Prospect Analysis: ANGT Ljubljana
In the latest edition of ‘P.I. Pulse’, Pro Insight’s Jason Filippi compiles his scouting notes after spending multiple days evaluating the top prospects playing in ANGT Ljubljana:
I recently ventured my home base in Bologna, Italy, for the final leg of this year’s Adidas Next Generation Tournament, a top-notch event filled with talented young prospects from all over the world (note: in case you missed our ANGT Belgrade article, check it out here; for my breakdown of the top prospects from ANGT Patras, click here; for our most recent recap on ANGT Varese, click here). This most recent trip provided the opportunity to get updated in-person evaluations on aspiring college and pro players and write up detailed reports for the Pro Insight database. I’ve included a distilled version of those reports below for the purposes of this article. I’ve also included C-RAM scores for each prospect, courtesy of our stats partner Cerebro Sports (for 10% off your Cerebro subscription, use code PROINSIGHT22). For more detailed scouting reports — and intel — on these players, as well as reports on some of the other younger prospects I saw in Ljubljana, subscribe to our database, here. With any questions or comments, shoot us an email: info@prospectiveinsight.com.
With that, here are my scouting takeaways after spending some time evaluating the top prospects from ANGT Ljubljana:
Eli John Ndiaye (SPA) | 6-8 Big | Real Madrid
C-RAM: 10.6 (Gold Badge - tied for #3 overall in event)
Eli Nidaye was once again dominant and picked up his third straight ANGT MVP award here in Ljubljana! Although his numbers were not necessarily as impressive as in past tournaments, he was still a major difference-maker with his versatility on the offensive end and his motor on the defensive side. Ndiaye has pretty average size/length but he is very mobile and quick off his feet. He’s shown an improved offensive game and can play both the 4 and 5 spots. In the low post he does a great job taking advantage of favorable mismatches and can post-up or face-up. He can also put the ball on the deck to score one-on-one (loves to spin toward the middle to score with jump hooks) as well as turn-and-face to knock down baseline shots. Additionally, Ndiaye has increased his shooting range over time – he can now pop out for corner three-point shots and knock down jumpers from the elbows, too. He runs the court hard and is a good finisher in transition. He is active on the offensive glass, following his own shots well – and scores a lot on put-backs. Ndiaye has a good motor – he plays hard on both sides of the court. He may lack the size to play the same way at the NBA level, but he definitely plays bigger than his listed height. He is active and moves his feet well and can switch on to a smaller player. He contests shots aggressively and deflects a lot of passes, as well. I really like his potential as a small-ball center for the Euroleague level.
Baba Miller (SPA) | 6-9 Forward | Real Madrid
C-RAM: 6.9
Baba Miller was a bit inconsistent, but he was still by far the player with the most upside and NBA potential in this tournament. He’s still filling out, but has good positional size and a nice wingspan. He is mobile/agile and moves well for size. Miller is a combo forward who actually plays a lot at the 3 spot in big lineups, even though I think he will be more of a stretch-4 long term at the pro level. He’s a versatile player who can play both inside or outside. Miller is also a good high post player who can put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket as well as shoot it from out to three-point range. His shot mechanics need to be fine-tuned (he doesn’t square up well and has a pretty low release point) but he’s shown to have a good shooting touch. He has a nice step-back move in his arsenal, too. He can post up and has a nice turnaround shot. While operating out of the low post, he can spin both toward the middle or baseline for jump hooks. He does a nice job finding ways to take advantage of favorable mismatches and is a strong alley-oop finisher. Throughout the tournament, he displayed some impressive high post passing acumen. Miller has a good feel for the game, in general. He can handle it in the open court, but could improve vs. ball pressure. He still needs to improve a lot on the defensive end. His length helps him as he contests shots and deflects a lot of passes, but he lacks physicality and plays smaller than his frame might indicate (he is too much of a finesse player, currently). Miller rebounds his area but doesn’t always go after the ball aggressively enough. All that said, we are splitting hairs and ultimately talking about a terrific player – a blue chip college prospect with legit NBA potential.
Elijah Ndi (GER) | 6-5 Wing | Wurzburg
C-RAM: 5.4
Elijah Ndi was a major disappointment here in Ljubljana but nonetheless he has some very realistic potential for higher levels of competition. He brings just average height to the table for a wing, but he has long arms and a strong body to help compensate. He is also a solid athlete with some vertical pop. He definitely passes the eye test, but is missing something…Ndi really struggled with his jump shot in this tournament – his shooting stroke looks good, but he simply couldn’t buy a bucket in this event. Overall, Ndi is a perimeter-oriented player. He’s yet to show much off the dribble and needs to improve his in-between game and learn how to take better advantage of his physical tools. He moves well without the ball and is a good finisher off basket cuts. He is mostly just a catch-and-shoot guy at this stage and elevates well on his shots. Ndi is an effective open court player who does a commendable job of creating easy scoring looks in transition. He has the tools to be a nice wing defender and does a good job pressuring the ball – he’s shown glimpses of being able to guard much bigger players, also. He’s a good rebounder for a wing player. Ndi still needs time, but he is surely better than he looked here and I think he could still develop into a nice 3-and-D guy for the pro level.
Jan Vide (SLO) | 6-5 Guard | Real Madrid
C-RAM: 7.2 (Bronze Badge)
Jan Vide is a very improved player. I wasn’t crazy about him last year, but then he started to grow on me last summer at the Euro U16 Challengers in Novi Sad and confirmed his continued progression here in this tournament. For starters, he has good size and a strong build for his age. Vide is a combo guard who is definitely more of a scorer than a playmaker. He plays mostly off the ball and is a good slasher who can score one-on-one, using more strength than quickness to get by his man. Vide is a crafty finisher at the rim and can score with contact. His weak spot is his perimeter shooting as he is not a reliable shooter from long range (he doesn’t even look to shoot it much from three-point range). He does a good job at driving and dishing the ball off to big men cutting to the basket. He’s a good open court player who knows when to leak out to score on the fast-break. Vide is noticeably assertive, poised and confident despite playing a year up. He can defend bigger wings well but may struggle to contain smaller, quicker ball-handlers as he progresses up levels. He obviously needs to improve his range shooting, but he has interesting potential for both the college and European pro levels.
Urban Klavzar (SLO) | 6-1 Guard | Real Madrid
C-RAM: 6.8
Ljubljana was another solid showing by Urban Klavzar, who filled in the leadership void left by the absence of teammate Juan Nunez. He has just average size and length, but he is quite strong and plays bigger than his listed 6’1 height. Klavzar is a scoring point guard who, in my opinion, is better as a scorer than as a playmaker. He is a good pick-and-roll player, but he looks for his own shots first. That’s not to say he isn’t a good passer – he especially drives and kicks it well. He can score both via driving/slashing or with jump shots. Klavzar is a good pull-up jump shooter from out to three-point range. He is really just an average athlete but he still manages to get to wherever he wants (at this level at least). He makes good use of fakes and changes of speed/direction to throw defenders off. He’s also a crafty finisher at the rim. Klavzar will need to prove that he can create and finish as well at higher levels of competition. He’s a good open court player both as a passer and as a finisher. Klavzar is a smart defender, too, and knows how to play angles and anticipate on and off the ball. His average foot speed may limit him at the pro level. Klavzar is a polished, mature player who may not have much upside left. He plays a very Euro-style game. Regardless, a good college prospect who will end up being a high-caliber Euroleague player.
Henri Veesaar (EST) | 6-11 Big | Real Madrid
C-RAM: 7.4 (Bronze Badge)