The prized French forward spoke after capturing MVP honors at ANGT Dubai over the weekend

Noa Essengue shining as latest European talent to develop game with Ulm

[Noa Essengue](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/ngt/players/noa-essengue/011391/) was a massive reason why U18 ratiopharm Ulm took first place at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Dubai and became the first German club to win an ANGT qualifier. But it was Ulm’s past work that helped convince the star talent to leave France and head to the city in South Germany last summer.

Essengue took home Most Valuable Player honors in Dubai after an otherworldly performance in Ulm’s thrilling 89-84 overtime win over U18 Zalgiris Kaunas in the first-place game. The 2.05-meter forward collected 33 points, 18 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 4 blocks plus 16 fouls drawn for a PIR of 54 in 40:02 minutes. 

“I’m so tired but I am so happy. The team played a great game today. Winning this tournament is an amazing thing. Everybody thought we would lose against ASVEL or Zalgiris and we came here and won this game. I am so happy but so tired,” Essengue said after the game. 

For the tournament, Essengue averaged 20.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.5 steals, 2.2 blocks and 8.5 fouls drawn for an average PIR of 29.8. He was the top scorer of the tournament, number one in PIR and top in fouls drawn. Essengue was also second in rebounds and steals and third in blocks.

“This is how these stars are made: when everything is on the line and they get into the zone if they have the stomach for it. And he stepped up big time,” said Ulm coach Baldur Ragnarsson. “Offensively and defensively he can do anything he wants.”

Essengue has taken a major step in his all-around game since the ANGT world last saw him, when he averaged 13.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.0 steals at the 2023 ANGT Belgrade for U18 PFBB INSEP Paris. PFBB also allowed him to play at the 2022 ANGT Finals in Belgrade for ASVEL - at age 15. And Essengue used that experience in Dubai.

“I think in this team I’m one of the leaders and that is great because everybody trusts me. And now I can help them on the court,” he said. 

Essengue made big headlines this past summer when he chose Ulm for the next step in his development over offers from other places including ASVEL.

“I think the main factor of my decision when I visited Ulm last year was the project. I liked everything: the staff, the individual training, the medical staff, everything,” Essengue said. 

There was also a growing track record Ulm had been building in recent years of bringing in top European talents. French star talent Killian Hayes was the first major addition from outside the country in 2019 and then Fedor Zugic of Montenegro followed as did another French prospect in Pacome Dadiet and Spanish playmaking master Juan Nunez. 

“I think the club gets a lot of talents because it is not afraid to send young players to the court,” Essengue said. “Ulm also has a really nice individual trainer who helps a lot to improve your skills.”

Essengue, who will not turn 18 until mid-December 2024, has already played in nine German League games this season - averaging 3.0 points and 0.4 rebounds in 4.4 minutes. And he appeared in seven games in the BKT EuroCup, tallying 2.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in 5:57 minutes per game. 

“The biggest lesson I learned from the EuroCup is just that everybody can beat everyone if you don’t play at 100%,” said Essengue, who collected 10 points and 3 rebounds in his first EuroCup game against Dolomiti Energia Trento in Round 1 - when he was still just 16 years old. 

Essengue, who practices almost exclusively with the pro team but plays for Ulm’s second team in Germany’s third division, has really enjoyed having the aforementioned Dadiet around. The 18-year-old Dadiet was also a major talent in France, growing up with ASVEL and then playing for Paris Basketball before joining Ulm in January 2023. 

“Today Pacome is more of a friend than a teammate for me because he helps me a lot,” Essengue said. “He has a lot of experiences similar to mine - like last year he went to the Basketball Without Borders Global camp and he gave me crucial advice before I left (for this winter’s BWB Global camp). And he does not hesitate to tell me when I do something bad or when I do something good. So, I think he helped me a lot to progress.” 

The improvement of Essengue and the exposure that his dynamic game brings - plus the success of Ulm with the young French star - could very well mean more top-level players decide on the German club. Just like how it worked to bring in Essengue.

Essengue was joined by Mantas Juzenas, Nedas Raupelis, Yohann Sissoko and Maxence Lemoine on the All-Tournament Team.

Herculean effort earns Noa Essengue MVP for Ulm

Noa Essengue was awarded the Most Valuable Player trophy after leading U18 ratiopharm Ulm to first place at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Dubai with a performance for the ages in the title bout.

Essengue collected 33 points, 18 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 4 blocks plus 16 fouls drawn for a PIR of 54 in the 89-84 overtime win over U18 Zalgiris Kaunas. It was one of the greatest individual efforts in ANGT history.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">𝟐𝟎.𝟐 𝐏𝐓𝐒 𝐈 𝟏𝟏 𝐑𝐄𝐁 𝐈 𝟐𝟗.𝟖 𝐏𝐈𝐑 and the title✨<br><br>Noa Essengue earns MVP honors after leading U18 <a href="https://twitter.com/ratiopharmulm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ratiopharmulm</a> to the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdidasNGT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AdidasNGT</a> Dubai Qualifier championship🏆 <a href="https://t.co/GHv5gwTN8i">pic.twitter.com/GHv5gwTN8i</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1771986912242274389?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Essengue was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Mantas Juzenas and Nedas Raupelis from Zalgiris, Yohann Sissoko of U18 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and Maxence Lemoine from U18 Next Generation Team Dubai.

For the tournament, Essengue averaged 20.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.5 steals, 2.2 blocks and 8.5 fouls drawn for an average PIR of 29.8. He was the top scorer of the tournament, number one in PIR and top in fouls drawn. Essengue was also second in rebounds and steals and third in blocks.

<center> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">The All-Tournament Team of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdidasNGT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AdidasNGT</a> Dubai Qualifier⭐️<br><br>🔷𝗠𝗮𝘅𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗲<br>🔷𝗬𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗸𝗼<br>🔷𝗡𝗼𝗮 𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗲<br>🔷𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀 𝗝𝘂𝘇𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘀<br>🔷𝗡𝗲𝗱𝗮𝘀 𝗥𝗮𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘀 <a href="https://t.co/zWx3GEcXfN">pic.twitter.com/zWx3GEcXfN</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1771982057679237388?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Juzenas did all he could in the first-place game with 28 points, 16 rebounds and 4 assists for a PIR of 34. For the tournament, Juzenas averaged 18.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals for an index rating of 23.0. He was second in scoring and PIR, first in rebounds and tied for second with 3.5 offensive rebounds.

Raupelis tallied 18 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks for a PIR of 22 against Ulm. The center was worth 12.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks over the four games for a PIR of 15.0. He was fourth in blocks and fifth with 3.2 offensive rebounds.

𝗡𝗼𝗮 𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗲

𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀 𝗝𝘂𝘇𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘀

𝗡𝗲𝗱𝗮𝘀 𝗥𝗮𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘀

𝗠𝗮𝘅𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗲

𝗬𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗸𝗼

Lemoine helped NGD to a third-place finish thanks to 15.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.0 steal for a PIR of 18.8. Lemoine led the tournament in assists, was fourth in PIR and eighth in scoring.

Sissoko was the leader for ASVEL with 16.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.0 steals for a PIR of 19.2. He was third in index rating, sixth in scoring, fourth in rebounds, fifth in assists and fifth in steals.

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Just like his two older brothers, Ilja Kurucs  was also molded in the basketball game by his grandfather, Vladimirs Kiselovs.

Ilja Kurucs the latest brother molded by grandfather 

Among the names on the roster of the U18 Next Generation Team Dubai, Ilja Kurucs stands out. The center is the younger brother of former NBA forward Rodions Kurucs and former-Turkish Airlines EuroLeague guard Arturs Kurucs.

And just like his two older brothers, Ilja was also molded in the basketball game by his grandfather.

Vladimirs Kiselovs was a basketball lifer and much revered coach who grew up in the Soviet Union. He also drilled Rodions and Arturs when they were growing up.

The older brothers are close in age - Rodions was born in February 1998 and Arturs in January 2000 - so they could really go at one another when they were young. Ilja, though, was born in July 2007, so that was a major difference.

“It was really helpful and fun growing up with them - working out on the court, off the court. The helped me in every direction. Basketball, life, the mental direction, everywhere,” Ilja said.

I want to become the best basketball player of the Kurucs family and I will put all my heart and effort into achieving this goal.

Still, Rodions and Arturs both left Latvia in 2015 to head to develop their game in Spain - Rodions at FC Barcelona, where he won the ANGT MVP in 2016 as the club won the title; and Arturs to Baskonia.

“I remember the time pretty clearly as I was excited for both of them. It has been a dream for all of us to play basketball abroad and I was very happy for them,” the younger brother said.

Rodions ended up leaving Barcelona in 2018 for the NBA, where he spent four seasons playing for Brooklyn, Houston and Milwaukee. He returned to Europe in 2021 to play with Partizan Belgrade and was with Real Betis Sevilla and SIG Strasbourg last season before moving to Spanish side UCAM Murcia this season.

Arturs played with Baskonia until last season save for the 2019-20 season back home at VEF Riga. He started this season with Promitheas Patras and then joined his brother at Murcia. 

“Both of my brothers were examples for me but the main person who helped me in my basketball improvement was my grandfather, who has been coaching me since I was born,” the big man added.

When asked how his game compared to his older brothers, Ilja said: “I would say my body is more like Rodions but my shot is more like Arturs’s type of shot.”

Unlike his older siblings, Ilja decided against going to Spain to take his next basketball steps. Instead he went to the Get Better Academy in Czechia.

“This is the place where the coaches work for the players and not for the titles,” he said.

The ANGT experience has been helpful for Kurucs as well.

“I have seen that I need to play more aggressive and dive more to the basket and use my strong side of my skills,” he said.

And what about his place in the Kurucs family?

“I believe it gives me an advantage and extra exposure, as my brothers are known for their talent in basketball, but I always feel that I have my own path and I want to be judged by my actions in life and in basketball,” he said. “I want to become the best basketball player of the Kurucs family and I will put all my heart and effort into achieving this goal.”

And he can always count on the help of his grandfather.

Just like his two older brothers, Ilja Kurucs started playing basketball at age 5 under the watchful of his grandfather Vladimirs Kiselovs.

Ilja is the latest Kurucs brother molded by their grandfather

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