The eight finalist squads have been divided into two groups of four teams each. ANGT Podgorica winners U18 Real Madrid and ANGT Dubai champions U18 ratiopharm Ulm are located in Group A along with U18 Mega MIS Belgrade and U18 Emporio Armani Milan. ANGT Paris winners U18 PFBB INSEP Paris are in Group B along with U18 ALBA Berlin, U18 FC Barcelona and U18 Overtime Elite, which is making its highly-anticipared tournament debut.

To get things started, here are the full roster of all eight teams! 

### U18 ALBA BERLIN

4	MATHEO, HERMANN	194	G

5	BAHN, PAUL	191	G

6	SCHULTZE, NICOLA	196	F

7	NUFER, ANTON	204	G

8	GROSBER, DORIAN	197	G

9	LEHNIGER, FINNEGAN	200	G

10	MUTTER, LUKAS	170	G

11	SCHMITT, RICHARD	205	F

12	MONNINKHOFF, YARI	198	G

13	HYLLA, LEO	198	F

14	DRÜCKE, JONA	194	G

15	BENNEFELD, NEVIO	210	C

16	DOERRIES, AMON	210	F

**HEAD COACH	BOGOJEVIC, VLADIMIR**

### U18 EA7 EMPORIO ARMANI MILAN

1	ALBERTI, JACOPO	174	G

7	CASELLA, RICCARDO	185	G

9	MICCOLI, SAMUELE	190	G

12	TOFFANIN, DAVIDE	188	G

19	SUIGO, LUIGI	214	C

22	LONATI, ACHILLE	195	G

23	GARAVAGLIA, DIEGO	200	F

24	JOŠOVIC, ANDRIJA	200	F

27	BADALAU, DENIS	197	F

33	VAN ELSWYK, LEONARDO	208	C

34	ZAMPIERI, LORENZO	197	C

41	ATAMAH, CHARLES	200	F

**HEAD COACH	CATALANI, MICHELE**

### U18 FC BARCELONA

1	NESSAH , DAYAN	200	F

3	KONE, ABDRAHAMANE	206	C

4	VILLAR, RAUL	190	G

5	PEÑA, POL	180	G

7	  SARR, DAME	198	F

8	  PLUVINET, LLUC	192	F

9	GRUJICIC, MATHIEU	195	F

10	GONZALEZ, MIQUEL	195	F

11	BUTAJEVAS, ARTÜRAS	206	F

16	GONZALEZ, DANIEL	188	F

21	  KEITA, SAYON	212	C

23	SYLLA, OUSMANE	206	C

24	OMOARUNA, JOAN	193	F

32	JAKUCIONIS, KASPARAS	193	G

50	GARCIA, ALAN	198	F

60	DABONE, MOHAMED	208	C

**HEAD COACH	MARIN, CARLOS**

### U18 MEGA MIS BELGRADE

1	KROFLIC, URBAN	198	G

3	FILIPOVIC, DEJAN	206	F

5	DANILOVIC, VUK	190	G

7	KAYIL, JACK	191	G

10	  SOLOMUN, LUKA 	190	G

11	  SIBY, ABDRAMANE	214	C

12	  BOZILOVIC, NIKOLA	193	G

13	  KARALIC, NIKOLA	200	G

17	NIKOLIC, OGNJEN	210	F

21	MLADJENOVIC, VANJA	189	G

23	SRZENTIC, OGNJEN	202	G

24	VOJINOVIC, ALEKSANDAR	197	G

26	  BACKO, PAVLE	210	C

28	OSTOJIC, PETAR	214	C

77	MILOSAVCEVIC, PETAR	197	G

**HEAD COACH	AVRAMOVIC, DRAGOLJUB**

### U18 OVERTIME ELITE

1	ELLIS, ISSAC	185	G

2	FLEMING, AKAI	193	G

3	  COSBY, LINCOLN	205	F

4	JEFFREY, CHRIS	187	G

5	ROBINSON, PARKER	193	G

7	  OUMIDDOCH, ADAM	195	G

11	YARMAH, ABUBAKI	200	F

12	MCVEY, JACKSON	215	C

15	DIOP, MOUSTAPHA	208	F

17	PONDER, MARCIS	210	C

21	  WILKINS, JAYDEN	185	G

**HEAD COACH	MARTIN, DOUG**

### U18 PFBB INSEP PARIS

0	  TRAORE, NOLAN	191	G

00	  MAHOP, MATTHYS	193	G

1	SOULHAC, TALIS	189	G

2	  YIMGA MOUKOURI, HUGO	204	F

3	DIAKITE, MOHAMED	207	F

7	ALLARD, YANNIS	200	F

11	  MBOUNGOLO MOUNANGA, HENRI-SOPRANO	198	F

14	  SOLIMAN, NATHAN	203	F

16	BOULEFAA, JONAS	204	F

20	  NTOWOA, ELIE	199	C

21	  HOUINDO. CAMERON	204	F

23	  EBUNANGOMBE, CHRISTOPHER	196	G

28	  KOUAKOU-HEUGUE, NOA	205	F

29	FAYE, MEÏSSA	198	F

27	ELOUMA, JUNIOR	197	F

45	  SY, ABDOULAY	200	G

**HEAD COACH	KEBE, LAMINE**

### U18 RATIOPHARM ULM 

1	  KULLAMAEE, OLIVER	183	G

2	SCHEFFS, JERVIS	190	G

3	MUELLER, JORDAN	185	G

4	SARNOWSKA, LUCA	188	G

5	MURRAY, MILO	195	F

6	MILICIC, ZORAN	183	G

7	  CWIK, JOEL	194	F

8	ESSENGUE, NOA	205	F

9	BUGLYO, BARNA	198	F

10	AIYAMENKHUE, ENDURANCE	209	C

11	SCHOENTGEN, GUILLAUME	203	F

12	ZILINSKAS, JONAS	204	F

14	JERKIC, NIKO	197	F

**HEAD COACH	RAGNARSSON, BALDUR** 

### U18 REAL MADRID

4	DIAGNE, ISMAILA	214	C

5	ANDZEVS, ADRIANS	188	G

6	MICHEE, KYLLIAN	185	G

7	DURU, DECLAN	200	F

8	BOSNJAKOVIC, MITAR	199	F

9	DEMIN, EGOR	204	G

10	GONZALEZ, HUGO	198	F

11	MIGUEL, ASIER	194	F

12	CAMPOY, IGNACIO	199	F

13	GIMENEZ, GILDAS	196	F

15	GUEYE, SIDI	207	C

18	TRAORE, AMADOU	203	C

20	STOLBETSKIY, DANIIL	206	C

**HEAD COACH	JUAREZ, JAVIER**

ANGT Finals: rosters revealed!

Don’t miss your chance to see the brightest prospects in European basketball when the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals land in Berlin, Germany. Between May 23 and 26, the 21st edition of the ANGT Finals will take place as eight teams come together with one goal in mind: becoming the champion.

Tickets for 2024 ANGT Finals now on sale

#### • The event will take place in Berlin between May 23 and 26

#### • Eight teams will battle for the title

Don’t miss your chance to see the brightest prospects in European basketball when the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals land in Berlin, Germany. Between May 23 and 26, the 21st edition of the ANGT Finals will take place as eight teams come together with one goal in mind: becoming the champion.

Tickets can be purchased from May 3 until May 26 [here](https://www.ticket-onlineshop.com/ols/f4tickets/en/angt/channel/shop/index) or at [www.f4tickets.com](http://www.f4tickets.com). Day tickets are available from 13 euros, while you can get a four-day pass for the entire tournament for 30 euros. Scout packages are also on offer, which includes a series of benefits for international scouts.

Four of the teams at the ANGT Finals, the world's premier club-based junior basketball event, earned their spots through the qualifiers: U18 Real Madrid ([ANGT Podgorica](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rCQrqIASUo)), FC Barcelona ([ANGT Belgrade](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukD5D2F8rPM)) and U18 ratiopharm Ulm ([ANGT Dubai](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAgC_4ifMvM)), U18 PFBB INSEP Paris ([ANGT Paris](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1uCtkO1eDw)). The other four teams in the finals field for Berlin are wild card recipients: U18 Mega MIS Belgrade, U18 ALBA Berlin, U18 EA7 Emporia Armani Milan and first-time entrant U18 Overtime Elite, which will have a team made up of a selection of U18 players from around the league.

The eight teams competing have won a combined eight U18 continental trophies. Real Madrid is the reigning champion and also claimed the title in 2015, 2019 and 2021. PFBB lifted the trophy in 2010 and 2017. Barcelona was the champion of Europe in 2016. And Mega won its sole championship in 2022.

There will be 12 group-stage games that take place over the first three days – from Thursday, May 23, to Saturday, May 25 – will be played at the Uber Eats Music Hall, where Sunday’s championship game between the two group winners will also be held.

The greatest talents in global basketball will converge on Berlin as the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals take place at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. The ANGT Finals will once again open a new frontier when the games are played in the German capital from May 23 to 26.

2023-24 ANGT Finals field announced

#### · USA to participate for the first time, with an Overtime Elite league representative.

#### · ANGT Finals will be held from May 23 to 26 in Berlin, alongside the EuroLeague Final Four

The greatest talents in global basketball will converge on Berlin as the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals take place at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. The ANGT Finals will once again open a new frontier when the games are played in the German capital from May 23 to 26.

The ANGT Finals, the world's premier club-based junior basketball event, will once again feature eight teams, four of whom earned their spots through the qualifiers: U18 Real Madrid (ANGT Podgorica), FC Barcelona (ANGT Belgrade) and U18 ratiopharm Ulm (Dubai), U18 PFBB INSEP Paris (Paris).

The other four teams in the finals field for Berlin are wild card recipients: U18 Mega MIS Belgrade, U18 ALBA Berlin, U18 EA7 Emporia Armani Milan and U18 Overtime Elite. Mega took fifth place at the ANGT Belgrade, ALBA was sixth at ANGT Podgorica, and Milan finished second at ANGT Belgrade. Overtime Elite, meanwhile, will be competing in the ANGT for the first time with a team made up of a selection of U18 players from around the league.

Overtime Elite is an Atlanta-based U16 to U20 league with many of the top young talents in the United States and beyond. There are eight teams in the Overtime Elite league, which just completed its third season. Overtime Elite has sent 15 players to professional basketball around the world, including two top-five picks in the NBA Draft, brothers Amen and Ausar Thompson.

The eight teams in Berlin will be split into two groups. Milan, Mega, Real and Ulm will be in Group A while Group B is made up of ALBA, Barcelona, Overtime Elite and PFBB.

See the game schedule below. All games will be broadcast on the EuroLeague's Youtube official channel

A combined eight U18 continental trophies have been won by the eight clubs involved in the ANGT Finals. Real is reigning champion and also claimed the title in 2015, 2019 and 2021. PFBB hoisted the trophy in 2010 and 2017.  Barcelona was the champion of Europe in 2016. And Mega won its sole championship in 2022. 

In Berlin, 12 group games will be played over the first three days – from Thursday, May 23, to Saturday, May 25 – at the Uber eats Music Hall, which will also host Sunday's championship game between the two group winners. 

Tickets for the ANGT Finals will be available for purchase starting on May 3.

Many of the biggest and brightest stars of basketball were seen first by an international audience at the ANGT. The ever-growing list of players currently on EuroLeague rosters who previously dazzled in the ANGT includes:

Gabriele Procida, Matteo Spagnolo, Malte Delow, Anton Nufer, Jonas Mattisseck, Ziga Samar, Dorian Grosber, Tim Schneider, Louis Olinde, Amon Doerries, Elias Rapieque, Linus Ruf, Kresimir Nikic (ALBA Berlin)

Melih Tunca, Burakcan Yildizli, Salih Altunas, Efe Demirel (Anadolu Efes Istanbul)

Matthew Strazel, Mam Jaiteh, Donatas Motiejunas (AS Monaco)

Vanja Marinkovic, Dani Diez, Khalifa Diop, Aleksandr Savkov, Vit Hrabar (Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz)

Milos Teodosic, Branko Lazic, Nemanja Nedovic, Stefan Lazarevic, Luka Mitrovic, Nikola Topic (Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade)

Nikola Mirotic, Diego Flaccadori, Giampaolo Ricci, Giordano Bortolani, Guglielmo Caruso, Samuele Miccoli (EA7 Emporio Armani Milan)

Willy Hernangomez, Rokas Jokubaitis, Joel Parra, James Nnaji, Oriol Pauli, Dame Sarr, Kasparas Jakucionis, Dayan Nessah (FC Barcelona)

Andreas Obst, Niels Giffey, Isaac Bonga, Danko Brankovic, Dino Radoncic, Niklas Wimberg, Nelson Weidemann, Ivan Kharchenkov (FC Bayern Munich)

Marko Guduric, Tarik Biberovic, Amine Noua, Metecan Birsen, Mert Eksioglu (Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul)

Noam Yaacov (LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne)

Omer Mayer, Yaron Goldman (Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv)

Nikola Milutinov, Veniamin Abosi, Anastasios Rozakeas (Olympiacos Piraeus)

Mathias Lessort, Marius Grigonis, Olek Balcerowski, Alexandros Samontourov, Eleftherios Mantzoukas (Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens)

Aleksa Avramovic, Ognjen Jaramaz, Danilo Andjusic, Savo Drezgic (Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade)

Mario Hezonja, Dzanan Musa, Alberto Abalde, Eli Ndiaye, Hugo Gonzalez, Ismaila Diagne, Egor Demin, Mitar Bosnjakovic (Real Madrid)

Damien Inglis, Xabi Lopez-Arostegui, Lucas Mari, Sergio De Larrea (Valencia Basket)

Alessandro Pajola, Rihards Lomazs, Ognjen Dobric, Ante Zizic (Virtus Segafredo Bologna)

Edgaras Ulanovas, Arnas Butkevicius, Lukas Lekavicius, Tomas Dimsa, Laurynas Birutis, Karolis Lukosiunas, Dovydas Butka, Danielius Lavrinovicius (Zalgiris Kaunas)

The young ANGT Paris MVP is still new to the game and the continent.

Assane Sankare is living his dream of playing in Europe

[Assane Sankare](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/ngt/players/assane-sankare/012865/) has not even been in Europe for two years but the Senegal forward has already proven to be one of the best players on a continent where he is living a dream and was just named MVP of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Paris. 

Sankare was a leading force as the Next Generation Team Paris last weekend became the first select team out of 12 over three seasons to win an ANGT qualifying tournament.  In Sunday's title game, he collected 20 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks for a performance index rating of 33 in his team's 86-78 victory over U18 PFYM INSEP Paris. For the tournament, Sankare averaged 14.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks for a PIR of 24.8 over four games in three days.

"It's a great motivation for me," Sankare said through an interpreter after the title game. "I wanted to show what I was capable of and how I can play and that I can be MVP.

"I've learned a lot from it. It's a very great pleasure. It's another great learning experience."

His head coach for the weekend, Eero Leva, was very impressed with Sankare.

"His athleticism is something I haven't seen at the junior level," he said. "Amazing player, good guy. He doesn't speak English, so that caused some problems because we didn't have any common language. But we had many French players who helped, and the message went through. Big ups to Assane. A very coachable kid."

Sankare, for his part, really hasn't been playing basketball long, having decided five years ago to change sports from football.

"I decided to change because my family wanted me to choose another sport, and basketball arrived on the table," he said. "I started only in 2019."

Soon, it was pretty clear where the youngster from western African wanted to go.

"Europe was always a big dream. I  always wanted to go to a European club and play in the EuroCup or EuroLeague or – why not? – the NBA," said Sankare, who turned 17 since the tournament ended on Sunday. "I knew I needed to come to Europe for that." 

In November 2022, his dream came true as Sankare landed at Italian club Vis Ferrara, near Bologna in northern Italy. This season, he also played with Sassari in the country's U20 NextGen competition. 

When asked what it was like coming to Italy, he said: 

"There were a  lot more challenges back home, but in theory starting a new life with a language barrier, everything in life is difficult. But I just keep going."

Sankare said he was excited to be chosen by Adidas for the select team.

"It's a great pleasure for me to do something like this because I heard a lot about it," he said. "Some of my friends have already been in this competition. So it was kind of a dream." 

Helping his team make ANGT history and winning the tournament MVP award definitely gives Sankare a boost of confidence as he winds down his second season in Europe.

 

"This has been a great second year," he said, "and I am looking forward to many more." 

Assane Sankare is living his dream of playing in Europe 

Assane Sankare is joined by Nathan Soliman, Fynn Schott, Karim Lopez and Veniamin Abosi on the ANGT Paris all-tournament team.

Sankare wins MVP in helping Next Generation Team Paris make history 

Assane Sankare claimed the Most Valuable Player trophy after making history with the U18 Next Generation Team Paris as he helped NGF become the first select team to take first place in a qualifying tournament.

Sankare collected 20 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks for a performance index rating of 33 in NGF’s 86-78 victory over U18 PFYM INSEP Paris in the ANGT Paris first place game.

Sankare was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Nathan Soliman of runner-up PFBB, Fynn Schott from U18 Gran Canaria, Karim Lopez from U18 Joventut Badalona and U18 Olympiacos Piraeus’s Veniamin Abosi.

For the tournament, Sankare averaged 14.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks for a PIR of 24.8. He ranked second in index rating, first in steals and first with 5.2 offensive rebounds, second in rebounds, tied for third in blocks and 10th in scoring.

Soliman tallied 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocks for a PIR of 17 in the first place game. Over the four games, he averaged 10.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks for an average rating of 16.0. The 14-year-old was tied for fifth in blocks and tied for 10th in PIR.

Schott collected 18.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.2 blocks in totaling a 23.0 PIR. He was second in scoring and second with 4.5 offensive rebounds, third in PIR and tied for third in total rebounds.

Lopez was worth 17.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.0 blocks in averaging a PIR of 28.0. He led the competition in PIR and blocks and was third in points and tied for third in rebounds.

Abosi had 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.2 blocks for a PIR of 19.0. He ranked fourth in assists and steals, fifth in PIR, tied for fifth in blocks, eighth in points and ninth in rebounds.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Showing UP in Paris 🤝<br><br>These young ballers are all part of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdidasNGT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AdidasNGT</a> All Tournament Team 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/vyQeh2Dtqf">pic.twitter.com/vyQeh2Dtqf</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1777027139465892233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

He is joined by Nathan Soliman, Fynn Schott, Karim Lopez and Veniamin Abosi on the all-tournament team.

U18 Next Generation Team Paris v U18 PFYM INSEP Paris (2024-04-07T14:45:00.000Z)

LIVE BLOG: U18 Next Generation Team Paris vs. U18 PFYM INSEP Paris

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