Eight teams from six countries will compete at this weekend's Adidas Next Generation Tournament qualifying event in Kaunas, Lithuania, and they arrive with some of the best age 18-and-younger talents in Europe. Here is a primer on some of the best-known among the many talents worth keeping an eye on.

#### Davide Casarin, U18 Umana Reyer Venice

Casarin will be participating in his second ANGT after being named to the All-Tournament Team at ANGT Belgrade last season, where he averaged 18.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.0 blocks despite being two years below the maximum age. The 1.97-meter point guard has played in two 7DAYS EuroCup games this season in which he tallied 2.0 points, 0.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 8 minutes per game. He also appeared in three EuroCup games last season. Casarin, whose father Federico Casarin is a former player and now the president of the Reyer club, played for Italy twice last summer at two age levels. He averaged 8.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2019 and then guided Italy to third place at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019 with 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals. Casarin can play both guard positions thanks to his strong body and his athletic skills that allow him to dominate opponents. He can create shots in multiple ways, but also can create for teammates with his great basketball IQ and passing skills. He is a smart defender on the ball, even against taller and stronger players.

#### Kriss Helmanis, U18 Joventut Badalona

Helmanis will be playing his second ANGT after posting 1.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks last season at ANGT Valencia. The 2.10-meter center from Latvia is in his second season in Joventut's youth ranks. He is averaging 2.5 points and 1.9 rebounds for Prat Joventut in the LEB Silver third division. He collected 6.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2018. Over the past two years, Helmanis's physical and technical skills have improved noticeably. He can use both hands to finish and has very good vision for an interior player to pass the ball and create for others.

#### Cameron Hildreth, U18 Barking Abbey London

Hildreth will be playing his first ANGT as the club returns to the competition for the first time since 2009-10. He has played twice for Great Britain internationally. He was worth 11.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.9 steals at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2018, Division B and then averaged 3.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.0 steals at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2019. The 1.95-meter guard is averaging 18.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals in the English second division D1. He is a pure shooter with a very high basketball IQ. Hildreth can score in a variety of ways and is getting better in creating for others.

#### Gustav Knudsen, U18 Casademont Zaragoza

Knudsen will be playing his second ANTG season after averaging 15.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals at ANGT Kaunas last season for DBA Copenhagen. Last summer, he helped Denmark finish third at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019, Division B and earn promotion to Division A, with 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks. The 2.03-meter guard joined Zaragoza last summer and has averaged 10 points on 41 percent three-pointers, 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 23 minutes in the EBA league. Knudsen is the leader of his team with his great athletic ability. He can cover multiple positions in the game, plays great in the open court and shoots very well from three-point range. He is also a very good and aggressive defender and rebounds well at both ends of the court.

#### Paulius Murauskas, U18 Zalgiris Kaunas

Murauskas will be playing at his second ANGT despite being two years younger than most as a 2004-born player. The 2.02-meter forward collected 4 points and 3 rebounds in 5 minutes over two games at last year's ANGT Kaunas and then averaged 10.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks at the ANGT Finals. Murauskas played for Lithuania at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019 as a year younger than the maximum age and averaged 12.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He is getting consistent minutes in the Lithuanian second division this season against grown men. Murauskas has a great feel for the game, can score from the outside as well as from the inside. He plays face to the basket more, but he is a fighter and does damage under the basket as well.

#### David Mutaf, U18 Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

Mutaf will be playing his third ANGT. Last season, he averaged 16.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists at ANGT Belgrade. The 1.98-meter guard helped Turkey finish third at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2018 when he collected 11.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Mutaf is an excellent shooter - both spot up and off the dribble. He has very good court vision. Mutaf, who is left-handed, is very effective at creative attacking to the left. His right hand has improved since last year and is getting better. Mutaf has good size for his position and is fast enough to defend quick guards.

#### Azoulas Tubelis, U18 Rytas Vilnius

Tubelis is playing in the ANGT for a third season after playing for Rytas at the ANGT Finals in 2018 and winning the U18 continental title. He helped that cause with averages of 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds. Last season Tubelis collected 15.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.8 blocks at ANGT Kaunas and then 22.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocks at the ANGT Finals. Tubelis, whose twin brother Tautvilas is also on the team, played two summers for Lithuania at the FIBA U16 European Championship. He averaged 14.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in 2018. Last summer Tubelis tallied 14.9 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.4 blocks at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2019. The 2.06-meter forward made his 7DAYS EuroCup debut this season and has split time playing in the Lithuanian first and second divisions, averaging 3.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in five LKL top-flight games. He has an athletic body, long arms and can play any frontcourt position.

#### Victor Wembanyama, U18 Nanterre 92

Wembanyama will be playing in his first ANGT as Nanterre makes its debut in the competition. Wembanyama has already made a name in international basketball by helping France take second place at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019 with 9.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.3 steals and a tournament-best 5.3 blocks to earn a spot in the All-Star Five. The 2004-born center has played 3:07 minutes in two games in the 7DAYS EuroCup this season. Wembanyama, who towers over opponents at 2.19 meters, has a very good shot with three-point range. He has a good handle with the ball and a very good basketball IQ.



ANGT Kaunas: Players to Watch

gustav-knudsen-u18-dba-copenhagen-photo-zalgiris-jt18-9gffit6atsi9uqad.jpg

azuolas-tubelis-u18-rytas-vilnius-angt-final-four-vitoria-gasteiz-2019-jt18-9oa558fmefarydld.jpg

The third ticket to the Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals will be handed out in Lithuania with the ANGT Kaunas featuring past continental champions U18 Zalgiris Kaunas, U18 Rytas Vilnius and U18 Joventut Badalona, 2012 runner-up U18 Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul as well as two teams making their debuts in this competition in U18 Casademont Zaragoza and U18 Nanterre 92. The other teams competing in Kaunas are U18 Umana Reyer Venice and U18 Barking Abbey London. The teams are split into two four-team groups and will play round-robin games against the others in the group. The two group winners will face off in the first-place game with the victor advancing to the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Cologne, Germany, in May. The winning team will join U18 Herbalife Gran Canaria and U18 Real Madrid, which won the ANGT Valencia and ANGT Munich tournaments, respectively, to secure their spots in the eight-team ANGT Finals.

Group A includes host Zalgiris, debutants Nanterre and Zaragoza as well as Reyer. Zalgiris won the continental title in 2003 and 2007 and reached the ANGT Championship Game in 2005, 2006 and 2011. Zalgiris finished first at the ANGT Kaunas last season after having its 22-game winning streak at the tournament snapped in 2018. Since Nanterre and Zaragoza face off in Group A action, one of the teams is guaranteed to win at least one game in its first tournament. Reyer is back for a fifth time after finishing sixth at ANGT Belgrade the last two seasons.

Group B will have Rytas, Joventut, Fenerbahce and Barking. Rytas is the only team to win the ANGT Kaunas other than Zalgiris; it captured first place in 2018 en route to claiming the ANGT title - its second crown after 2012. Rytas lost to Zalgiris in the ANGT Kaunas first-place game last season and then went 0-3 at the ANGT Finals. Joventut also has a continental trophy to its name; it won the competition in 2013. The team from the Barcelona suburbs finished third at ANGT Valencia last season after years of playing at the ANGT L’Hospitalet event. Rytas’s opponent in the 2012 ANGT Championship Game was Fenerbahce - the Turkish team’s only appearance in that game. Fenerbahce took seventh place last season at ANGT Belgrade and will return to ANGT Kaunas, where it had played the previous four campaigns. Barking returns to the ANGT for the first time since its only previous appearance in 2009-10, when it went 2-2.



Three former champs, two debutants among ANGT Kaunas field

u18-zalgiris-kaunas-champ-angt-kaunas-2019-photo-zalgiris-jt18-9gfyhwll6uqi5pdj.jpg

U18 Real Madrid entered the 18th Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament season as the reigning champion with a target on its back. Then, the Spanish powerhouse came to the ANGT Munich with an entirely new – and much younger – group of players. It did not change a thing, however, because Juan Nunez showed that he and the rest of Real's young guns are ready to fight for a repeat.

Nunez took home the ANGT Munich MVP award after his playmaking proved to be an integral part in Real winning the qualifying tournament in southern Gemany for the third straight year and booking its seventh straight ticket to the ANGT Finals.

"We came here with only one thing on our mind, to win: nothing else," Nunez said. "We did a very good job in these four games and we got what we wanted."

Nunez is one of four Real players who were born in 2004 – two years younger than the rest of the competition. The club, which also took home the ANGT title in 2015, also had five 2003-born players on the team in Munich. But being young has no special meaning for Nunez, who was the fifth-youngest player at the ANGT Munich, having been born on June 4, 2004.

"We want to win the title. We came here just to win. We don't have any other thoughts," he said.

Nunez collected 6 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals in Real's 104-88 victory over U18 Stellazzurra Rome in the ANGT Munich first-place game. For the tournament, the 1.91-meter point guard averaged 9.5 points on 80.0% two-point shooting, 2.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.0 steals for a performance index ranking of 15.0. Nunez ranked first in the competition in two-point accuracy, was tied for third in assists, and ranked fourth in steals.

"Juan is a very talented player and even I as a coach enjoy watching him play. He has to keep working and practicing, but the most important thing is he must continue to enjoy playing. That's the best thing for him," Real head coach Mariano De Pablos said.

Having fun is definitely high up on Nunez's priority list when he plays the game. And it shows in his play that he models his game after the likes of Milos Teodosic, Vassilis Spanoulis and Sergio Rodriguez.

When asked about taking more of a leadership role in the team, Nunez answered: "I really just try to play my game and have fun."

Have fun and win – as it turned out.

Nunez helped Real win the Spanish U16 national championship last season. Then in the summer, he guided Spain to the title at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019.

"The summer was really important because I learned a lot about playing with taller and bigger players. After seeing that, I have been working a lot since then," said Nunez, who collected 10.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 assists per game, including 21 points, 6 rebounds, 6 steals and 3 assists in the final, to earn him a spot in the all-tournament team.

Real now have four months to continue to work on the team chemistry and get better before the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in May in Cologne, Germany. When it returns to Germany, Real will be hoping to become the second team with three ANGT crowns – after U18 CSKA Moscow from 2004, 2005 and 2006 – and also to become the first team to repeat the title since U18 FMP in 2008 and 2009. But Nunez knows he and his teammates will face the usual pressure that comes along with the club logo on their jerseys.

"It's true that we have a lot of pressure because we are Real Madrid. But it's how you focus on it. If you think about working and training harder, it will be easier," Nunez said.

One thing is clear, for Nunez and much of this Real Madrid team, age definitely isn't a factor at all.

ANGT Munich MVP Nunez: 'Play my game and have fun'

juan-nunez-u18-real-madrid-angt-munich-2020-photo-steffen-eirich-bayern-jt19.jpg

Juan Nunez was named Most Valuable Player of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Munich after guiding U18 Real Madrid to first place in the event and giving Real its seventh straight appearance in the ANGT Finals. Nunez was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Real teammate Eli John Ndiaye, Abramo Canka of U18 Stellazzurra Rome, Sasha Grant of host U18 FC Bayern Munich and Lefteris Mantzoukas of U18 Promitheas Patras.

Nunez collected 6 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals in Real’s 104-88 victory over Stellazzurra in the ANGT Munich first-place game. For the tournament, Nunez, who was born in 2004 and is two years younger than the rest of the competition, averaged 9.5 points on 80.0 percent two-point shooting, 2.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.0 steals for a performance index ranking of 15.0. Nunez led the competition in two-point percentage, was tied for third in assists and ranked fourth in steals.

Ndiaye, who is also a 2004 player, tallied 15 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in the first-place game and finished with 16.5 points on 67.5% on two-point shooting, 7.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.8 blocks for a PIR of 22.3. The Senegalese center ranked eighth in points, second in rebounds, third in two-point shooting and second in PIR. Canka had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in the loss to Real in the first-place game. For the tournament, he was worth 16.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals. He was seventh in scoring, eighth in assists and fifth in PIR.

Grant finished the tournament with 15.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and a PIR of 21.8. He was 10th in scoring, seventh in assists, third in free throw percentage at 86.2% and fourth in PIR. Mantzoukas had a record-breaking tournament as he set the new ANGT single-game scoring record with 49 points. In that game, he had a PIR of 65 for the third-best showing in tournament history and he broke the marks for the most free-throws made (20) and attempted (23) in a game. For the tournament, Mantzoukas averaged 32.0 points on 65.1% shooting on two-pointers and 88.2% on free throws, 12.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 steals for a PIR of 38.3. He led the tournament in scoring, rebounds and PIR and ranked second in free-throw shooting and fourth in two-point shooting.



Nunez named MVP after leading Real to ANGT Finals

juan-nunez-of-u18-real-madrid-mvp-angt-munich-2020-photo-begum-unal-bayern-jt19.jpg

Lefteris Mantzoukas broke the all-time Euroleague Adidas Next Generation Tournament single game scoring record as he poured in 49 points in U18 Promitheas Patras’ 93-87 victory over U18 ALBA Berlin at the ANGT Munich.

Mantzoukas connected on 12-of-24 shots from the field - including 5-of-12 three-pointers - and made 20-of-23 free throws. Mantzoukas also grabbed 19 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block and 14 fouls drawn for a performance index ranking of 65.

The 49 points bested the previous mark of 43 points by Dragan Bender for U18 Maccabi Teddy Tel Aviv against U18 Virtus Bologna in December 2014.

Mantzoukas’ 65 PIR ranked third all-time behind Bender’s 66 from the 49-point game and Nikola Mirotic’s 84 PIR from January 2009 for U18 Real Madrid against U18 FMP.

Mantzoukas also broke the records for most free throws made and most free throws attempted. Luigi Datome made 17 free throws in May 2005 for U18 Montepaschi Siena and Alessandro Piazza attempted 21 foul shots for U18 Fortitudo Bologna in May 2005 against U18 Pau Orthez. The 14 fouls drawn were two behind the all-time mark of 16 by Piazza in the same game.



Mantzoukas breaks all-time ANGT scoring record

eleftherios-mantzoukas-u18-promitheas-patras-angt-munich-2020-photo-begum-unal-bayern-jt19.jpg

Two teams with five Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament continental titles between them, plus a recent runner-up, a newcomer to this qualifier, and four home-grown German squads will fill the Audi Dome in Munich this weekend with great U18 talent. Check out some of the likely protagonists!

#### U18 ratiopharm Ulm – Andrija Grbovic

Grbovic will be appearing in his second ANGT after he averaged 10.3 points and 2.0 rebounds at the ANGT Munich last year despite playing two years younger than the rest of the competition. The 2003-born Grbovic played twice for Montenegro at the FIBA U16 European Championship level, averaging 6.3 points and 3.4 rebounds in 2018 and then collecting 15.6 points, 7.4 rebounds,1.3 assists and 1.4 steals at the 2019 U16 Division B tournament. The 2.06-meter forward is a good shooter with touch from the perimeter, mid-range and around the basket. He has a good basketball IQ with a great work ethic and feel for the game. He has a basketball body and is an excellent teammate with good character. Grbovic still needs to work on his defense at the guard position as well as his lateral quickness and finishing with contact.

#### U18 Real Madrid – Boris Tisma

Tisma will be appearing in his second ANGT after helping Real win its second U18 continental crown last season. After averaging 8.3 points and 1.3 rebounds at the ANGT Munich, Tisma collected 7.5 points and 3.5 rebounds at the ANGT Finals including 8 points with 2 three-pointers and 3 rebounds in the ANGT Championship Game. The 2.04-meter forward also has played twice for Croatia at the FIBA U16 European Championship, picking up 18.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.6 steals as Croatia won the title in 2018. Tisma, who is spending his fifth season with Real, is left-handed but can score with both hands and shows great effectiveness and accuracy close to the basket. He is a good shooter with good range who has progressed physically to improve his diversity of scoring options. He is also a solid rebounder. The main thing he needs to work on is his all-around consistency.

#### U18 ALBA Berlin – Evans Rapieque

Rapieque is appearing in his third ANGT Munich after he averaged 3.3 points in 2017-18 and then 6.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists last season. The 1.95-meter guard has twice played for Germany, picking up 9.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2018 and 3.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2019. He was named the MVP of the 2018 final four of the German U16 JBBL where ALBA won the title and Rapieque also was named the 2018 JBBL Best Defender. Rapieque, who also won the 2017 JBBL crown with ALBA, is averaging 4.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists in the German third division ProB as well as 11.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.5 steals in the German U19 NBBL league. He has great physical abilities and playing in the ProB has matured his game a lot. He has great power in attacking in the open court and is a solid shooter behind the arc. Rapieque is a very good defender but still needs to improve on his pick-and-roll reading.

#### U18 Ludwigsburg – Ariel Hukporti

Hukporti will be playing at his second ANGT after he dominated his first tournament, averaging 18.0 points, 15.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.8 blocks at last year's ANGT Valencia and being named to the all-tournament team. The 2.13-meter center played three summers for Germany's youth national teams, in 2017 and 2018 at the FIBA U16 European Championship, averaging 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks in 2018. He then collected 10.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2019. Hukporti made his German professional debut in the 2018-19 season. He is a very talented offensive player, both in the post and on the perimeter. He has great touch in the low post, with the ability to score over either shoulder with either hand. On the perimeter, he can attack the basket off the dribble very well for a player of his size and has added the three-pointer to his game. Defensively, he is a rim protector that also has the ability to switch onto smaller players and guard one-on-one on the perimeter. To be a dominant player at the next level, Hukporti must continue to work on his focus and killer instinct over the course of the entire game.

#### U18 FC Bayern Munich – Sasha Grant

Grant is entering his third season in the ANGT, having played twice each at ANGT Munich and the ANGT Finals. He averaged 12.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 2017-18 and then collected 9.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 2018-19. The 1.98-meter forward played two summers for Italy at the FIBA U16 European Championship, leading the tournament in scoring in 2018 with 19.3 points to go with 4.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.6 blocks. He picked up 10.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2019. Grant helped Bayern to win the German U19 NBBL title last season. This season he is playing at times with Bayern's senior team (4 points in 3 minutes of two BBL games and 1 block in 3 minutes of three Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games) as well as the U19 NBBL team and the third division ProB side. Grant is a powerhouse with great athleticism. He can be a lock-down defender who knows how to use his body on offense, both on drives and post-up moves. He still needs consistency on his outside shot and must improve his pick-and-roll game overall.

#### U18 CSKA Moscow – Alexander Maltsev

Maltsev will be appearing in his second ANGT after picking up 7.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists at the ANGT Kaunas last season. The 2.00-meter forward played for Russia at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2018, Division B, and helped the country win the crown and promotion back to Division A with 15.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals. Maltsev is the son of CSKA's youth head coach Andrey Maltsev. The younger Maltsev is averaging 18.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals in the VTB United Youth League, where he is playing three years younger than the rest of the competition. He has a good three-point shot and court vision and decent inside game. He knows how to be at the right spot at the right time and is consistent enough for his age, while also ready to take responsibility in the clutch. Maltsev still lacks a good defensive game though.

#### U18 Stellazzurra Rome – Abramo Canka

Canka will be appearing in the ANGT for a fourth season after he collected 7.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals at the ANGT Kaunas last season. The 1.99-meter guard previously competed under the name Abramo Pene. He played for Italy at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2018 and collected 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks. Canka is averaging 7.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.5 steals as a starter in the Italian Serie A2 for the Roseto Sharks. His energy is never questioned and he fights for his team with a great motor and killer instinct. He has improved his shooting and added weight to his frame. He is a tall guard able to defend multiple positions and can create off the dribble and one-on-one or catch and shoot from three-point range. Canka still must work on becoming more consistent offensively to catch up to his elite defensive skills.

#### U18 Promitheas Patras – Lefteris Mantzoukas

Mantzoukas is playing in his second ANGT after averaging 7.0 points, 5.7 rebounds 0.7 assists and 1.0 steals at the ANGT L'Hospitalet in 2017-18 as a 14-year-old. The 2003-born forward played for Greece for the first time last summer at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019 and averaged 15.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.6 steals. He made his Greece A1 league debut in 2018 at age 14. Mantzoukas is averaging 2.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in the Greek top flight this season and also picked up 3.8 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists in four games in the 7DAYS EuroCup. He can play both forward positions and has developed his athleticism and technical skills to become a very powerful athlete with explosiveness and great body coordination. He's a good shooter who can create for himself and finish strong at the rim and dominate in rebounding and has a great work ethic. Mantzoukas still is working on improving his dribbling, shooting and athleticism.

ANGT Munich: Players to Watch

boris-tisma-u18-real-madrid-angt-final-four-vitoria-gasteiz-2019-jt18.jpg

evans-rapieque-u18-alba-berlin-angt-munich-2019-photo-fcbb-eirich-jt18.jpg

eleftherios-mantzoukas-europe-u16-team-international-all-star-game-belgrade-2018-eb17.jpg

Jean Montero may be a new name for many observers in Europe, but the Dominican Republic talent made a loud debut on the continent at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Valencia.

The 16-year-old Montero poured in 30 points to go with 6 rebounds and 7 assists in guiding U18 Herbalife Gran Canaria to an 88-72 victory over U18 Unicaja Malaga in the ANGT Valencia first-place game to secure the club a spot at the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four.

"We are so proud to win, and now we are going to the Final Four and hopefully we can win the Finals," said Montero, who averaged 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals.

Those stats earned him the MVP award for the tournament. All the more impressive is that fact that Montero only practiced three times with the Gran Canaria team before the event started since he plays with the club's LEB Silver side and not the U18 team, which was competing in Valencia.

"It's different because the coaches have different styles, but I understood the differences. It's good for me to see different systems. That's everything I want to do: learn different things to get better," said Montero, who has averaged 20.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 4.5 assists in two games in the Spanish third division.

Europeans are just now getting to know Montero but the Santo Domingo native has already built up a strong resume on the international level. His Dominican Republic debut came at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship 2017, when he averaged 9.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals despite being just shy of his 14th birthday. The Dominicans' fifth-place finish qualified them for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2018, where Montero averaged 15.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and a tournament-high 4.1 steals -- again, when he was two years younger than the rest of the competition.

The 2019 calendar year was packed with high highs and a rare disappointment for Montero.

The highlights started in early June when Montero starred for the Dominican Republic and helped them finish third at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship and again qualify for the U17 World Cup, which will take place next summer. He led the tournament in scoring with 30.3 points a game, including 49 points in the third-place game against Argentina. He also averaged 9.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.3 steals.

Later in June he shined at the individual level being named MVP of the Basketball Without Borders Americas camp despite being a year younger than most of the campers.

Then came the FIBA U17 Centrobasket Championship in late July where he once again led the tournament in scoring at 28.0 points along with 6.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 4.2 steals. But Montero could not stop Dominican Republic from losing in the third-place game 85-83 to Bahamas on a put-back dunk with 4.3 seconds left. Montero missed a potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.

"I learned that life can be different. At the FIBA (U16) Americas I scored 49 points in the last game, and when I got to the U17 team I was thinking I am the best player on the team and I will do everything I can to help. And when we lost that game I said, 'Wow it's different, and I was crying in the locker room,'" Montero said. The Dominicans failed to qualify for the FIBA U18 Americas Championship 2020, meaning that they will also miss a chance for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2021.

That disappointment turned to motivation and he quickly would learn some of the best lessons of his life as Montero in mid-August joined the Dominican Republic senior national team, which was preparing for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019. Montero ended up playing three exhibition games for a team which included seven players 30 years or older.

"It was good. They pushed me. They told me you have to be strong because it's a different league, that it's tough for me. They said I am just 16 and I have to be smart, quick and strong. But they helped me so much," said Montero, who mentioned Juan Miguel Suero and Rigoberto Mendoza as the main guys he looked up to from the team.

Montero actually accompanied the team to China for the preparations but left just before the tournament started to look back on what he learned from the veterans.

It was Montero's performance at the U16 Americas Championship this summer that resulted in him coming to Europe as Gran Canaria saw him play in Brazil and asked him to join the team. Montero had other offers from Spanish clubs and numerous U.S. high schools but he decided on Gran Canaria.

"I needed to learn the game. Europe is a good place to learn the game because they have good systems and a lot of guys are so good. My family said it was a good opportunity for me for my future," said Montero, who joined the team about two months ago.

The Dominican Republic prospect may not have been that well known in Europe before coming to Gran Canaria, but Montero certainly made up for lost time at the ANGT Valencia.



U18 Gran Canaria's Montero made a loud European debut

jean-claudio-montero-u18-herbalife-gran-canaria-angt-valencia-2019-20-photo-isaac-ferrera-jt19-aaatawjxxvwp8vce (1).jpg

Juan Carlos Navarro may have retired from basketball more than a year ago, but his mere presence at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Valencia draws whispers, finger-pointing and double-takes by fans. The legendary leading scorer in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history is at ANGT Valencia in a new role, doing his best to help youngsters of his beloved FC Barcelona take the next step.

The 39-year-old Navarro, a Euroleague Basketball Legend who last played in the competition in 2018, is taking in the ANGT Valencia games as Barcelona's technical secretary for youth basketball.

"I am happy to be here at the L'Aqueria in Valencia, happy to be technical secretary. I am using my experience as a player to try to help in everything I can from all the years I've played here," Navarro said in Valencia. "It's a different life than I had before as a player, but it's good. I try to help with the team. We try to prepare players for the future."

Navarro assumed his new role with Barcelona in July of this year less than a year after his retirement in August of 2018, following a long, illustrious career as an icon with the club. The former team captain helped Barcelona win the EuroLeague crown in 2003 and 2010 as well as eight Spanish League crowns between 1997 and 2018.

"The intention is to prepare them not just as players, but as people, and until now we're very happy with them," said the five-time All-EuroLeague First Team member and 2009 EuroLeague MVP.

Navarro, who hails from the Barcelona suburb of Sant Feliu de Llobregat says he did not get the chances that some of Barcelona's top current youth players are getting at international club events such as at the ANGT Valencia.

"The truth is that when I played at youth levels we didn't have tournaments so impressive as this one. I only played national tournaments. But as we know, basketball is evolving and I would like to have played tournaments like these guys are playing now," said Navarro, who won the FIBA U18 European Championship 1998 and FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 1999 with Spain.

The Navarro legacy is already impressive, but he also has two daughters who are playing the game he loves.

"Like I do with these (U18) guys, I try to use my experience to teach them," he says. "But in the end, what's important with young people is that they have a great time and get better every day. I try to tell them that, to try every day to get better for the future and to always be good teammates and good people."

At least for a few more days, Navarro remains the EuroLeague's all-time scoring king with 4,152 career points. He was in attendance on Friday when Vassilis Spanoulis of Olympiacos Piraeus, who is right behind him with 4,143 points, failed to overtake him in a loss to host FC Barcelona. Navarro was there to congratulate Spanoulis if it happened.

"Vassilis, for me and many people, is a true reference," Navarro said. "Soon, he will surpass me in points, something that was going to happen one day or another. I'm very proud to be part of the history of the EuroLeague. To have a player with so much talent and such a legacy be the one to overtake me is important."

Legendary Navarro helps Barca at ANGT Valencia

juan-carlos-navarro-u18-fc-barcelona-angt-valencia-2019-20-photo-miguel-angel-polo-jt19-aaa5dvfhhaagfsr8.jpg

juan-carlos-navarro-u18-fc-barcelona-angt-valencia-2019-20-photo-miguel-angel-polo-jt19.jpg

Jean Montero of U18 Herbalife Gran Canaria was named the MVP of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Valencia after guiding his team to first place in the qualifying event. Montero collected 30 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists in Gran Canaria's 72-88 victory over U18 Unicaja Malaga in Sunday's first-place game, which sent his team forward to the ANGT Finals in Cologne, Germany next May. For the tournament, the 16-year-old Dominican Republic guard averaged 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals. Montero ranked second in scoring, tied for seventh in assists, fourth in two-point accuracy (53.5%) and 10th in performance index rating (18.5) in the weekend tournament. He was joined on the all-tournament team by his Gran Canaria teammate Ruben Lopez, Yannick Nzosa of Unicaja, Pau Tendero of U18 FC Barcelona and Alonso Faure from U18 Valencia Basket. 

Lopez collected 14 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists in the first-place game, finishing the tournament with 19.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals on average. He ranked seventh in scoring, fourth in rebounds and tied for second in PIR (25.5) for the weekend. Nzosa, who had 15 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks against Gran Canaria, averaged 15.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 3.8 blocks, placing seventh in rebounds, second in blocks and sixth in PIR (21.0). Tendero ended the tournament with averages of 15.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He ranked 11th in scoring and second in two-point accuracy (63.2%). For his part, Faure averaged 20.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks. He was the weekend's PIR leader (26.5) while ranking fourth in scoring, third in rebounds and sixth in blocks.