# U18 Men - European Championship



## TROITEIRO3 (Jul 18, 2004)

Spains wins European Championship For U18 Men:Spain 89-Turkey 71

MVP team of the tournament:

Sergio Rodriguez(Spain):19 PPG;4,6 RPG;8,5 APG
Position:Guard
Height:1,92 m










Carlos Suarez(Spain):20,1 PPG;8,1 RPG;0,8 APG
Position:small forward
Height:2,01 m










Hakan Demirel(Turkey)PG 15.5;RPG 4.1;APG 4.6 
Position:Guard
Height:1.89 m










Nikita Kurbanov(Russia)PG 21.1 ;RPG 10.3 ;APG 1.8 
Position:Forward
Height:2,00 m










Johan Petro(France)PG 13.8 ;RPG 10.6 ;APG 0.8 
Position:Center
Height:2,14 m


----------



## TROITEIRO3 (Jul 18, 2004)

Sergio Rodriguez(Spain) MVP of the tournament and assist leader 8,5 APG










LEADING SCORER:Nikita Kourbanov(Russia) 21.1 PPG










LEADING REBOUNDER

Martynas Andriuskevicius(Lithuania):RPG 13.4 
Position:Center
Height:2,17 m


----------



## TROITEIRO3 (Jul 18, 2004)

Others prospects

Marco Belinelli(Italy)PG 16.4 ;RPG 3.9 ;APG 2.4 
Position:Guard
Height:1,96











Nemanja Aleksandrov(Serbia&Montenegro)PG16.0 ;RPG 8.0 ;APG 0.9 
Position:Forward
Height:2,09











Jose Angel Antelo (Spain)PG 19.3;RPG 10.5 ;APG 0.9 
Position:Center
Height:2,03 m










Ntousan Sakota (Greece)PG 18.6 ;RPG 6.8 ;APG 1.6 
Position:Forward
Height:2,09










Manuchar Markoishvili (Georgia)PG 17.9 ;RPG 4.6 ;APG 2.6 
Position:Guard
Height:1,96










Igkor Milosevits (Greece)PG 18.0 ;RPG 2.3 ;APG 4.9 
Position:Guard
Height:1,92










Nikita Shabalkin (Russia)PG 18.5 ;RPG 9.4 ;APG 1.3 
Position:Forward
Height:2,03


----------



## Zalgirinis (Feb 18, 2003)

Thanks for the pics and stats!

When Lithuania lost already a won game to Greece in 2 overtimes and had to play just for 9-12 places, I lost all my interest in this championship. I expected really more than just 9th place from this team. Anyway at least Martynas Andriuskevicius made something noticeable like once with that triple-double of 18 points, 15 rebounds and 10 blocks.


----------



## AMR (Oct 5, 2003)

Sergio Rodriguez could be a NBA player, and Antelo and Suarez are going to be top players at European level.

This is a great generation of spanish players


----------



## italianBBlover (Mar 5, 2003)

Draft 2005 Stefano Mancinelli
Draft 2006 Marco Belinelli, Andrea Bargnani
Draft 2007 Luigi Da Tome

IMO

http://www.webalice.it/matthew80/Belinelli dunks over Petro.wmv
http://www.webalice.it/matthew80/Da Tome like DrJ.wmv
http://www.webalice.it/matthew80/Fast break finished by Da Tome.wmv


----------



## kamego (Dec 29, 2003)

whats the rule on ages for the under 18 games? do you have to have just be under 18 when the game start or is there a set date they take the birthdays for the year?


----------



## AMR (Oct 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>kamego</b>!
> whats the rule on ages for the under 18 games? do you have to have just be under 18 when the game start or is there a set date they take the birthdays for the year?


I'm not sure but I think it's all about the year you're born (this year 1986 or later)


----------



## TROITEIRO3 (Jul 18, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>kamego</b>!
> whats the rule on ages for the under 18 games? do you have to have just be under 18 when the game start or is there a set date they take the birthdays for the year?



every players born in 1986 or later...


----------



## alister (Oct 12, 2002)

Hallo guys,I haven't written for a long time but I check carefully the forums regurarly.Could anybody give me some clue about Yaroslav Korolev,Vasili Zavoruev,Luigi Datome and Martinas Andruiskevicius,Nikita Kourbanov and Sergio Rodriguez?Some scouting reports maybe...Korolev didn't have much playing time but I heard he is a great all around talent.He has some playing time with his team Avtodor Saratov.Zavoruev had great stats. Datome dominated in the Cadets Championships.Also some other questions:

1)Andruiskevicius is the new Sabonis or Ilgauskas?
2)Kourbanov is a Barkley type of player?He is 2,00 m and had 20+ rebounds in 2 consecutive matches!
3)Sergio Rodriguez how does he look like and which team has his rights?

Also check the Ivanov twins of Bulgaria and Strupovic of Latvia. BTW Alexandrov was a big dissapointment and proved that many people rushed too much to call him a no1 draft pick...


----------



## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>alister</b>!
> Hallo guys,I haven't written for a long time but I check carefully the forums regurarly.Could anybody give me some clue about Yaroslav Korolev,Vasili Zavoruev,Luigi Datome and Martinas Andruiskevicius,Nikita Kourbanov and Sergio Rodriguez?Some scouting reports maybe...Korolev didn't have much playing time but I heard he is a great all around talent.He has some playing time with his team Avtodor Saratov.Zavoruev had great stats. Datome dominated in the Cadets Championships.Also some other questions:
> 
> 1)Andruiskevicius is the new Sabonis or Ilgauskas?
> ...


If you are really interested in this- go to http://www.fibaeurope.com/ find U-18 tournament, and you have something like 7 or 8 games on the internet you can watch those games for free... so you will be able to make your own scouting reports and realise that new players coming from europe are not the exact copies of the old ones- Andriuskevicious is neither Sabonis neither Ilgauskas... 
and you will also notice that Aleksandrov was double teamed, still played against a year older competition was forced to play PF most of the time, while most teams played zone defense against S&M and completely shut down Nemanja since he didn't have support expected in his guards...

edit:link to the videos


----------



## TROITEIRO3 (Jul 18, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>alister</b>!
> Hallo guys,I haven't written for a long time but I check carefully the forums regurarly.Could anybody give me some clue about Yaroslav Korolev,Vasili Zavoruev,Luigi Datome and Martinas Andruiskevicius,Nikita Kourbanov and Sergio Rodriguez?Some scouting reports maybe...Korolev didn't have much playing time but I heard he is a great all around talent.He has some playing time with his team Avtodor Saratov.Zavoruev had great stats. Datome dominated in the Cadets Championships.Also some other questions:
> 
> 1)Andruiskevicius is the new Sabonis or Ilgauskas?
> ...




NBA Comparisons:Nemanja Aleksandrov

Optimistic Outlook: Dirk Nowitzki 
Pessimistic Outlook: Zarko Cabarkapa 

Strengths – Nemanja is an incredible NBA prospect. He is long, mobile, athletic, and extremely versatile. At only 17 he is already amazingly skilled and athletic. He has the size of a big man but can play like a guard. Runs the floor well and has solid leaping ability. Nemanja has an amazing shooting touch, not just for his size but also for any player. His jumper has three point range. He shot over 60% at the 2003 European Cadet Championships. Good handles and can slash to the basket well. Creates a Dirk Nowitzki like mismatch for the defense. Nemanja can simply shoot over a smaller defender or drive past a bigger defender. A good passer who can bring the ball up and lead a fast break at times. He is also starting to develop solid post up moves. Truly an amazingly versatile offensive player. On the defensive end, Nemanja is solid. He has good lateral quickness and can usually stay in front of his man. Also a good rebounder and shot-blocker. Nemanja is almost unanimously projected as the #1 pick of the 2005 NBA draft. He has already drawn comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki on offense, with the potential to be a better defender. 

Weaknesses - Nemanja is still very skinny and needs to bulk up and get stronger. Of course he is only 17 years old, so this is to be expected. He could be more aggressive inside and in the post. Does not have a good post up game yet but he is working on it. Defensively he needs a lot of work to become a good NBA defender. Needs to get more aggressive and gain more toughness. Sometimes he forgets about his teammates and tries to do too much by himself. His vertical leap measured in at just 24 inches, very surprising because he looks a lot more athletic out on the floor.

Bottom Line - Nemanja Aleksandrov is an incredible prospect with enormous potential. He is already better then Darko Milicic at the same age. He will have the ability to play both forward positions in the NBA. Ideally, he has the potential to become a hybrid of Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Garnett. 

Realistic Best NBA Season
24 ppg, 9 rpg, 3 apg, 1.5 bpg

-Predrag Savatic

Sorry,i cant paste the url


----------



## TROITEIRO3 (Jul 18, 2004)

NBA Comparisons:Martynas Andriuskevicius


Optimistic Outlook: Young Arvydas Sabonis 
Pessimistic Outlook: Aleksander Radojevic 

Strengths: Very athletic for his size. He has good offensive skills. He can pass, shoot, and handle the ball pretty well for a big guy. He runs the floor well and has very good court awareness for his age. He likes to dunk (which shows aggressiveness, which you want to see, especially in a post player).

Weaknesses: He only has 240lbs on his long frame and should add at least 10 to 20 lbs. more before he expects to bang with the physical post players of the NBA. He is also young, and lacks some game experience, but that will come with time. Needs to improve his post skills as well. Could use another year in Europe to get more comfortable to the post and "grow into his body."

Bottom line: Great prospect. Martynas is 7'3, athletic, skilled, and seems to be hungry. If he stays aggressive, bulks up to about 260, he could be a devasating player in the league one day. If he even comes close to Sabonis in his prime, he will be one hell of a player.

-Predrag Savatic


----------



## TROITEIRO3 (Jul 18, 2004)

NBA Comparisons: Johan Petro

Optimistic Outlook: Tyson Chandler (Full Potential) 
Pessimistic Outlook: Jerome Moiso 

Positives: The top prospect in France. Great athleticism, he runs the floor very well for his size. A monster shotblocker who may one day lead the NBA in blocked shots. He has the wingspan, size, and athleticism to become a intimidator on defense. Has a nice baby hook shot. Good dunker who finishes well at the basket. 

Negatives: Very very raw offensive player. He has no range on his jumpshot and can't score outside of 10 feet. Has not played much for Pau Orthez. Got dominated by Andris Biedrins in a recent matchup. Needs to become more aggressive with the ball, he is sometimes too passive on offense. Not one aspect of his game is polished. Footwork is awkward. Has no offensive moves other then a baby hook shot.

Bottom Line: Johan Petro has enormous potential but he is also incredibly raw. He could become a very good NBA player if he becomes more motivated and works hard on his game.

-Sergio Costa


----------



## TROITEIRO3 (Jul 18, 2004)

NBA Comparisons: Predrag Samardziski

Optimistic Outlook: Vlade Divac 
Pessimistic Outlook: Dalibor Bagaric 

Strengths: Very big frame with great size for a NBA center. Has wide shoulders and a strong lowerbody. Great fundamentals for a 18 year old. Has a sweet shooting touch for a bigman. Can hit the midrange jumper with great consistency. Good passer and has above average ball handling skills for a man his size. Hard worker who wants to succeed in the NBA.

Weaknesses: Very raw and inexperienced. He definitely will not contribute for his first few seasons in the NBA. Does not have good athleticism. He is slow and has horrible lateral mobility. Is a little bit of a stiff and has mechanical movements. Possesses VERY limited leaping ability and explosiveness. He plays below the rim and has to power up to dunk despite being 7'1". Has to improve on his stamina and endurance. Needs to work on his moves in the low post. He does not play inside enough and instead hangs around the perimeter. A poor rebounder and shot blocker for his size. Does not intimidate anybody when he is in the paint. Plays smaller than his size.

Bottomline: Predrag Samardziski is an intriguing center prospect because of his great size and solid fundamentals. Still, he is very raw and inexperienced. He might be the least NBA ready player in the 2004 draft. It will take him several years to become a contributor in the NBA. Some people doubt whether he can ever succeed in the NBA because of his poor athleticism, but this has not stopped Vlade Divac and Zydrunas Ilgauskas from becoming solid NBA players.

-Predrag Savatic


----------



## TROITEIRO3 (Jul 18, 2004)

NBA Comparisons:Sergio Rodriguez

Optimistic Outlook: Jason Williams (full potential) 
Pessimistic Outlook: Pepe Sanchez 

Strengths: Amazing dribbler and passer! A magician on the basketball court with spectacular moves and ball handling skills. Has an excellent crossover dribble, can go around the back, he has all the tricks! He has an incredible ability to penetrate to the basket and either finish with a layup/runner or dish the ball off to an open teammate. Very quick and combined with his incredible ball handling skills he is tough to guard. At 6-3 he has good height for a point guard. Magnificent passing skills and court vision. He has a knack for finding an open teammate and excels at leading the fast break. Sergio could one day lead the NBA in assists. Has NBA 3 point range and good shooting form. Fearless player with great confidence in his game. The most exciting and talented point guard to ever come out of Spain. 

Weaknesses: Defense is subpar and needs a lot of work. He has the potential to become a decent defender but right now he is terrible. Doesn't always seem to be putting 100% effort on the defensive end. Gets way too fancy out on the court. It seems like he always attempts a no look pass no matter what the situation is. He wants to make the flashy play and misses out on making a simple play. His play can get out of control and needs to improve his shot selection. Loves to use a behind the back dribble followed by a three point shot ala Jason Williams. When he makes it you go WOW but when he misses (which is a lot) you have to wonder what he was thinking. He has NBA 3 point range but lacks consistency. At 170 pounds he is too weak and needs to get stronger. 

Bottom Line: Sergio Rodriguez is a great point guard prospect who has all the tools to succeed in the NBA. He reminds me of Raul Lopez except he has much better size and is even more talented. The way he plays on the basketball court is so similar to a young Jason Williams it's scary. The one difference is that Sergio seems to be very mature for his age and at age 18 can already run a team. He could be a great point guard in the future.

Realistic Best NBA Season
15.5 ppg 9.5 apg 3 rpg 1.5 spg

-Sergio Costa


----------



## TROITEIRO3 (Jul 18, 2004)

NBA Comparisons: Marco Belinelli 

Optimistic Outlook: Brent Barry 
Pessimistic Outlook: Antoine Rigaudeau (with hops) 

Strengths: Big guard that can play both backcourt positions. Great athleticism for a european, loves to score on alley-oops. Great scorer (finished 1st in the recent European Championship Challenge Round for Juniors) and very good shooter from 3 point range. Has a consistent jumper from midrange. Solid ball-handling and passing skills could allow him to play point guard in the NBA, but now is playing more as SG with Fortitudo Bologna. Very good fundamentals. Can take the ball to the hoop and finish with a lay-up or an athletic play. Almost unstoppable in the open court due to his body control and reactivity. Good defender with quick feet and strong legs. Plays calm under pressure and is very poised. Above average basketball IQ and natural feeling for the game. 

Weaknesses: His body is way too weak and underdeveloped. Needs to add muscle in his body and gain weight to compete with NBA players. Needs a quicker release on his jumpshot to avoid getting blocked. Has to improve his defence on shorter opponents. He is not quick enough to guard point guards in the NBA. On the offensive end he relies on his jumper and plays on the outside too much instead of penetrating more to the basket.

-Peccioli


----------



## TROITEIRO3 (Jul 18, 2004)

NBA Comparisons: Manuchar Markoishvili

Optimistic Outlook: Bob Sura 
Pessimistic Outlook: Giorgos Diamantopoulos 

Strengths: Very mature player, in 2003 played a good Euroleague Final with powerhouse Benetton Treviso against Barcelona. This year, on loan in a Germany team, has contributed to the Uleb cup win. Also declared as the MVP of the European Championship Challenge Round for Juniors while playing for Georgia. Big guard with a strong body, a good frame and decent athleticism. He is an open court player as he's fearless in driving to the basket. Good first step, can penetrate to the basket and finish or pass the ball well. Above average rebounder and ball stealer. Hard worker on defense with quick hands. Has a multidimensional game and he's very active on the court. 

Weaknesses: Not a huge factor offensively, lacks great skills and good fundamentals. At this point his shooting is inconsistent. His quickness must improve before he is considered a good prospect. He also does not have the greatest footwork and lateral mobility. Easily gets beat off the dribble in Europe, this problem would only get worse in the NBA. Does not always concentrate on the defense. He might not have the leaping ability, quickness, and athleticism to play shooting guard in the NBA.

-Peccioli


----------



## TROITEIRO3 (Jul 18, 2004)

NBA Comparisons:Jose Angel Antelo

Optimistic Outlook: Larry Johnson (post injury) 
Pessimistic Outlook: Kornel David 

Strengths: Very skilled player who can score in a variety of ways. Has a great face up game as well as the ability to score inside. Has an excellent shooting touch from the international 3 and could develop the range to shoot the NBA 3. He loves to get the ball at the 3 point line, face up, and either drive to the basket or shoot the jumper. Above average ball handling skills for his size. Although he is undersized in height, he has a good wingspan and a wide body. Is a physical player in the paint who goes after every ball. Wonderful rebounder. Has good post moves and a soft touch around the basket. Very fundamentally sound and smart player.

Weaknesses: HORRIBLY SLOW!!!! Lacks athleticism in a major way. He has absolutley no lift whatsoever from his legs and struggles to finish strong at the rim. When he is in a crowd he will miss many layups because he doesn't have the leaping ability to finish. The complete opposite of the word explosive. Can't dunk unless he is WIDE open. His complete lack of athleticism really hurts him on the defensive end. Terrible lateral quickness and coordination. Very undersized if he wants to play power forward in the NBA. On offense shooting is his first, second, and third option. Never passes unless he gets trapped or loses his dribble. He has the ability to penetrate to the basket against European players but will struggle mightily against NBA players. He always drives to his right and with his pitifully slow first step it won't cut it against more athletic NBA players.

Bottom Line: Jose Angel Antelo is one of the best young Spanish players. He is a mismatch for defenders with a offensive game similar to Keith Van Horn. However, I question if his game will translate to the NBA level. Unless he grows a few more inches he would be very undersized and a tweener in the NBA. He lacks the quickness to both guard and play the small forward position. At 6-7 he too undersized to play power forward. Still, when a player with Angelo's talent and skill comes around there is always hope.

-Sergio Costa and Rick Johnson


----------



## Toxicity (Jul 21, 2004)

I add this Peccioli's profile about Luigi Da Tome:


NBA Comparisons
Optimistic Outlook: Andrei Kirilenko 
Pessimistic Outlook: Ndudi Ebi 

Strengths: One of the best '87 players in the world. Amazing athlete who really rises above the rim and dunks on everyone under the basket. Long wing-span makes him seem taller. All-around player with great offensive awarenesses. Good hands to shoot around the basket and from the FT line. Great post movements. Excellent in fast-break with speed and quickness. Plays with a lot of energy and intensity in the court. Good shot blocker and rebounder, especially under the offensive boards. Natural born talent. 

Weaknesses: Physically he's too thin so he needs to gain weight and add muscles to his body. Not a natural shooter from long range, with too much of a mechanical release. Has to improve this, as well as developing a quicker release. He's a good ball-handler and passer but not enough to play like a perimeter NBA player. Now he's a tweener who plays better under the basket but has to develop his skills to play SF in NBA. Has to improve on defence. Right now all he can do is block shots.

-Peccioli


----------



## Gardan (Jan 7, 2004)

> NBA Comparisons:Jose Angel Antelo
> 
> Optimistic Outlook: Larry Johnson (post injury)
> Pessimistic Outlook: Kornel David
> ...


And another thing about his weaknes

He has no vision, he plays only for himself, and he never pass the ball to another player, although he has been defended by two players and there are a player of his team withouth defense, he will try to shoot. And he dont drive the ball well, he dont use the left hand, and it isnt a great player driving the ball with the hand.

Perhaps he'll correct all his errors, but i think real Madrid isnt the best team in Spain in order to improve your skills

And if he could be a player as good as Kornel David, i'll be very happy. Kornel David would be a good player for Spanish NT and a great player for Real Madrid

And I see Kornel with more vision game that Antelo, and he also shoots very well

Greetings


----------



## Gardan (Jan 7, 2004)

And about the tournament, i only would able to see the quarters, semis and the final, and the player i see more future in the nba is Petro

And other great players Sergio Rodriguez and Bellinelli. Aleksandrov has good skills, but his team didnt play for him, then his stats are not very good, but he has a good potential too, he will be a really good player i think.

I think this four players will play in the nba in the future sure (i'm not very sure with Bellinelli, the others if they keep improving im sure)


----------



## TROITEIRO3 (Jul 18, 2004)

CARLOS SUAREZ

NBA Comparisons:

Optimistic Outlook: Pat Garrity (less athletic but tougher) 
Pessimistic Outlook: Brian Boddicker 

Strengths: Excellent shooter who has range out to the NBA 3 point line. Very accurate from the midrange and international 3 point line (shot 46.7% on threes and 85% from the foul line in the 2004 European U18 Championships). Almost never misses when given an open look. Great spot up shooter. Plays the game with a lot of effort and crashes the boards well. A good rebounder who tries to go after every ball. Has a good feel for the game. Smart player who is unselfish and makes good decisions. Clutch player who is not afraid to take and make the big shot.

Weaknesses: Just like fellow Spaniard Jose Antelo, Suarez is HORRIBLY SLOW!!! Not a good athlete in any sense. Terrible leaping ability, quickness, and explosiveness off the floor. It is doubtful if he has a vertical leap over 24 inches. He rarely if ever dunks in a game. Has hands of stone which causes him to drop a lot of "tough" passes. Doesn't have much of an offensive game other than standing around the perimeter. Can't create his own shot and is more of a spot up shooter. He has horrible ball handling skills and struggles to drive to the basket. His game is greatly aided by the passing and playmaking of teammate Sergio Rodriguez. Has no low post moves whatsoever. While he seems to give effort on defense it still needs a lot of work. If he ever makes the NBA it will be a formidable challenge for him to even guard the likes of Linton Johnson.

Bottom Line: Carlos Suarez is a talented player but probably isn't a NBA caliber prospect. For some mysterious reason it seems like almost all of Spain's young forwards have been cursed with a severe case of "white man's disease". While Suarez can certainly shoot the lights out and score he just doesn't have the athleticism to succeed in the NBA. Still, he could be a star in Europe and maybe even play in the NBA for a few years.

-Sergio Costa and Rick Johnson


----------

