Eli Ndiaye claimed the Most Valuable Player trophy at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Istanbul after guiding U18 Real Madrid to a 77-85 victory over U18 Stellazzurra Rome in the first-place game. 

Real's Ndiaye headlines ANGT Istanbul all-tournament team as MVP

Joining Ndiaye on the all-tournament team were teammate Matteo Spagnolo, Nicola Giordano of Stellazzurra, Liutauras Lelevicius of U18 Zalgiris Kaunas and Jakub Necas of U18 Basket Brno.

Ndiaye collected 28 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 8 fouls drawn for an index rating of 36 in Real’s hard-fought win over Stellazzurra. For the tournament, the 2004-born forward averaged 17.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 steals and a 23.8 PIR. Ndiaye ranked second in points and PIR, fifth in rebounds and two-point shooting percentage (59.0%) and tied for fifth in steals.

Spagnolo tallied 22 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in the first-place game against his former team and finished with averages of 15.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.0 blocks for an index rating of 18.2. He finished the tournament ranked fifth in points, sixth in assists and index rating, tied for fourth in blocks and 11th in rebounds. Giordano gave a valiant fight against Real with 21 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals in the loss. For the tournament, the guard averaged 16.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists for a PIR of 14.0. Giordano was the fourth-best scorer and 11th in index rating.

Liutauras guided Zalgiris to third place with 18.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 22.8 index rating. He led the tournament in scoring as well as three-point shooting percentage (61.1%), was ranked second in two-point shooting percentage (66.7%) and third in PIR. Necas helped debutant Brno to seventh place in the tournament with 13.3 points, 9.5 rebounds,4.5 assists and 1.0 blocks for an average PIR of 21.0. Necas ranked 10th in points, third in rebounds, seventh in assists, fourth in index rating and tied for fourth in blocks and third in two-point shooting percentage (60.9%).

The Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament returns to action this weekend with the ANGT Istanbul qualifying event. Future stars from all over Europe will be on display with teams from six countries in action, all vying to clinch one of three automatic berths to the ANGT Finals.

ANGT Istanbul: Players to watch

The Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament returns to action this weekend with the ANGT Istanbul qualifying event. Future stars from all over Europe will be on display with teams from six countries in action, all vying to clinch one of three automatic berths to the ANGT Finals. Here's a chance to get familiar with a top performer from each team in preparation for an exciting tournament.

### Ulas Merdoglu, U18 Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

This is will be Merdoglu’s first ANGT event. As a 2005-born player he will be two years younger than the rest of the competition. The 2.04 meter big man joined Fenerbahce in 2016. He is averaging 6.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and what 1.2 blocks in the Turkish U19 league this season. He is a good rebounder and shot-blocker.

### Nicola Giordano, U18 Stellazzurra Rome

Giordano will be appearing in an ANGT tournament for the third time. Last season he averaged 8.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals at the ANGT Munich. In 2018-19, the 1.88-meter guard contributed 12.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals at the ANGT Kaunas. He helped Italy to third place at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019 with 6.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Giordano is currently playing in the Italian second division and averaging 6.6 points, 1.5 assists and 1.2 rebounds per game. He plays well at both ends of the court. Giordano brings energy and intensity to the team, especially at the defensive end with his solid physique helping to be a good defender. The guard has a great work ethic on and off the court and is mature for his age. He is not afraid of big moments or taking a risk. He is a great scorer who can go to the basket or shoot at a high percentage. And his speed makes him difficult to defend in transition.

### Ugnius Jarusevicius, U18 Zalgiris Kaunas

This will be the second ANGT for Jarusevicius after he collected 4.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game last season at the ANGT Kaunas. He also has played internationally for Lithuania. He contributed 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019. Jarusevicius is a 2.05-meter big man playing for Zalgiris's senior team in the second division and averaging 4.3 points and 3.2 rebounds. He is quite mobile for his height and can play facing the basket or post-up. He has midrange distance on his shot and is a fine free throw shooter.

### Gustav Knudsen, U18 Casademont Zaragoza

Knudsen will be playing at his third ANGT. He suited up with Zaragoza at the ANGT Kaunas last season and averaged 11.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks. The 2.04-meter guard played at the 2018-19 ANGT Kaunas as well for Danish team U18 DBA Copenhagen. The Denmark native has played two games in the Spanish League this season, combining for 2 points in 4 minutes. He also helped Denmark to finish third at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019 Division B with 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks. Knudsen has great physical attributes and can run and play in the open court. He also plays good defense and excels at the one-on-one game. Despite playing as a shooting guard or small forward, he contributes by pushing the ball on offense and helps a lot in rebounding at both ends of the court.

### Jakub Necas, U18 Basket Brno

Just like his club Brno, Necas will be appearing at the ANGT for the first time. The 2.02-meter small forward has played on the international stage with the Czech Republic at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019 Division B, where he averaged 10.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals. The 2004-born Necas is a left-handed, all-around player who can play various positions on the floor. He has a great feel for the game and is not afraid to mix it up. He is one of the leaders of the team and excels in the open court, can slash to the rim and finish with both hands. Necas is also a good catch-and-shoot three-point shooter and versatile defender.

### Batin Tuna, U18 Tofas Bursa

This will be Tuna’s second experience at the ANGT after he contributed 10.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.8 steals at the ANGT Valencia last season. The shooting guard also appeared in two 7DAYS EuroCup games last season 2019-20, playing 8:44 minutes and capturing 1 steal. Tuna has appeared in 11 Turkish League games this season. He also has played for Turkey at the FIBA U16 European Championship in 2018 and 2019, taking a bronze medal in 2018 and then recording 12.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.0 steals in 2019. He has a powerful right-hand penetration and is versatile enough to play various positions thanks to his physical build and knowledge of the game. Tuna can play the pick-and-roll and is a reliable spot-up three-point shooter. He has a good instinct for chasing the rebound and can find easy baskets from the weak side with cuts. If he improves his left-hand penetration, he will become a top prospect.

### Koralp Turk, U18 Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Turk will be making his debut in the ANGT. He has played for Turkey’s youth national teams where he averaged 8.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019. He was selected as the MVP of his age class's national tournament in 2019. The power forward also has experience outside his country; he spent last season playing high school basketball in the United States. Turk can stretch the floor with his consistent outside shots, but he also can be productive around the rim and has a high basketball IQ.

Eli Ndiaye, U18 Real Madrid
Eli Ndiaye will be playing in his second ANGT after he averaged 16.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.8 blocks at the ANGT Munich last season, including collecting 15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocks in the first-place game. He is averaging 11.5 points and 7.2 rebounds this season in the Spanish fourth division EBA league. This is the 2004-born Senegal center’s fourth season with Real Madrid. The 2.03 meter big man is an inside player with a lot of strength and mobility. Ndiaye can alternate the power forward and center positions. He is a very good finisher with a lot of resources, including a good perimeter shot.

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A pair of two-time former champions headline the field for the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Istanbul.

Former champs Real, Zalgiris headline ANGT Istanbul

The 19th edition of the competition continues with this season's second qualifying event, to be held on March 19-21 in the Turkish metropolis.

U18 Real Madrid, which won the European crown in 2015 and 2019, and U18 Zalgiris Kaunas, the winner from 2003 and 2007, will both head to Turkey hoping that this is the first step to collecting a third ANGT title and pulling even with record winner U18 CSKA Moscow. The rest of the field includes host team U18 Anadolu Efes Istanbul, 2018 runner-up U18 Stellazzurra Rome of Italy, 2012 runner-up U18 Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, which was a replacement for Greek side U18 Promitheas Patras, ANGT debutant U18 Basket Brno of Czech Republic, U18 Casademont Zaragoza of Spain and Turkey's U18 Tofas Bursa, which replaced U18 Pole France Yvan Mainini (formerly known as CFBB Paris/INSEP).

The tournament was originally scheduled to take place in Munich, but because Germany's pandemic protocols do not allow non-professional sporting events to take place, the ANGT Munich needed a new home. Efes's plan to host the event was approved and the club was added to the competition for previously-planned host U18 FC Bayern Munich.

The eight teams will be broken down into two four-team groups with each team playing each other in round-robin style at Efes's training facility. The two group winners will face off on Sunday in the first-place game with the victor of that contest qualifying for the ANGT Finals. U18 FC Barcelona booked the first ticket to the ANGT Finals after winning the ANGT Valencia last December. The third qualifying tournament will be played in Belgrade on March 26-28 to determine the third spot in the ANGT Finals. The remaining five teams in the field will be determined by wild cards.

Istanbul’s Group A consists of Efes, Brno, Zaragoza and Stellazzurra. Efes returns to the competition for the first time since 2017-18 when it went 2-1 in the group phase at ANGT Belgrade and ended up finishing fourth. Brno will be making its debut in the event. The team is coached by Lubos Barton, who won the 2010 EuroLeague title with Barcelona and the 2008 ULEB Cup with Joventut Badalona. Zaragoza will be appearing in the competition for a second time after debuting last season at the ANGT Kaunas and going 0-4. Stellazzurra was undefeated in the group stage at the ANGT Munich last season before losing to Real Madrid in the first-place game. The Italian club reached the 2018 ANGT Championship Game and lost to U18 Rytas Vilnius.

Real tops Group B along with Zalgiris, Fenerbahce and Tofas. Real is the last team crowned U18 continental champion because the 2020 ANGT Finals were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Real had booked its ticket to the 2020 showcase after taking first place at the ANGT Munich, the third straight time the Spanish powerhouse won the tournament in southern Germany. Real comes to Istanbul having won the last seven qualifying tournaments in which it has competed (ANGT L’Hospitalet in 2014, 2015 and 2016, ANGT Coin in 2017 and ANGT Munich in 2018, 2019 and 2020). Zalgiris, which in addition to two titles also reached the ANGT Championship Game in 2005, 2006 and 2011, was undefeated in the group stage of the 2020 ANGT Kaunas, but then lost to U18 Rytas Vilnius in the first-place game. Fenerbahce, which lost to U18 Rytas Vilnius in the 2012 ANGT Championship Game, finished seventh at the ANGT Kaunas last season. Tofas will be playing in the ANGT for a second time after making a winless debut last season at the ANGT Valencia.



The locations and dates for the remaining two Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament qualifying events have been confirmed. The ANGT Munich qualifier, originally scheduled for late January, will be hosted by Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the Turkish metropolis from March 19 to 21. The ANGT Belgrade, which was due to have been played in February, remains in the Serbian capital and will take place on from March 26 to 28.

Host sites, dates set for remaining ANGT qualifiers

Because Germany's pandemic protocols do not allow non-professional sporting events to take place, the ANGT Munich needed a new home. Efes rose to the occasion with a hosting plan that included facilities and logistics that fit perfectly with organizational needs.

The ANGT Istanbul will be played at Efes's training facility. No fans will be allowed to attend the tournament, but access will be granted to a limited number of media and scouts.

In addition to U18 Anadolu Efes, the ANGT Istanbul will feature two-time champions U18 Real Madrid of Spain and former champion U18 Pole France Yvan Mainini (formerly known as CFBB Paris). U18 Zalgiris Kaunas, U18 Promitheas Patras, U18 Stellazzurra Rome, U18 Basket Brno from the Czech Republic and U18 Casademont Zaragoza from Spain will fill out the tournament field in Istanbul

The teams and arena for the ANGT Belgrade remain the same with the only change being the date. The participating teams are 2014 ANGT champion U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade and fellow Serbian sides U18 Partizan NIS Belgrade and U18 Mega SoccerBet Belgrade; U18 Buducnost VOLI Podgorica from Montenegro, U18 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana from Slovenia, U18 Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar from Russia, U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv from Israel and U18 U-BT Cluj Napoca from Romania.



Euroleague Basketball regrets to inform fans that the next qualifying event of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament, which had been set to start in Belgrade later this month, will not be held as scheduled.

ANGT Belgrade qualifier postponed

The tournament is postponed due to a conviction by organizers during the current COVID-19 pandemic to maximize the health and safety of the young athletes by seeking an alternative date.

The tournament host Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade and Euroleague Basketball have started evaluations to find a new suitable date. All eight U18 club teams that were invited to the ANGT Belgrade qualifier were previously informed that it will not take place on the planned dates.

The ANGT Belgrade qualifier is one of three scheduled for this season. The first, held in Valencia in late December, saw U18 FC Barcelona crowned champion. The remaining event, ANGT Munich, has also been postponed due to ongoing restrictions in Germany to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

As is the custom throughout the tournament's history, the winners of each qualifier gain automatic berths in the ANGT Finals, which are held in parallel with the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four every spring.

The biggest storyline going into the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Munich is whether reigning continental champion U18 Real Madrid can extend its streak of qualifying tournament first place finishes to seven. 

U18 Real aims for seventh straight ANGT qualifying win

U18 CSKA Moscow, winner of a record three ANGT crowns, and host side U18 FC Bayern Munich are among the seven teams looking to stop Real's run, along with German teams U18 ALBA Berlin, U18 Porsche Ludwigsburg and U18 ratiopharm Ulm, U18 Promitheas Patras from Greece and Italian outfit U18 Stellazzurra Rome, which reached the 2018 ANGT Championship Game. The winner of Sunday's first-place game at the Audi Dome will reach the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Cologne, Germany, where it will join U18 Herbalife Gran Canaria, winner of the ANGT Valencia in December.

Bayern and CSKA are both in Group A along with Ulm and Stellazzurra. Bayern, which hosts the tournament for a third consecutive season, finished fifth last season before picking up a wild card for the ANGT Finals in Vitoria-Gasteiz. In 2018-19, Bayern became the first German team to reach the first-place game of a qualifier, but ended up losing to Real. CSKA's three continental titles date back to 2004, 2005 and 2006. CSKA took fifth place last season at the ANGT Kaunas and will be playing in Munich for the first time after competing in Kaunas in five of the last six seasons, also appearing at the ANGT Rome in 2016. Ulm is competing for a third time in the ANGT – and both previous appearances also in Munich – and it is the only team to beat Real in a qualifying tournament since 2013, collecting its first-ever win in 2018. Ulm took fourth place last season at the ANGT Munich. The other team in Group A is Stellazzurra, which lost to U18 Rytas Vilnius in the 2018 ANGT Championship Game. Stellazzurra finished fourth at the ANGT Kaunas last season, its second campaign playing in the Lithuania tournament after competing in Belgrade in 2017.

Group B's favorite undoubtedly is Real, which won the first-place games in the other two ANGT Munich tournaments. The Spanish powerhouse went on to win the ANGT title last season for its second crown following 2015. But Real did lose one game in Munich, getting beaten by Ulm in 2018 in the final group game after having already locked up a spot in the first-place game. That loss snapped Real's 21-game winning streak in ANGT qualifying games, dating back to the first-place game of the 2013 ANGT L'Hospitalet against U18 Joventut Badalona. That run saw Real finish first in the ANGT L'Hospitalet tournaments in 2014, 2015 and 2016, in the ANGT Coin in 2017, and in the last two ANGT Munich events. ALBA, for its part, is playing at the ANGT Munich for a third straight season, having finished third in 2018 and sixth in 2019. Ludwigsburg is competing in the competition for a sixth time, finishing fourth last season at ANGT Valencia. Ludwigsburg also played in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017, the latter with a club-best third place finish at ANGT Belgrade. Promitheas is back for its second appearance in the competition after winning one game but finishing eighth at ANGT L'Hospitalet in 2017-18.

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Euroleague Basketball regrets to inform fans that, due to ongoing restrictions in Germany to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the next qualifying event of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament, which had been set to start in Munich later this month, will not be held as scheduled.

ANGT Munich qualifier postponed

Germany's pandemic protocols at present do not allow non-professional sporting events to take place, a restriction that applies to the staging of the ANGT Munich qualifier for U-18 players from around the continent.

Evaluations are underway to outline all possibilities of holding the qualifier at a later date and, possibly, in a different location. All eight U18 club teams that were invited to the ANGT Munich qualifier were previously informed that it will not take place on the planned dates.

The ANGT Munich qualifier is one of three scheduled for this season. The first, held in Valencia in late December, saw U18 FC Barcelona crowned champion. The third event, ANGT Belgrade, is due to be played from February 19 to 21 in the Serbian capital.

As is the custom throughout the tournament's history, the winners of each qualifier gain automatic berths in the ANGT Finals, which are held in parallel with the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four every spring.

U18 FC Barcelona last captured the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament title in 2016. Michael Caicedo said he is ready to end that U18 continental hardware drought after helping the club take first place at the ANGT Valencia.

Caicedo eager to bring another ANGT crown to Barcelona

Caicedo tallied 29 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 6 fouls drawn for a performance index rating of 37 in helping Barcelona knock off U18 Joventut Badalona 79-55 in the ANGT Valencia first-place game. That victory earned Barcelona a berth at the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four for the first time since 2017.

"I am happy about reaching the Final Four with the team. We worked hard and I think we will do good things there. I cannot wait to get there and compete. We will also try to win and enjoy the experience since last year we were not able to qualify,” said Caicedo, who as a 16-year-old could only help Barcelona place fourth at the 2019-20 ANGT Valencia.

For the 2020-21 tournament, Caicedo averaged 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals for a PIR of 19.5. He ranked third in scoring and second in PIR while leading the competition in three-point shooting percentage at 43.8%.

Now the goal is to add a trophy to the Barcelona clubhouse.

"We will try everything we can to give that trophy to our club because we know it's been too long without winning it," the shooting guard said. "We are representing one of the top clubs in Europe, so we hope to do good things there and take the trophy back home."

The basketball world almost missed out on having Caicedo in it. The native of Mallorca moved to Barcelona for family reasons and he had actually been playing football his entire life.

"One day my stepfather said that if someday I wanted to try basketball, due to my height, I could do so, and if I didn't like it, I could go back to football. So I tried it, and the rest is history. I stayed in basketball because I liked it a lot. I think it's one of the most beautiful sports," the 1.99-meter guard said.

Not only a top prospect for his club, but Caicedo has also already excelled with the Spanish youth ranks. He averaged 11.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game as Spain won the title at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019.

When asked what his favorite memories of the championship run in Italy were, Caicedo said: "After the games, when we won. Those were moments of being united, playing music, being happy and congratulating each other. I will cherish those moments."

Just like in the ANGT Valencia first-place game, Caicedo stepped up in the U16 European Championship final against France by scoring 21 points with 5 three-pointers and 5 rebounds.

This is Caicedo’s fourth season with Barcelona’s B-team and he has a clear favorite among the club’s professionals: "Watching the games, Adam Hanga is one of my favorite players in the club and I watch him a lot, both on and off the court," he said.

Caicedo’s performance in Valencia helped convince management that he was ready for a step up and on Saturday he was called up to train under Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and the Barcelona first team for the first time.

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In addition to having many great players in the pro club, another key element of the Barcelona basketball team is the Catalan rivalry with Joventut from the city suburb of Badalona. The two clubs had plenty of big-game ANGT history coming into the Valencia encounter.

Joventut defeated Barcelona in the ANGT Championship Game in 2013 and the first-place game at the 2017-18 ANGT L’Hospitalet. Barcelona bested Joventut for first place at the ANGT L’Hospitalet in 2016-17. Beating Joventut for a chance to play at the ANGT Finals meant that much more to Caicedo.

"To me, it brings up many memories we experienced in games played against them. That is the Catalan derby - Joventut vs. Barca - so I am happy to have won this game," Caicedo said. "I am happy having won the MVP, but I would have not been able to do it without my teammates, the coaching staff and the physio staff. I am very happy, but now we must keep working."

Because there is still that Barcelona trophy case that is looking to add a second ANGT crown next to the lonely one from 2016.

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There is a long line of Latvians who have left their homeland for Spain as youngsters to improve their development. The latest highly regarded prospect from the Baltic country is Freds Bagatskis, who chose Valencia Basket because of its outstanding new training facility and proximity to professional players.

Facilities, nearby pros attract Latvian Bagatskis to Valencia

Bagatskis once again showed at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Valencia why he is one of the next great talents from Latvia. The guard averaged 10.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist in four games for U18 Valencia Basket at the event.

"This has been a tough year for everyone, so I’m just glad that we were able to play the tournament and compete at the highest level," said Bagatskis, who was playing in his second ANGT Valencia after averaging 9.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in 2019-20.

The 2.01-meter swingman said playing in the tournament last season helped him a lot this time around: "[I learned] not to be scared. This is a big stage for everyone and it’s important you don't get a mental block just from stepping on the court," he said.

Bagatskis was one of the few Valencia players returning from last year's team, and that meant he needed to take on more of a leadership role - something he enjoyed. "Having more leadership only makes me feel more confident about myself and the team, which is a huge plus in my book."

Bagatskis is the latest talent from Latvija to come to Spain early in his development following the likes of Kristaps Porzingis, Anzejs Pasecniks, Rolands Smits, the Kurucs brothers Rodions and Arturs, and Arturs Zagars.

"I didn’t really talk to anyone in that position at the time. I talked with Kristaps Porzingis after my move to Valencia and he said that Valencia is a great place for me to continue developing my game," Bagatskis said.

The club in eastern Spain has one of the best facilities on the continent in terms of capacity to help develop young talent in L'Alqueria del Basket. The venue, which hosted the ANGT Valencia for a third straight season, features six practice courts, an extra court with stands as well as amenities for workouts and business enterprises.

"The facilities were a huge standout," Bagatskis said about his decision to leave DSN Basketball and join Valencia in 2018. "Having the best installations in Europe really sets you out ahead over other clubs."

Bagatskis has already played for his native Latvia on the international level; he averaged 8.9 points and 1.4 rebounds at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019. With Valencia, he has been playing for the club’s EBA fourth division side. But more importantly, he has been working on his game at L'Alqueria del Basket facility.

"The progress has been unreal and I’m thankful to the coaching staff for that. I would say they expect me to be the best player I can be at all times. It’s very simple," he said.

Another huge advantage for youngsters like Bagatskis is that Valencia’s professional team is only a stone's throw away since La Fonteta Arena is adjoined to L'Alqueria del Basket.

"You can really have that feeling of being a professional no matter what age you are and having the real professionals nearby is an even bigger bonus," he said.

For those wondering if they recognize the name Bagatskis, yes, Freds is the son of Ainars Bagatskis. The elder Bagatskis played at four FIBA EuroBaskets for Latvia, including placing second in scoring in 1997. He also competed professionally in Latvia, Norway, Poland, France, Russia and Lithuania. He appeared in 29 games in the EuroLeague for Zalgiris Kaunas from 2003 to 2005.

Ainars Bagatskis then became a successful head coach, serving as the play-caller for Zalgiris in the EuroLeague in 2006 and 2007 and also guiding Ukrainian side Budivelnyk, Nizhny Novgorod of Russia and Israeli giant Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague. He was the Latvian senior national team head coach from 2011 to 2017 and guided it to three EuroBaskets.

In terms of lessons Freds learned from his father, he said: "The biggest one would be not to think too much. Just to go and play as well as I possibly can while enjoying the moment."

His father was known as a deadly marksman and Freds Bagatskis has inherited some of that. He boasts a sweet stroke from outside - through he struggled in this season’s ANGT Valencia, hitting just 8 of 34 three-pointers (23.5%).

"I can definitely dunk better than him," Freds joked about where he is better than his father. "One thing I hope I will have one day is his basketball IQ."

The younger Bagatskis is aware that dozens of players have gone from the ANGT to the EuroLeague and he hopes to follow in their footsteps one day.

"I'm pretty sure everyone thinks about stuff like that at some point when playing. I try to just focus on developing my game and competing day in and day out. Of course, it would be a dream to play in the EuroLeague and that’s definitely the goal for me," he said.

And being at Valencia and practicing with the coaches at L'Alqueria del Basket with the club’s professionals in the building next door will definitely help in him achieving that.

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