ANGT Finals, Live Blog: U18 Joventut vs. U18 ANGT Select Team

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ANGT Finals, Blog: U18 Panathinaikos 47-71 U18 Real Madrid

U18 Panathinaikos Athens v U18 Real Madrid (2023-05-19T08:15:00.000Z)

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ANGT Finals, Blog: U18 Crvena Zvezda 77-93 U18 FC Barcelona

U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade v U18 FC Barcelona (2023-05-19T06:00:00.000Z)

ANGT Finals, Live Blog: U18 Zalgiris vs. U18 Mega

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ANGT Finals, Blog: U18 Zalgiris 70-73 U18 Mega

U18 Zalgiris Kaunas v U18 Mega MIS Belgrade (2023-05-18T12:45:00.000Z)

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ANGT Finals, Blog: U18 Joventut 78-81 U18 ANGT Select Team

U18 Joventut Badalona v U18 Next Generation Select Team (2023-05-18T10:30:00.000Z)

ANGT Finals, Live Blog: U18 Real Madrid vs. U18 Zvezda

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ANGT Finals, Blog: U18 Real Madrid 85-81 U18 Zvezda

U18 Real Madrid v U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade (2023-05-18T08:15:00.000Z)

ANGT Finals, Live Blog: U18 Barcelona vs. U18 Panathinaikos

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ANGT Finals, Blog: U18 Barcelona 67-66 U18 Panathinaikos

U18 FC Barcelona v U18 Panathinaikos Athens (2023-05-18T06:00:00.000Z)

The Adidas EuroLeague Next Generation Tournament Finals begin on Thursday in Kaunas, Lithuania. The top junior club teams on the continent will come together seeking glory led by the stars of tomorrow. Here are some names to watch out for from each of the eight teams.

[Neoklis Avdalas, U18 Panathinaikos Athens ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/neoklis-avdalas/010798/)

Neoklis Avdalas is playing his second ANGT season and his first ANGT Finals. The point guard averaged 11.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.0 steals at the ANGT Munich. He played in one Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game this season, with 1:37 minutes against Real Madrid. That came after he made six EuroLeague appearances last season and tallied 2 points and 1 assist in 15 minutes. Avdalas also played for Greece at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2022 and averaged 14.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.9 steals. He has good size with great length and long arms. He is a good creator who can pass the ball really well. Avdalas is a good shooter off the catch. Defensively he is a good shot-blocker but needs to continue to improve his body and his on-ball defense.

 

[Mohamed Diawara, U18 Next Generation Select Team ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/mohamed-diawara/010801/)

Diawara will be playing for the Select team for the fourth time in the last two seasons. He averaged 7.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals at the ANGT Finals last year, including 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals in the ANGT Championship Game. The French wing averaged 11.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists at the ANGT Munich. Last summer he helped France take third place at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022, contributing 4.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.3 steals. Diawara this season played for Paris Basketball and compiled 9 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists in 14 games in the 7DAYS EuroCup. he is a good team player and is very versatile with the ability to play multiple positions. Diawara is very good on defense and rebounding the ball. He still needs to become a more consistent three-point shooter. 

[Hugo Gonzalez, U18 Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/hugo-gonzalez/011649/)

Gonzalez dominated at the ANGT Munich earlier this season, averaging 19.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.5 steals to earn the Most Valuable Player award. It was his first time appearing in an ANGT event. Gonzalez scored 22 points in the ANGT Munich first-place game. The wing has already played four games for Real’s first team and scored 6 points in a combined 9 minutes as the fourth-youngest player to play for *Los Blanco*s. Gonzalez also starred for Spain at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup, tallying 9.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists, including 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals against the United States in the final. Gonzalez has a strong athletic frame, impressive explosiveness and excels in finishing on the break. He relentlessly attacks the basket when given the chance and also is a good outside shooter. Gonzalez has an excellent basketball IQ and good defensive instincts - both inside as a shot blocker and intercepting balls on the wings. He still needs to polish his decision-making. 

 

[Kasparas Jakucionis, U18 FC Barcelona ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/kasparas-jakucionis/012197/)

Jakucionis is playing his first ANGT season and he shined at the ANGT Zadar, collecting 19.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.0 steals to win the Most Valuable Player award. The Lithuanian left Vilnius prior to the 2021-22 season and he is spending his second season with Barcelona, where he plays for the club’s team in the fourth division EBA and averages 9.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals. Jakucionis also made his Spanish League debut, playing 1 minute and hitting a triple for 3 points against Granada in mid-April. The guard helped Lithuania to the title at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2022, tallying 9.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.4 steals. Jakucionis is an excellent shooter - including on pull-ups, catch-and-shoot or in movement. He also can finish at the basket thanks to his solid frame. Jakucionis excels with his aggressive on-ball defense. He needs to work on his play-making and ball-handling. 

[Filip Jovic, U18 Mega MIS Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/filip-jovic/011356/)

Jovic is playing his second ANGT season and he will be playing his second ANGT Finals. He played for the U18 Next Generation Select Team at the ANGT Finals last season and averaged 7.5 points, 6 rebounds and 1.8 assists, including 11 points and 6 rebounds in the ANGT Championship Game against Mega. He moved to Mega for this season and averaged 19.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in the ANGT Belgrade. The 2.05-meter power forward helped Mega win the U19 ABA League Championship with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in the final against Crvena Zvezda Belgrade. Jovic tallied 12.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals for Serbia at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022. This season he has played for both OKK Belgrade and Mega in the Serbian League. Jovic is a great athlete, who can defend multiple positions. On offense, he is excellent at driving to the basket and is a great spot-up shooter. 

 

[U18 Joventut Badalona, Conrad Martinez ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/conrad-martinez/010710/)

Martinez is playing his third ANGT season and will be appearing in the ANGT Finals for the first time. He starred for Joventut at the ANGT Patras, averaging 15.8 points, 1.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals. The point guard helped Spain take second place at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022 with 9.1 points and 3.9 assists per game. Martinez spent this season playing for Joventut’s EBA fourth division team (17.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg 3.3 apg) as well as Prat in Spain’s second division (4.2 ppg 2.2 apg). He also guided Joventut to defend its Spanish U18 championship with 20.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists including 23 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists in the final against Real Madrid. Martinez is an undersized guard but tough as nails and possesses a great basketball IQ. He has a killer instinct - both shooting from the outside and driving to the basket. He is an excellent long-range shooter. Martinez defends adequately but could use a bit more quickness. 

[Justas Stonkus, U18 Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/justas-stonkus/011643/)

Stonkus is playing his second ANGT season and he starred at the ANGT Munich with 17.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals. The forward also helped Lithuania reach the semifinals of the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022, where he averaged 12.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. Stonkus played this season for Zalgiris's teams in the second and third divisions, averaging 14.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the third division. He is a good shooter and a good penetrator. Stonkus is physically advanced for his age and has excellent toughness. He still needs to work on his decision-making in traffic and shot selection as well his general defense. 

 

[Andrija Vukovic, U18 Crvena Zvevda Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/andrija-vukovic/010989/)

Vukovic is playing in his third ANGT season and will be appearing in his third ANGT Finals. After totaling 4 points and 5 rebounds at the 2021 ANGT Finals, the center averaged 14.0 points and 6.7 rebounds at the 2022 ANGT Finals. He collected 8.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks at this season’s ANGT Belgrade. Vukovic has played in four ABA League games for FMP, compiling 6 points and 3 rebounds in 17 minutes. He is a traditional big man with good size at 2.09 meters who excels at the pick-and-roll game, on which he almost always attacks the rim for dunks. He also rebounds well and plays solid one-on-one defense in the paint. Vukovic does not yet have reliable a mid-range shot and is not strong on the offensive glass.

ANGT Finals: Players to Watch

Reigning champion U18 Mega MIS Belgrade faces a major battle to defend its Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament title as the 2023 ANGT Finals field features six past winners. 

Six past winners fighting for title at 20th ANGT Finals

Reigning champion U18 Mega MIS Belgrade faces a major battle to defend its Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament title as the 2023 ANGT Finals field features six past winners. The tournament, held alongside the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Kaunas from May 18-21, features U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade, U18 FC Barcelona, U18 Joventut Badalona, U18 Real Madrid and host U18 Zalgiris Kaunas, all of which have hoisted the trophy at least once and would love to be crowned in the 20th edition of the continent’s elite youth club competition. The field also includes ANGT Finals debutant U18 Panathinaikos and the star-studded U18 Next Generation Select Team.

The eight teams are divided into two groups of four and will play round-robin style action over the first three days. The two teams finishing atop their respective groups will face off in the ANGT Championship Game on May 21 at the legendary Kaunas Sports Hall. Group A consists of Barcelona, Panathinaikos, Real and Zvezda and Group B is made up of Joventut, Mega, NGS Team and Zalgiris.

 Rokas Jokubaitis, FC Barcelona: 'The ANGT gave me a lot of experience' 

The action in Group A is highlighted by four repeats of past championship games. Zvezda beat Real for the 2014 crown, but lost the rematch between the teams in 2015. Barcelona then beat Zvezda for the 2016 title, and Real defeated Barcelona in an El Clasico showdown in 2019. Barcelona is in the Finals for the 10th time and in addition to the title in 2016, the Spanish side reached the championship game in 2008, 2013 and 2021. Panathinaikos will be making its maiden journey in the Finals. Real has become a regular in the deciding tournament, playing in the Finals for the 10th time and ninth edition consecutively. Los Blancos won the trophy in 2015, 2019 and 2021 and finished second in 2014. Should Real win on May 21, it would take over sole possession on the list of teams with the most championships; it is currently tied with U18 CSKA Moscow. Zvezda has the current longest streak of Finals appearances at 12 straight - and is making its 13th overall. The Serbian powerhouse made the championship game three years in a row, reaching the summit in 2014 but losing the following two seasons.

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The Group B teams don’t quite have as much history, but the group features the two finalists from last season when Mega beat NGS Team for the trophy. Mega is in the ANGT Finals for the seventh straight edition and has reached the finale three times, breaking through in 2022 after losing in 2017 and 2019. Like Zvezda and Mega, 2013 winner Joventut is also hoping to become the sixth club with at least two ANGT titles. The team from Badalona returns to the Finals for the fourth time and the first since 2018. Zalgiris missed the Finals last season but has played in the deciding tournament 16 times - reaching the most championship games, winning in 2003 and 2007 and losing in 2005, 2006 and 2011. Zalgiris would become the third team with three titles should it win. And the club is also hoping to win at home - something only CSKA Moscow (2005) U18 PFBB INSEP Paris (2010), Real (2015) and Mega (2022) have accomplished. Meanwhile, this will be the second ANGT Finals with the NGS Team competing.

The champions of the 2022-23 Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals will celebrate the title in one of the most famous buildings in Lithuanian sports history and Kaunas folklore, Kaunas Sports Hall, which recently received a major facelift.

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Eight teams will battle it out for the U18 continental crown from May 18 through 21 in the hallowed hall, which is located in the art deco-styled district Zaliakalnis. But whichever team hoists the trophy will be only the latest to shed tears of joy in the arena.

The Kaunas Sports Hall was built in just six months - and just in time - to host EuroBasket 1939. The host team Lithuania went undefeated to win the title and defend its crown from 1937, with games drawing 11,000 spectators even though the hall had only 3,500 seats.

The arena itself - the first hall in Europe designed specifically for basketball - became the first modern sports hall in Lithuania and is referred to as the “Mecca of Lithuanian basketball”. It was praised architecturally for, among other highlights, its four riveted steel arches. The hall hosted many different sports over the years including handball, boxing, volleyball and futsal.

Kaunas Sports Hall, which is also known as the S. Darius and S. Girenas Hall, was also the first home to the country’s powerhouse basketball club Zalgiris Kaunas. The club played its home games in the hall from its foundation in 1944 until 2010, winning the Lithuanian championship eight times between 1946 to 1958 as well as 15 times between 1991 and 2008, to go with five Soviet Union League titles. Zalgiris and its fans at the Kaunas Sports Hall also celebrated the 1998-99 EuroLeague crown and finishing as runners-up in 1985-86. During that time, Zalgiris claimed the Saporta Cup in 1997-98 and the Intercontinental Cup in 1986, too. Zalgiris left the hall in 2011 when the club’s current home, Zalgirio Arena, opened.

Another highlight for the Kaunas Sports Hall was the FIBA U16 European Championship 2015, where Lithuania reached the final but lost 85-83 to Bosnia and Herzegovina in front of 4,500 spectators.

In 2007, the complex of buildings of the S.Darius and S.Girenos sports center entered the Register of Cultural Values and became protected by the state. And Kaunas Sports Hall was awarded the European heritage mark in 2014.

Still, the arena needed renovations - with partial reconstruction from 1958 to 1962 to replace the wooden tribunes with reinforced concrete stands, improvement of the building’s insulation and installation of a heating system.

Major reconstruction began in June 2019.

Over three years of work, facades were renovated and insulated; the roof and supporting structures were repaired; the entire premises were set up with modern equipment; the layout of the rooms was changed; rooms were installed on the second floor; fixed and telescopic grandstands for 2,500 spectators were installed; and special acoustic curtains were added to divide the space into four smaller zones so that different activities can take place simultaneously.

A new multi-purpose floor was also laid with markings for various sports besides basketball, including handball, volleyball, tennis, badminton and futsal.

At the same time, the builders made sure to keep the building’s original appearance with valuable features including the arches, doors and windows having been preserved and restored.

After three years of reconstruction, Kaunas Sports Hall reopened on September 24, 2022, with a concert and dancing performance. City officials say sports will initially take a back seat in terms of usage of the hall, which will serve the needs of the urban community with exhibitions, concerts, non-formal education, cultural events and community activities.

But from May 18-21, Kaunas Sports Hall will once again return to its original roots and host the ANGT Finals to determine the best on the continent - just like when it opened in 1939.