Luka Krajnovic is elated after receiving an invitation to play on the U18 Next Generation Select Team at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals in Belgrade under Vassilis Spanoulis.

ANGT Finals invite, learning from Spanoulis are biggest honors for Krajnovic

The Cibona Zagreb guard played at the ANGT Belgrade as part of the U18 Next Generation Team Belgrade where he averaged 13.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists. That performance led to a place on the All-Tournament Team and earned him a spot on the select team for the ANGT Finals.

“I have won four national championships so far and was named MVP each time. Being chosen in the Best 5 of the first ANGT tournament was a huge deal, however, the biggest award is the invitation to this Next Generation Select Team,” said Krajnovic.

The Croatian playmaker was already impressed with what he experienced at the ANGT Belgrade back in February in the Serbian capital.

"I think that Spanoulis really managed to pass his positive attitude onto us and I will remember that for the rest of my life. I will always try to make that a part of my character."

“Just being able to participate in such an event was a great experience, but I am even happier to have been in a team with great teammates and to have felt us grow through each game with the help and leadership of our coaches. And with that I hope we proved ourselves to be able to play at such a high level,” he said.

Krajnovic has already had his share of career highlights despite only turning 18 in late April. In addition to the youth Croatian titles, he has also represented Croatia internationally at the U16 and U18 levels. But those accolades pale in comparison to those from his coach on the Next Generation selection team - the legendary Spanoulis.

“I was most surprised by his faith in us, especially after the first game when none of us played well. That was a big shock for me because I had never experienced something like that before,” Krajnovic said about playing for Spanoulis. “I think that he really managed to pass his positive attitude onto us and I will remember that for the rest of my life. I will always try to make that a part of my character and how I see the game.”

The experiences with NGB and the Croatian youth national teams were important for Krajnovic to see how he compares to other players. The ANGT Belgrade came shortly after he made the jump from Bosco to Cibona in January, which he also felt was necessary for his development.

“I needed a new challenge, to see where I’m standing compared to the players I thought were more experienced than me and to try to adapt so I can be much more prepared and ready to play at a higher level at the beginning of next season,” said Krajnovic, who has averaged 4.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in six Croatian League games this season for Cibona.

He is also learning a lot from one of his Cibona teammates who is already the captain of the team despite being just a year and a half older than him, Roko Prkacin. Prkacin is an ANGT alum who posted 17.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks at the 2019-20 ANGT Valencia.

“I’m happy to see that someone so young can already be so valuable to his team and his example gives me hope so I can accomplish something like that myself,” Krajnovic said of Prkacin, who also has already become a leader with the Croatian senior national team despite being just 19 years old.

Krajnovic will have his next chance to show all of Europe what he can do at the ANGT Finals later this month. And he can’t wait to experience everything that is involved, including watching the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the best of what Europe has to offer at the moment, the senior players and many up-and-coming stars," Krajnovic said. "The very thought of me being a part of all that is unbelievable."

Luka Krajnovic - U18 Next Generation Team Belgrade - Belgrade 2022 (photo Djordje Kostic - Zvezda) - JTB21

Luka Krajnovic  - U18 Next Generation Team Belgrade - Belgrade 2022 (photo Djordje Kostic - Zvezda) - JTB21

Best 5, Luka Krajnovic - U18 Next Generation Team Belgrade - Belgrade 2022 (photo Djordje Kostic - Zvezda) - JTB21

Henri Veesaar has already experienced the glory of winning the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament title and the center hopes to lead U18 Real Madrid to back-to-back ANGT crowns and finish his junior career in style.

Real’s Veesaar aims for perfect end to youth career

Veesaar helped Real fight past U18 Zalgiris Kaunas 60-61 in the ANGT Ljubljana first-place game to book the club’s eighth consecutive trip to the ANGT Finals, where the Spanish powerhouse will be aiming for its fourth crown - and third in a row.

“I think if we share the ball, defend and run the the floor with a good mentality, we can beat anybody. But we need to stay focused and be more consistent,” said Veesaar, who averaged 8.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 blocks at the ANGT Ljubljana.

The Estonian big man and his teammates saw against Zalgiris what can happen if they let up as they needed everything they could muster to fend off the Lithuanian club, which itself has hoisted the ANGT trophy twice.

“I think it was a great game. We fought hard. The game showed that we need to be more consistent and keep our foot on the gas the whole time and never let go, because if we do that in the ANGT, all teams can come back quickly,” said Veesaar, who had 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block against Zalgiris.

The victory gives Veesaar another chance to play at the ANGT Finals and experience the elite level in youth basketball - something he could hardly have imagined when he came to Real Madrid from Estonia in 2020.

“So far, it has definitely been the biggest decision that I have ever made. As a 15-year-old, it was a bit of a dream come true that such a big club was interested and believed in me,” he recalled. “As a kid, it’s always hard to move away from your parents and friends. But luckily, in the modern era, it’s pretty easy to keep contact through social media and phone calls. Also basketball is a team sport, so it’s not that difficult to make new friends.”

And it was with those new friends that Veesaar won the 2021 ANGT trophy. Two games from the 2021 title run at the ANGT Finals in Valencia last June really stand out for Veesaar. 

“For sure the game against ASVEL. It was a very close one and it helped us secure a place in the ANGT Championship Game. And of course, the overtime win against Barcelona,” Veesaar said referring in the latter to Real’s 81-78 win over archrival Barcelona in the championship game. “That game was just full of memories that I will never forget.”

The 2.09-meter big man said the ANGT title “barely beats out” his debut with the Estonian senior national team in terms of top career accomplishments.

“Incredible, I was able to represent Estonia at the highest level possible and I am super proud of it,” he said of facing Germany in a FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers game in November 2021. “Playing with older players really helps you to understand what you need to do to maximize your potential. It brings out your flaws and helps you to understand what you need to work on.”

Veesaar and co. are happy to be back on the biggest stage of European youth basketball and he wants to finish the job in Belgrade.

“It would be perfect for me to cap off my youth career and end it with an amazing memory with my teammates,” he said.

ANGT Finals: Real’s Veesaar aims for perfect end to youth career

Henri Veesaar - U18 Real Madrid - ANGT Ljubljana (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

The Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Is one of the biggest highlights on the calendar for U18 PFYM INSEP Paris, which has twice hoisted the continental trophy. And now after the famous academy missed the competition last season, Rayan Rupert and the rest of the PFYM players are looking to make up for lost time at this season’s ANGT Finals in Belgrade.

Rupert, PFYM hope to make up for lost season

Rupert captained his team to first place at the ANGT Varese and a ticket to the ANGT Finals - the eighth time that PFYM will be playing in the spectacle at the Turkish Airline EuroLeague Final Four.

“It's great, but it's only a first step. We still have a lot of work to do and we hope to win in Belgrade,” Rupert said about winning the Varese event, where he averaged 12.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 4.0 steals and 0.8 blocks for an average PIR of 14.0. “It's a great experience for me and my team to be able to face the best teams in Europe and the goal will be to win.”

PFYM claimed the trophy in 2010 and 2017 and is one of six teams with multiple ANGT titles along with U18 Real Madrid, U18 CSKA Moscow (both three), U18 Zalgiris Kaunas, U18 FMP Belgrade and U18 Rytas Vilnius (all two).

“It would be a great accomplishment for INSEP and for our team to reward all the work of the season,” Rupert said.

The 1.97-meter guard is playing in the ANGT a second time after he collected 4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in 18 minutes of two games at the 2019-20 ANGT Belgrade.

“It allowed me to learn that each game, each possession is important; that the truth of yesterday is not that of today; and that we must always stay focused on the final objective,” Rupert said of those games in February 2020.

Rupert was two years younger than the rest of the competition in the 2019-20 season and then he missed out on the ANGT last season as the team was not granted permission by the French government to play due to COVID-19 measures. 

“We were very disappointed because we had worked very hard for that moment,” Rupert said about missing the ANGT in 2020-21. “We had a very good team with Ousmane Dieng, Adama Bal and many others and we would have liked to have won.”

Winning is something that runs in Rupert’s family. His 20-year-old sister Iliana Rupert has won multiple medals for France’s women’s youth and senior national teams, including the 2020 Olympic bronze medal, and also was named MVP for leading Bourges Basket to this season’s Women’s Eurocup title.

“I am very proud of her early career and I hope she will still accomplish great things. We often talk about our games and basketball in general. We advise each other,” said Rayan, who is nearly three years younger.

Rupert’s father, Thierry Rupert, played three seasons in the EuroLeague for French team Pau-Orthez from 2004 to 2007 and also spent three seasons in the EuroCup with Pau-Orthez (2007-08) and Le Mans (2009-2011).

Thierry Rupert died in February 2013 after spending six months in a coma, and both Rayan and Iliana wear No. 12 in memory of their father. Rayan said there are still many lessons he remembers learning from his father.

“Always work very hard, that in this environment we do not receive anything for free and that all you want is up to you to go get it and give yourself the means and work for it,” he said.

Rayan Rupert said playing the game was clear to him early on.

“From a very young age I always knew that I wanted to make basketball my job and I feel ready to go professional next year and climb the ladder year after year,” he said.

Assisting him in that climb are the leadership skills he is learning as the PFYM captain.

“It's an honor and a role that I take very seriously. I try to talk to the guys a lot on and off the court, to lead by example,” he said.

And led by the example of PFYM captains before him, Rupert hopes to lift the ANGT title before he starts to climb that ladder.

ANGT Finals: Rupert, PFYM hope to make up for lost season

Rayan Rupert - U18 PFYM INSEP Paris - ANGT Varese 2022 (photo Alessia Doniselli) - JT21

Luka Vudragovic will get a shot at redemption for the biggest disappointment in his young career.

Zvezda’s Vudragovic wants redemption at ANGT

Vudragovic and U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade have received a wild card for the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals. Rewind to late February and 10 minutes into the ANGT Belgrade first place game and everything seemed to be going well for Vudragovic. The 1.94-meter guard had drained six three-pointers and Zvezda led 30-26 over U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne. However, Zvezda failed to score in its last 12 possessions over the final 5:53 minutes and lost to ASVEL 73-80.

“We learned that we need to play with more concentration throughout the game and that no one will surrender at the start of the game,” said Vudragovic, who scored just 1 of his team-high 19 points after the first quarter. “My biggest disappointment in my career is the loss to ASVEL in the final game of the tournament. I think we were the best team in the tournament, and everything can change in one game.”

Vudragovic, who was named to the All-Tournament Team as he averaged 17.5 points on 44.8% three-pointers, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals for a PIR of 16.8, said he was relieved that Zvezda received a wild card to play at the ANGT Final.

“In the game against ASVEL, I think we showed that we deserved it. I am glad to be a part of such an event and to be able to watch the best basketball in my city,” he said.

Vudragovic hails from Stari Banovci in Vojvodina, just northwest of Belgrade. He was playing for KK Vizura in the summer of 2020 when he was asked by Zvezda to join his favorite club growing up.

“I didn't think much when the offer from Zvezda arrived. I fulfilled a boyhood dream. Everyone in the family loves Crvena Zvezda,” he said.

Vudragovic joined a long list of high-level talents to play for Zvezda and he hopes to take the next step with the club.

“The most important thing for me is to progress with my teammates and to prove that I can play professional basketball in the future,” he said.

A few weeks ago, Vudragovic and his U18 teammate Nikola Topic trained with the Zvezda pro team and head coach Dejan Radonjic.

“It was an amazing experience for a young player, an amazing experience. It meant the most to me to feel how a EuroLeague team trains,” he explained.

But Vudragovic’s focus now is the ANGT Finals where Zvezda would love to add a second continental title following 2014, which was followed by reaching the ANGT Championship Game in 2015.

“We need to win every game in the tournament, to be stronger and more concentrated during the tournament,” Vudragovic said when asked what the team needs to do to be successful.

And that would bring Vudragovic redemption for the biggest disappointment thus far in his career.

ANGT Finals: Zvezda’s Vudragovic wants redemption at ANGT

Luka Vudragovic - U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade - Belgrade 2022 (photo Djordje Kostic - Zvezda) - JTB21

Luka Vudragovic - U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade

Luka Vudragovic celebrates - U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade - Belgrade 2022 (photo Djordje Kostic - Zvezda) - JTB21

Best 5, Luka Vudragovic - U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade - Belgrade 2022 (photo Djordje Kostic - Zvezda) - JTB21

It probably shouldn’t be a major surprise that U18 Stellazzurra Rome guard Emmanuel Innocenti values defense more than offense. 

Stellazzurra’s Innocenti appreciates the fight for what he has

The energy and fight it takes to play at the defensive end of the court fits with the trials the guard has gone through to reach the level needed to play at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals.

 

Innocenti’s effort helped Stellazzurra take first place at the ANGT Patras, knocking off U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv 62-74 as the club took the top spot in an ANGT qualifying tournament for the first time since ANGT Rome 2014-15.

 

“The ANGT Patras was a good experience as we were a group and had a good time. Winning it was exciting as it hadn't happened for a long time. So I'm happy for myself and my teammates,” said Innocenti, who averaged 9.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals.

 

The Italian club, which reached the ANGT Championship Game in 2018, is now preparing for its fourth appearance at the ANGT Finals.

 

“I am very excited for the Finals and Final Four because I was unable to participate last year, so it is a rematch,” Innocenti said. “I am looking forward to playing against strong teams.”

Facing strong teams in the ANGT last season in the Istanbul qualifying tournament - where he averaged 7.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals - helped him improve.

 

“Since last year I have become more aware of the quality of the team and my own. I understand better that if we play together, we can do great things. Compared to last year, I think I have improved in staying focused until the end of the game and always bringing energy,” he said.

 

Innocenti experienced challenges growing up. He was born in the Ivory Coast but moved to Italy when he was 5 years old because of war raging in the western African country.

 

“I don't remember much about Ivory Coast except the war. When my dad came to get me, I was happy because it was like god gave me a chance to have a better life,” Innocenti remembered.

 

It was a life without his mother and grandmother though as both stayed behind in Ivory Coast.

 

“I was still a child so I didn't understand the dangers of certain things but when I grew up I prayed that nothing would happen to them and we kept in touch.”

 

At age 10, Innocenti and his father moved to Senegal to be closer to his mother. Emmanuel, who had started playing basketball at age 6 in Italy, also played the game in Senegal.

 

“I continued to play basketball there too. I adapted quickly and felt at home. I felt like I was back in Ivory Coast without the war. I liked Senegal,” he recalled.

 

After two years in Senegal, it was back to Italy - still without his mother though as she could not get a visa to travel. Innocenti ended up landing at Stellazzurra three and a half years ago. And that’s when his basketball career started to really take off.

 

But he always tried to remember the trials he has faced. Innocenti's Instagram profile contains the quote: “If you don't fight for what you want, don't cry for what you lose.”

 

“Since I was little, I have been used to fighting for the things I wanted. That sentence represents a bit of who I am. I think it is normal to make mistakes or fail in things but it is better to fail by trying to do things and get them than not to do them and then complain about having lost an opportunity. If I got this far, it is thanks to this idea.”

 

It is that mindset that helps Emmanuel Innocenti excel at defense and helps Stellazzurra Rome win games.

ANGT Finals: Stellazzurra’s Innocenti appreciates the fight for what he has

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

Emmanuel Innocenti - U18 Stellazzurra Rome - ANGT Patras (photo Konstantinos Katsiras - Patras) - JT21

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

U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne point guard Romain Parmentelot will have revenge on his mind when he takes the floor at the ANGT Finals later this month. 


ASVEL's Parmentelot finally gets his chance to shine as “Vi||ain”

Parmentelot played a major role in getting ASVEL back to the ANGT Finals as he collected 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals as the French powerhouse took first place at the ANGT Belgrade – the first time the club won a qualifying tournament. Now, he and his teammates can go back to the Serbian capital for the finals, from May 18 to 21, knowing they've had success there earlier this year.

"It meant a lot to win in Belgrade because it was the first time that ASVEL won a title like this. It was very nice. Playing at the ANGT Finals at the Final Four is important to take the next step as a player," said Parmentelot, who tied for sixth in assists and eighth in steals at the ANGT Belgrade while averaging a 12.0 performance index rating.

Parmentelot is playing his third ANGT season after picking up 3 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in 17 minutes over three games at the 2019-20 ANGT Valencia and then averaging 9.7 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.7 steals at the 2020-21 ANGT Finals.

"In my first year, Matthew Strazel was in front of me, and now I am better than the other two years because I have more confidence from my teammates and coach," said Parmentelot.

The 1.90-meter guard may have put up solid numbers in Belgrade but he still has not received a lot of attention. That is not necessarily because of his subpar play but more because of the elite potential of many of his teammates, including Kymany Houinsou, Killian Malwaya and Zaccharie Risacher.

"I can't think too much about that because they are my teammates, so I am happy for them if they get attention. If the attention is not on me right now, I will work harder so it will be on me later," Parmentelot said.

Parmentelot is used to people doubting him, which is the reason why he included "Vi||ain" in his Instagram profile.

"When I started to take basketball very seriously a lot of people gave up on me because they didn't believe in me. So I have to be the best villain to take my revenge," he said.

Parmentelot used that drive to keep working on his game and he eventually landed with ASVEL, which is a club that gives its youngsters a chance to play on the first team if they deserve it. And Parmentelot made his French League debut on November 21, 2021, in ASVEL's showdown with top-ranked team Boulogne Metropolitans 92.

"I was very excited when Coach \[T.J. Parker\] said I would be on the roster. It was the first time. I was used to training with them during the season, but when the coach said I would be on the roster I was very, very happy," said Parmentelot, who picked up 1 steal and missed his one three-point attempt in 3 minutes.

"It was very special when he called my name. The thing I will remember is the atmosphere, and I hope I will be able to feel that atmosphere again."

Parmentelot will be experiencing his first EuroLeague Final Four as the ANGT Finals last season took place separately from the Final Four due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Of course, that will be special to experience, but he and his teammates will also have some revenge on their minds.

At the 2020-21 ANGT Finals, ASVEL lost a back-and-forth game with eventual champion U18 Real Madrid 82-80 in the group stage. Parmentelot poured in a team-high 19 points to go with 2 assists but it wasn't enough in the end. And ASVEL will be heading to Belgrade with extra motivation.

"We are hungry to win the title because we couldn't stop thinking about last year when we lost to Real Madrid. We were so close. That is why we are hungry to win," he said.


Whenever Romain Parmentelot needs some motivation, he only needs to go to his Instagram account. The U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne point guard has "Vi||ain" listed in his profile, and it reminds him of those who doubted him. Parmentelot has another chance to silence his critics at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals.


ASVEL's Parmentelot finally gets his chance to shine

Romain Parmentelot - U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne - Belgrade 2022 (photo Djordje Kostic - Zvezda) - JTB21

## GROUP A

U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv

U18 Mega Mozzart Belgrade

U18 PFYM INSEP Paris

U18 Real Madrid

## GROUP B

U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne

U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade

U18 Next Generation Select Team

U18 Stellazzurra Rome

### WEDNESDAY 18 MAY 2022

09:00 U18 Mega Mozzart Belgrade vs. U18 PFYM INSEP Paris

11:00 U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv vs. U18 Real Madrid

13:00 U18 Stellazzurra Rome vs. U18 Next Generation Select Team

15:00 U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs. U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne

### THURSDAY 19 MAY 2022

09:00 U18 PFYM INSEP Paris vs. U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv

11:00 U18 Real Madrid vs. U18 Mega Mozzart Belgrade

13:00 U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs. U18 Stellazzurra Rome

15:00 U18 Next Generation Select Team vs. U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne

### FRIDAY 20 MAY 2022

09:00 U18 Mega Mozzart Belgrade vs. U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv

11:00 U18 PFYM INSEP Paris vs. U18 Real Madrid

13:00 U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. U18 Stellazzurra Rome

15:00 U18 Next Generation Select Team vs. U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade

### SATURDAY 21 MAY 2022 (Championship Game)

12:30 1st Placed Team Group A vs. 1st Placed Team Group B

2022 Belgrade ANGT Finals calendar

The future of European basketball will take center stage at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four from May 18 to 21, when the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals brings to Belgrade, Serbia, the best and brightest talents from four qualifying events to determine a champion of the 19th edition of the continent's top junior event.

Field for 2021-22 ANGT Finals announced

Three teams – U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade, U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv and U18 Mega Mozzart Belgrade – received wild cards to complete the eight-team field, which includes three former champions. The three invitees will join the four teams that booked their tickets for Belgrade by taking first place at their respective qualifying events: U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne (ANGT Belgrade), U18 Stellazzurra Rome (ANGT Patras), U18 PFYM INSEP Paris (ANGT Varese) and U18 Real Madrid (ANGT Ljubljana). The eighth team at the finals will be made up of players from the four different U18 Next Generation teams that participated at the qualifying events and were coached by Vassilis Spanoulis, the newly-named Euroleague Basketball Legend who will lead them again in Belgrade.

Real – winner of the last two titles, in 2019 and 2021, as well as 2015 – is tied with U18 CSKA Moscow for a record three ANGT crowns. PFYM has claimed the trophy in 2010 and 2017 and Zvezda did so in 2014. Mega has twice reached and lost the ANGT Championship Game – in 2017 and 2019 – and Stellazzurra came up one step short in 2018.

In Belgrade, 12 group games will be played over the first three days at the Ranko Zeravica Arena, which will also host Saturday's ANGT Championship Game between the two group winners.

The nearly two decades of the ANGT have seen a host of tomorrow's biggest and brightest stars pass through. The ever-growing list of players currently on EuroLeague rosters who previously dazzled in the ANGT includes:

• Marcus Eriksson, Jonas Mattisseck, Tim Schneider and Yovel Zoosman (ALBA Berlin)

• Vasilije Micic and Yigitcan Saybir (Anadolu Efes Istanbul)

• Danilo Andjusic, Rudy Demahis, Donatas Motiejunas and Armel Traore (AS Monaco)

• Davide Alviti, Luigi Datome, Riccardo Moraschini and Giampaolo Ricci (AX Armani Exchange Milan)

• Simone Fontecchio and Vanja Marinkovic (Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz)

• Ognjen Dobric, Marko Gusic, Stefan Lazarevic, Branko Lazic, Luka Mitrovic and Aleksa Uskokovic (Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade)

• Marius Grigonis, Alexander Khomenko, Nikita Kurbanov, Andrei Lopatin, Nikola Milutinov and Alexey Shved (CSKA Moscow)

• Michael Caicedo, Rokas Jokubaitis, Nikola Mirotic and Sergi Martinez (FC Barcelona)

• Nihad Dedovic, Jason George, Ognjen Jaramaz, Leon Radosevic, Adreas Obst and Zan Sisko (FC Bayern Munich)

• Ismet Akpinar, Tarik Biberovic, Metecan Birsen and Marko Guduric (Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul)

• William Howard, Elwin Ndjock, Matthew Strazel and Victor Wembanyama (LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne)

• Ante Zizic (Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv)

• Livio Jean-Charles (Olympiacos Piraeus)

• Eleftherios Mantzoukas and Nemanja Nedovic (Panathinaikos OPAP Athens)

• Alberto Abalde, Thomas Heurtel and Juan Nunez (Real Madrid)

• Mario Hezonja and Artem Komolov (UNICS Kazan)

• Marek Blazevic, Niels Giffey, Mantas Kalnietis, Lukas Lekavicius, Karolis Lukosiunas and Edgaras Ulanovas (Zalgiris Kaunas)

• Arturas Gudaitis and Dmitry Kulagin (Zenit St Petersburg)

Entrance to all ANGT Finals games is free of charge, allowing both local and visiting fans to see many elite young talents in European basketball, the future stars of the EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup, compete against each other.

Eli Ndiaye is heading back to the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals with U18 Real Madrid, looking for a record fourth continental junior title for the club and a second in a row for himself.

Ndiaye dreams of ANGT-EuroLeague double for Real in Belgrade

But this time the 17-year-old center hopes that Real Madrid can make it a double of the ANGT title and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague crown in Belgrade next month.

[Eli Ndiaye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/eli-ndiaye/profile/009213/) took home the Most Valuable Player award for helping Real take first place at the ANGT Ljubljana qualifying event last week and book its ticket to the finals, which will be held during the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in the Serbian capital. He collected 14 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals for a performance index rating of 22 in Real's thrilling 60-61 victory over Zalgiris in Sunday's first-place game in Ljubljana.

"It was amazing. We played a very difficult game against a great opponent, and in the end we got the win in a really tough game. We suffered together, we worked together, and we got the win as a team, together," said Ndiaye, who averaged 14.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals for a PIR of 19.5 in the tournament.

Those numbers earned him what was his second MVP award at an ANGT qualifier, after the one he received at the ANGT Istanbul last season.

"It's always special to receive an MVP trophy, but it makes it more special to get this award with the teammates and coaching staff that I have. I won it because of their job. I want to thank them all," said Ndiaye, who ranked fourth in index rating, sixth in scoring and ninth in rebounds in Ljubljana.

This is just the latest highlight of the season for the Senegalese big man, who will turn 18 in late June. The first one came on September 12, 2021, when Real's first team faced FC Barcelona in the preseason Spanish Supercup. Ndiaye made his senior debut in the game, in which Real came back from 19 points down in the third quarter to win 88-83.

"I remember how we were losing the Supercup final against Barcelona and we got back in the game to get the victory. It was very special to me to make my debut in such a big game: against Barcelona, getting the win, the title, and sharing those incredible moments with the great players of Real Madrid," said Ndiaye, who played 1:27 minutes and picked up 1 rebound in that game.

Ndiaye has spent most of this season with Real's second team in the Spanish fourth division. But he also has practiced with the first team. He says everyone on the team has been giving him tips.

"They all help me all the time and make me feel comfortable when I practice or play with them. I must thank them all because they teach me, they help me, they give me advice and they try to make me better all the time," Ndiaye said.

Real Madrid head coach Pablo Laso has chosen Ndiaye to play in four EuroLeague games this season. In the first, at home against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Round 5, he picked up 2 points, 1 rebound and 1 steal in 7 minutes.

"I enjoy every moment and I always try to give the best of myself and learn in every situation."

"The best moment for me – the one I remember the most – is the first basket that I scored. But everything is special: being with the first team, playing with the best players of Europe," Ndiaye said. 

Ndiaye said he is enjoying the tough road that is the transition from junior to senior player.

"It's always difficult to face a challenge like this, but it's a great experience. I enjoy every moment and I always try to give the best of myself and learn in every situation," he said.

Ndiaye has already locked up a ticket to next month's EuroLeague Final Four in Belgrade, where he will be shooting for his second ANGT title. But he also hopes that Real Madrid's senior team can be in the Serbian capital and try to repeat the trophy it won there in 2018.

"I'd love it, of course," he said. 

If both could celebrate titles on Saturday, May 21, at Stark Arena, it would be a repeat of 2015, when Real doubled up and won the ANGT and EuroLeague titles at home in the Spanish capital.

"It would be incredible and very special," Ndiaye said. "We'll give our 100 percent over there, knowing that's a really difficult challenge."

Eli Ndiaye - U18 Real Madrid - ANGT Ljubljana (photo Marin Susic) - JT21