The first-ever Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Varese will be headlined by two former continental champions as well as a debutant and three teams that did not play last season in the global 18-and-under showcase. 

Past champs headline ANGT Varese starting Friday

The eight-team field in the northern Italian city includes 2010 and 2017 winner U18 PFYM INSEP Paris and 2013 champ U18 Joventut Badalona as well as the first-time participant and home side U18 Varese Academy. The other teams are U18 AX Armani Exchange Milan, U18 Casademont Zaragoza, U18 Panathinaikos OPAP Athens, U18 ratiopharm Ulm as well as the U18 Next Generation Tournament Varese selection.

The breakdown of the groups are Joventut, NGV, Panathinaikos and Varese in Group A while Group B is made up of Milan, PFYM, Ulm and Zaragoza. The teams will play all others in their group in round-robin style. The top finisher in each group will face off in the first-place game on Sunday. The winner of that game will secure a spot at the ANGT Finals during the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four from May 19 to 21 in Belgrade, where they will join U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne and U18 Stellazzurra Rome, which grabbed first place at the ANGT Belgrade and ANGT Patras, respectively.

In Group A, Joventut is the club with the most experience, participating in the event for the 15th season and having won the continental crown in 2013. The Spanish club reached the ANGT Valencia first-place game in 2020-21 after taking third place at both ANGT Valencia 2018-19 and ANGT Kaunas 2019-20. Varese will be playing in the competition for the first time as it hosts the event. NGV is the third selection chosen by Adidas of players not participating in the qualifiers with their own clubs, following Next Generation Team Belgrade and Next Generation Team Patras. Panathinaikos is back in the competition after not participating in the ANGT last season. It will the fourth appearance for the Greek club, which finished eighth at ANGT L'Hospitalet 2016-17, ANGT Munich 2018-19 and ANGT Belgrade 2019-20.

In Group B, Milan is also making its return to the competition after a previous run of three straight appearances stopped in 2015-16. The Italian side finished third at the ANGT Rome 2013-14 followed by sixth place in 2014-15 and then fourth place in 2015-16. PFYM is another returnee to the ANGT after missing last season for the first time since it started participating in 2009-10. In the previous two seasons, the French side finished third at the ANGT Kaunas 2018-19 and lost in the ANGT Belgrade 2019-20 first-place game. Ulm will be playing in the competition for a fifth straight season after the German side placed third at the ANGT Valencia in 2020-21. Zaragoza meanwhile is making its third appearance, going winless for eighth place at ANGT Kaunas 2019-20 and taking fifth at ANGT Istanbul last year.

Matteo Visintin enjoying the spotlight of the Most Valuable Player trophy after helping U18 Stellazzurra Rome finish first at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Patras is actually out of character for him. Major attention has been glaring upon him for many years, and it was actually his fortitude to avoid distractions that helped him to now enjoy the special moment in Patras.

Stellazzurra's Visintin saw the fruits of his labor as ANGT Patras MVP

Visintin was the clear leader of Stellazzura as the Italian team beat U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv 62-74 in the first-place game to book a ticket to the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. He collected 25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in the first place game and for the tournament averaged 21.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.8 steals for a PIR of 25.2 per game

"It's an amazing feeling. I'm very, very happy, but I have to thank all my teammates," Visitin said about winning the MVP award after he ranked first in the qualifier in PIR, second in scoring, third in assists and first in steals.

The ANGT Patras was actually Visintin's fifth event in the competition. He played at three previous qualifying tournaments as well as the ANGT Finals in 2021. But this was Visintin's first victory in a big game, after having lost in the first-place game at the 2019-20 ANGT Munich and 2020-21 ANGT Istanbul, both times against U18 Real Madrid. Stellazzurra as a club had also lost in the first-place game at the 2015-16 ANGT Rome and 2017-18 ANGT Kaunas as well as the 2018 ANGT Championship Game.

"I'm grateful and proud. Finally we won and that came from my team," he said. "Last year, we were close to the win, but we were a year younger."

Visintin knows about being under age – and under the spotlight. The native of Trieste has been considered at or near the top of Italy's 2004-born generation since he was 14 years old. But he never got caught up in all the praise and just kept his head down and worked on his game.

"Since I was a little child, I've been focusing only on me and my improvements. I work hard every day at the Stellazzurra facility to be the best player I can be," he said.

When asked where that hard-working mentality comes from, Visintin said: "Since I've been young. I like working and improving during practice. My parents push me all the time to get the best out of me."

Stellazzurra head coach Germano D'Arcangeli has accompanied Visintin all those years and helped him make it easier to avoid the spotlight by working with him.

"The adversities faced over the years have built his character and left him with the composure to play these kind of games," D'Arcangeli said after the win over Maccabi. "A talented player is someone who can learn and grow from mistakes and live through hard times without getting crushed."

Lots of attention over the years can often turn into a negative, but it's a testament to Visintin that he can now enjoy the glaring lights of victory.

Matteo Visintin - All-Tournament team ANGT Patras (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

Alexandros Samontourov has shown fans watching the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Patras why he is considered one of the biggest prospects in Greek basketball. And after making the all-tournament team playing for the select U18 Next Generation Team Patras, he cannot wait to take the next step in his development with Panathinaikos OPAP Athens.

Samontourov looking forward to next step with Panathinaikos

In the ANGT Patras group stage, Samontourov led the NGP team in scoring (19.0 ppg), rebounds (8.3 rpg), steals (2.7 spg), blocks (2.7 bpg) and performance index rating (29.7) and also contributed 2.0 assists.

"I am very excited to be part of this tournament," said Samontourov, who won't celebrate his 17th birthday until late next month. "I can become better by playing against these players and with such great teammates and for this head coach."

The native of Thessaloniki said it was of great value to be playing for the legendary Vassilis Spanoulis, who is serving as the coach of all the Adidas select teams in this season's qualifying tournaments. 

"He has helped me both on and off the court with his advice and his influence is making me want to be a better player," Samontourov said.

The 2.10-meter big man felt great to even be chosen for the NGP team.

"I am honored to be picked in one of these teams, and it is very important for players like me to have the opportunity to play in this level."

EB ANGT Patras All-Tournament Team

Samontourov made big headlines a week before ANGT Patras when he signed a long-term contract until 2028 with Panathinaikos.

"The fact that Mr. \[Dimitris\] Diamantidis and Mr. \[Fragiskos\] Alvertis are at Panathinaikos played a big role in my decision," the young talent said of the two Panathinaikos legends who are serving as co-general managers. "I believe they are going to help me become a better player just like it happened with Nikos Hatzivrettas."

Hatzivrettas, a two-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion who also helped Greece win FIBA EuroBasket 2005 gold and FIBA Basketball World Cup 2006 silver medals, has mentored Samontourov from his beginnings.

"Everything I know about basketball I have learned from Nikos, and he still continues to support me," Samontourov said of Hatzivrettas, whose EuroLeague titles came in 2007 and 2009 with Panathinaikos.

The Greens got a first-hand look at Samontourov just before signing him as the big man dominated the Greek U18 Rising Stars tournament in leading the Deka Academy in Thessaloniki to the title. Samontourov recorded 25 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 blocks against PAOK in the quarterfinals and followed that with 32 points and 12 rebounds, including 6 three-pointers, in a semifinals victory over Panathinaikos. Samontourov then tallied 30 points, 13 rebounds and 2 assists in the final to beat Olympiacos.

"It felt great winning every game, but the next day I was focused on the next game and I believe that helped me and my team to win the trophy," said Samontourov, who took home the MVP trophy.

Samontourov hopes he can win more trophies soon with Panathinaikos.

Alexandros Samontourov - U18 Next Generation Team Patras - ANGT Patras (photo Konstantinos Katsiras - Patras) - JT21

Matteo Visintin was named Most Valuable Player of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Patras after helping U18 Stellazzurra Rome to first place at the event and a spot at the ANGT Finals. 

Visintin grabs MVP trophy as Stellazzurra takes first place

Visintin collected 25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for a performance index rating of 27 in Stellazzurra’s 62-74 victory over U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv in the first place game. He was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Ofri Naveh of Maccabi, Alexandros Samontourov from U18 Next Generation Team Patras, U18 Helsinki Basketball Academy guard Miro Little and Rafa Villar from U18 FC Barcelona.

For the tournament, Visintin averaged 21.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.8 steals for an average PIR of 25.2. He ranked first in PIR, second in scoring, third in assists and first in steals. He also made 59.6% of his two-pointers and 42.9% of his three-pointers. Naveh scored 17 points in the first place game loss to go along with 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 block for a PIR of 21. He averaged 14.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.8 steals for a PIR of 19.2. Naveh ranked fifth in PIR, eighth in scoring and third in steals while shooting 69.2% on two-pointers and 41.7% on three-pointers.

Samontourov played just 2 minutes in the game for third place which saw his averages dip significantly. Still he averaged 14.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.0 steals, 1.8 blocks and a PIR of 22.5 while hitting 78.6% of his two-point attempts. He was 10th in scoring, 10th in rebounds, first in blocks and fourth in index rating. Little finished the tournament averaging 23.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 9.0 fouls drawn for a PIR of 23.5. Little, who averaged 7.8-of-12 free throws per game, ranked first in scoring, second in rebounds and PIR and fourth in assists. Villar meanwhile tallied 9.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 3.2 steals and a PIR of 21.5 while hitting 73.3% on two-pointers. He led the tournament in assists, was second in steals and fourth in PIR.

Matteo Visintin MVP - U18 Stellazzurra Rome Champ ANGT Patras (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

All-Tournament team ANGT Patras (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv v U18 Stellazzurra Rome (2022-03-27T13:00:00.000Z)

Matteo Visintin - U18 Stellazzurra Rome - ANGT Patras (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

Both Stellazzurra and Maccabi finished their respective groups in undefeated fashion, with Maccabi surprising 2016 continental champion U18 FC Barcelona to grab the top spot in Group A. Earier Sunday, the U18 Next Generation Team Patras bested Barcelona for third place; U18 Helsinki Basketball Academy defeated U18 ZPA Tbilisi for fifth place; and U18 Olympiacos Piraeus edged U18 Promitheas Patras for seventh place.

[U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv 62-74 U18 Stellazzurra Rome](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/2021-22%20Patras/u18-maccabi-tel-aviv-u18-stellazzurra-rome/JTP21/16/)

Stellazzurra secured its ticket to the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals after defeating Maccabi in the first-place game. Stellazzurra’s defense conceded just 3 points in the third quarter to lay the foundation for the victory. Matteo Visintin led the way for the winners with 25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for a performance index rating of 27 and the MVP trophy. Lucas Fresno added 19 points with 5 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. Ofri Naveh paced Maccabi with 17 points and Tomer Agmon had 16 points.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/StellaAzzurraRo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StellaAzzurraRo</a> well deserved‼️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ANGT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ANGT</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ANGTPatras?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ANGTPatras</a> <a href="https://t.co/WUP5vVUdsd">pic.twitter.com/WUP5vVUdsd</a></p>&mdash; Thanos Soloukos (@SoloukosThanos) <a href="https://twitter.com/SoloukosThanos/status/1508090604965744642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[U18 FC Barcelona 68-88 U18 Next Generation Team Patras ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/2021-22%20Patras/u18-fc-barcelona-u18-next-generation-team-patras/JTP21/15/)

Next Generation Team Patras locked up third place after defeating Barcelona 68-88. Pacome Dadiet led NGP with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists while Illan Pietrus and Ben Saraf both scored 13 points. Barcelona, the 2016 continental champion, was led by Teodor Simic with 27 points.

[U18 ZPA Tbilisi 59-73 U18 Helsinki Basketball Academy ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/2021-22%20Patras/u18-zpa-tbilisi-u18-helsinki-basketball-academy/JTP21/14/)

Helsinki made more history at the ANGT Patras by knocking off Tbilisi 59-73 for its second victory and fifth place in its first-ever appearance in the competition. Helsinki went on a 2-16 run spanning halftime to grab a 15-point lead and never looked back. Miro Little paced the winners with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Luka Alavidze collected 14 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals for Tbilisi.

[U18 Olympiacos Piraeus 59-57 U18 Promitheas Patras](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/2021-22%20Patras/u18-olympiacos-piraeus-u18-promitheas-patras/JTP21/13/)

Olympiacos finished in seventh place after defeating host Promitheas 59-57. The back-and-forth game was decided on Georgios Spilopoulos’s three-pointer with 43 seconds left. Spilopoulos and Michael Sprintzios both scored 14 points for the winners. Tunde Fasasi collected 16 points and 9 rebounds in defeat for Promitheas.

U18 Stellazzurra Rome defeated U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv 62-74 in the first-place game at the ANGT Patras, the second qualifying event of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament, on Sunday. 


Stellazzurra wins ANGT Patras qualifier!

U18 Stellazzurra Rome Champ ANGT Patras 3 (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

U18 Stellazzurra Rome secured its ticket to the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals after defeating U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv 62-74 in the ANGT Patras first-place game on Sunday.

Stellazzurra defeats Maccabi, 62-74, books ticket to ANGT Finals

Stellazzurra’s defense conceded just 3 points in the third quarter to lay the foundation for the victory. It was the first time that Stellazzurra has taken first place in an ANGT qualifying tournament since 2014-15 in Rome; it lost its last four attempts at similar stages in addition to the 2018 ANGT Championship Game. Matteo Visintin led the way for the winners with 25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for a performance index rating of 27 and the MVP trophy. Lucas Fresno scored 19 points with 5 rebounds and 5 assists, Fabrizio Pugliatti added 11 points and 11 rebounds and Moussa Doumbia contributed 10 points, 16 rebounds and 4 blocks. Ofri Naveh paced Maccabi with 17 points and Tomer Agmon had 16 points.

Niv Avidan scored the first points of the game and Visitin answered for Stellazzurra at the other end. Doumbia’s three-point play gave the Italian team its first lead 4-5. After Naveh knocked down a triple to put Maccabi up 9-7, Stellazzurra held the Israeli team scoreless for more than 3 minutes and Emmanuel Innocenti scored 4 points in a 0-10 run to pull ahead 9-17. Agmon hit from deep to stop the drought and Ido Menchel also made a three-pointer to edge within 15-19. Lucas Fresno punched back with a triple for Stellazzura and the score was 15-22 after 10 minutes. Pugliatti and Shachar Doron swapped three-pointers to open the second quarter before Visintin poured in 7 points in helping Stellazzurra build an 18-34 cushion. Maccabi trimmed it to 12 points, but Visintin got 4 more points and the advantage was 22-40. It was still 33-50 inside the closing minute of the first half when Agmon and Doron went back-to-back from downtown and Maccabi trailed 39-50 at the break.

Stellazzurra scored the first 6 points of the third quarter to open a 17-point lead. Agmon scored at the other end, but that was the last basket Maccabi would get in the quarter as Stellazzurra gave up just 1 free throw the rest of the quarter and led 42-64 after 30 minutes. The margin was 42-65 when Maccabi finally scored after almost 4 minutes. The Israeli powerhouse tried to get back into the game as Doron, Naveh and Ido Iluz all hit three-pointers to trim the deficit to 62-73. But the hole was just too big to climb out of and Stellazzurra got the win.

U18 Stellazzurra Rome Champ ANGT Patras 4 (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

U18 Stellazzurra Rome Champ ANGT Patras (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

Fabricio Pugliatti - U18 Stellazzurra Rome Champ ANGT Patras (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

U18 Stellazzurra Rome Champ ANGT Patras 2 (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

Germano DArcangeli - U18 Stellazzurra Rome Champ ANGT Patras (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

U18 Stellazzurra Rome Champ ANGT Patras 6 (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

U18 Stellazzurra Rome Champ ANGT Patras 8 (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

U18 Stellazzurra Rome Champ ANGT Patras 5 (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

Moussa Doumbia - U18 Stellazzurra Rome Champ ANGT Patras (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

U18 Stellazzurra Rome Champ ANGT Patras 7 (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

U18 Next Generation Team Patras locked up third place at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Patras after defeating U18 FC Barcelona 68-88. 

NGP too much for Barcelona, grabs third place

Pacome Dadiet led NGP with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists while Illan Pietrus and Ben Saraf both scored 13 points, Efstratios Kalliontzis had 12 points and Mohamed Diawara finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. The 2016 continental champion Barcelona was led by Teodor Simic with 27 points and Martin Iglesias chipped in 11 points.  

Simic opened the game with a three-point play and picked up 10 points to keep Barcelona close 12-14. Diawara knocked down a three-pointer and Dadiet had six points in helping NGP open a double-digit lead 16-26. And it was 19-26 after 10 minutes. Saraf drained a triple early in the second quarter and the cushion was back to 10 points 21-31. Aaron Ganal hit from deep for the Spanish side but Peteris Pinnis’ three-point play extended the margin to 24-39. Dayan Nessah stepped up with five points and Barcelona was within 33-43 at the break.

Iglesias trimmed the deficit to 37-43 early in the second half only to see Eleftherios-Kosmas Liotopoulos and Pietrus hit three-pointers and the margin was 41-53. Dadiet and Saraf also knocked down triples and the NGP advantage was 48-64, with it being 50-64 after 30 minutes. NGP increased the lead to 18 points multiple times in the fourth quarter before Barcelona managed to trim it to 62-76 with 4 minutes left. But Pietrus and Dadiet both scored five points in a 0-10 spurt to end any doubts.

Pacome Dadiet - U18 Next Generation Team Patras - ANGT Patras (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

U18 FC Barcelona v U18 Next Generation Team Patras (2022-03-27T10:30:00.000Z)

U18 Helsinki Basketball Academy made more history at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Patras by knocking off U18 ZPA Tbilisi 59-73 for its second victory and fifth place in its first-ever appearance in the competition.

Helsinki routs Tbilisi, 59-73, to finish debut in fifth place

Helsinki went on a 2-16 run spanning halftime to grab a 15-point lead and never looked back. Miro Little paced the winners with 22 points and 12 rebounds while Olavi Suutela had 11 points. Luka Alavidze collected 14 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals for Tbilisi, which was also making its maiden appearance in the event. Frederiks Meinarts also scored 14 points and Giorgi Ochkhikidze chipped in 12.

After Helsinki jumped ahead with the first 4 points, Tbilisi got 5 points from Giorgi Beruashvili and led 7-4. Suutela answered with 7 points and Erik Muhonen drained a three-pointer in a 2-14 surge to give Helsinki a 9-18 lead, which was 17-22 after 10 minutes. Ochkhikidze scored two baskets and Vache Gegeshidze made a triple to bring Tbilisi within 28-29. Little began to take over with 6 straight points and the Finnish team led 30-38 at the break.

Helsinki kept Tbilisi scoreless for the first 3 minutes of the second half and Rasmus Lindberg scored 4 points to extend the cushion to 30-45. A Ville Karhu triple pushed the lead to 33-50. Tbilisi was not done as it reeled off 8 straight points to pull within 41-50. Helsinki finished the quarter strong as Viljami Vartiainen’s three-pointer made it 42-57 after 30 minutes. Gogita Bukia started the fourth quarter with 5 points as Tbilisi rallied within 49-59. Once again Little stepped up with 6 straight points to start a 0-10 run that made it 49-69 with 3 minutes left. Alavidez made a pair of three-pointers, but the gap was much too large to threaten Helsinki.

Miro Little - U18 Helsinki Basketball Academy - ANGT Patras (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

U18 ZPA TBILISI v U18 Helsinki Basketball Academy (2022-03-27T08:15:00.000Z)

U18 Olympiacos Piraeus finished the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Patras in seventh place after defeating host U18 Promitheas Patras 59-57.

Olympiacos prevails over Promitheas, 59-57, for seventh place

The back-and-forth game was decided on Georgios Spilopoulos’s three-pointer with 43 seconds left. Spilopoulos and Michael Sprintzios both scored 14 points for the winners and Thomas Zorbas added 8 points and 7 rebounds. Tunde Fasasi collected 16 points and 9 rebounds for Promitheas, Ioannis Kanavos added 11 points and 12 rebounds and Nikolaos Vasileiou scored 11 points.

Fasasi scored the first points of the game for Promitheas and Zorbas did the honors for Olympiacos. Veniamin Amposi’s three-point play gave Olympiacos its first lead, 5-3, before the lead switched hands five more times with Nikolaos Plotas scoring 5 points to help Promitheas go up 13-14 after 10 minutes. There were seven more lead changes to start the second quarter until a 10-3 Olympiacos surge for a 29-23 advantage. Promitheas fought back with the next 8 points and led 29-31 at halftime.

Olympiacos started the second half with the first seven points to pull ahead 36-31 before Promitheas answered with a 3-12 run for a 39-43 advantage. Olympiacos had the next four points to even the game 43-43 after 30 minutes. Promitheas kept Olympiacos scoreless for nearly 3 minutes to start the fourth quarter and moved ahead 43-49. Sarantos Sarantopoulos and Sprintzios hit three-pointers to help Olympiacos take a 53-51 lead. Promitheas followed with the next three points to start another back and forth of four lead changes as Spilopoulos hit a three-pointer for a 58-57 lead with 43 seconds to play. After a Promitheas turnover, Spilopoulos made one free throw and Ilias Kourepis and Kanavos both missed in the closing seconds to give Olympiacos the win.  

Michael Sprintzios - U18 Olympiacos Piraeus - ANGT Patras (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

U18 Olympiacos Piraeus v U18 Promitheas Patras (2022-03-27T06:00:00.000Z)