Crvena Zvezda beats Partizan 75-67 for fifth place

U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade outlasted U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 75-67 to finish fifth at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade. Zvezda finished the weekend with a 2-2 record after previously placing third in Group A. Partizan, which was third in Group B, leaves with a 1-3 mark.  

Stefan Marjanovic led the winners with 19 points, Jovan Bikic added 11 points – including 8 points and 2 assists in the fourth quarter, Novak Pavlovic also scored 11 and Lazar Stojkovic filled the stat sheet with 5 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks. Daris Sijaric scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Zivko Mirkovic added 15 points and 5 assists in defeat.

Partizan roared out to a 4-16 start and led by as many as 16 early in the second quarter. Zvezda used an 8-0 run shortly before halftime to close the gap to 34-36 at the break. It was close after that. Down 62-63 with 5 minutes remaining, Bikic scored 5 straight points and then assisted on a Lazar Stojkovic triple as Zvezda took control for good. Marjanovic added two more clutch buckets to help Zvezda put the game away.

Game News

Stefan Marjanovic and Jovan Bikic stood out for the winners

U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade v U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2025-03-09T11:00:00.000Z)

Mario Machetti nailed a buzzer-beating three-pointer to lift U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento to a 54-55 victory in the seventh-place game at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade

Machetti's buzzer beater lifts Trento over Maccabi 

Mario Machetti nailed a buzzer-beating three-pointer to lift U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento to a 54-55 victory in the seventh-place game at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade. The victory was Trento's first if the tournament and came a day after it missed at the buzzer to fall to U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade. Maccabi dropped its sixth straight game in Belgarde dating back to last season when it also lost the seventh-place game at the buzzer, that time to Israeli rival U18 Hapoel Yehuda Tel Aviv.

Machetti led Trento with 11 points and came up with a pair of big threes late after missing all of his first 7 shots from deep. Cesare Placinschi added 10 points and 4 assists and Cheickh Niang contributed 9 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Nitay Dodo paced the Maccabi attack with 15 points and Gabreil Artmenko posted 11 points and 6 rebounds in defeat.

Maccabi used a 14-0 run that bridged the first and second quarters to grab a 20-13 lead and coasted into halftime ahead 31-21. The Israeli side extended the margin to 49-31 early in the fourth quarter.  Trento used a run of 10 unanswered points to get back in the game and then held Maccabi scoreless for the final 2 and a half minutes of the game to orchestrate the comeback.

His clutch shooting saw Trento claim its first win of the weekend

U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv v U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento (2025-03-09T09:00:00.000Z)

Aaron Towo-Nansi is the latest showstopper in Europe's small guard Renaissance 

The current European basketball landscape could remind some of the Renaissance covering the 15th and 16th centuries when the continent went through a rebirth culturally and artistically. Many Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clubs have rediscovered the value of small guards and their dynamic impact on the game. And the world is being treated in Belgrade to one of Europe’s newest artistic and cultural phenomenons - [Aaron Towo-Nansi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/ngt/players/aaron-towo-nansi/012847/).

The French point guard has captured the hearts and minds of fans watching the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Belgrade with his passion for defense, his fortitude as a leader, his maturity well beyond his years and a game that makes you smile and shake your head.

Towo-Nansi has been an unstoppable whirlwind force in Belgrade averaging 17.0 in the group stage for U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade. All that despite two eye-raising reminders. He celebrated his 16th birthday just three days before the tournament started, and he stands just 1.74 meters tall.

TJ Shorts of Paris Basketball and Yago Dos Santos of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade are both just 1.75 meters while Markus Howard of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz is 1.78 meters tall. And Anadolu Efes Istanbul star Shane Larkin and Carsen Edwards of FC Bayern Munich are both only 1.80 meters.

"Basketball is for everyone - tall or short. You can really make it and that is what Europe is proving right now"

“In Europe, there are more and more shorter point guards. It’s inspiring for me as I am currently considered short for a point guard,” said Towo-Nansi. “I would say I am inspired by guys like TJ Shorts, \[Paris Basketball’s\] Nadir Hifi and Matthew Strazel \[of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne\]. But since I have been younger, I have also been inspired by Shane Larkin. The one I watch most is Sylvain Francisco \[of Zalgiris Kaunas\] for his grit and what he brings. It’s truly inspiring and it shows that basketball is for everyone - tall or short. You can really make it and that is what Europe is proving right now."

Two-time EuroLeague champion Dogus Balbay has seen his share of basketball and is coaching the Next Gen selection teams this season. He called Towo-Nansi an “incredible young talent”.

“He’s the captain of our team and he’s handling it super well - not just what he does on the court but off the court as well. When you watch him on the bench he is always cheering for his teammates. He’s always positive. He always has that next-play mentality,” Balbay said. “Great character, great player. We rely on his abilities a lot. So far he’s been doing a great job at carrying us.”

Towo-Nansi is carrying a team that only has been together a few days as the Next Gen Team is a selection of top-level players from across the continent playing for clubs that are not in the competition - just like Towo-Nansi, who plays his club basketball with Cholet Basket.

Aaron Towo-Nansi highlights

“I learned to play with international players from other countries. And we were with a foreign coach and we had very little time to prepare. Yet the results we delivered were still in line with what wanted. It’s an enriching experience for me and I hope to have more like it,” said Towo-Nansi.

The native of Rennes joined Cholet in the summer of 2023 - a club that has developed some major talent including former and current NBA players Mickael Gelabale, Rodrigue Beaubois, Nando De Colo, Kevin Seraphin, Rudy Gobert, Killian Hayes and Tidjane Salaun.

Last season Towo-Nansi broke onto the NextGen landscape with Cholet at the tournament in Podgorica. Still just 14 years old, he tallied 8.5 points, 1.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals. Towo-Nansi followed that last summer by helping France win its fourth FIBA U16 EuroBasket title by beating Spain in the final. He averaged 8.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.7 steals.

“Spain versus France is always a historic battle - every year, every age group, even at the senior team. They beat us in the preparations but we got our revenge in the final. Lifting the cup with my team was definitely my greatest memory,” he remembered.

Towo-Nansi this season has been a force in the French U21 level, averaging 13.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.0 steals despite being up to 5 years younger than his opponents.

In Belgrade, he has valued playing for and learning from Next Gen coach Balbay, who won the EuroLeague with Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 2021 and 2022.

“It was really rewarding to have a coach like that since he’s a point guard like me. He gave me tips for pick-and-rolls and end-of-possession situations. Having a coach who performed in the EuroLeague was truly valuable,” Towo Nansi said.

Some of the things that stand out with Towo-Nansi are his leadership and his drive to play tough defense.

“My leadership comes naturally. I think it’s crucial to have that skill because as a point guard communication is key. That’s why it’s ingrained in me. But otherwise, I would say it’s quite innate,” he explained.

"I am someone who loves playing defense. For me, you can change a game on offense, but also on defense."

“To embrace leadership, I am someone who loves playing defense. For me, you can change a game on offense, but also on defense. As a point guard who defends against ball-handlers, it’s crucial to apply pressure and steal the ball so my teammates can step up defensively and our defensive energy rises. I’m emotional, which helps keep or increase the game’s energy.”

Towo-Nansi’s ever-present energy leads to outbursts of emotion after drawing a charge, converting a tough and-one, or hitting a big three-pointer. But as intriguing as his game and aura are, even his family heritage background leaves one fascinated.

One of his paternal grandparents hails from Cameroon while his mother’s parents are from Cambodia. Basketball is a huge part of his family. His father Alban Towo-Nansi played last season in the NM3 fifth division, his older brother plays in N3, his sister played up to N1 and now is at NF2. And his younger brother Darel is also a player. 

With all that basketball around, it’s no surprise that Aaron Towo-Nansi was bouncing a basketball already at age 3. And that he has become the latest European artistic and cultural phenomenon.

The young French playmaker has left his mark at NextGen Belgrade

INSEP sinks Partizan, wins Group B

U18 Pole France INSEP Paris is in the first-place game at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade after an 87-68 win over U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in the final match of the group stage. INSEP won Group B with a 3-0 record and will play EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in the first place game on Sunday. Partizan will be facing its arch rival U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade in the fifth-place game.

In this contest, INSEP won behind 22 points from Hugo Yimga Moukouri. Cameron Houindo had 12 points, and Noa Kouakou-Heugue scored 11 in the winning effort. For Partizan, Lukas Bojovic and Daris Sijaric scored 16 apiece, and Uros Danilovic scored 15 in a loss.

U18 Pole France INSEP Paris v U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2025-03-08T18:00:00.000Z)

Next Gen Team survives drama, edges Trento 57-58

U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade pulled out a 57-58 win against U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento to improve to 2-1 record in Group B at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade. Trento remained winless and will play in the seventh-place game, while Next Gen improved to 2-1, pulling out a hard-fought win just hours after its double-overtime loss against INSEP.

Apart from a 3-2 lead early in the game, Trento trailed the rest of the way, even by 16 points. But it rallied in the second half, and Patrick Hassan hit a three-pointer with 1:07 to go, to give Trento a 57-56 lead. But Federico Bottelli made two foul shots with 11 seconds to go to restore Next Gen Team’s lead. In the remaining time, Ivan Prato emphatically rejected Hassan’s attempt, then Cesare Placinschi missed a shot inside at the buzzer, as the Next Gen Team prevailed.

The winners, which need help from U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in the final game of group stage to secure a place in Sunday’s first-place game, had 11 different scorers in the low-scoring affair, but none more than Kaur Tomann’s 10 points. Hassan led Trento with 24 points.

U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento v U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade (2025-03-08T16:00:00.000Z)

Milan downs Zvezda, moves into first-place game

U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is the first team to book a place in the first place game at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, after beating the tourney host U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade 96-74. Milan won Group A with a 3-0 record, while Zvezda finished in third place in the group with a 1-2 record and will feature in Sunday’s fifth place game.

The two teams were close throughout the first half, and Milan had 48-43 lead at the break. But Milan used a 12-2 run to pull away to 63-49, and never looked back.

Mattia Ceccato scored 26 points on 5-for-8 three-point shooting while Luigi Suigo had 19 points and 12 rebounds for Milan. Diego Garavaglia had 15 points, Achille Lonati 13 and Guglielmo Youssef 11 in a win. Stefan Marjanovic was Zvezda’s top scorer with 19 points, Lazar Stojkovic had 13, Andrej Lucic 12 and Jovan Bikic 11 points in defeat.

U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade (2025-03-08T14:00:00.000Z)

Joventut handles Maccabi, 72-57

U18 Joventut Badalona beat U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv 72-57 to register its second win in Group A of the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade. Joventut finished group stage with a 2-1 record, while Maccabi is 0-3 and will play in the seventh-place game on Sunday.

Humberto Ruiz had 16 points, Saba Merebashvili scored 13, Eric Del Castillo 12 points, while Ian Latteeuw had an all-round performance with 8 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Arbel Lachmanovich had 14 points for Maccabi.

Joventut never trailed, but pulled away for good early in the third quarter thanks to a 10-0 run that opened a 55-41 lead. The margin never dropped into single digits the rest of the way.

U18 Joventut Badalona v U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv (2025-03-08T12:00:00.000Z)

INSEP edges NextGen Team in 2OT classic

U18 Pole France INSEP Paris battled for an 85-92 double-overtime win over U18 NextGen Team Belgrade in their Group B clash at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade on Saturday. INSEP moved to a 2-0 record, while NextGen Team dropped to 1-1.

In an exciting back-and-forth affair, INSEP rallied in the fourth quarter before Cameron Houindo made a pair of baskets in the final 70 seconds to send the game into overtime, 68-68. At the end of the first extra session, it was again Houindo and Matthys Mahop with his first field goal of the game to tie it at 75-75 and force second OT. There, Noa Kouakou-Heugue sparked a 2-9 run for INSEP to pull away to an 82-89 win, paving the way to victory.

Kouakou-Heugue paced the winners with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Hugo Yimga Moukouri had 20 points, Houindo scored 15 points and Nathan Soliman had 12 points and 8 rebounds. NextGen Team was led by Aaron Towo-Nasi who had 36 points, while Borna Katanovic scored 16 with 9 rebounds.

U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade v U18 Pole France INSEP Paris (2025-03-08T10:00:00.000Z)

Partizan holds off Trento, 81-66

In the opening game of Saturday action at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet used a big third quarter to down U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento 81-66. Partizan improved its record to 1-1 in Group B, while Trento dropped to 0-2.

Lukas Bojovic paced Partizan with 24 points, Aleksa Kojic scored 13, Zivko Mirkovic had 11 points while Daris Sijaric collected 10 points and 9 rebounds. For Trento, Cesare Placinschi scored 16 points, Mario Machetti 13 points, while Patrick Hassan had 11 points and 10 assists.

Partizan scored the last 5 points of the second quarter, and the first 6 of the third quarter to open a 44-36 lead. The margin continued to grow as Partizan held 62-47 lead after 30 minutes, then increased it to 69-47 early in the fourth. Trento answered with a 0-13 run, but never got closer than that.

U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento (2025-03-08T08:00:00.000Z)