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L’Hospitalet, Spain – The L’Hospitalet U18 Basketball Tournament is one of Europe’s most prestigious youth basketball competitions. Established in 1980, it has become a premier showcase for emerging talent. The tournament was held at the Complex Esportiu L’Hospitalet Nord in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia and featured top-tier youth teams from across Europe and beyond.
This year’s tournament featured U18 teams from six Spaniah clubs: CB L’Hospitalet, Real Madrid, Valencia Basket, Joventut Badalona, FC Barcelona and Baskonia Alaves as well as BC Zalgaris Kaunas (Lithuania) and Mega Basket (Serbia).
Real Madrid won the title, topping Baskonia in the final 92-82. The Most Outstanding Player award went to Andrej Bjelic of Real Madrid. The All-Tournament Team consisted of Egor Amosov and Bjelic (Real Madrid), Juom Maker Bol and Stefan Joksimovic (Baskonia) and Mohamed Keita (Barcelona).
Bjelic, a 6’5 forward from Serbia, led Real Madrid to the title with 39 points in the championship game, hitting 6-of-12 3-pointers. He averaged 20.8 points over five games while shooting 20-of-41 from deep. We’d like to see more creation skills from Bjelic but he was the best pure shooter at the event, particularly off the catch and shot well off movement as well.
Russian import Amosov was also outstanding for Real Madrid. A sturdily build 6’7, 200-pounder Asimov was a strong shooter from distance and mid-range both off the catch and off movement. He moved well, was able to create mismatches and did some nice work on the boards. He averaged 17.2 points with a game high of 23 points and shot 19-of-43 (44.2%) from deep.
The runner-up team from Baskonia Alaves had three players that stood out: Juom Maker Bol, Stefan Joksimovic and Mate Khatiashvili. They just didn’t have enough depth to get past Real Madrid in the final.
Maker Bol was the top rebounder at the event and always seemed to be in the right rebounding spot. A relatively skinny 6”10 with a plus 7-foot wingspan Bol is fluid inside and can step out for the occasional three-pointer. He might have trouble adding weight but he should be able to add strength. He really has great rebounding instincts. Iver his five games Maker Bol averaged 19.8 points and 13.4 rebounds. He had a 22 point, 16 rebound game as well as a 26 point, 11 rebound game.
Joksimovic was likely the player at the event with the most upside. A fluid 6’6 with ball skills he can be a primary facilitator as well as do damage on the wing. He has a very quick first step and was able to get past his defenders at will. Joksimovic’s shot has too much arc and will need to be changed, but other than that he checks all the boxes. Over his five games he averaged 17.4 points and 6.8 rebounds but shot only 7-of-30 (23.3%) on his 3-point attempts. He’s already player some with Baskonia’s top team in Liga Endesa and has played for the Slovenian national team.
Khatiashvili was the best point guard at the tournament. A solid 6’3 from Georgia with excellent passing and game management skills, Mate had his best game in the final against Real Madrid when he scored 29 points and dished out eight assists while shooting 4-of-7 from deep. He averaged 17.6 points, 6.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 9-of-23 (39.1%) on 3’s over five games. He’s already earned minutes with the national team of Georgia.
Mohamed Keita, a strong 6’9 forward, was the most impressive player for Barcelona. He was able to use his body to score inside consistently. His shot looked decent and he should be able to develop a face-up game. Keits finished the event impressively with a 19-point, 8-rebound effort in the semifinals. Over his four games Keita averaged 11.8 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Perhaps the most interesting player was Bracelona’s Mohamed Dabone. A skinny 6’11, Dabone was born in 2011 in Burkina Faso and was only 14 years old during the event. He moves very well and is extremely long. He’s very raw on offense but has very good rebounding instincts. His shot doesn’t look bad, he’s actually taken 20 3’s in the Spanish U22 league this season. He’ll likely continue to grow and fill out over the next few years and has NBA upside if it all comes together. Dabone only played in three games but in his final game he pulled down 13 rebounds. He averaged 8.3 points and 9.7 rebounds.
This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.
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