The EuroLeague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament has developed into one of the world's most prestigious stops for future stars in basketball. From 2003 onwards, more and more players have used the ANGT to showcase their talents at a young age and gain experience in international club competition. One player who gave fans a taste of his future success in the ANGT is center Arturas Gudaitis of AX Armani Exchange Milan. Gudaitis played for U18 Rytas Vilnius at the 2010-11 Rome qualifying tournament and later that season appeared at the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Barcelona for U18 Zalgiris Kaunas. The Klaipeda native played on loan for both teams.

Gudaitis, who was 17 years old for the entire ANGT campaign, came off the bench in the opening game in Rome against Lottomatica Roma and tallied 15 points and 5 rebounds in the victory. He was held to 4 points and 3 rebounds as a reserve in Rytas' only loss at ANGT Rome against Fenerbahce Istanbul, but then had 10 points and 9 rebounds in a win over Benetton Basket Treviso before collecting 11 points and 7 rebounds as Rytas knocked off KK Zagreb - a team Gudaitis would face again in Barcelona. Gudaitis averaged 10.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in his four games in Rome. While Rytas did not qualify for the ANGT Finals, Zalgiris was granted a spot in Spain and brought in Gudaitis on loan and inserted the big man into its starting lineup. He tallied 6 points and 12 rebounds in the opening win over Team China before putting together 15 points and 12 rebounds as Zalgiris defeated Crvena Zvezda and finished group play with 9 points and 17 rebounds against host FC Barcelona to book a ticket for the ANGT Championship Game. Gudaitis once again totalled a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds, but they were not enough as Zagreb took the title with a 76-65 victory thanks to a historic triple-double by Dario Saric, who had 19 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. Gudaitis averaged 10.8 points and a tournament-high 14.0 rebounds in Barcelona.

Gudaitis would officially join the Zalgiris youth system in 2012 and debuted with the professional side in 2013-14. He posted 4.4 points and 2.6 rebounds as a 20-year-old in EuroLeague games. Gudaitis then had 6.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in his second EuroLeague season with Zalgiris before playing two campaigns in the 7DAYS EuroCup with Rytas. He stood out in 2016-17 with 13.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks. His rebounds average would have ranked second and he would have led the league in blocks had he appeared in enough games to qualify for the leaderboard, but Gudaitis had only played in nine games. That performance landed Gudaitis a return to the EuroLeague with Milan starting in 2017-18, in which he collected 10.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. The Lithuanian big man has remained one of Milan’s top performers since then, averaging 12.5 points and 7.1 rebounds in 2018-19 and finishing with 7.3 points and 4.4 rebounds this past season. For his career, Gudaitis has appeared in 96 EuroLeague games over five seasons and averaged 9.0 points and 5.4 rebounds while collecting 10.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 14 games in two EuroCup seasons. He also celebrated two Lithuanian league titles with Zalgiris, one Lithuanian Cup each with Zalgiris and Rytas and one Italian championship with Milan.

ANGT alumni: Arturas Gudaitis, Milan

The EuroLeague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament has developed into one of the world's most prestigious stops for future stars in basketball. From 2003 onwards, more and more players have used the ANGT to showcase their talents at a young age and gain experience in international club competition. Vasilije Micic had just turned 16 years old when he played a key role in FMP’s triumph in the Belgrade qualifying tournament in February 2010. FMP was a true powerhouse of the continental youth basketball scene, having won the previous two ANGT titles. And the Serbian team made an early statement of its intent to dominate the qualifying event in its own city, thrashing KK Buducnost 93-64 in the opening game. Micic had a limited role in that game, but he made a major impression on defense by grabbing 5 steals in less than 11 minutes on the court.

That performance was enough for Micic to earn more playing time over the remainder of the tournament, spending at least 22 minutes on the floor in each of the four remaining games. The first of those was another resounding win, 99-67, over ASVEL Villeurbanne in which Micic made just 1-of-5 field goal attempts on a tough shooting night, but shined as a distributor with 4 assists. FMP then concluded the group phase by making it three wins out of three with a local derby thrashing of Crvena Zvezda, 88-45. Micic was outstanding, combining 11 points with 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals for a game-high PIR of 19. The semifinal saw FMP overcome another local rival, Partizan Belgrade, 71-58. Micic impressed again, shooting 4 of 5 from the field as he scored 10 points while contributing 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals. The title game saw FMP taste glory by overcoming French side INSEP 77-69 and Micic starred by leading his team in scoring with 14 points plus 3 rebounds and 4 assists.

Micic’s all-round combination of scoring, assists, rebounds and snaring steals made him a hot property among talent spotters and just a few months later he left FMP to start his professional career with Mega Vizura. Despite only being 16 years old, he was quickly advanced into the senior team and made 35 appearances in the Serbian League in 2010-11. His prodigious talent was reflected in his impressive debut season figures of 8.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, and he continued to gain valuable experience with Mega over the next couple of years including a starring role alongside big man Boban Marjanovic in the club’s first promotion to the Adriatic League. When he finally stepped up to compete in the EuroLeague with a move to FC Bayern Munich in 2014, Micic was more than ready to impress on Europe’s biggest stage – and nobody who saw him in action for FMP four years earlier would have been surprised at all.



ANGT alumni: Vasilije Micic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

The EuroLeague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament has developed into one of the world's most prestigious stops for future stars in basketball. From 2003 onwards, more and more players have used the ANGT to showcase their talents at a young age and gain experience in international club competition. One player who gave fans a taste of his future success in the ANGT is Alexey Shved, who guided U18 CSKA Moscow to the title in 2006 in Prague. Shved's performance helped CSKA finish a run of three consecutive ANGT crowns. Shved averaged 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.3 steals in the tournament as he showed Europe more than just a glimpse of his future stardom.

At the ANGT Finals in Prague, Shved started the tournament with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals in an 84-60 victory over U18 Cibona Zagreb. He went for 14 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals next in an 84-61 win against U18 Prague 2006. In the final game of the group stage, Shved collected 21 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, but those numbers were not enough as CSKA lost 89-87 to U18 Montepaschi Siena. CSKA, Cibona and Montepaschi all had 2-1 records, however, Shved and the two-time reigning champion advanced to the ANGT Championship Game via tiebreaker. In the title bout, Shved struggled shooting against U18 Zalgiris Kaunas, hitting just 1 of 14 shots and missing both of his free-throw tries to finish with 3 points, but he amassed 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks in leading CSKA to a 59-55 victory to complete the Moscow team’s ANGT three-peat.

That was not the last time Shved would accomplish great things. He made his professional debut the following season with CSKA and debuted in the EuroLeague on January 17, 2007, playing 2:15 minutes against Zalgiris Kaunas just a month after turning 19 years old. Shved appeared in eight EuroLeague games in 2007-08, averaging 2.8 points for a CSKA team that won the EuroLeague crown. His role grew slightly over the following seasons - more in domestic league play than in the EuroLeague, where he got into 12 games for CSKA from 2008-09 to 2010-11. Shved also played for Dynamo Moscow during the 2009-10 campaign, where he averaged 11.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in four EuroCup games. Shved finally broke out for CSKA in 2011-12 with 10.6 points and 3.0 assists in helping CSKA reach the 2012 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game, which the team lost in the final seconds to Olympiacos Piraeus. Shved spent the next three seasons in the NBA - 2012-13 and 2013-14 with Minnesota and then 2014-15 with Philadelphia, Houston and New York.

Shved returned to Europe in 2015 and signed with Khimki Moscow Region, with which he scored 15.9 points per game in the EuroLeague to rank fourth in the competition. Khimki played in the EuroCup for 2016-17 and Shved carried the team to the quarterfinals, where it lost to Valencia Basket. Shved led the EuroCup in scoring (22.1 ppg) and index rating (22) in addition to averages of 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals. Those numbers helped him to head the All-EuroCup First Team as league MVP. He built upon his EuroCup dominance as he won the 2017-18 EuroLeague Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy with 21.8 ppg while also getting chosen to the All-EuroLeague Second Team. Shved fueled Khimki’s run to the EuroLeague Playoffs where it lost to crosstown rival CSKA in four games. Shved was slowed down by an injury in 2018-19, but when healthy he averaged 23.3 points, 6.6 assists and 1.6 steals. He would have won the scoring crown again had he met the minimum games player requirement. Shved also would have finished second in assists and fourth in steals. Shved’s outstanding play continued in the 2019-20 season with 21.4 points and 6.7 assists for Khimki, which was fighting for a spot in the playoffs before the season was called off due to COVID-19. Shved was second in scoring and third in assists at that point, making it clear to all that he is still one of the most dominant players in European basketball.



ANGT alumni: Alexey Shved, Khimki Moscow Region

The EuroLeague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament has developed into one of the world's most prestigious stops for future stars in basketball. From 2003 onwards, more and more players have used the ANGT to showcase their talents at a young age and gain experience in international club competition.

One player who gave fans a taste of his future success in the ANGT is swingman Nihad Dedovic of FC Bayern Munich. Dedovic had recently turned 18 years old when he played his only two games in the ANGT for U18 FC Barcelona back in 2008 in Madrid, where the tournament was held in parallel with the 2008 EuroLeague Final Four.

Dedovic had already made his EuroLeague debut with Barcelona's senior team earlier that season, playing almost 6 minutes of a season-opening loss at Partizan Belgrade when he was still 17. He had 1 point and 2 rebounds in that game. At the ANGT in Madrid, Dedovic played the U18 team's last two games of four. He scored 27 against Lietuvos Rytas in his first outing, as Barcelona ran its record to 3-0 and reached the championship game against FMP Belgrade. In that final, Dedovic rang up a double-double of 29 points and 11 rebounds, but his team lost 70-80. His average of 26.5 points was the highest in that season's tournament.

Dedovic appeared in three games during the next EuroLeague season with Barcelona and also became a Spanish League champion before moving to Lottomatica Roma of Italy, where he aced his EuroLeague return in 2010-11, averaging 9.3 points as a 20-year-old starter playing alongside another rising star, Luigi Datome. Dedovic would pass through ALBA Berlin for another solid EuroLeague season before landing in his current home in Munich, where he had actually lived as a boy until age 7.

Dedovic carried his new club into the EuroLeague in 2013 and was a double-digit scorer in the competition for the next three years. After nine EuroLeague seasons overall, five of them with Bayern, he has career averages of 9.7 points and 2.9 rebounds through 124 EuroLeague games. Along with winning three German League titles together, Dedovic is the longest-serving player ever in a Bayern uniform and the current team captain, taking an iconic club to new heights in basketball.

ANGT alumni: Nihad Dedovic, FC Bayern Munich

The Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Belgrade first-place game was a mixed bag of emotions for Daniel Batcho of U18 CFBB Paris.

Sure, he was disappointed about losing the qualifying tournament title to U18 Partizan NIS Belgrade. At the same time, he was satisfied to have played so well as to be chosen tournament Most Valuable Player – especially considering where Batcho was just a year ago.

On Sunday in Belgrade, Batcho collected 24 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks for a performance index rating of 38 against Partizan, but CFBB ended up losing 79-67.

"I just tried to stay aggressive in the game," Batcho said afterward. "I knew I had to grab a lot of rebounds to help out my teammates."

"The toughest thing I have gone through in my life."

Batcho finished the four-game weekend averaging 14.8 points on 69.7% two-point shooting to go with 11.3 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and a performance index rating of 24.3. He was the tournament's best in both rebounds and PIR.

Seeing the 2.02-meter forward put up those numbers was even more welcome sight once you think back to August 15, 2018.

Batcho came into the quarterfinals of that summer's FIBA U16 European Championship averaging 10.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals. But just about 30 seconds into the game against Serbia, Batcho landed awkwardly on his left knee after making a layup. The diagnosis was a broken kneecap and Batcho had to sit out the entire 2018-19 season.

"It was the toughest thing I have gone through in my life," he says now. "It was a tough rehab, but we have a lot of great physical therapy people at INSEP and they were with me every day."

Batcho said not being able to play did actually help him, though, in his understanding of the game of basketball.

"It helped me see the game differently and watch more of it, the details. Something I didn't do before: watch more the screens and how to get the ball," Batcho says.

Most importantly, sitting out an entire season gave Batcho perspective on life.

"Nothing is given, everything is earned I have to eat well, sleep well and do everything well to show everything that I can do," he says.

The days, weeks and months of wondering if he could ever get back onto the court finally came to an end on September 28, 2019, when CFBB took on La Charite in a third-division game in France. Batcho played 13 minutes and collected 6 points and 5 rebounds.

"I was so happy, it was a big relief," he recalled.

Batcho has shown flashes of his ability this season as he tallied 7 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks versus Andrezieux; collected 21 points and 11 rebounds against Chartes; and picked up 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists versus GET Vosges. For the season, Batcho averaged 8.9 points and 6.7 rebounds in 24 minutes coming into the ANGT Belgrade.

"Nothing is given, everything is earned."

It was fitting that Batcho made his loud international re-entry in Belgrade. That fateful injury in August 2018 came in a quarterfinal game against Serbia, whose team then featured eight players who also played at ANGT Belgrade this weekend: Lazar Stefanovic and Luka Tarlac from Partizan; Luka Paunovic, Mihailo Musikic, Marko Andric and Ivan Pavicevic from U18 Mega Bemax Belgrade; and Nikola Manojlovic and Lazar Joksimovic from U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade.

His fateful game in 2018 had taken place in Novi Sad, Serbia, so Batcho knew how much a passion for basketball goes hand-in-hand with the talent of the country's players. That made him and his team were well aware of all they accomplished to reach the ANGT Belgrade first-place game, but also of the tough task they faced in taking on Partizan.

"We knew that it would be intense because they were playing at home," he said.

Having come all the way back to stand tall again in the country where injury first sidetracked him, Batcho has very clear what he will remember most from his comeback at ANGT Belgrade:

"The intensity – and also how you always have to be focused on the game."



Injury taught ANGT Belgrade MVP that nothing is given

Daniel Batcho was named the Most Valuable Player of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Belgrade despite U18 CFBB Paris losing in the first-place game to U18 Partizan NIS Belgrade. Batcho was outstanding against Partizan with 24 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks for a performance index rating of 38, but CFBB ended up losing 79-67. For the tournament, Batcho averaged 14.8 points on 69.7 percent two-point shooting, 11.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks for a PIR of 24.3. He led the tournament in PIR and rebounds and ranked fourth in both two-point shooting and blocks. He was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Nikola Radovanovic of Partizan, Luka Paunovic of U18 Mega Bemax Belgrade, Egor Sytnikov of U18 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana and Nikola Manojlovic of U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade.

Radovanovic tallied 12 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks in the first-place game and averaged 15.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and a PIR of 18.8 for the weekend. He was eighth in scoring, seventh in rebounds, second in free throw percentage (84.8%) and seventh in PIR. Paunovic, who helped Mega finish third, tallied 17.3 points on 71.4% two-point shooting and 50.0% on threes plus 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.8 steals and a PIR of 24.3. He finished tied for first in PIR, third in two-point shooting, fourth in scoring and three-pointers, sixth in assists and seventh in steals. Sytnikov collected 18.5 points on 72.2% two-pointers, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists for a PIR of 18.8. The Russian guard finished tied for second in scoring and seventh in PIR. Zvezda's Manojlovic averaged 13.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists for a PIR of 15.5.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B08rmGku32Q

The biggest storylines going into the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Belgrade are whether host side U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade can start a new winning streak or U18 Mega Bemax Belgrade can take first place at the event in back-to-back years. Or will another of the six teams competing claim the fourth ticket for the ANGT Finals?

In addition to the 2014 continental champion Zvezda and Mega, the final ANGT qualifier includes two-time champion U18 CFBB Paris of France, U18 Partizan NIS Belgrade, U18 Asseco Arka Gdynia, U18 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, U18 Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv and U18 Panathinaikos OPAP Athens.

The eight teams are broken down into two groups of four teams and will play the other three opponents in their group. The top-placed finishers in each group will face off in the first-place game. The second-place finishers will play in the third-place game; the third-placed clubs for fifth place and the bottom teams in the seventh-place game. The victor of the first-place game will advance to the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in May in Cologne, Germany.

U18 Herbalife Gran Canaria, defending ANGT champion U18 Real Madrid and U18 Rytas Vilnius all have secured their tickets to Germany after winning the ANGT Valencia, ANGT Munich and ANGT Kaunas, respectively.

In Belgrade this weekend, Group A includes Zvezda, Maccabi, Panathinaikos and Partizan. Zvezda won this qualifying tournament each season from 2011 to 2018 but saw its 38-game ANGT Belgrade winning streak snapped in last season's first-place game, which Mega won 73-63. Zvezda, which later received a wild card for the ANGT Finals last season, had last surrendered a defeat at the ANGT Belgrade against U18 Beovuk 72 in the 2010-11 season. Maccabi returns to the Serbian capital for the first time since 2016-17, when it finished seventh. The Israeli powerhouse finished second at the ANGT Munich last season and was granted a wild card for the ANGT Finals. Panathinaikos will be appearing in its third qualifying event, for the first time in Belgrade. The Greek side went winless and finished eighth at ANGT Munich last season. Partizan returns to Belgrade after playing at the ANGT Munich last season, where it finished seventh.

Mega tops Group B, which also includes Arka, CFBB and Olimpija. Mega will have the confidence of taking first place in Belgrade last season and ending Zvezda's long run of dominance. Mega reached the ANGT Championship Game last season but lost to Real Madrid. That was Mega's second appearance in the championship game after losing to CFBB in 2017. Arka has not played in the competition since 2008 when the Polish side went 1-3 in Belgrade in the final season of a four-year run in the qualifiers. CFBB is one of five teams with two U18 continental titles (2010 and 2017). The others are U18 Zalgiris Kaunas, U18 FMP Belgrade, U18 Real Madrid and U18 Rytas Vilnius, while U18 CSKA Moscow collected three straight championships from 2004 to 2006. The French club will be playing in Belgrade after competing at the ANGT Kaunas for the last five seasons, taking third place last year in the Lithuania tournament. Olimpija will be playing in the competition for the 12th time in the last 13 seasons. Last year, the Slovenian team took fourth place at ANGT Belgrade.

Zvezda goes for new streak at ANGT Belgrade

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ANGT Kaunas MVP Azoulas Tubelis helped U18 Rytas Vilnius find redemption by defeating their archrival U18 Zalgiris Kaunas in the first-place game after losing the same game to the same club one year ago.

Azoulas Tubelis already experienced what it felt like to lose to an archenemy in the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament. And he made sure that he and his U18 Rytas Vilnius teammates didn't feel that again in beating U18 Zalgiris Kaunas in the ANGT Kaunas first-place game.

Tubelis collected 25 points and 15 rebounds plus 12 fouls drawn for a performance index rating of 37 in Rytas's 63-84 victory over Zalgiris in the ANGT Kaunas first-place game to earn a ticket to the ANGT Finals, which will be Tubelis's third trip to the end-of-the-season highlight.

"The motivation was there because it was Zalgiris. You never need much extra motivation," said Tubelis, who was named MVP of the tournament.

"They knew us very well. We play them in the Lithuanian League and we made the adjustments at halftime and they worked."

Tubelis knows what it’s like facing Zalgiris in the ANGT Kaunas first-place game as he and Rytas lost at the same point last season - a 92-79 defeat in which he collected 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 5 blocks and 8 fouls drawn for a PIR of 31. "There were so many people there and the support was amazing for Zalgiris. We were not as motivated as this time," said Tubelis, who was named to the All-Tournament Team last season as well.

The 2.06-meter forward was determined to not be denied this time around as he averaged 20.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks for a PIR of 34.5. He ranked fourth in scoring while leading the competition in PIR, rebounds and two-point shooting (66.7%) and placing third in blocks.

"He’s very, very talented. We have played on the same team for the last five years. I am really happy with how he is improving. His IQ is really good and he's really grown up," said Tubelis's teammate Augustas Marciulionis, who also garnered a spot on the All-Tournament Team.

Rytas is heading back to the ANGT Finals for an eighth time in 18 editions, including three of the last four. The club from the Lithuanian capital won the continental championship in 2012 and 2018. Tubelis was part of the 2018 title-winning team in Belgrade, where he collected 3 points, 1 rebound and 1 block in 10 minutes of Rytas's 76-71 thrilling victory over U18 Stellazzurra Rome.

"I remember only Sirvydis's last shot. He's insane," Tubelis said, referring to Deividas Sirvydis's three-pointer to give Rytas a 72-69 lead with 35 seconds to play. "I didn’t play that much two years ago, but the emotions from that game were amazing."

Tubelis has started taking the next step at the team level at Rytas, playing in five top division LKL games and averaging 3.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.4 minutes, including 11 points against Siauliai on February 1. On December 18, Tubelis also made his 7DAYS EuroCup debut; he played 12:55 minutes against Umana Reyer Venice in Round 10 of the regular season, though he missed his 2 field goal attempts and finished without points, though Tubelis managed to record 3 rebounds and 1 block.

Tubelis played in Rytas's two domestic league games before ANGT Kaunas and will undoubtedly start to gain more playing time with the senior team as he awaits a trip to Cologne, Germany, in May for the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four.

"We want to try to win the trophy again. There is no other way: only first place," Tubelis said.

Spoken like a true champion.

Tubelis rises to challenge against archenemy Zalgiris

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Davide Casarin is no stranger to expectations given his name. But the U18 Umana Reyer Venice prospect insists he is working hard to earn everything he gets. Casarin arrived in Lithuania for the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Kaunas after being named to the All-Tournament Team at the ANGT Belgrade last season, when he collected 18.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.0 blocks despite being two years younger than the rest of the competition.

Even though he will only turn 17 years of age in May and has more eyes and pressure on him, Casarin has played well for Reyer, collecting 18.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.7 steals per game through his team's first three games.

"It's always a great honor to be here and play against these teams that are absolutely stronger than the opponents against whom we play in Italy. These kinds of games push us to do better and try to improve," said Casarin, who has slumped a bit as well, hitting just 32.6 percent on two-point shots and 11.1% from long range while also committing 4.7 turnovers in nearly 33 minutes. "I try to play as normal as possible. I know that every day the pressure gets higher, but I try not to think about it. I try to go to the court always focused on what I have to do and always try to do my best."

In addition to being a year younger than the other players in Kaunas, Casarin also bears the weight of a big surname. His father Federico Casarin played 13 seasons in Italy's top two leagues and remained active until 2017 when he was 51 years old. After he retired Federico Casarin, was appointed Reyer club president. Davide’s brother Andrea also played the game.

"The relationship with my father is always the same outside of the gym. But when the games or practices start, I don’t think of him as my father but as president. He treats me like a normal player, a young player, but not like a son," Davide said.

Casarin has already made his way into Reyer’s senior team. On May 12, 2019, he made his Serie A debut against Brescia, playing 3 minutes and even making a basket for his first points in front of the home fans.

"I was excited just to be on the scoreboard before getting on the court. Then I tried my best to use my chance; thanks to my teammates who helped me," said Casarin, who also played two playoff games against Trento - all before turning 16.

Those games came after Casarin’s performance at the ANGT Belgrade, which earned him a spot in the Adidas U16 All-Star Game played at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Vitoria-Gasteiz. Casarin has already gotten into six Serie A games this season, playing a total of 16 minutes and scoring 4 points with 1 rebound and 1 assist. He also has made his debut in the 7DAYS EuroCup, playing 1:50 minutes against Partizan NIS Belgrade in Round 1 of the Regular Season and then collecting 4 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in 13:40 minutes against Rytas Vilnius in Round 10.

"It’s fantastic. I can compare myself with the best players in Europe. This gives me great motivation to work harder every day. I see these great players and try to get inspiration from them," he said.

Casarin came into this season with new drive and motivation after a strong summer wearing the Italy jersey. He played two years up at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2019 and averaged 8.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals in four games. And then he played a major role in helping Italy take third place at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019. He averaged 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals as Italy won its first U16 continental medal since 1991 and qualified for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup for the first time since 2014.

"Thanks to these two important European Championships, I gained a lot of confidence to play this season, which I knew would be really hard because I know I have a lot of competition,” Casarin said.

Casarin splits time with Reyer’s senior and U18 teams - often practicing with each team on the same day. He also has individual workouts and weight training besides games. Despite being only 16 years old, Casarin says he feels welcome in the Reyer senior team locker room. Because they speak the same language, he said he is most comfortable with his Italian teammates. But he also feels accepted by the foreign players.

"The Americans treat me really like a younger brother. They try to give me tips all the time," he said.

Still, there is that name that accompanies Casarin everywhere he goes. And that gives him even more drive to show he deserves the things he is getting.

"I have to earn everything by myself," he stressed. Becuase Casarin knows the weight of expectations and he is doing a his best to deal with them in a positive way so far.



Regardless of name, Reyer prospect Casarin earning his way

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