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
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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.