Mario Nakic, who led U18 Real Madrid to the title at the Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Munich, was named the tournament’s MVP. 

MVP Nakic of U18 Real Madrid leads Munich all-tourney team

Nakic ranked eighth in the tournament in scoring with 15.3 points, including a team-high 23 points in Madrid’s victory in the final over U18 FC Bayern Munich. The 2001-born Nakic ranked first in the tournament in two-point field goal accuracy at 79% and also averaged 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steals.

Joining Nakic on the All-Tournament Team are his Madrid teammate Usman Garuba, Kilian Binapfl of U18 FC Bayern Munich, Henri Drell of U18 Brose Bamberg and Nikos Arsenopoulos of U18 Olympiacos Piraeus. Garuba was fifth in the tournament in performance index rating at 22.3 while averaging 15.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks. Binapfl finished third in scoring at 19.8 points per game and was tops in steals at 2.8; second in blocks at 1.3; and second in index rating at 25.5. The Bayern leader also averaged 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Drell led the tournament in scoring at 27.0 points per game including games of 40 and 36 points. He also was tops in index rating at 26.3 while shooting 42 percent from three-point range and collecting 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks. Arsenopoulos ranked second in scoring at 23.5 buoyed by a 41-point showing. He also was third-best in index rating at 22.8 as he averaged 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals.

ANGT Munich features teams from the host country, Germany, as well as Greece, Spain and Turkey. Moreover, the rosters are stacked with top talents from those countries and many more.

ANGT Munich Players to Watch in 2018

The Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT qualifying series comes to Munich for the first time this weekend. Here's a primer on some of the players to watch from the eight teams in action this weekend.

#### U18 ALBA Berlin: Hendrik Drescher
Drescher will be playing his third ANGT after averaging 3.5 points and 2.8 rebounds at ANGT Belgrade in 2016 and then 12.0 points and 5.5 rebounds at ANGT L’Hospitalet in 2017. The 2.06-meter center also has played multiple summers for German national teams. Drescher collected 9.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2017. The Berlin native has a strong body, which has allowed him to be on the bench for ALBA BBL games; he made his debut in October. Drescher is working on his outside shooting, which will allow him to be an inside-outside player. The MVP of the German U19 NBBL league All-Star Game, Drescher set a new NBBL record with 50 points to go with 17 rebounds.

#### U18 Brose Bamberg: Kay Bruhnke
Bruhnke will be making his debut in the ANGT and is considered one of Germany’s biggest talents from the 2001-born generation. The 1.98-meter forward played last summer for Germany at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2017 and had 9 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist in the first game before getting injured and missing the rest of the tournament. The Weiden native shows a lot of heart and desire on the court and is a good finisher, who can also light it up from outside. Bruhnke, who has Polish roots, has improved greatly his defense and still has potential to get even better there. Even though he doesn’t turn 17 years until July, Bruhnke is playing in Germany’s second division ProA. He is playing more at the point guard position to create for others; he runs the pick-and-roll very well as he is a good passer.

#### U18 Darussafaka Istanbul: Mert Akay
Akay will be competing in his second ANGT after averaging 8.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals in Coin last year. The point guard also has played for the Turkish national team the past two summers. In 2016, he had 2.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists in helping Turkey take bronze at the FIBA U16 European Championship and then collected 4.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists (second-best in the tournament) and 1.4 steals as Turkey finished fourth at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2017. Akay is averaging 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game in Turkey’s U18 league this season. He has good size for a playmaker with great court vision and passing skills. Akay is mature for his age and is working on improving his three-point shooting. His long arms allow him to be aggressive on defense.

#### U18 FC Bayern Munich: Matej Rudan
Rudan will be playing his second ANGT after he averaged 3.5 points and 3.3 rebounds for U18 Cibona Zagreb at ANGT Coin last year despite being two years younger than the rest of the opposition. Last summer he collected 17.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in helping Croatia finish fourth at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2017 and qualify for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2017. The 1.96-meter forward moved to Bayern in December and is averaging 13.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.8 blocks in the U19 NBBL league. His mother, Gordana Cato, played during the 1990s and helped KK Split to a number of national championships. His father, Josko Rudan, played domestically and cousin Teo Cizmic played for KK Split's golden generation with Toni Kukoc, Dino Radja and Velimir Perasovic. Rudan has a very nice touch and can handle the ball well. He possesses very good passing skills.

#### U18 Olympiacos Piraeus: Aleksej Pokusevski
Pokusevski will play his first ANGT as Olympiacos is back in the competition for the first time since 2007. The 2001-born Pokusevski hails from Novi Sad, Serbia, and has been with the Greek powerhouse since January 2016. Pokusevski only turned 16 years old on December 26 and has yet to play for the Serbian national team. The point guard is a great passer and creates for his teammates from a variety of different angles. Because of his height, he is still weaker physically, but he seems to always find a way to put the ball in the basket.

#### U18 ratiopharm Ulm: Mate Fazekas
With Ulm making its ANGT debut, this will also be the first appearance in the competition for Fazekas. He has played two summers for the Hungarian national teams - in Division B of the FIBA U16 European Championship in 2015 and 2016. In the 2016 edition, the center averaged 11.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. He has been with Ulm’s program for four years. Fazekas is averaging 13.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals this season in the German U19 NBBL league. The native of Gyor has great hands and can shoot well for his size. He has been working on developing his large body frame. Fazekas still needs to be more consistent and work on his footwork on defense.

#### U18 Real Betis Energia Plus Seville: Andrzej Pluta
Pluta will be appearing in his second ANGT after he was named to the ANGT Coin All-Tournament Team last season for averaging 17.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals despite being a year younger. The 1.91-meter combo guard has played two summers for Poland’s national team. In 2015 he helped Poland to promotion with 6.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in the FIBA U16 European Championship Division B. A year later he averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.7 steals at the FIBA U16 European Championship. Pluta is averaging 15.3 points for Betis’ EBA team. He is the son of Andrzej Pluta, who played 11 years for the Polish national team and appeared at the 1997 and 2007 FIBA EuroBaskets. The younger Pluta is a great shooter and also can organize the game as a point guard.

#### U18 Real Madrid: Melwin Pantzar
Pantzar will be playing in his second ANGT after helping Madrid win ANGT Coin crown last year by averaging 7.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals. At the ANGT Finals in Istanbul, the Swedish guard collected 7.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals. He has played one summer for the Swedish national team, with which he averaged 7.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.1 steals at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2016. Pantzar, who is currently playing for Madrid’s EBA team, can play both guard positions. He’s very athletic, which allows him to be a great defender and play at a very high pace. Pantzar can finish near the basket, but still needs to improve his three-point accuracy

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The globe’s premier youth club basketball competition comes to Germany when the first-ever Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Munich tips off this weekend. 

Munich hosts its first ANGT qualifier

Among the headliners will be 2015 continental champion U18 Real Madrid, which is the only previous title-winner in the eight-team field. Madrid joins U18 ALBA Berlin, U18 Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul and ANGT debutant U18 ratiopharm Ulm in Group B. Group A also has two German clubs with host side U18 FC Bayern Munich and U18 Brose Bamberg as well as U18 Olympiacos Piraeus and U18 Real Betis Energia Plus Seville. The teams will all play each other in their group round-robin style with the group winners facing off in Sunday’s ANGT Munich final. The victor of that game will book its ticket to the ANGT Finals at May’s Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Belgrade. The winner will be the third participant to guarantee its place at the eight-team ANGT Finals field along with U18 Divina Seguros Joventut Badalona and U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius, which won the ANGT Ciutat L’Hospitalet and ANGT Kaunas events, respectively.

In Group A, Bayern will host an ANGT for the first time at the Audi Dome after playing in the competition in the last four editions. Bayern finished 1-3 and in seventh place in Coin last year after posting the same record and a sixth-place finish in Belgrade in 2016. Bamberg returns to the competition after missing last year’s event. In 2016, Bamberg lost to Real Madrid in the L’Hospitalet semifinals. The club’s best finish came in 2013, when it grabbed third place in Rome. Even though Olympiacos has achieved great things in the EuroLeague, the Greek giant will be making just its second-ever appearance in the ANGT following its 0-3 showing in the ANGT Finals in 2007. Betis is a regular in the competition though it has played under different names in the past. The club took fourth place in Coin last year with a 2-2 record. As Cajasol Seville, it reached the ANGT Finals in 2010 and 2014.

Madrid enters Group B having won its previous four qualifying tournaments - L’Hospitalet in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and Coin in 2017. Madrid has not lost an ANGT qualifying game since being defeated by U18 Divina Seguros Joventut Badalona in the final of the 2013 ANGT L’Hospitalet - an on-going streak of 19 games. ALBA has played in two ANGT Finals - both as EuroLeague Final Four host in 2009 and 2016. In 2017, ALBA took sixth place at L’Hospitalet with a 1-3 record after taking fifth place and third place in 2016 and 2015, respectively in Belgrade. Darussafaka will be making its second-ever appearance in the ANGT after finishing eighth in Coin last year with a 1-3 record. Ulm is making its debut in the competition.

Deividas Sirvydis has already etched his name in the annals of Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius history. But the star talent can add another mark as the first player to lead the U18 team to the title at the Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Kaunas, which he did as the captain and MVP. 

Sirvydis keeps etching his name in annals of Rytas history

Sirvydis led Rytas in scoring with 17.0 points a game to go with 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 steals as Rytas knocked off U18 Stellazzurra Rome in the ANGT Kaunas final to book its ticket to the ANGT Finals in Belgrade in May.

"It's an amazing feeling," said Sirvydis, who recorded 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals in the final against Stellazzurra. As was winning the MVP trophy: "It means a lot. A lot of great players from throughout Europe have played here and won the MVP title. It's the best thing I've ever had."

It was Sirvydis's third time playing in the ANGT after the 2016 ANGT Finals in Berlin and ANGT Kaunas last year, where he played just one game and then returned home because he was sick. So, he was extra excited to play and win the title this time.

"We wanted to win the tournament and we won the tournament and now we are going to Belgrade. And we will have the same goal," Sirvydis exclaimed.

The goal will be to help Rytas to its second-ever ANGT continental title following the crown in 2012 in Istanbul. And a championship would give Sirvydis a leg up on one of the club's biggest names - Jonas Valanciunas. The star center came up just short of winning the ANGT title in 2009 at the Final Four in Berlin, where Rytas lost to U18 FMP in the ANGT championship game.

Sirvydis has already eclipsed Valanciunas in two other aspects. The 2.00-meter guard made his Lithuanian LKL league debut on May 29, 2017, days before his 17th birthday, surpassing Valanciunas as the youngest player in Rytas history to play in the LKL. And on December 5, 2017, Sirvydis got into Rytas's 7DAYS EuroCup game against Partizan NIS Belgrade, which saw him overtake Valanciunas as the club's youngest debutant in the EuroCup.

The personable Sirvydis laughs when those facts are brought up. "I feel good. Valanciunas is a big star in the NBA and I was younger than him."

While many see a bright future for the youngster, Sirvydis's past was spent as a young globetrotter around Europe with his basketball-playing father. Virginijus Sirvydis was playing in Vilnius for Sakalai when Deividas was born in 2000. But the wingman father spent Deividas's young days bouncing around Europe, playing three years in Russia, two years in Germany and one season each in Cyprus and the Czech Republic.

"It was kind of fun," Deividas recalls of his time in other countries. But the younger Sirvydis really can't remember much specifically. And what about watching his father play? "Not really. I was a little boy and was sleeping during the games. After the games I could dribble and shoot on the court though," said Sirvydis, who would do the same at his father's practices.

It was those practices and after-game settings that brought Deividas into the game, which he began to play in earnest at around 7 years of age. And there was always his father to talk about the game. After retiring in 2012, Virginijus became a coach and is currently the assistant coach at LKL team Pieno Zvaigzdes Pasvalys.

"He gives me some advice. He watches every game and after each game, he talks to me and tells me what I did wrong," Deividas said.

What definitely was not wrong in Sirvydis's eyes was signing a long-term contract with Rytas. "It's everything. I was born in Vilnius and I want to play in Vilnius," he said.

And Sirvydis is already steeped in the tradition of Lithuanian basketball and talks of Zalgiris Kaunas as the archrivals, making it all the better to win the club's first ANGT qualifying tournament title since ANGT Siauliai 2013.

"It's the best feeling. All the time it's like the clasico, Rytas and Zalgiris. And we won the championship in Kaunas."

Just another mark for Sirvydis in the annals of Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius history.

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Sure, every team was happy when they grabbed a victory at the Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Kaunas. But the satisfaction of winning a game might just be a bit more for Mathis Dossou-Yovo and the rest of the U18 CFBB Paris team.

Winning ANGT games has special meaning for Dossou-Yovo, CFBB

Mainly because the ANGT competition is one of the few chances where they can beat another team.

Dossou-Yovo played a major role in CFBB grabbing two victories and finishing fifth in Kaunas. The 2.02-meter big man collected 16.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals for an index rating of 22.8, the top PIR of the tournament, which helped him earn a spot on the all-tournament team.

"It's an honor. It feels good to be recognized," said Dossou-Yovo, a native of Chateauroux who came to Kaunas expecting to shoulder a lot of responsibility on CFBB.

"I knew I would need to be a leader," he said.

That is because Dossou-Yovo was one of five players on the current CFBB team who also hoisted the ANGT continental trophy last May at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Istanbul.

"We won in Istanbul and that was fantastic. We had a good team with good players," said Dossou-Yovo, who averaged 8.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.8 blocks in last season's finals. "That was amazing. We played good together. Those were good players, but also good friends and good men."

Since most of the leaders of that team have since left the organization, it is time now for the next group of players to step up for the two-time continental U18 champions.

Dossou-Yovo, who turned 17 years old on November 6, has a special bond with his teammates. It's something that is built over the course of seasons that are challenging to say the least.

CFBB – which used to be known in competitions as INSEP – is an academy where players develop for three years between the ages of 15 and 19. It has produced many of France's all-time greats over the past couple of decades, including Tony Parker, Boris Diaw, Ronny Turiaf, Evan Fournier, Joffrey Lauvergne, Alexis Ajinca, Antoine Diot, Livio Jean-Charles and Leo Westermann.

But CFBB doesn't produce many victories.

As part of a cooperation between the French federation and the French leagues, CFBB and its young talents play in the French semi-professional NM1 third division against grown men. The team cannot be relegated or promoted out of the NM1. And that is a good thing, since victories have been few and far between.

CFBB came to Kaunas with an 0-17 record this season in the NM1. Last season, CFBB lost all 34 games in the NM1, making the fact that the team won the ANGT title all the more amazing.

In fact, CFBB's last NM1 victory came on April 16, 2016, when it beat Caen 93-87 in game 32 of the NM1 season. Its current 53-game losing streak since then is nothing though. That April 2016 victory snapped a 142-game losing streak, dating back nearly four years to January 21, 2012.

"We lose, but we don't like that. We want to win games too," said Dossou-Yovo, who has not yet won an NM1 league game in his career at CFBB.

Dossou-Yovo's best NM1 game this season came on November 11 when CFBB came closest to grabbing a win. The big man collected 12 points, 15 rebounds and 2 blocks in a 55-48 loss to Aubenas.

CFBB's next game was a 75-64 defeat against RAC Basket, the team's second-closest chance at a victory. Otherwise, things haven't been close. Thirteen of the team's 17 losses have been by more than 30 points and four have been by 50 points or more.

Still Dossou-Yovo, who started playing basketball when he was 10 years old, really values playing at CFBB. "It's an honor," he says. "It's a really good place to work and improve yourself as a player."

But it's not exactly a great place if you are looking to win games. That makes each victory that CFBB gets at the ANGT that much more meaningful.



Sure, every team was happy when they grabbed a victory at the Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Kaunas. But the satisfaction of winning a game might just be a bit more for Mathis Dossou-Yovo and the rest of the U18 CFBB Paris team. 

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After leading U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius to the title at the Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Kaunas on Sunday, Deividas Sirvydis was named tournament MVP. 

MVP Sirvydis of Rytas headlines All-Tournament team

Sirvydis was second in the competition in scoring with 17.0 points per game, including 16 in Sunday’s AGNT Kaunas final victory over U18 Stellazzurra Rome. He also averaged 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 65.2 percent from two-point range, which was second-best in the tournament.

Joining Sirvydis on the All-Tournament Team are teammate Marek Blazevic, Stellazzurra’s Aristide Mouaha, Rokas Jokubaitis of U18 Zalgiris Kaunas and Mathis Dossou-Yovo of U18 CFBB Paris. Blazevic averaged 12.3 points, including 19 points in Sunday’s final. He also had 11 rebounds against Stellazzurra to average 8.0 boards a game, which ranked fourth-best in the tournament. Blazevic chipped in 1.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks for an average index rating of 20.50, which was second-best in Kaunas. Despite scoring just 6 points in the final, Mouaha led Stellazzurra in scoring with 16.3 per game, which tied for third-highest in the event. He also posted 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 steals. Jokubaits, who helped Zalgiris to third place, led the tournament in assists with 8.3 per game to go with 15.0 points and 3.8 rebounds. Dossou-Yovo, a fifth-place finisher with CFBB, led the tournament in index rating at 22.8, while finishing tied for third in scoring at 16.3 points per game and a third-best 8.5 rebounds a game. He also had 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per contest.

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The 2018 Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT qualifying series tournaments continue this weekend in Lithuania. The rosters are stacked with top talents from those countries and many more. 

ANGT Kaunas Players to Watch in 2018

ANGT Kaunas features four former ANGT champions among teams from the host country, France, Italy, Latvia, Russia and Turkey. Here's a primer on some of the players to watch from the eight teams in action this weekend.

#### U18 Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul: Efe Tirpanci
Tirpanci will be playing in his second ANGT after averaging 8.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block at ANGT Kaunas last season. He later posted 6.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 2.0 steals at the ANGT Finals. The 2.02-meter Tirpanci played last season as a small forward, but Fenerbahce is in the process of shifting him to point guard. Tirpanci has excellent court vision, drives aggressively to the basket and can finish as well. He also shoots a good percentage on his mid-range pull up shots. Tirpanci continues to improve his pass selection and his three-point shooting percentage. Fenerbahce also has him working on changing speeds when he dribbles to keep defenses off balance.

#### U18 VEF Riga: Oskars Hlebovickis
Hlebovickis is appearing in the ANGT for the second time. He collected 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steal in Kaunas last season. The 2.00-meter wing is playing in Latvia’s second division LBL2, where he is averaging 14.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.1 steals and has picked up three double-doubles. Hlebovickis, who was born in the capital of Poland, Warsaw, can play at both wing positions but also can play with his back to the basket. He also has international experience; Hlebovickis played three games for the Latvian national team at the FIBA U16 European Championship in 2016. He has a very high basketball IQ and is a good spot-up shooter.

#### U18 Zalgiris Kaunas: Rokas Jokubaitis
Jokubaitis will be lining up in his second ANGT after playing a major role in Zalgiris winning ANGT Kaunas last season. He averaged 10.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists, including a team-high 18 points to go with 6 assists in the victory over U18 CFBB Paris in the Kaunas Final. In the ANGT Finals in Istanbul, the 1.91-meter point guard was worth 15.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.7 steals. Jokubaitis comes from a basketball family; both of his parents played the game and his sister still does. His father, Aivaras, was more of a low post player and played a handful of years in the Lithuanian first division. Rokas helped Lithuania win silver at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2016 and last summer averaged 10.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017. An excellent playmaker, Jokubaitis can handle the ball very well and finish at the basket as well, though he needs to keep working on his shooting.

#### U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius: Deividas Sirvydis
This will be the third season that Sirvydis is playing in the ANGT. He averaged 3.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals at the ANGT Finals in 2016. Last season he appeared in only one game at ANGT Kaunas, in which he produced 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block before missing the rest of the tournament with an injury. The lefty helped Lithuania to the silver medal at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2016. His father, Virginijus, played many years in Lithuania, Russia, Germany, Cyprus and the Czech Republic before retiring in 2012 and now coaches in Lithuania’s second division. Deividas made his Lithuania professional league debut in 2016-17 and this season has played in two games in the 7DAYS EuroCup. The 2.00 meter wing can play both guard positions and both forward positions at the U18 level and can create shots for himself.

#### U18 Stellazzurra Rome: Paul Eboua
Eboua is set to appear in his second ANGT after he averaged 5.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 steal at ANGT Belgrade last season and will be out to improve on that campaign. The 2.03-meter swingman hails from Cameroon and came to Italy in 2015. He has only been playing basketball for three years. Eboua has elite athleticism and can shoot from behind the arc or attack the basket and finish above the rim. He is working on improving his ball handling to continue the transformation from small forward to shooting guard. Eboua recently missed three months due to an injury, so he might not be at his top form in Kaunas.

#### U18 Khimki Moscow Region: Dmitry Kadoshnikov
With Khimki playing in its first ANGT event since the 2011-12 season, Kadoshnikov will also be making his debut in the tournament. The 2001-born big man has already played internationally for Russia; he averaged 9.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals over the summer at FIBA U16 European Championship 2017. Kadoshnikov, who stands 2.01 meters, recorded three double-doubles in the tournament, including a 13-point, 20-rebound effort against Sweden. Last season, he helped Khimki’s junior team to the EYBL championship and was chosen MVP. Kadoshnikov is a physically gifted player with good leaping abilities. He is very active on the boards and also has good size and mobility. Kadoshnikov possesses a high basketball IQ and can take his shooting game outside.

#### U18 CSKA Moscow: Viktor Lakhin
Lakhin will be playing in his second ANGT after making the CSKA team for the ANGT Finals at the EuroLeague Final Four last season and averaging 5.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.7 steals. The 2.07-meter power forward played for Russia last summer at FIBA U16 European Championship 2017, where he averaged 9.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.1 blocks, including 14 points and 13 rebounds against Sweden. The Krasnodar native possesses good rebounding instincts and can play from the outside in. He is also an effective shot blocker as serves as a good rim protector. Lakhin still is working on his shooting skills and improving his post-up game.

#### U18 CFBB Paris: Yohan Choupas
Choupas enters the competition as a reigning champion after helping CFBB to the crown last season. At ANGT Kaunas, he averaged 4.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Those numbers dipped to 1.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists at the ANGT Finals. The Paris native spent the summer with the French youth national team; he produced 4.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists at FIBA U18 European Championship 2017. The 1.93 meter guard is spending his third season with CFBB and averaging 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals this season in the French third flight. He has heated up recently with 13.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals over the last five games. Choupas is quick and defends well. He is still working on improving the consistency on his three-point shot.

Luka Samanic dominates the game as if he's played it for all of his life. But the freshly-crowned MVP of the Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Ciutat de L'Hospitalet actually started late in basketball, which is why development is so important to the U18 FC Barcelona Lassa talent.

Development is priority for Barcelona talent Samanic

Samanic won the MVP award at the ANGT L'Hospitalet by averaging 23.3 points, 14.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.8 blocks, 6.8 fouls drawn and an index rating of 33. Those numbers ranked Samanic first in rebounding and blocks, second in index rating and third in scoring, but were not enough for Barcelona to avoid a loss to local rival U18 Divina Seguros Joventut Badalona in the final.

"To be MVP of this tournament means a lot, but in the end we lost the final game, which is the most important thing for me," Samanic said. "We wanted to win this and go to Belgrade and the Final Four. It's really nice to win this, but without the championship something is missing."

What's definitely not missing is star potential in Samanic, who turned 18 years old on January 9. The Croatian wowed fans all weekend in the Barcelona suburb with big dunks, bigger blocked shots, an unstoppable will around the glass and impressive consistency from the free throw line, where he made 29 of 34 shots (85%).

Even though his father played the game for many, many years, Samanic did not grow up playing basketball. Marko Samanic was a journeyman who extended his career out to 19 years, bringing Luka and the family to Belgium when he was 9 months old. The Samanics would also make stops in Slovenia and Germany.

It was in Slovenia that Marko Samanic would reach his highest level, playing in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague in 2001-02 for KRKA Novo Mesto. He also played in the 7DAYS EuroCup for KK Zadar in 2002-03.

Luka said he would shoot and dribble after his father's practices as a young child, but his sport of choice was something different.

"All of my friends were playing football, and that's the main reason why I also started football," said Samanic, who also played handball and tennis before at last picking up basketball at age 11.

Playing those other sports helped the 2.08 meter forward develop his co-ordination, something that is often lacking for young, tall basketball players.

Samanic is excited about his development in his second season at Barcelona. He played last year at the ANGT L'Hospitalet and averaged 8.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.8 blocks as a backup player on a team that included the likes of Sergi Martinez, Arnas Velicka, Andrija Marjanovic and Nikola Zizic.

"My first year was tough, trying to adapt to Spain and the Spanish league. It was more about adapting," Samanic said. "The second year, I think I started to improve, to make my teammates better and my individual game and team game." With many of those top players from last season gone, Samanic knew it was going to be his time to lead the team.

"There was no pressure for me because we had to play like a team if we wanted to win. Of course, there is more responsibility for some players than others. But in the end we beat everybody as a team and we lost like a team also," he said.

When asked what he learned from the ANGT L'Hospitalet, Samanic said: "We have to sacrifice more for each other. With this tough rhythm of four games in three days, you have to be ready for everything."

Samanic knows he is very far from a finished player and that there are a lot of things he is working on.

"I need to work on my body and my shot, not only individual things, but also tactical things as well," he said.

His main goal is to become a professional basketball player.

"I want to reach as far as possible and my potential will help me accomplish that. This year I want to win as much as possible and develop as much as possible."

Despite getting a late start, Samanic is more than making up for lost time and has excellent chances of becoming a great player for many years.

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Most 18-year-old pro prospects with basketball-playing fathers would love to get on the court and show that they can beat their progenitors. Aleksander Balcerowski of U18 Herbalife Gran Canaria has a different situation. 

Gran Canaria's Balcerowski motivated by wheelchair-bound father

His father is still playing and was recently named to the European Championships all-tournament team in wheelchair basketball.

Indeed, Marcin Balcerowski is the young Gran Canaria center's biggest role model because his father is someone who lives out the motto of never looking back and living for today.

Marcin was a mid-level basketball player in Poland until 2000, the year Aleksander was born, when he got in a car accident and was thereafter bound to a wheelchair.

"It was quite hard. He didn't want to stop the game. He found out there was basketball for wheelchair players and he decided to try a new career, a new life," Balcerowski said.

Aleksander's father was discovered by a scout for a German club and his wheelchair basketball career not only took off, but continues. He helped Poland finish in sixth place at the 2017 European Wheelchair Basketball Championship and gain qualification for the 2018 World Championship. Marcin Balcerowski was selected as one of the top five players in the event, and he currently plays for BG Baskets Hamburg in the top league in Germany.

When asked how his father motivates him, Balcerowski says: "Never give up, that's my father. He's one of the biggest examples for me to always keep your mind straight ahead and never look back."

And what about Aleksander trying wheelchair basketball?

"It's very hard," he said. "The hardest thing for the new guys after an accident is just starting. My father gained 20 kilos after the accident. He wasn't moving. You have to start moving with only your arms. Their arms are so strong. You have to move for 40 minutes, just with your arms, shooting and everything. And that is the hardest thing, getting used to that."

Aleksander has never played his father one-on-one in wheelchairs. They have played one-on-one with him on his feet and Aleksander won that encounter. "But he beats me when we shoot," Aleksander adds.

The last time Aleksander played at the Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT, he was just recovering from a broken leg before playing his first games at the ANGT L'Hospitalet following four months of rehab. This year, the 2.15-meter big man is fully fit and showing some off a skillset which has some believing he can play at the highest levels as a pro.

"I wanted to show here everything that I didn't show last time. Everything that I am doing now," he said. "I see my game as playing everywhere. I want to be a complete player, doing everything. I am trying to do more things, and I know I will get better by making mistakes. I see my game like Kristaps Porzingis, something like a big guy who can do everything."

The calendar year that just passed was quite a special one for Balcerowski. First, there was his return to the court for the ANGT L'Hospitalet. Then he began practicing this season with Gran Canaria's senior team. And that led to Balcerowski being among the 17 players nominated for Poland's senior national team for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers in November.

The youngster, who only turned 18 years old on November 19, did not make the Polish team for the qualifiers, but it was an invaluable experience.

"It was such a great time with those great players. They are such good guys. It was the first time I was there and they treated me like i was always there, like one of them," said Balcerowski, who has yet to play for Poland internationally after breaking his leg before the FIBA U16 European Championship 2016, which was hosted by his native Poland. "I hope I come back there very fast."

Then just a couple of weeks later, on December 6, Balcerowski got in Gran Canaria's 7DAYS EuroCup game against Tofas Bursa. He played 1:22 minutes and even scored 2 points on his only shot.

"I'm still young, I need to get stronger. Those guys are a lot stronger than me. They have more confidence. They have been playing almost 10 years some of them," he said.

The main thing for Balcerowski is just playing.

"I love this game. I don't know what I would do without this game," he says. "So I am always trying to think that I can always be better. I don't need to stop. I can do everything I do wrong better. I just need to keep working hard each day, and that's it. I'm not thinking about all this talk of the future. Just think about the day you are living now."

Balcerowski's father couldn't have said it any better.

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