In the latest edition of ‘P.I. Pulse’, Pro Insight analyst Ignacio Rissotto calls to attention some of the top prospects participating in this week's ANGT Finals:
Adidas Next Generation Tournament is the top club competition in the world for the Under-18 age group. 32 teams competed in four different qualifying tournaments that took place over the past four months, with eight teams from the pool being selected for the Finals.
Here are eleven prospects who scouts will be watching at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals, which will be held during EuroLeague Final Four weekend in Kaunas, Lithuania:
Egor Demin
6’8” Wing | Team: Real Madrid | 17.2 Years Old | Nationality: Russia | Class of 2025
Standing at 6’8”, Demin offers a tremendous level of offensive versatility for his size, being able to create for himself, score on multiple levels of the floor and create for others. His calling card is his versatile shooting ability, as he’s able to convert jumpers off-the-catch and off-the-dribble, showing compact mechanics and an impressive level of touch off movement.
While not extremely quick or explosive, Demin utilizes his fluidity and body control to find his way to the rim in traffic. He also shows potential as a creator for others, being a reactive passer who consistently finds open teammates on the move and showing some flashes of pick-and-roll passing.
Mohamed Diawara
6’8” Forward | Team: Next Generation Select | 18.0 Years Old | Nationality: France | Class of 2023
A strong 6’8” forward who possesses an impressive level of speed, coordination and mobility for his size, Diawara stands out immediately due to his physical profile, as he utilizes his combination of tools and motor to make an impact on defense both in the perimeter and in the paint.
Diawara plays with a great level of physicality, which allows him to finish through contact in the paint and crash the glass at a good rate. Diawara has also shown some on-ball abilities such as bringing the ball up in transition and moving the ball in half-court offense. Recently, he’s also shown flashes of shooting, having converted on 27.2% of his 176 3-point attempts during the 2022-23 season according to Cerebro Sports.
Mouhamed Faye
6’10” Big | Team: Next Generation Select | 18.3 Years Old | Nationality: Senegal
Faye also possesses an impressive physical profile, standing at 6’10” with a tremendous combination of size, strength and length which should allow him to play the five at any level of competition. Faye had a dominant performance at the ANGT qualifiers, where he used his physical tools to overpower opposing defenders at the rim, finishing through contact in the paint and to be a prolific rebounder on both ends of the floor.
Faye is also fairly polished as an interior scorer, being really fluid with the ball, using his footwork to find the open space and finishing at the rim with his combination of length and touch. Defensively, he can make an impact as a rim protector, but he’s also fluid enough to move his feet on the perimeter and contain opponents to some degree.
Hugo Gonzalez
6’6” Wing | Team: Real Madrid | 17.2 Years Old | Nationality: Spain | Class of 2024
Considered by many as the top 2006-born international prospect, Gonzalez is an athletic wing who consistently beats opposing defenders with his quickness and open-court speed. Standing at 6’6”, Gonzalez creates advantages on the perimeter with his quick first step, then is able to get to the rim and finish with power thanks to his combination of body control and vertical athleticism.
Gonzalez, who has also been improving as a shooter off the catch during the current season, projects as an intriguing two-way wing who might lack an elite skill, but can entice NBA teams ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft with his prototypical size and athleticism for a wing as well as his ability to make an impact on multiple areas of the game.
David Mirkovic
6’9” Forward | Team: Next Generation Select | 17.4 Years Old | Nationality: Montenegro
Mirkovic has an interesting profile as a two-level scoring forward. He can play as a traditional back-to-the-basket big, where he uses his combination of size, touch and footwork to create his own shot, while also being a threat from three in pick-and-pop situations. His most impressive moments, however, come when he’s asked to self-create on the perimeter, where he’s able to put the ball on the floor to attack closeouts and to create space for jumpshots.
While he’s still developing as a passer and as a defender, Mirkovic has a unique level of touch, fluidity and polish for his size. His versatile scoring ability should put him on the radars of professional and college teams over the next few years.
Ilian Pietrus
6’4” Guard | Team: Next Generation Select | 17.9 Years Old | Nationality: France | Class of 2023
Pietrus made his mark in the ANGT qualifiers with his prolific scoring ability, getting to the basket nearly at will with his combination of strength, body control and finishing ability and converting tough 3-point jumpers off movement. Pietrus also contributes offensively with his ability to pass on the move and run pick-and-rolls.
Despite his lack of defensive production, he has the combination of size, lateral quickness and motor to contain opponents in the perimeter. Pietrus projects as a versatile and complete two-guard who has the requisite physical tools to make an impact on both ends of the floor.
Ruben Prey
6’11” Forward | Team: Joventut | 18.2 Years Old | Nationality: Portugal | Class of 2023
Prey is a unique prospect due to his combination of size, perimeter skillset and interior presence. Standing at 6’11”, Prey has excellent tools for the position, being not only big and long, but also really mobile, quick and coordinated for his size. Prey uses those tools to make an impact in the paint, finishing plays on offense, crashing the glass on both ends of the floor and protecting the rim as a help defender.
Prey has also been able to make an impact along the perimeter. He’s comfortable with the ball in his hands which allows him to attack mismatches and closeouts to get to the rim while also making an impact as a shooter, having converted 30.1% of his jumpers over the 2022-23 season. Defensively, he’s not super quick to turn his hips, but he’s quick enough to stay in front and cover drives from the perimeter.
One of the most complete players in the 2005 international generation, Prey is one of many players who could potentially become the top international prospect for the 2024 NBA Draft. The ANGT Finals might provide the stage for him to solidify his spot at the top.
Alexandros Samontourov
6’11” Forward | Team: Panathinaikos | 18.1 Years Old | Nationality: Greece
Samontourov has put himself on NBA radars over the last year by offering an interesting mix of size, mobility, defensive potential and ball-handling ability. Standing at 6’11”, Samontourov moves with a combination of speed and power which makes him extremely difficult to stop on drives, while also utilizing the gravity he generates to make the right play and find open teammates on the move.
Continuing to improve as a shooter will be the next step for Samontourov, who could become an interesting high-ceiling bet for professional teams with his combination of size and handling ability.
Ben Saraf
6’6” Wing | Team: Next Generation Select | 17.1 Years Old | Nationality: Israel
A lefty wing who possesses a solid level of athleticism and optimal positional size, Saraf has been considered as one of the best 2006-born international prospects for the past two years. Saraf is an aggressive scoring wing who has excellent tools for the position and plays with a tremendous level of pace and creativity, using his polished handling ability to create space for drives and pull-up jumpers.
Saraf is also able to create defensive events and make the occasional pass on the move, but his aggressive mentality and his impressive ability to create for himself and will be his calling cards moving forward.
Dame Sarr
6’6” Wing | Team: Barcelona | 16.9 Years Old | Nationality: Italy | Class of 2025
Sarr is a versatile wing who can do damage in a number of ways. Sarr can act as a facilitator where he can make the right play on the move, but also run pick-and-rolls with good vision and timing. As a driver, Sarr is able to get downhill with power and finish at the rim with a good level of explosiveness.
Where Sarr shines, however, is as a shooter, being a knockdown 3-point shooter in terms of percentages, volume and difficulty of attempts. Defensively, Sarr has optimal tools to defend multiple positions and creates defensive events at a good rate. Sarr will be a prospect to follow ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Nikola Topic
6’6” Guard | Team: Crvena Zvezda | 17.8 Years Old | Nationality: Serbia
Topic made headlines earlier this year when he tied the all-time scoring record at the ANGT qualifiers, in a 49-point, 12-assist effort against Next Generation Select. Even more impressive than his statline was the way in which Topic broke the record, converting tough 3-pointers off-the-dribble, getting to the rim nearly at will with his combination of strength, speed and ability to change directions with the ball and consistently making the right play, finding open teammates.
Topic has proved to be an all-around guard with positional size who can play both on and off the ball. He’s a name on the rise to continue to watch ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Just missing the cut: Nekolis Avdalas (Panathinaikos), Ismaila Diagne (Real Madrid), Lazar Gacic (Crvena Zvezda), Lucas Giovannetti (Next Generation Select), Karim Lopez (Joventut), Amadou Traore (Real Madrid), Jan Vide (Real Madrid)