A pair of two-time former champions headline the field for the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Istanbul. The 19th edition of the competition continues with this season's second qualifying event, to be held on March 19-21 in the Turkish metropolis.

U18 Real Madrid, which won the European crown in 2015 and 2019, and U18 Zalgiris Kaunas, the winner from 2003 and 2007, will both head to Turkey hoping that this is the first step to collecting a third ANGT title and pulling even with record winner U18 CSKA Moscow. The rest of the field includes host team U18 Anadolu Efes Istanbul, 2018 runner-up U18 Stellazzurra Rome of Italy, 2012 runner-up U18 Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, which was a replacement for Greek side U18 Promitheas Patras, ANGT debutant U18 Basket Brno of Czech Republic, U18 Casademont Zaragoza of Spain and Turkey's U18 Tofas Bursa, which replaced U18 Pole France Yvan Mainini (formerly known as CFBB Paris/INSEP).

The tournament was originally scheduled to take place in Munich, but because Germany's pandemic protocols do not allow non-professional sporting events to take place, the ANGT Munich needed a new home. Efes's plan to host the event was approved and the club was added to the competition for previously-planned host U18 FC Bayern Munich.

The eight teams will be broken down into two four-team groups with each team playing each other in round-robin style at Efes's training facility. The two group winners will face off on Sunday in the first-place game with the victor of that contest qualifying for the ANGT Finals. U18 FC Barcelona booked the first ticket to the ANGT Finals after winning the ANGT Valencia last December. The third qualifying tournament will be played in Belgrade on March 26-28 to determine the third spot in the ANGT Finals. The remaining five teams in the field will be determined by wild cards.

Istanbul’s Group A consists of Efes, Brno, Zaragoza and Stellazzurra. Efes returns to the competition for the first time since 2017-18 when it went 2-1 in the group phase at ANGT Belgrade and ended up finishing fourth. Brno will be making its debut in the event. The team is coached by Lubos Barton, who won the 2010 EuroLeague title with Barcelona and the 2008 ULEB Cup with Joventut Badalona. Zaragoza will be appearing in the competition for a second time after debuting last season at the ANGT Kaunas and going 0-4. Stellazzurra was undefeated in the group stage at the ANGT Munich last season before losing to Real Madrid in the first-place game. The Italian club reached the 2018 ANGT Championship Game and lost to U18 Rytas Vilnius.

Real tops Group B along with Zalgiris, Fenerbahce and Tofas. Real is the last team crowned U18 continental champion because the 2020 ANGT Finals were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Real had booked its ticket to the 2020 showcase after taking first place at the ANGT Munich, the third straight time the Spanish powerhouse won the tournament in southern Germany. Real comes to Istanbul having won the last seven qualifying tournaments in which it has competed (ANGT L’Hospitalet in 2014, 2015 and 2016, ANGT Coin in 2017 and ANGT Munich in 2018, 2019 and 2020). Zalgiris, which in addition to two titles also reached the ANGT Championship Game in 2005, 2006 and 2011, was undefeated in the group stage of the 2020 ANGT Kaunas, but then lost to U18 Rytas Vilnius in the first-place game. Fenerbahce, which lost to U18 Rytas Vilnius in the 2012 ANGT Championship Game, finished seventh at the ANGT Kaunas last season. Tofas will be playing in the ANGT for a second time after making a winless debut last season at the ANGT Valencia.



Former champs Real, Zalgiris headline ANGT Istanbul

The locations and dates for the remaining two Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament qualifying events have been confirmed. The ANGT Munich qualifier, originally scheduled for late January, will be hosted by Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the Turkish metropolis from March 19 to 21. The ANGT Belgrade, which was due to have been played in February, remains in the Serbian capital and will take place on from March 26 to 28.

Because Germany's pandemic protocols do not allow non-professional sporting events to take place, the ANGT Munich needed a new home. Efes rose to the occasion with a hosting plan that included facilities and logistics that fit perfectly with organizational needs.

The ANGT Istanbul will be played at Efes's training facility. No fans will be allowed to attend the tournament, but access will be granted to a limited number of media and scouts.

In addition to U18 Anadolu Efes, the ANGT Istanbul will feature two-time champions U18 Real Madrid of Spain and former champion U18 Pole France Yvan Mainini (formerly known as CFBB Paris). U18 Zalgiris Kaunas, U18 Promitheas Patras, U18 Stellazzurra Rome, U18 Basket Brno from the Czech Republic and U18 Casademont Zaragoza from Spain will fill out the tournament field in Istanbul

The teams and arena for the ANGT Belgrade remain the same with the only change being the date. The participating teams are 2014 ANGT champion U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade and fellow Serbian sides U18 Partizan NIS Belgrade and U18 Mega SoccerBet Belgrade; U18 Buducnost VOLI Podgorica from Montenegro, U18 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana from Slovenia, U18 Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar from Russia, U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv from Israel and U18 U-BT Cluj Napoca from Romania.



Host sites, dates set for remaining ANGT qualifiers

Kerr Kriisa was named MVP of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Kaunas after leading U18 Zalgiris Kaunas to the victory. Kriisa collected 27 points with 4 three-pointers to go with 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals for a performance index rating of 32 in Zalgiris's 92-79 win in the first-place game against rival and reigning ANGT Finals winner U18 Rytas Vilnius. For the tournament, the Estonian guard averaged 19.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.0 steals for a PIR of 23.0. Kriisa, who also shot 60.0% from two-point range, 48.0% from three-point range and 88.9% from the free throw line, was third in the competition in scoring, second in assists, first in free throw percentage and second in index rating. Joining Kriisa on the All-Tournament Team were teammate Modestas Kancleris, Azoulas Tubelis of Rytas, Juhann Begarin of third-placed U18 CFBB Paris and Yannick Nzosa of U18 Stellazzurra Rome.

Kancleris averaged 11.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.3 blocks for an index rating of 16.0. He was third in the tournament in rebounds and blocks. Tubelis amassed 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals and 5 blocks for a 31 index rating in the first-place game. For the tournament, he averaged 15.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 3.0 steals, 2.8 blocks and 24.5 PIR. Tubelis led the event in index rating and blocks, was fourth in steals and tied for fifth in rebounds. Begarin averaged 19.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 4.3 steals and 1.0 blocks for an index rating of 17.0. He ranked second in scoring, tied for fifth in rebounding and first in steals. Nzosa tallied 13.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2.5 blocks over the weekend for an index rating of 16.8. He ranked second in blocks and first in two-point shooting percentage (67.7%).



Kriisa named MVP of ANGT Kaunas

Euroleague Basketball regrets to inform fans that the next qualifying event of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament, which had been set to start in Belgrade later this month, will not be held as scheduled.

The tournament is postponed due to a conviction by organizers during the current COVID-19 pandemic to maximize the health and safety of the young athletes by seeking an alternative date.

The tournament host Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade and Euroleague Basketball have started evaluations to find a new suitable date. All eight U18 club teams that were invited to the ANGT Belgrade qualifier were previously informed that it will not take place on the planned dates.

The ANGT Belgrade qualifier is one of three scheduled for this season. The first, held in Valencia in late December, saw U18 FC Barcelona crowned champion. The remaining event, ANGT Munich, has also been postponed due to ongoing restrictions in Germany to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

As is the custom throughout the tournament's history, the winners of each qualifier gain automatic berths in the ANGT Finals, which are held in parallel with the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four every spring.

ANGT Belgrade qualifier postponed

The biggest storyline going into the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Munich is whether reigning continental champion U18 Real Madrid can extend its streak of qualifying tournament first place finishes to seven. U18 CSKA Moscow, winner of a record three ANGT crowns, and host side U18 FC Bayern Munich are among the seven teams looking to stop Real's run, along with German teams U18 ALBA Berlin, U18 Porsche Ludwigsburg and U18 ratiopharm Ulm, U18 Promitheas Patras from Greece and Italian outfit U18 Stellazzurra Rome, which reached the 2018 ANGT Championship Game. The winner of Sunday's first-place game at the Audi Dome will reach the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Cologne, Germany, where it will join U18 Herbalife Gran Canaria, winner of the ANGT Valencia in December.

Bayern and CSKA are both in Group A along with Ulm and Stellazzurra. Bayern, which hosts the tournament for a third consecutive season, finished fifth last season before picking up a wild card for the ANGT Finals in Vitoria-Gasteiz. In 2018-19, Bayern became the first German team to reach the first-place game of a qualifier, but ended up losing to Real. CSKA's three continental titles date back to 2004, 2005 and 2006. CSKA took fifth place last season at the ANGT Kaunas and will be playing in Munich for the first time after competing in Kaunas in five of the last six seasons, also appearing at the ANGT Rome in 2016. Ulm is competing for a third time in the ANGT – and both previous appearances also in Munich – and it is the only team to beat Real in a qualifying tournament since 2013, collecting its first-ever win in 2018. Ulm took fourth place last season at the ANGT Munich. The other team in Group A is Stellazzurra, which lost to U18 Rytas Vilnius in the 2018 ANGT Championship Game. Stellazzurra finished fourth at the ANGT Kaunas last season, its second campaign playing in the Lithuania tournament after competing in Belgrade in 2017.

Group B's favorite undoubtedly is Real, which won the first-place games in the other two ANGT Munich tournaments. The Spanish powerhouse went on to win the ANGT title last season for its second crown following 2015. But Real did lose one game in Munich, getting beaten by Ulm in 2018 in the final group game after having already locked up a spot in the first-place game. That loss snapped Real's 21-game winning streak in ANGT qualifying games, dating back to the first-place game of the 2013 ANGT L'Hospitalet against U18 Joventut Badalona. That run saw Real finish first in the ANGT L'Hospitalet tournaments in 2014, 2015 and 2016, in the ANGT Coin in 2017, and in the last two ANGT Munich events. ALBA, for its part, is playing at the ANGT Munich for a third straight season, having finished third in 2018 and sixth in 2019. Ludwigsburg is competing in the competition for a sixth time, finishing fourth last season at ANGT Valencia. Ludwigsburg also played in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017, the latter with a club-best third place finish at ANGT Belgrade. Promitheas is back for its second appearance in the competition after winning one game but finishing eighth at ANGT L'Hospitalet in 2017-18.

U18 Real aims for seventh straight ANGT qualifying win

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Euroleague Basketball regrets to inform fans that, due to ongoing restrictions in Germany to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the next qualifying event of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament, which had been set to start in Munich later this month, will not be held as scheduled.

Germany's pandemic protocols at present do not allow non-professional sporting events to take place, a restriction that applies to the staging of the ANGT Munich qualifier for U-18 players from around the continent.

Evaluations are underway to outline all possibilities of holding the qualifier at a later date and, possibly, in a different location. All eight U18 club teams that were invited to the ANGT Munich qualifier were previously informed that it will not take place on the planned dates.

The ANGT Munich qualifier is one of three scheduled for this season. The first, held in Valencia in late December, saw U18 FC Barcelona crowned champion. The third event, ANGT Belgrade, is due to be played from February 19 to 21 in the Serbian capital.

As is the custom throughout the tournament's history, the winners of each qualifier gain automatic berths in the ANGT Finals, which are held in parallel with the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four every spring.

ANGT Munich qualifier postponed

U18 FC Barcelona last captured the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament title in 2016. Michael Caicedo said he is ready to end that U18 continental hardware drought after helping the club take first place at the ANGT Valencia.

Caicedo tallied 29 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 6 fouls drawn for a performance index rating of 37 in helping Barcelona knock off U18 Joventut Badalona 79-55 in the ANGT Valencia first-place game. That victory earned Barcelona a berth at the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four for the first time since 2017.

"I am happy about reaching the Final Four with the team. We worked hard and I think we will do good things there. I cannot wait to get there and compete. We will also try to win and enjoy the experience since last year we were not able to qualify,” said Caicedo, who as a 16-year-old could only help Barcelona place fourth at the 2019-20 ANGT Valencia.

For the 2020-21 tournament, Caicedo averaged 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals for a PIR of 19.5. He ranked third in scoring and second in PIR while leading the competition in three-point shooting percentage at 43.8%.

Now the goal is to add a trophy to the Barcelona clubhouse.

"We will try everything we can to give that trophy to our club because we know it's been too long without winning it," the shooting guard said. "We are representing one of the top clubs in Europe, so we hope to do good things there and take the trophy back home."

The basketball world almost missed out on having Caicedo in it. The native of Mallorca moved to Barcelona for family reasons and he had actually been playing football his entire life.

"One day my stepfather said that if someday I wanted to try basketball, due to my height, I could do so, and if I didn't like it, I could go back to football. So I tried it, and the rest is history. I stayed in basketball because I liked it a lot. I think it's one of the most beautiful sports," the 1.99-meter guard said.

Not only a top prospect for his club, but Caicedo has also already excelled with the Spanish youth ranks. He averaged 11.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game as Spain won the title at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019.

When asked what his favorite memories of the championship run in Italy were, Caicedo said: "After the games, when we won. Those were moments of being united, playing music, being happy and congratulating each other. I will cherish those moments."

Just like in the ANGT Valencia first-place game, Caicedo stepped up in the U16 European Championship final against France by scoring 21 points with 5 three-pointers and 5 rebounds.

This is Caicedo’s fourth season with Barcelona’s B-team and he has a clear favorite among the club’s professionals: "Watching the games, Adam Hanga is one of my favorite players in the club and I watch him a lot, both on and off the court," he said.

Caicedo’s performance in Valencia helped convince management that he was ready for a step up and on Saturday he was called up to train under Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and the Barcelona first team for the first time.

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In addition to having many great players in the pro club, another key element of the Barcelona basketball team is the Catalan rivalry with Joventut from the city suburb of Badalona. The two clubs had plenty of big-game ANGT history coming into the Valencia encounter.

Joventut defeated Barcelona in the ANGT Championship Game in 2013 and the first-place game at the 2017-18 ANGT L’Hospitalet. Barcelona bested Joventut for first place at the ANGT L’Hospitalet in 2016-17. Beating Joventut for a chance to play at the ANGT Finals meant that much more to Caicedo.

"To me, it brings up many memories we experienced in games played against them. That is the Catalan derby - Joventut vs. Barca - so I am happy to have won this game," Caicedo said. "I am happy having won the MVP, but I would have not been able to do it without my teammates, the coaching staff and the physio staff. I am very happy, but now we must keep working."

Because there is still that Barcelona trophy case that is looking to add a second ANGT crown next to the lonely one from 2016.

Caicedo eager to bring another ANGT crown to Barcelona

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There is a long line of Latvians who have left their homeland for Spain as youngsters to improve their development. The latest highly regarded prospect from the Baltic country is Freds Bagatskis, who chose Valencia Basket because of its outstanding new training facility and proximity to professional players.

Bagatskis once again showed at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Valencia why he is one of the next great talents from Latvia. The guard averaged 10.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist in four games for U18 Valencia Basket at the event.

"This has been a tough year for everyone, so I’m just glad that we were able to play the tournament and compete at the highest level," said Bagatskis, who was playing in his second ANGT Valencia after averaging 9.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in 2019-20.

The 2.01-meter swingman said playing in the tournament last season helped him a lot this time around: "[I learned] not to be scared. This is a big stage for everyone and it’s important you don't get a mental block just from stepping on the court," he said.

Bagatskis was one of the few Valencia players returning from last year's team, and that meant he needed to take on more of a leadership role - something he enjoyed. "Having more leadership only makes me feel more confident about myself and the team, which is a huge plus in my book."

Bagatskis is the latest talent from Latvija to come to Spain early in his development following the likes of Kristaps Porzingis, Anzejs Pasecniks, Rolands Smits, the Kurucs brothers Rodions and Arturs, and Arturs Zagars.

"I didn’t really talk to anyone in that position at the time. I talked with Kristaps Porzingis after my move to Valencia and he said that Valencia is a great place for me to continue developing my game," Bagatskis said.

The club in eastern Spain has one of the best facilities on the continent in terms of capacity to help develop young talent in L'Alqueria del Basket. The venue, which hosted the ANGT Valencia for a third straight season, features six practice courts, an extra court with stands as well as amenities for workouts and business enterprises.

"The facilities were a huge standout," Bagatskis said about his decision to leave DSN Basketball and join Valencia in 2018. "Having the best installations in Europe really sets you out ahead over other clubs."

Bagatskis has already played for his native Latvia on the international level; he averaged 8.9 points and 1.4 rebounds at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019. With Valencia, he has been playing for the club’s EBA fourth division side. But more importantly, he has been working on his game at L'Alqueria del Basket facility.

"The progress has been unreal and I’m thankful to the coaching staff for that. I would say they expect me to be the best player I can be at all times. It’s very simple," he said.

Another huge advantage for youngsters like Bagatskis is that Valencia’s professional team is only a stone's throw away since La Fonteta Arena is adjoined to L'Alqueria del Basket.

"You can really have that feeling of being a professional no matter what age you are and having the real professionals nearby is an even bigger bonus," he said.

For those wondering if they recognize the name Bagatskis, yes, Freds is the son of Ainars Bagatskis. The elder Bagatskis played at four FIBA EuroBaskets for Latvia, including placing second in scoring in 1997. He also competed professionally in Latvia, Norway, Poland, France, Russia and Lithuania. He appeared in 29 games in the EuroLeague for Zalgiris Kaunas from 2003 to 2005.

Ainars Bagatskis then became a successful head coach, serving as the play-caller for Zalgiris in the EuroLeague in 2006 and 2007 and also guiding Ukrainian side Budivelnyk, Nizhny Novgorod of Russia and Israeli giant Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague. He was the Latvian senior national team head coach from 2011 to 2017 and guided it to three EuroBaskets.

In terms of lessons Freds learned from his father, he said: "The biggest one would be not to think too much. Just to go and play as well as I possibly can while enjoying the moment."

His father was known as a deadly marksman and Freds Bagatskis has inherited some of that. He boasts a sweet stroke from outside - through he struggled in this season’s ANGT Valencia, hitting just 8 of 34 three-pointers (23.5%).

"I can definitely dunk better than him," Freds joked about where he is better than his father. "One thing I hope I will have one day is his basketball IQ."

The younger Bagatskis is aware that dozens of players have gone from the ANGT to the EuroLeague and he hopes to follow in their footsteps one day.

"I'm pretty sure everyone thinks about stuff like that at some point when playing. I try to just focus on developing my game and competing day in and day out. Of course, it would be a dream to play in the EuroLeague and that’s definitely the goal for me," he said.

And being at Valencia and practicing with the coaches at L'Alqueria del Basket with the club’s professionals in the building next door will definitely help in him achieving that.

Facilities, nearby pros attract Latvian Bagatskis to Valencia

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The Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Valencia qualifying event is the first chance to see this season's crop of future stars on the courts. Eight teams from three countries will compete for an automatic berth to this season's ANGT Finals to be held in May at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Cologne, Germany. The participating clubs collectively bring an elite group of promising talents to the international stage - in some cases for the first time. Get familiar with a top performer from each team in preparation for an exciting tournament.

### Miguel Allen, U18 Joventut Badalona

Allen will be playing in the competition for the second time after collecting 10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 blocks at the ANGT Kaunas last season. The 2.03-meter forward is mixing time this season in the Spanish third and fourth divisions, averaging 14.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in the lower league. The Tenerife native has lived in Badalona since he was 14 years old and trained with Joventut. Allen is versatile enough to play various positions thanks to his physical build and knowledge of the game. His great athletic ability allows him to run the court in offensive transition and be a constant threat on rebounds.

### Freds Bagatskis, U18 Valenica Basket

Bagatskis will be competing at the ANGT for a second time after he averaged 9.8 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 36.0% on three-pointers at the ANGT Valencia last season. The 2.01-meter guard is the son of retired Latvian international scoring ace Ainars Bagatskis, who also coached the Latvian national team and currently is the head coach of BC Kyiv in Ukraine. Freds played for Latvia at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019, where he averaged 8.9 points and 1.4 rebounds. He is averaging 10.1 points on 38.3% three-point shooting and 1.7 rebounds this season in the Spanish fourth division. Bagatskis is a great offensive talent and a great shooter, who is very fast in both catch-and-shoot situations and running off screens.

### Michael Caicedo, U18 FC Barcelona

Caicedo will be playing at the ANGT Valencia for the second time after he averaged 8.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.3 steals last season. The 2.00-meter shooting guard played a leading role for the Spanish team that won the title at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019 with 11.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. This is Caicedo's fourth year with the club, for which he is playing on the Barcelona B team this season. He takes responsibility on offense and has a good variety of finishes. Caicedo also brings energy and intensity to the team, including at the defensive end.

### Kymany Houinsou, U18 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne

Houinsou will be competing in his third ANGT Valencia despite still being a year younger as a 2004-born player. The 1.96-meter point guard averaged 4.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 2018-19 and then 8.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.0 steals last season. He has posted 9.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists in the French U21 league this season. Houinsou practices sometimes with ASVEL's senior squad and was on the bench in its EuroLeague game against Zalgiris Kaunas. He helped France finish second at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019 with 2.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals. Houinsou is tall with good size for his position and possesses good length, a high basketball IQ and excellent body control while driving to the basket. He has made progress with his shooting and is a good ball-handler, too.

### Jean Montero, U18 Herbalife Gran Canaria

Montero will be playing in his second ANGT Valencia after winning the MVP award in guiding Gran Canaria to first place last season, in which he collected 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals. The 1.88-meter Dominican Republic guard is in his second season with Gran Canaria. He starred at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2018 with 15.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 4.1 steals and has already debuted with the Dominican senior national team. Montero predominantly plays in the Spanish third division and is averaging 22.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals. He has also tallied 5 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist in 13 minutes in two Spanish League games as well as 4 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist in 9 minutes in three 7DAYS EuroCup contests. Montero has a great work ethic both on and off the court and is mature for his age. He is not afraid of big moments or taking a risk. Montero is a great scorer who can go to the basket or shoot with a high percentage. His speed makes him difficult to defend in transition. Montero is very intuitive on defense with fast hands and is a good rebounder because of his intuition and excellent vertical leaping ability.


### Maxime Raynaud, U18 Nanterre 92

Raynaud is playing this season with Nanterre’s U21 team and has averaged 9.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.7 blocks. He has also suited up in the French U18 league where the 2.14-meter center posted 27 points and 16 rebounds. Raynaud helped France win the silver medal at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019 with 2.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists. He is a mobile and athletic big man who started basketball late after swimming at a high level and winning several French national championships. Raynaud has a strong physique with an excellent basketball IQ and good hands. He will be playing his first ANGT event.

### Jeremy Sochan, U18 ratiopharm Ulm

Sochan was born in the United States, but spent his childhood with his Polish-born mother in England, where he also learned the game. He played high school basketball in the United States in 2019-20 before moving to Germany to join the Ulm organization. In the summer of 2019, Sochan was named MVP of the FIBA U16 European Championship Division B after he helped Poland finish first and earn promotion to Division A. He averaged 16.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.1 steals and 1.5 blocks at the event. This season, Sochan has been worth 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.8 blocks in Germany’s third division. The 2.04-meter forward has excellent athleticism and can finish at the basket. He also rebounds and passes well and can defend multiple positions as an all-around team player. Sochan will be playing in his first ANGT event.

### Pablo Tamba, U18 Unicaja Malaga

Tamba will be playing in the ANGT Valencia a second time after he averaged 12.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists last season. The 2.00-meter guard was part of the Spanish team that won the title at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019 with 1.8 points and 1.5 rebounds. He is averaging 13.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists this season in the Spanish fourth division. Tamba has an impressive physique that helps him to be a solid defender both on and off the ball. His one-on-one skills and his verticality to the basket make him a great offensive player.

ANGT Valencia: Players to watch

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