The second ticket for the 2015-16 Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Finals in Berlin next spring is up for grabs when the EB ANGT Qualifying Tournament - Torneig de Bàsquet Junior Ciutat de L'Hospitalet tips off on Monday. 

ANGT L'Hospitalet tips off Monday with eight teams from four countries

The eight-team field in the Barcelona suburb features a number of top teams, including reigning champion U18 Real Madrid, 2013 winner U18 FIATC Joventut Badalona, 2008 and 2013 runner-up U18 FC Barcelona Lassa and 2003 runner-up U18 Maccabi Teddy Tel Aviv.

The ANGT L’Hospitalet winner will join U18 Mega Leks Belgrade at the ANGT Finals from May 12-15 at the 2016 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four in Berlin, Germany. The ANGT L’Hospitalet is second in a series of four ANGT qualifying tournaments that will be played across the European continent over the next two months. The third event, the EB ANGT Qualifying Tournament – Kaunas takes place on January 15-17 with the EB ANGT Qualifying Tournament – Belgrade running February 26-28.

The field at the ANGT L’Hospitalet has seen two changes compared to last season with U18 ASVEL Lyon Villeurbanne and U18 Galatasaray Istanbul dropping out of the competition and Maccabi and U18 Brose Baskets Bamberg moving over from the ANGT Rome.

Reigning ANGT L’Hospitalet and ANGT Finals champion Real Madrid starts its defense of the crown in Group A along with U18 Union Olimpija Ljubljana, Joventut and Maccabi. Group B has Barcelona, U18 Baloncesto Seville, host U18 Torrons Vicens L’Hospitalet and Bamberg. The top two teams in the groups will face off in the semifinals with the winner of the final locking up a spot in the ANGT Finals.

Madrid enters the tournament with a nine-game ANGT winning streak and 20 victories in its last ANGT 22 games; it lost only the 2012-13 ANGT L’Hospitalet final against eventual champion Joventut and the 2013-14 ANGT Finals championship game against U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade. Madrid was undefeated last season and broke through for its first ANGT title by dethroning previous champion Zvezda.

Olimipja is at the ANGT L’Hospitalet for the fourth straight season. The Slovenian club went 1-3 in 2014-15 after reaching the semifinals in 2013-14 and losing to U18 Unicaja Malaga before finishing third. After two straight appearances in the ANGT Finals, Joventut finished fifth last season at the ANGT L’Hospitalet with a 2-2 record. Maccabi will be looking for its first ANGT victory since the 2012-13 season, when the Israeli club went 1-3 and beat L’Hospitalet. Maccabi was 0-4 at the ANGT Rome last season and did not take part in the competition in 2013-14.

The top team in Group B is Barcelona, which has not won the ANGT L’Hospitalet since 2010-11. Barcelona lost in the 2011-12 and 2014-15 ANGT L’Hospitalet finals; it won first four games last season. Seville is taking part in the competition for the fifth straight season. It went 2-2 last season losing to Barcelona in the ANGT L’Hospitalet semifinal. Seville won the ANGT Rome in 2013-14 after going 2-3 at the ANGT L’Hospitalet in both 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Torrons Vicens L’Hospitalet pulled off a rare victory last season, knocking off Galatasaray for its first win since beating Power Electronics during the 2009-10 ANGT L’Hospitalet. The victory snapped a 20-game losing streak. Bamberg is taking part in the competition for the seventh time in the last eight years. Last season the German team was 2-2 at the ANGT Rome and finished fourth. Bamberg returns to the ANGT L’Hospitalet after playing there in 2013-14 – and going 1-3. Bamberg played at the ANGT Rome in 2012-13 after competing at the ANGT Belgrade in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2011-12.



real-madrid-repeats-as-champ-in-l-hospitalet.jpeg

The 2015-16 Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT series moves to the second stage with the EB ANGT Qualifying Tournament - Torneig de Bàsquet Junior Ciutat de L'Hospitalet. 

Players to Watch: ANGT L'Hospitalet

It tips off on Monday in the Barcelona suburb with many of the best young players in Europe ready to showcase their skills. Learn more about some of the players to watch from the eight teams set to clash for a ticket to the ANGT Finals.

### U18 REAL MADRID: Felipe Dos Anjos

Dos Anjos will be playing in his second ANGT after averaging 6.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks over nine games during the ANGT L’Hospitalet and the ANGT Finals last season. The 2.18-meter center helped U18 Real Madrid to the title last season by collecting 5 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks per game at the ANGT Finals. Dos Anjos, who came to Real Madrid in 2012, has not yet played in the Brazilian youth national team system. He always has a positive attitude, is very well coordinated and runs up and down the court well for his size. He’s a great defensive rebounder and has developed a good mid-range game. The Sao Paolo native has gained in self-confidence, but needs to learn how to deal with facing difficult opponents.

### U18 UNION OLIMPIJA LJUBLJANA: Ziga Jurcek

Jurcek will be playing his third ANGT after averaging 4.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals last season at the ANGT L’Hospitalet. The 1.96-meter shooting guard averaged 3.6 points and 1.4 rebounds during the 2013-14 ANGT L’Hospitalet. The Ljubljana native played last summer at the U18 European Championship Division B for Slovenia and averaged 6.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steals. He is currently playing for Olimpija’s youth team in the third division – where he is averaging 14.3 points a game, as well as for the U19 team – for which he’s scoring 11 points a game. Jurcek has a very soft touch and is considered very technically skilled. He is versatile with the ability to drive to the basket. Jurcek is also a weapon in the open court.

### U18 FIATC JOVENTUT BADALONA: Josep Busquets

Busquets will be playing in his first ANGT, and the ANGT L’Hospitalet will be the first big tournament for the 1999-born player. The 1.96-meter shooting guard has not yet played in the Spanish youth national team system. But the Granollers native has been with Joventut since 2011 and already proven his talent. Busquets has a good body structure, which will be enhanced when he adds more muscle. He possesses a very reliable three-point shot and excels with mid-range, off-the-dribble jump shots. Busquets is very tough to stop in one-on-one situations and can finish at the rim. He also stands out in pick-and-roll situations. The Joventut staff considers him to be one of the best playmaker prospects of his generation. But Busquets must exhibit a strong character to lead the team and keep working on his defensive skills.

### U18 MACCABI TEDDY TEL AVIV: Yovel Zoosman

Zoosman will be playing his first ANGT event in Spain, but he has already spent a significant amount of time with training with Maccabi’s senior team, including joining it for the pre-season Euro Classic games in the United States and debuting this season in both the Turkish Airlines Euroleague and the Israeli League. The 1.97-meter guard has played the last two summers for the Israel youth national teams. He averaged 7.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.9 steals as Israel took second place at the 2015 U18 European Championship Division B and was promoted to Division A. A summer earlier, the Kfar Saba native also helped Israel finish second at the U16 European Championship Division B to earn promotion to Division A. Zoosman arrived at Maccabi from the Wingate Basketball Academy. He has a huge wingspan in proportion to his height and possesses a consistent jump shot. Zoosman also rebounds and dribbles well and moves well without the ball. He can be a glue guy, contributing in every way and helping make his teammates better.

### U18 FC BARCELONA LASSA: Eric Vila

 Vila will be playing in his second ANGT after averaging 7.8 points and 5.4 rebounds over five games last season for Barcelona. The 2.06-meter small forward has played the last two summers for Spanish youth national teams. He averaged 3.4 points and 2.9 rebounds as an underage player at the 2015 U18 European Championship. The Girona native last December became the youngest debutant for Barcelona’s professional team at 16 years and six months, lowering the mark which Jordi Soler had held since 1986. Vila is playing for Barcelona’s second team in the LEB Gold. He is a versatile all-around player with long arms, who can play shooting guard and both forward positions. Vila has a solid shot and can handle the ball, while also helping out on the glass. He still needs to improve his physical strength and get better with the consistency of his shot.

### U18 BALONCESTO SEVILLE: Leo Cizmic

Cizmic will be playing in his second ANGT after averaging 7.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in four games at last season’s ANGT L’Hospitalet. The 2.05-meter forward, who turned 17 in December, played one summer in the Croatian youth national team system, where he averaged 4.2 points and 3.6 rebounds at the 2014 U16 European Championship. Cizmic, who was born in Israel, is the son of former Croatian youth international Teo Cizmic. The younger Cizmic has already made his Liga Endesa debut for Seville as the youngest player in club history at 17 years, 3 days. Cizmic’s biggest strength is his outside shot, which is a real weapon for his team. He has a good understanding of space and is very smart. If a defender gets too close, Cizmic can also drive to the basket and finish – though he’s not uber-athletic and doesn’t play above the rim.

### U18 TORRONS VICENS L’HOSPITALET: Daniel Garcia

Garcia will be playing his second ANGT after averaging 6.8 points and hitting 7-of-14 three-pointers to go with 1.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals at last season’s ANGT L’Hospitalet. The 1.83-meter guard has yet to play in the Spanish youth national team system. Garcia is a very skilled player who also is technically very gifted. Garcia is a difficult player to stop in one-on-one situations. Another strong characteristic is his remarkable court-vision, which makes him like a coach on the court and one of most important players for the L’Hospitalet team.

### U18 BROSE BASKETS BAMBERG: Arnoldas Kulboka

Kulboka will be playing his second ANGT after being a key player for Zalgiris Kaunas last season, when he averaged 7.6 points and 3.9 rebounds while hitting almost 56 percent from three-point range over seven games in the ANGT Kaunas and ANGT Finals. The 2.02-meter forward moved from Zalgiris to Bamberg after playing for Lithuania at the 2015 U18 European Championship, where he averaged 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds. He is currently averaging 5.2 points and 1.2 rebounds in the German second division ProA and 21.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in the U19 NBBL. The Marijampoles native has a great touch on his shot – shooting 42 percent from three-point range in the NBBL - and has great length and wingspan. He still must work on his ball handling, passing and defense, but the club expects big things from him.

The 2015-16 Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT series moves to the second stage with the EB ANGT Qualifying Tournament - Torneig de Bàsquet Junior Ciutat de L'Hospitalet.

felipe-dos-anjos-ijt-real-madrid-ciutat-de-lhospitalet-2015-photo-paco-largo.jpeg

Aleksandar Aranitovic would have to make a lot of room in his trophy case after leading U18 Mega Leks Belgrade to the 2015-16 Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Finals in Berlin next spring by winning the EB ANGT Qualifying Tournament – Torneo Citta di Roma on Tuesday. 

MVP Aranitovic heads all-tourney team

Aranitovic was voted tournament MVP and headlines the all-tournament team. Aranitovic dominated in the championship game against U18 Stellazzurra Basketball Academy Rome with 28 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals, but it was just another in a series of big games for him. Aranitovic, who played an integral part in the title games of the last two ANGT Finals with Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade, averaged 19.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.5 steals over four games in Rome.

Joining him on the all-tournament team were Sandro Mamukelashvili from Stellazzurra, Alessandro Pajola of third-place side U18 Virtus Bologna, Nemaja Dincic of U18 Armani Junior Milan and Ablaye Sow of U18 Unicaja Malaga. Mamukelashvili averaged 14.5 points on 8 of 18 three-point shooting (44.4%), 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals for the runner-up. Pajola tallied 7.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.3 steals per game. Dincic and Sow averaged double-doubles; Dincic posted 15.8 points and 11 rebounds per game and Sow was worth 16 points and 12 rebounds.

all-tournament-team-rome-2015-jt15-photo-lello-vitale.jpeg

The 2015-16 EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT tips off in now-customary fashion with the EB ANGT Qualifying Tournament – Torneo Citta di Roma.

Torneo Citta di Roma tips off new ANGT season

Torneo Citta di Roma will be in the Italian capital from December 27 to 29 with reigning champion Stellazzurra Basketball Academy Rome hoping to defend its title and return to the ANGT Finals during the 2016 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four in Berlin. 

The biggest name internationally in Rome is three-time winner U18 CSKA Moscow, which has not played in the finals since 2007 and last lifted the title in 2006. CSKA is the only former champion in the eight-team ANGT Rome field, which will produce the first of eight teams for the ANGT Finals in Berlin.

Teamed up with Stellazzurra and CSKA in Group A in Rome are U18 Anadolu Efes Istanbul and U18 Virtus Bologna. Group B features U18 Armani Junior Milano, U18 Mega Leks Belgrade, U18 Umana Reyer Venice and last season’s Rome finalist U18 Unicaja Malaga. Spanish club Unicaja joined Stellazzurra at last season's ANGT Finals at the 2015 Final Four in Madrid with a wild card. The two winners of the round-robin groups will face off in the final for a spot at the 2016 Final Four in Berlin from May 12 to 15, where they will be joined by the winners of the three other ANGT qualifying tournaments as well as four wild cards. The other three qualifying tournaments will take place on January 4 to 6 in L'Hospitalet, Spain; January 15 to 17 in Kaunas, Lithuania; and February 26 to 28 in Belgrade, Serbia.

The field at the ANGT Rome has seen a lot of changes compared to last season with U18 Spars Sarajevo and U18 Cedevita Zagreb moving from the tournament in the Italian capital to the one in Belgrade and swapping with Mega Leks and Venice. Also U18 Maccabi Teddy Tel Aviv and U18 Brose Baskets Bamberg moved to L'Hospitalet and were replaced with CSKA, which played last season in Kaunas, and Efes.

Stellazzurra broke through last season with the Rome title after reaching the Rome final in 2013-14 and losing against U18 Cajasol Seville. Stellazzurra took fifth place in 2012 and fourth in 2011. CSKA went 0-3 last season in Kaunas after going 1-2 in 2013-14 in Lithuania and taking third place in Siauliai a year earlier. Efes's previous ANGT appearance was in the 2012 Finals, where it was given a wild card. Bologna finished last at ANGT Rome last season after missing the 2013-14 edition.

Milano finished sixth in Rome last season after playing in the ANGT Finals as the host club in 2013-14, when it finished third. Mega Leks is back in the ANGT for the fifth straight season. It was seventh in Belgrade last season, fourth in 2013-14 and reached the Belgrade final in 2012-13. Venice is back after taking eighth place last season in Belgrade. And Unicaja finally played at the finals again last season thanks to a wild card after taking second place at ANGT Rome a year after losing the ANGT L'Hospitalet final to Real Madrid.

stellazzurra-finalist-nijt-rome-2013-photo-giulio-adone.jpeg

The 2015-16 Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT series tips off with the EB ANGT Qualifying Tournament - Torneo Citta di Roma on Sunday in the Italian capital with many of the best young players in Europe eager to take the stage. 

Players to Watch: ANGT Rome

Learn more about some of the players to watch from the eight teams about to clash for a ticket to the ANGT Finals.

### U18 Armani Junior Milano: Davide Toffali

Toffali will be playing his second ANGT event after averaging 8.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.5 assists over four games at ANGT Rome last season. The 17-year-old, 1.94-meter guard has yet to play for the Italian national team youth ranks, but he has made inroads for the senior teams, with whom he debuted in the Italian League against Scandone AV on October 19. Toffali, who plays regularly with Serie C Gold team Tessilform Bernareggio, is a hard worker and a good scorer with confidence coming off screens and shooting pull-up jumpers. He is improving his leadership skills on and off the court, as well as his defense. While his ability to read the game offensively has gotten better, he needs to work on consistently hitting a three-pointer. Toffali's coaches believe he could be one of the best players in his age group.

### U18 CSKA Moscow: Andrei Lopatin

Lopatin will be playing his second ANGT after he scored 6.7 points to go with 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 steals in three games at last season’s ANGT Kaunas. The 2.07-meter power forward played this past summer at the U18 European Championship at a year younger than the average and posted 2.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. After having played the U16 European Championship in 2013 and 2014, Lopatin was nominated for the FIBA Europe U18 All-Star Game at EuroBasket 2015. The 17-year-old is currently playing in the VTB Youth United League, which is a U21 championship. Lopatin reads the game well and is a good shooter for his position. He also passes well and looks for extra passes. He does a lot of dirty work on both ends of the court, plays defense and helps his teammates. Lopatin still needs to grow up physically and improve his post game.

### U18 Stellazzurra Basketball Academy Rome: Lazar Nikolic

Despite being just 16 years old, this will already by Nikolic's third ANGT. Last season, he helped Stellazzurra to the ANGT Finals and averaged 4.9 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.9 steals over seven games. The Serbian, who played for his country at the 2014 U16 European Championship, is an intriguing talent because he's a 2.02-meter playmaker. He's playing in the Italian Serie B and averaging 6.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists, including a 28-point outburst versus Maddaloni and a 12-assist game against Scauri. His coaches used the terms "genius" and "mastermind" in describing his basketball skills. Nikolic is like a coach on the court and does a good job controlling his teammates. He has a good jumper and passes the ball well. His drive to the basket and his defense are two areas where he needs work.

### U18 Mega Leks Belgrade: Novak Music

Music will be playing his second ANGT event after averaging 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 0.8 steals over four games at ANGT Belgrade last season. The 1.89-meter guard did not play for any Serbian national team last summer after having played in the 2014 U16 European Championship, where he averaged 7.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Music is currently playing in the Serbian Junior League and averaging nearly 23 points per game while shooting 43 percent from long range with more than 2 steals per game. Nikolic, who practices with Mega Leks's first team, is extremely quick and excellent in one-on-one situations. He is truly the leader of the team and does a good job pressuring the opposing playmakers. Music still needs to gain muscle mass and must work on his shot.

### U18 Anadolu Efes Istanbul: Baran Avsar

Avsar is making his ANGT debut after Efes did not play in the competition last season. The 1.93-meter guard played for Turkey at the 2015 U16 European Championship for the second straight summer and averaged 5.2 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists as Turkey took third place. Avsar helped Efes win the U16 Turkish titles in 2014 and 2015. The 16-year-old is currently playing for Efes's U18 team and collecting 10.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. He averaged 13.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season in the U16 Istanbul league. Avsar is a fearless player, who never gives up. He penetrates very well, which makes him a very important weapon in the open court. He also passes well. Avsar still struggles at times with shot selection on offense and is sometimes weak at one-on-one on defense.

### U18 Virtus Bologna: Danilo Petrovic

Petrovic will be playing his second ANGT after leading Virtus in scoring with 17.3 points while also getting 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists over four games at ANGT Rome in 2014. At that time, he started only the last two games, collecting 26 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists against U18 Armani Junior Milano and 20 points and 6 rebounds vs U18 Maccabi Teddy Tel Aviv. The 16-year-old, 2.02-meter forward was in the mix to play for Serbia at this past summer’s U16 European Championship, but did not make the team. Petrovic, who used to play for Serbian youth powerhouse Crvena Zvezda, has a strong body, but doesn’t possess a lot of speed or athleticism. He has solid ball-handling and stays within the game. Petrovic makes up for his lack of athleticism with a high basketball IQ and good fundamentals on both offense and defense.

### U18 Umana Reyer Venice: Riccardo Visconti

Visconti will be playing his second ANGT event after averaging 16 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.5 steals over four games at ANGT Belgrade last season. The 1.95-meter guard played at the 2014 U16 European Championship and collected 7.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals. Last season he played at the U19 finals and scored 12.8 points and also averaged 23.7 points and 10.1 rebounds at the U17 finals. He made his professional debut this season with 3 points against Manital Torino for Umana's Italian League team. Visconti is a talented lefty guard with an unbelievable three-point shot and quick release. He can drive to the rim and finish in traffic even if he's off balance. Visconti also can find the open man on offense and has a very good work attitude. Visconti is still skinny and light and trying to bulk up his body.

### U18 Unicaja Malaga: Ablaye Sow

Sow will be playing his second ANGT after helping Unicaja reach the finals last season with a combined 2.7 points and 3.4 rebounds over seven games at both ANGT Rome and the ANGT Finals in Madrid. His two best games saw him collect 5 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals against U18 Spars Sarajevo and 6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block against U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade. The 2.09-meter Senegalese big man has already played one game for the LEB Silver team Clinicas Rincon. Sow has excellent length and athleticism, which makes him a good rebounder. He’s willing to work hard on defense and has a decent feel around the rim. He still needs to gain some weight and mass, which will come with his age. Sow also must develop his offensive game around the basket.

The 37th annual "Torneig de Básquet Júnior Ciutat de L'Hospitalet" was presented on Tuesday in suburban Barcelona with the promise of more high-level competition in the fight to reach the ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT at the 2015 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four that will be played in Berlin next May. 

L'Hospitalet tournament's 37th edition presented

The L'Hospitalet tournament will be held in the province of Barcelona between January 4 and 6, 2016. Organized by CB L'Hospitalet, the tournament is a time-tested holiday magnet for teams, fans and scouts from all over Europe and beyond. The follow comments were made during the tournament press conference on Tuesday:

Nuria Marin, Mayor of Hospitalet: "We are here again to present a date marked in red on all our calendars, the 37th edition of the Hospitalet Junior Tournament. The city of Hospitalet is really proud to support this event for another year and to welcome all the teams who will join us in January."

Joan Ramón Patón, President of Club Bàsquet L'Hospitalet: "We are all waiting for the 37th edition of our junior tournament. From January 4 to 6 our home court will welcome some of the most talented junior players in Europe to bring the best competition possible to the fans. We are aware that this tournament would be really difficult to organize but with the support of all our sponsors, Euroleague Basketball and the city of Hospitalet, we can make this tournament happen. Thank you all for coming and hope you enjoy the tournament."

Diego Guillén d’Arlot de Saint-Saud, Euroleague Basketball Competitions Director: "Euroleague Basketball is really proud to collaborate for the ninth year in a row with the Hospitalet Tournament that together with the other three tournaments that we organize around Europe – Belgrade, Kaunas and Rome – gather the most talented junior players of the continent playing to achieve a spot in the final, which will be played during the Final Four of Berlin. I would like to thank Adidas for being the sponsor of the tournament for the second year in a row and the Club Bàsquet L'Hospitalet for organizing such an prestigious tournament which is a reference in Europe."

Enric Prats, Catalan Basketball Federation Vice-President: "There is no need to make a presentation of the tournament that, with 37 editions, we all know because of its excellent organization and the talented players who have participated, whom we can watch now on a weekly basis playing in the top European competitions and domestic leagues."

37-hospitalet-tournament-presentation-2015.jpeg

Welcome to the 2015-16 ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT. Discover the full schedule below. 

2015-16 ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT schedules

### ROME TOURNAMENT, DECEMBER 27-29, 2015

#### VENUE: ALTERO FELICI

GROUP A
* CSKA MOSCOW
* ANADOLU EFES ISTANBUL
* STELLAZZURRA BASKETBALL ACADEMY ROME
* VIRTUS BOLOGNA

GROUP B
* ARMANI JUNIOR MILAN
* MEGA LEKS BELGRADE
* UMANA REYER VENICE
* UNICAJA MALAGA

#### SUNDAY 27 DECEMBER:

* 9:30 STELLAZZURRA BASKETBALL ACADEMY ROME - CSKA MOSCOW
* 11:30 VIRTUS BOLOGNA - ANADOLU EFES ISTANBUL
* 14:30 UMANA REYER VENICE - UNICAJA MALAGA
* 16:30 MEGA LEKS BELGRADE - ARMANI JUNIOR MILAN
* 18:30 ANADOLU EFES ISTANBUL - CSKA MOSCOW
* 20:30 STELLAZZURRA BASKETBALL ACADEMY ROME - VIRTUS BOLOGNA

#### MONDAY 28 DECEMBER:

* 9:30 ARMANI JUNIOR MILAN - UNICAJA MALAGA
* 11:30 UMANA REYER VENICE - MEGA LEKS BELGRADE
* 14:30 VIRTUS BOLOGNA - CSKA MOSCOW
* 16:30 STELLAZZURRA BASKETBALL ACADEMY ROME - ANADOLU EFES ISTANBUL
* 18:30 UNICAJA MALAGA - MEGA LEKS BELGRADE
* 20:30 UMANA REYER VENICE - ARMANI JUNIOR MILAN

#### TUESDAY 29 DECEMBER

* 9:00 7TH PLACE
* 11:00 5TH PLACE
* 16:00 3RD PLACE
* 18:00 FINAL

### L'HOSPITALET TOURNAMENT, JANUARY 4-6, 2016

#### VENUE: PAVELLO HOSPITALET NORD

GROUP A
* REAL MADRID
* UNION OLIMPIJA LJUBLJANA
* FIATC JOVENTUT BADALONA
* MACCABI TEDDY TEL AVIV

GROUP B
* FC BARCELONA LASSA
* BALONCESTO SEVILLE
* TORRONS VICENS L’HOSPITALET
* BROSE BASKETS BAMBERG

#### MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2015

* 10:00 TORRONS VICENS L’HOSPITALET - BALONCESTO SEVILLE
* 12:00 BROSE BASKETS BAMBERG - FC BARCELONA LASSA
* 14:00  FIATC JOVENTUT BADALONA - MACCABI TEDDY TEL AVIV
* 16:00  UNION OLIMPIJA LJUBLJANA - REAL MADRID
* 18:00 BALONCESTO SEVILLE - BROSE BASKETS BAMBERG
* 20:00  FC BARCELONA LASSA - TORRONS VICENS L’HOSPITALET

#### TUESDAY 5 JANUARY 2015

* 09:30 REAL MADRID - MACCABI TEDDY TEL AVIV
* 11:30 UNION OLIMPIJA LJUBLJANA - FIATC JOVENTUT BADALONA
* 14:00 TORRONS VICENS L’HOSPITALET - BROSE BASKETS BAMBERG
* 16:00 FC BARCELONA LASSA - BALONCESTO SEVILLE
* 18:00  FIATC JOVENTUT BADALONA - REAL MADRID -
* 20:00 MACCABI TEDDY TEL AVIV - UNION OLIMPIJA LJUBLJANA

#### WEDNESDAY 6 JANUARY 2015

* 9:30 SF1: 1ST GR A VS. 2ND GR B
* 11:30 SF2: 2ND GR A VS. 1ST GR B
* 13:30 4TH GR A VS. 4TH GR B
* 15:30 3RD GR A VS. 3RD GR B
* 18:30 FINAL

### KAUNAS TOURNAMENT, JANUARY 15-17, 2016

#### VENUE: ZALGIRIO ARENA

GROUP A
* CIBONA ZAGREB
* FENERBAHCE ISTANBUL
* PORSCHE BASKETBALL ACADEMY LUDWIGSBURG
* ZALGIRIS KAUNAS

GROUP B
* INSEP PARIS
* LIETUVOS RYTAS VILNIUS
* USK FUTURE STARS PRAGUE
* VEF RIGA

#### FRIDAY 15 JANUARY

* 9:00 CIBONA ZAGREB - FENERBAHCE ISTANBUL
* 11:15 PORSCHE BASKETBALL ACADEMY LUDWIGSBURG - ZALGIRIS KAUNAS
* 13:30 INSEP PARIS - LIETUVOS RYTAS VILNIUS
* 16:00 USK FUTURE STARS PRAGUE - VEF RIGA
* 18:15 FENERBAHCE ISTANBUL - PORSCHE BASKETBALL ACADEMY LUDWIGSBURG
* 21:00 ZALGIRIS KAUNAS CIBONA ZAGREB

#### SATURDAY 16 JANUARY

* 9:00 LIETUVOS RYTAS VILNIUS - USK FUTURE STARS PRAGUE
* 11:15 INSEP PARIS - VEF RIGA
* 13:30 CIBONA ZAGREB - PORSCHE BASKETBALL ACADEMY LUDWIGSBURG
* 16:00 FENERBAHCE ISTANBUL - ZALGIRIS KAUNAS
* 18:15 USK FUTURE STARS PRAGUE - INSEP PARIS
* 20:30 VEF RIGA - LIETUVOS RYTAS VILNIUS

#### SUNDAY 17 JANUARY

* 11:00 3RD PLACE (A2-B2)
* 13:30 FINAL (A1-B1)

### BELGRADE TOURNAMENT, FEBRUARY 26-28, 2016

#### VENUE: FMP ARENA

GROUP A
* ALBA BERLIN
* BUDUCNOST VOLI PODGORICA
* CRVENA ZVEZDA TELEKOM BELGRADE
* SPARS SARAJEVO

GROUP B
* CEDEVITA ZAGREB
* FC BAYERN MUNICH
* PARTIZAN BELGRADE
* ZEMUN

#### FRIDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2016

* 10:00 CRVENA ZVEZDA TELEKOM BELGRADE - BUDUCNOST VOLI PODGORICA
* 12:00 SPARS SARAJEVO - ALBA BERLIN
* 14:00 CEDEVITA ZAGREB - FC BAYERN MUNICH
* 16:00 PARTIZAN BELGRADE - ZEMUN
* 18:00 CRVENA ZVEZDA TELEKOM BELGRADE - SPARS SARAJEVO
* 20:00 BUDUCNOST VOLI PODGORICA - ALBA BERLIN

#### SATURDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2016

* 10:00 CEDEVITA ZAGREB - PARTIZAN BELGRADE
* 12:00 FC BAYERN MUNICH - ZEMUN
* 14:00 CRVENA ZVEZDA TELEKOM BELGRADE - ALBA BERLIN
* 16:00 BUDUCNOST VOLI PODGORICA - SPARS SARAJEVO
* 18:00 CEDEVITA ZAGREB - ZEMUN
* 21:00 PARTIZAN BELGRADE - FC BAYERN MUNICH

#### SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016

* 10:00 SF1: 1st GROUP A vs. 2ND GROUP B
* 12:00 SF2: 1ST GROUP B v.s 2ND GROUP A
* 14:00 5th PLACE: 3rd GROUP A vs. 3rd GROUP B
* 16:00 7th PLACE: 4th GROUP A vs. 4th GROUP B
* 18:00 3rd PLACE GAME
* 20:00 FINAL

A field of 32 junior teams from all corners of Europe are set to mount their own run for a continental title after the naming Tuesday of all the participating teams for the four qualifiers of the 2015-16 EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT.

32 teams announced for ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT qualifiers!

This will mark the 14th edition of a competition that has grown from eight teams and one city in 2003 to qualifying tournaments held across the continent that offer 32 teams the chance to become the junior club champions of Europe.

Eight teams each will compete at qualifying tournaments in four countries for the right to advance to the finals during Final Four week in Berlin next spring.

The 32 teams participating in the qualifiers come from 15 countries. Amongst them are represented 13 clubs from the Turkish Airlines Euroleague and six from the Eurocup.

Many of the senior club teams boast alumni of the junior tournament like Jonas Maciulis (Real Madrid), Milos Teodosic (CSKA Moscow), Dario Saric (Anadolu Efes Istanbul), Nihad Dedovic (FC Bayern Munich) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (Fenerbahce Istanbul).

Again this year the first qualifying tournament will be in Rome, to be played from December 27 to 29, 2015. This year's participants in the Italian capital are: Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Armani Junior Milan, CSKA Moscow, Mega Leks Belgrade, Stellazzurra Basketball Academy Rome, Umana Reyer Venice, Unicaja Malaga, Virtus Bologna.

The new year arrives with juniors battling for survival in L'Hospitalet from January 4 to 6, which will highlight European junior club champion Real Madrid alongside Baloncesto Seville, Brose Baskets Bamberg, FC Barcelona Lassa, Fiatc Joventut Badalona, L'Hospitalet, Maccabi Teddy Tel Aviv and Union Olimpija Ljubljana.

Later the same month, from January 15 to 17, Kaunas takes center stage with host and two-time tournament champion Zalgiris Kaunas welcoming BBA Ludwigsburg, Cibona Zagreb, Fenerbahce Istanbul, INSEP Paris, Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius, USK Future Stars Prague and VEF Riga.

The final qualifier in Belgrade runs from February 26 to 28 and will feature ALBA Berlin, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, Cedevita Zagreb, Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade, FC Bayern Munich, Partizan Belgrade, Spars Sarajevo, Zemun Belgrade.

Winners of each qualifying tournament will take part in the Finals from May 12 to 15, 2016 in Berlin, to be joined by the reigning champions and three wild card invitations. The 2015-16 EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT champion will be crowned on the same court the morning of the 2016 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four Championship Game, hours before the Euroleague champion is known.

You can find more information throughout the 2015-16 EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT at adidasngt.com!



The well-known saying “There is no I in team” means that the whole of the group is more important than the individual. And that is ever so true for Vojislav Stojanovic and Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade. 

Like all his Crvena Zvezda teammates, team comes first for Stojanovic

When Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade played this past season at the ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT, the team’s players often would pass up on a good scoring opportunity to find a teammate for an even better shot.

That unselfishness cannot always be expected from a group of highly talented players like the ones playing for Zvezda. But Stojanovic knows why he and his teammates are able to do that. “They teach us that way from the time we are kids growing up,” explained Stojanovic of the coaching at Zvezda.

With that kind of attitude and a seemingly endless supply of talent coming from the basketball hotbed of Belgrade, Zvezda has become perhaps the strongest youth club in European basketball. At the 2015 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four in Madrid, the team made its fifth straight ANGT Finals appearance and has won the Belgrade tournament every year since 2011. One of the reasons for that is the closeness in the team.

“We go to the same school and spend so much more time together. We live together. Most of us eat together, learn together and then practice together. And other clubs don’t do that,” said Stojanovic.

Although the players are a tight-knit group, there is little doubt that Stojanovic is among the best the squad has to offer in terms of talent. He was named to the ANGT All-Tournament Team, which was selected by the competition’s coaches, after leading the event with 6.8 assists, ranking fifth with 2.8 steals, sixth with 7.8 rebounds and ninth in scoring with 14.3 points per game.

Stojanovic has been a main cog in the Serbian club’s rise to the true elite of European junior club basketball, a road that the club has been climbing for years and culminated in Zvezda’s 2014 ANGT Finals title at the Milan Final Four. According to Stojanovic, the run to the 2014 ANGT title actually started back at the 2013 tournament in London. Zvezda lost 77-67 to Joventut Badalona in the second game of the group stage in 2013; that was the Belgrade team’s only loss of the entire ANGT season. And Joventut went on to win the title.

Zvezda drew Badalona in the group stage in Milan as well - and once again in the second game. Zvezda used a 20-2 run to come back from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit and beat Badalona 69-67. That victory pushed Zvezda onto its first ANGT title as the team beat Real Madrid in the final.

"It showed that we are one of the best in Europe and our players are some of the best in Europe,” Stojanovic said. “Before we went there, the Serbian media didn’t think we would win anything in Milan, not beat anybody… After that we were stars.”

Stojanovic was the MVP of the 2014 tournament and went on to take MVP honors of the Belgrade qualifier this season as well. His passion for basketball began around 2003 when he saw James “Scoonie” Penn play for Zvezda against Split on television. “That was it,” said Stojanovic, the older brother of a volleyball playing sister with two parents who have no active connection to sport.

Stojanovic’s coach Slobodan Klipa told the Belgrade media the guard was like a warrior and had the mentality of a champion.

“He’s right,” Stojanovic said. “It comes from my neighborhood. I used to play against older guys and they were better than me. I just shot every night and morning to be better than them.”

That warrior spirit and winning attitude helped Zvezda return to the ANGT final in Madrid - and once again against Real Madrid. This time Stojanovic could not get Zvezda a second title; he fouled out on an offensive foul late in the game and had to watch the final stages of Madrid’s 73-70 victory from the sidelines. But he stepped up and accepted full responsibility for the defeat.

“It was a charge. It was clear. Of course I feel bad. I lost that game. It’s all on me, the whole game. I lost it,” he said afterwards.

The letter “I” may not appear in the word “team”, but it does in responsibility. And Stojanovic lives up to that.

