Let’s take a look at Africa: 20 African prospects reports born in 2003 and 2004
I’m Kuzey, 19. I’ve been writing about basketball since I was 9. I have been working in Eurosport Turkey for the last 1,5 year. I have written on various sites and magazines before. I’ve been working as a freelance scout for three years. I worked as a consultant. I have interviewed dozens of prospects such as Theo Maledon, Deni Avdija, Henri Drell, Aleksej Pokusevski, and dozens of notable basketball people such as Luis Scola, Dimitris Itoudis, Joan Plaza, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Derrick Williams. I write an article every day. I live in Turkey, I go to all the Euroleague and Youth League games. MY BIGGEST GOAL IS SCOUTING! Anyway, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and feel free to DM!
I am sharing all part of the project which I have been working on for the last three months. I wrote about 20 African players born in 2003 and 2004. Briefly pros and cons, information, size and comparisons.
- Comparisons are based on skills, not projections in the NBA.
- Guys, don’t forget, I wrote reports considering the under 20 international levels.
- All reports are BRIEF, detailed reports are coming soon!
Here is my ranking:
- Yannick Nzosa — Center — 6'11'’-2003-DR Congo
- Youssouf Singare — Center — 7'0'’-2003-Mali
- Joshua Ojianwuna — Power Forward — 6'10'’-2003-Nigeria
- Assemian Moulare — Guard- 6'0'’-2003-Cote D’Ivoire
- Abdramane Kanoute — F-6'3'’-2004-Mali
- Dick Rutatika Sano — PF — 6'9'’-2004-Rwanda
- Thierno Mamoudou Sylla — Center — 6'10'’-2003-Gana
- Farouk Isah — Shooting Guard — 5'11'’-2004-Nigeria
- Grace Aluma — Guard — 5'11'’-2003-Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Babacar Sane — C- 6'8'’-2003-Senegal
- Moamen Abouzeid — G- 6'1'’-2003-Egypt
- Valdemar Avelino — SG — 5'9'’-2003-Angola
- Lutwima Fausto — Guard — 5'9'’-2003-Angola
- Kevin Ishema- Shooting Guard — 6'1'’-2003-Rwanda
- Abdullah Ahmed- Center- 6'9'’-2003-Egypt
- Abdoulaye Donzo- F -2003-Guinea
- Kiir Chol Deng — F- 6'8'’-2004-Sudan
- Hugo Silva — SG- 6'1'’-2003-Cape Verde
- Precious Ikpe -Shooting Guard — 6'2'’-2003-Nigeria
- Mahmoud Mohamed — SF- 6'4'’-2003-Egypt
Kevin Ishema — Shooting Guard — 6'1'’-2003-Rwanda
Comparison: Archie Goodwin
Size
The strength in his lower body is remarkable for a shooting guard. He can make good use of it during dribble and fast moves on off-ball games. But the upper part of his body is very lacking in every respect. Arm muscles are close to average. But he has to do dozens of work in the rest.
Pros
A flashy, smooth&explosive shooting guard.
Very quick and thrives in transition.
Has a really strong and quick first step.
Although his lack of strength, he can finish in traffic thanks to his fludity, game IQ and handling.
Good court vision and passing skills.
Great rebounder for his position. Really. If you watch the matches he played in 2018, you can better understand what I mean. He senses the rebound areas perfectly, takes fast moves and takes the ball and goes to the transition.
Loves to go for the floater over defenders.
Has a good score instincts.
Had the ball in his hands a lot and is good at finding teammates off the bounce.
Can defend ISO.
Cons
His shot is very, very bad. In some games, he hit the threes %80 percentage, but believe me, this is very rare. His shots are very weak.
Not good at feeling the match. Sometimes his motor stops completely and damages the team on the court.
He has to work in dozens of on defense. His position knowledge is good, he has fast hands, but he has a hard time combining things in defense.
Not a great finisher around the rim.
Can’t organize detail sets like chin, 51 Runner and pistol.
Assemian Moulare — Guard — 6'0'’-2003-Cote D’Ivoire
Comparison: Jordan Clarkson
Size
I think he is the best player in this series. The upper and lower body is ready as a base. His shoulders are wide, his chest muscles and core muscles are stiff. He has great hip mobility. Has quick and smart footwork. As the years progress, should continue to gain muscle.
Pros
Has good quickness all around the court.
Can finish from baseline with reverse-spin.
Can score both hands.
Can finish in traffic.
Has great body control.
Can change direction with quick footwork.
Smooth athlete.
Decent rebounder.
Can score from all three levels and is able to create his own offense
Has good lateral quickness.
Has good leadership skills in terms of taking responsibility on critical times.
Cons
Inconsistent shooter. He was good in threes at the 2019 African Championship, but he was very inconsistent. Probably I just get self-confidence from his shot. In fact, his shot mechanism is not bad, but there are deficiencies in shooting choices, power and experience. Of course, for now.
He needs dozens of work in all areas of defense. Thanks to his fast hand-foot coordination and motor in the perimeter, he can be a good defender there. But position instinct and timing are bad.
Passing. Not a good passer. Sometimes he plays so selfish. Of course, he finds scores when he plays selfish, but bad to include the team in the game.
Lutwima Fausto — Guard — 5'9'’-2003-Angola
Comparison: Malcolm Brogdon
Size
He is a bit far from ideal, but let me say, Fausto has one of the best frames among African prospects born in 2003–2004. Especially his lower body is whatever ready. The upper body needs a muscle.
Pros
Passing is an underrated part of his game. Don’t get me wrong, there is no perfect assist averages, but he is a passer that you will want to see in the team in the game’s operation.
He can adjust the tempo in off and on ball games.
Has very good court vision.
Comfortable facilitating/passing off the pick and roll.
Good spot up shooter.
Can shoot on movement.
Can create space thanks to his shooting threat.
Dangerous threat to score when right base open.
Slasher and cutter.
Crafty finisher around the basket.
Can defend guards very well. Has good defense IQ, quick hands and timing.
Cons
Bad rebounder.
Inconsistent shooter but not like Assemian.
Ball handling still needs work.
Has under the average athleticism.
His ISO games need a lot of things like step timing and soft-hard touch.
Can’t finish in traffic.
Needs to work on not getting caught on screens
Needs to work on perimeter, baseline, off ball and switch defense styles.
Abdramane Kanoute — F — 6'3'’-2004-Mali
Comparison: Bad shooter version of Luke Babbitt
Size
The agility on his arms and his hand speed are impressive. I think core muscles are strong. Because he can easily find balance during the floater. But the rest of his body needs a lot of work.
Pros
Has a smooth athleticism.
Very crafty with the ball.
Can finish in traffic.
Can run the floor and finish in transition.
Does have great vision and passing skills to hit the open man.
Excellent leader.
Can dribble after picks very well.
Can guard PG, SG and SF positions. His perimeter defense is my favorite thins about him. His passion, timing and IQ are fascinating.
Cons
Not a good shooter. He has angle and footwork problems in the shooting mechanism.
Bad rebounder.
Hasn’t an explosive athleticism.
His first step is bad in terms of timing and hardness.
Can’t defend switch and off ball situations.
Ball handling needs further development.
Mahmoud Mohamed — SF — 6'4'’-2003-Egypt
It would not be right to make a list, since I only watched his four games. Mahmoud has a perfect frame. He has good muscles above average everywhere in his upper body. The lower body needs mobility. What I like most about his offense repertoire is that he can do several things in each field. He doesn’t do anything perfectly, but hecan shoot, dribble, pass and stay active on the off ball. His defense should improve in all areas. He is able to defend the switch, he gives hope in this issue, but he is behind many names in terms of IQ and moves. He should also be a better passer. He must learn to pass the ball from the wings.
Grace Aluma — Guard — 5'11'’-2003-Democratic Republic of the Congo
Comparison: Isaiah Thomas
Size
For a PG with a height of 5'9'’ might seem exaggerated to say “have a good frame”, but he has a really good frame. His upper body has excellent width and muscle ratio in all areas. I like his hip mobility in the lower body but for the rest, he needs work.
Pros
Heady point guard with explosive scoring ability. Natural scorer with an effortless shooting ability. His mid range jumpers, baseline turns and ISO games are excellent.
Great burst. Has the blow by speed to get past defenders off the dribble
Doesn’t force shots or overdribble
Solid first step.
Good floater player.
Creates shots good for himself and teammates.
Quick in open court attacks.
Can finish around the basket thanks to his IQ.
Impressive player in transition.
Average defender. Just can defend good ISO situations.
Cons
Bad decision-maker.
Inconsistent three-point shooter.
Bad rebounder.
Ball handling ability needs a lot of work.
Bad athlete in terms of explosiveness.
Needs a lot of work on defense, specially about off-ball and PnR.
Farouk Isah — Shooting Guard — 5'11'’-2004-Nigeria
Comparison: Curtis Jerrells
Size
He has to work in tons in every sense.
Pros
Lightning quick guard.
Smooth athlete.
Can finish in traffic thanks to his strong first step, change direction ability and timing.
Thrives in transition where he can utilize his speed and creativity in space.
Has good mid range jumper.
Decent rebounder
Uses a nice up and under move from the perimeter to draw contact.
Can shoot outside but inconsistent.
Has a soft touch around the basket.
Get into passing lanes very well.
Good perimeter defender.
Cons
Inconsistent shooter.
Lazy passer.
His arsenal is not good.
Bad handler.
Shot selection is horrendous at times
Can’t defend quick guards and CnS shooters.
Joshua Ojianwuna — Power Forward — 6'10'’-2003-Nigeria
Comparison: Clint Capela
Size
Has a tremendous frame with wide shoulders, a lean, chiseled body and a lengthy set of arms.
Pros
Explosive big.
His explosiveness around the rim is dazzling.
Not scared of take contact.
Can finish both hands.
Good transition player with quickness with his layup and dunk skills.
Can finish in traffic.
Also has soft touch around the basket.
He possesses good footwork which makes him really good in PnR situations.
Good vercital pop.
Has decent post moves and a good stroke.
Very very good rebounder.
Quick hips.
Change direction on air.
One of the two best defenders from 2002, 2003 and 2004 Africian prospects.
Monster of rim protection.
Can defend SF, PF and C.
Can defend on post.
Good latereal movement on defense.
His aggressiveness is dazzling.
Cons
Very bad shooter.
Bad handler.
Bad dribbler.
Bad finisher on baseline.
His lack of technique is big problem.
Doesn’t know much about the game.
Bad switch defender.
Can’t defend ISO.
Needs to be smarter and more focused.
Abdoulaye Donzo — F -2003-Guinea
Comparison: Clint Capela
Size
His upper body improved compared to 2018. It is promising but needs a lot of things.
Pros
Good rebounder.
Can finish around the rim very well.
Some flashes of potential about PnP player.
Shows very good mobility.
Can finish in traffic.
Decent handler.
Has a good reverse spin move.
Definitely passionate about basketball.
Runs very well open court attacks.
Can guard perimeter and passing lines well.
Has good footwork.
Cons
Inconsistent shooter.
Not a good decision-maker.
Poor passer.
Needs work on low post.
Got into foul trouble sometimes.
His defensive motor is questinoble.
Bad off ball player both offensive and defensive.
Precious Ikpe — Shooting Guard — 6'2'’-2003-Nigeria
I was able to watch only five games of him. Therefore, it would not be right to make a brief pros-cons list. Very weak in terms of frame & power. He has a good base, but not enough. He needs to work hard on this. An effective finisher around the basket. Fast and smart on transitions. I like his mid range jumpers and floaters. Also good off ball scorer. But that’s it. Not more for offense. Not a good three point shooter. Promosing but for now not good. I like his perimeter defense. Can guard very well around the perimeter. Can’t defend ISO, baseline and PnRs. Solid footwork. Decent rebounder. Soft touch around the basket. Bad first step in terms of timing and movement.
Thierno Mamoudou Sylla — Center — 6'10'’-2003-Gana
Comparison: Adreain Payne
Size
I like his frame. The base is very good. His lower body is above average. His upper body has good chest parts, but he has to work on dozens of other things.
Pros
Explosive athlete.
Can dribble open court.
Shows a strong motor and finishes well around the basket.
Can shoot. His percentage is not high, but he likes to shoot and his shooting mechanics are perfect compared to the 6'10' bigs
Very good rebounder.
Doesn’t have the quickest feet in this class but certainly really good for a big. Balanced.
Has decent post moves and a good stroke.
Monster of rim protection.
Can defend stretch forwards
Decent shooter on CnS positions.
Cons
I’m not a fan of his off ball movement both on offense and defense.
Bad handler. Turnover prone.
Not a good passer.
Not a good finisher in traffic.
Not a good switch defender.
Hasn’t good vertical pop. Just explosive because of his tools.
Valdemar Avelino — SG — 5'9'’-2003-Angola
Comparison: Shorter Patty Mills
Size
5'9'’ is a problem but he is only 16 years old. His shoulders are surprisingly good, but he needs to develop all over his body.
Pros
One of the two best shooters on this class. Smooth, quick, mechanics on his shot. Specially, I’m big fan of his footwork and arc. His mechanics like always ready. Quick shooter; also smart decision-maker. Creates shots well for himself.
Smooth first step.
Quick in the open court.
Has excellent scoring instincts.
Good dribbler from top zone.
Shows good court vision.
Thrives in critical situations.
Looks comfortable with the ball in his hands.
Cons
He needs to work on dozens of things in every sense in defense.
Not a good athlete.
Can’t finish in traffic.
Need to be more active off ball situations.
Bad rebounder.
Hugo Silva — SG — 6'1'’-2003-Cape Verde
Comparison: Bad shooter of Brandon Jennings
Size
There is nothing I can say well here. He lacks strengths all over his body. He has flexibility in a certain part of his lower body.
Pros
Has quick hands.
Enjoys playing the ball.
Has smooth skills in terms of athleticism.
Good off ball attacker.
Good operator in the pick&roll-pop.
Lighting quick first step.
Knows how to incorporate head, pass and shot fakes to get defenders
Very good at changing direction.
Has good floater skills; arc, footwork, handle and timing.
Extremely good rebounder for his size.
Crafty dribbler; uses a good mix of quickness and hesitation moves to get into the lane.
Can defend ISO.
Cons
Bad shooter. There is a huge lack of strength in his shooting mechanism. He struggles every time the ball leaves his hand.
Bad finisher in traffic.
Bad passer on half court.
Not a great team defender.
Bad perimeter defender.
Needs to learn to control the tempo, to slow down and change gears.
Has to work on transition attacks.
Dick Rutatika Sano — PF — 6'9'’-2004-Rwanda
Comparison: Taller Luc Mbah a Moute
Size
Excellent. Both the upper and lower body are in very good condition as a base. The muscle-quick rate in the lower body is good. On the upper body, the shoulders are wide, the chest are solid, but hip mobility and arm muscles should be developed.
Pros
Very gifted athletically. Impressive quickness-agility.
His offensive game is versatile; good post player, can finish in traffic, excellent scorer as a roll man, always active off ball positions, has a good court vision.
He showed he has the speed to put the ball on the deck and blow by defenders to get to the rim.
Can defend multiple positions; C, PF and SF.
Has a good basketball IQ terms of control the tempo and change direction.
Good rim protector.
Good rebounder.
Cons
Bad shooter. He likes to shoot, but he has nothing in the definition of “what should be on an ideal shot.”
Bad switch defender.
Bad handler.
Not a good passer.
Needs to be more patient.
Sometimes he just focuse on scoring.
His off court life is questionable (laziness)for me.
Babacar Sane — C — 6'8'’-2003-Senegal
I was able to watch only two games of him. Therefore, it would not be right to make a brief pros-cons list. My first observations: Very skilled, able to move comfortably with the ball, mobile and fast. He can take positions quickly and find scores in the open field. He’s an excellent rebounder. Both explosive and smooth athlete. His timing of the roll and screen during PnR is excellent. Can finish in traffic, average in the post zones. His handle is promising. He is a good rim protector in defense but needs to work in all the remaining areas. A bad shooter. When he’s in an off ball, his motor is stop. I think he should play as SF, not C.
Abdullah Ahmed — Center — 6'9'’-2003-Egypt
Comparison: Andrew Bogut
Size
His lower body is ready for a higher level. Hip mobility is particularly impressive. His shoulders are also good. But he needs to lose weight. He has to work his arm muscles.
Plus
He can run the floor very well.
Shows the ability to finish with both hands.
Can finish around the basket and rim with soft touch.
Has great body balance.
Good footwork.
One of the three best rebounders of his generation in Africa.
Effective on PnR situations. Always rolls hard to the basket after he sets a screen
His mid range jumper is promising.
Smooth athlete with strong first step.
Can turn from left shoulder.
Solid off-ball defender.
Can guard the PnR at an acceptable rate
Motor.
Cons
Bad on post zones both offense and defense.
Not a good athlete.
His long range shots is bad.
Not a great rim protector.
Can’t finish in traffic.
Handling and passing.
For Euroleague and NBA, I think his role will be limited. Because he is old-similar big. And not too much. However, his limited role as a “leader big” is important.
Youssouf Singare — Center — 7'0'’-2003-Mali
Comparison: Bad shooter version of John Colins
Size
His upper body is very strong. Also he has hip mobility. His arm and chest muscles are impressive. However, shoulders and lower body need to improve.
Pros
Can finish both hands.
Very good finisher around the rim and basket with soft touch.
Explosive athlete.
Very skilled with his face up game.
Can see his open teammates from painted area.
Good roller.
Can finish in traffic.
I like his reverse spin + off ball movements.
His vercital pop is immpressive.
Can defend forwards and bigs.
Good on ball defender.
Great rim protector.
Great rebounder both offense and defense. His game IQ is really high.
Cons
Very bad shooter.
Not a good handler.
Not a good runner.
Needs to fine tune a specific post move, often overthinks when on the block which leads to turnovers or missed shots.
Defensive awareness is lacking.
Has to learn PnR defense.
Footwork.
Decision making mechanism.
May need to be careful with fouls at the next level.
Yannick Nzosa — Center — 6'11'’-2003-DR Congo
Comparison: Mo Bamba
Size
He is definitely my favorite among these 20 players. The whole base of body is perfect. Specially, his core and chest parts are dazzling. He needs to improve on lower body and generally. has to be more stronger.
Pros
Has a unique ability to cover ground and make plays in both full and halfcourt settings.
Can guard everything.
GREAT rim protector.
Can switch out and defend guards on the perimeter.
Active on and off ball defender.
Can finish in traffic with strong touch.
Good rebounder.
Can find teammates from painted area.
Explosive off of the ground. Quick leaper, second jump was faster than others’
His lateral quickness is very good for a player who measures in at 7 feet tall.
Reliable handler.
He plays with fire.
Decent mid range shooter.
Good hook shot.
Cons
He needs to learn the timing of the moves on defense.
Post.
PnR.
Handling.
Foul prone.
Has to be more active on offense.
Shooting.
He does not always read and react to the defense well and can waste dribbles without covering any ground.
Moamen Abouzeid — G — 6'1'’-2003-Egypt
Comparison: Norris Cole
Size
Shoulders and lower body are very good for a 16-year-old guard. He is absolutely strong. But his core, chest and arm are questionable.
Pros
Versatile guard with great leadership qualities.
Dazzling quickness.
Has the lateral quickness to stay in front of his man.
An advanced ball-handler who can get to the rim in traffic using either hand.
Great perimeter shooting ability.
Decent long-range shooter.
His shooting mechanism is really good. Specially, terms of arc and timing.
Good handler and passer.
Can score when isolated thanks to his strong first step and soft touch around the basket.
Works good in PnR-P positions.
Good on ball defender.
Good rebounder for his size.
Cons
Solid at everything but doesn’t stand out in any facet.
Inconsistent shooter.
Bad athlete.
Can’t finish in traffic.
Not used to creating offense for himself off the dribble.
Needs to improve all defense styles.
Playmaking ability has potential, but he has a lot to learn before he can be considered a quality full-time point guard.
Kiir Chol Deng — F — 6'8'’-2004-Sudan
I was able to watch only three games of him. Therefore, it would not be right to make a brief pros-cons list. His frame & strenghts balance is perfect for his age. Powerful, mobile, explosive and fluent. In the offense, he can dribble effectively from the wings very well. Effective around the rim. An effective PnR player, both as handler and roller. He can defend four positions in defense. Rim protection is average. Good rebounder. His shot is bad but I think promising. Game intelligence is very high.