I migliori U18 d'Europa

03.05.2007
by David Hein

Okay, now that we've updated the U20 Euros from last season, it's time to tackle the U18 guys from last summer.

I went in and looked at more from the U18 European Championship in Greece because there are lots of interesting stories and great talents in that group.

So, let's get right into things:

Nearing Star Status

OMRI CASPI - F - ISRAEL: Caspi put up great numbers at the U18s - 21.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.9 steals. He then left Israeli giants Maccabi Tel Aviv for Hapoel Galil Elyon, with whom he averaged 15.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals in the EuroCup Challenge. In 19 games in the Israeli league, Caspi had 11.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.3 apg and 1.2 spg in 21 minutes of action. He also played at the Nike Hoop Summit, where he had 14 points, three rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot.

NICOLAS BATUM - F - FRANCE: Batum left talent scouts drooling at his versatility in Greece, averaging 14.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks for the title-winning French. At Le Mans Sarthe, Batum averaged 4.3 ppg 1.7 rpg, 0.7 apg, 0.8 spg in Euroleague action, including an excellent showing against Olympiakos of 15 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. He also played at the Nike Hoop Summit, scoring a game-high 23 points along with four rebounds and four steals.

PIETRO ARADORI - G - ITALY: Aradori collected 22.1
points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals at the U18 tournament. This season he's playing for second division Italian side Andrea Costa Imola, leading the relegation-threatened team with 12.8 points and is fourth in rebounds with 3.1 per game.


Coming Along Very Well

VLADIMIR DASIC - F - SERBIA: Dasic was one of Serbia's main weapons last summer, with 19.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals. He moved onto Montenegro side Buducnost Podgorica and averaged 8.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals in the Adriatic League. Late in the season, the club locked up Dasic with a four-year deal.

OLEKSANDR KOLCHENKO - F - UKRAINE: Kolchenko was one of the few shining lights for last-placed Ukraine with 13.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.8 steals. Playing for Khimik OPZ Yuzny in the EuroCup, Kolchenko had 4.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.7 steals in just 17 minutes of action.

BARIS HERSEK - F - TURKEY: Hersek proved a tough inside-outside threat in Greece with 11.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.6 blocks. He returned to Turkey and saw limited time with powers Efes Pilsen. But Hersek has done loads in that action with 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in nine minutes in the Turkish league and 3.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 11 minutes in the Euroleague.

DOGUS BALBAY - G - TURKEY: Balbay was the play-maker for Turkey in Greece with 6.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.9 steals. Instead of playing in Europe, Balbay moved to the United States to play for a high school - Brewster Academy - in New Hampshire. He averaged 13 points and eight assists and will attend the University of Texas next season.

Making Good Strides

MIROSLAV RADULJICA - C - SERBIA: Raduljica was very solid for Serbia with 15.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals. He was loaned from FMP Zeleznik to KK Borac Cacak and he averaged 5.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.8 steals in 15 minutes of action.

ANTOINE DIOT - G - FRANCE: As a 17-year-old, Diot guided France to the title with 10.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He returned to France's much-acclaimed Centre Federal du Basket-Ball INSEP for his second of three possible seasons and averaged 16.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists in the French third division.

KLOMEN LORBEK - G - SLOVENIA: Lorbek has great blood-lines with Domen and Erzam both playing for their respective national teams. And Klomen was one of Slovenia's top players in Greece with 11.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists. Like Domen, Klomen also plays at Union Olimpija Ljubljana. He got just 17 minutes of three Adriatic League games with zero points, zero rebounds and one assist. Klomen spent most of the season with the club's junior team and helped them to the title with 18 points in the semis and 11 points in the final against Geoplin Slovan.

PABLO AGUILAR - F - SPAIN: Aguilar had 13.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks for the bronze medallists Spain. He spent the season with Real Madrid's junior third division team and averaged 8.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 0.6 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.8 bpg.

GAL MEKEL - G - ISRAEL: Teaming with Omri Caspi as Israel's top young talent, Mekel had 17.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals. He decided against playing in Europe to attend Wichita State University in the United States, where he averaged 4.0 points, 1.1 rebounds 1.7 assists in just 13 minutes of action. Mekel came on late in the season and even started for Wichita State in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament in the last game of the year.

HORDUR VILHJALMSSON - G - ICELAND: Vilhjalmsson was Iceland's main weapon with 18 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 steals. He spent this season in Spain, playing for Gran Canaria Grupo Dunas in the EBA, averaging 8.2 ppg 3.2 rpg 2.6 apg.

Blocked In A Great Team

CHAVDAR KOSTOV - G - BULGARIA: Kostov was the U18 leading scorer at 24.9 points with 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.8 steals. For Bulgarian side Lukoil Adademik Sophia, Kosov has averaged 5.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals in the national league. In the ULEB Cup, he played less than three minutes in three games, blocked with three Americans at the guard position.

TIM OHLBRECHT - C - GERMANY: This big man was probably one of the biggest surprises in Greece, where he scored 15.1 points, grabbed a tournament-high 13.9 rebounds while also collected 1.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.9 blocks. Ohlbrecht has been blocked a bit this season - first off after knee surgery then by Germany's foreigner rules. The Brose Baskets Bamberg center has shared time over the past couple weeks with the top flight squad and second division Breitengussbach, where he's averaging 10.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 21 minutes per game. He's yet to crack Dirk Bauermann's line-up at Bamberg but the national team coach loves the upside of Ohlbrecht.

VICTOR CLAVER - F - SPAIN: Claver is clearly one of Spain's most promising younger big men coming up after collecting 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks in Greece. He remained with Pamesa Valencia's ACB side the whole season through not getting much playing time. He averaged 1.3 points and 0.7 rebounds in five minutes of action over 16 games.

ADRIEN MOERMAN - F - FRANCE: Moerman has loads of talent as many saw in Greece with his 14.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals in winning the title. He stayed at French ProA side Chorale de Roanne Basket for the entire season but earned just eight minutes a game with 2.8 points and 1.1 rebounds.

PRANAS SKURDAUSKAS - C - LITHUANIA: Skurdauskas proved his talent at the U18 Euros with 9.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.0 blocks for the silver medallists. He moved to Italian second division Crabs Rimini and has averaged 1.4 points and 1.4 rebounds in nine games for the Lega2 leaders.

Disappointments

ALEXIS AJINCA - C - FRANCE: Ajinca showed flashes of brilliance at the U18s with 6.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 0.9 rebounds for the title winners. With his size and skills at 214cm, many thought Ajinca would make real advances in his first professional season at Pau Orthez after three years at INSEP. But he didn't do a lot in his limited playing time with two points and six rebounds in 15 minutes in two games in the French league. In the Euroleague, he played eight minutes in two games with zero points, two rebounds and two turnovers. But this big man still is loaded with talent.

BOJAN BOGDANOVIC - F - CROATIA: Bogdanovic is also a big talent though he struggled at the U18 Euros with just 8.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists. However, he failed to shine at Real Madrid's third division junior team with 6.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and 0.6 steals.

MARC RUBIO - G - SPAIN: The older brother of Spanish budding superstar Ricky, Marc Rubio was excellent at the U18s with 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 steals. In 34 games with third division C.B. Prat, Rubio had 5.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals.

solo lui???