NCAA fit international prospects #1

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 years. 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, Arturs Kurucs, Yves Pons, and dozens of notable basketball people such as Luis Scola, Xavi Pascual, Jonathan Givony, Dimitris Itoudis, Sasa Obradovic, Orhun Ene, Joan Plaza, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Derrick Williams, Ekpe Udoh... I write an article every day. I live in Turkey, I go to all the Euroleague and Youth League games. My main areas: All of the age groups from Africa and Europe. MY BIGGEST GOAL IS SCOUTING! Anyway, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and feel free to DM!

I am preparing a lot of video and writing stuff about international prospects but now I have to make clear category things. I will write NCAA fit prospects in this series; like a group or separate.

Sasa Ciani

Born: March 25, 2003

Nationality: Slovenia

Height: 6-foot-10

Weight: Around the 200 lbs

Position: Center

Team: Sixt Primorska

Interior Drive-and-Dish Spot Man, Cutter, Great Rebounder, and Rim Protector.

Sasa Ciani is a smart, high-discipline big man from Slovenia who has played at the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship very well. Sasa also showed a lot of great things in the Junior Liga ABA for Koper Primorska. Standing 6-foot-10 with a near 7-foot-1 wingspan and a solid 200-pound frame, Sasa Ciani does his best job on the offensive end as an interior drive-and-dish scorer. Sasa is not an old-school-style big man, although he does not have the elite athleticism and shooting weapons modern-era basketball needs. I think his cuts around the basket from corners on off-ball motions and his incredible rebound skills thanks to his second jump make Ciani a good two-way center. I mean, Sasa can create a shooting effect in the painted area thanks to its mobility and quick finishing skill-set (can use rim very well, has a great BBIQ, can move laterally and linearly well, can change direction both on the ground and the air). When he creates this gravity effect, he can sometimes score with his aggressiveness, but, also, he can pass to the catch-and-shooter who wait around corners. He is a great cutter but not a good around the post, can a factor on the offensive glass but I can say that clearly, Ciani is not an above the rim player. He uses the rim well, scoring efficiently. Sasa, who has not any shooting threat, has to learn play pick-and-roll situations well. He showed some good flashes on hip turns, lateral movement, and good timing finishing after the rolling but not consistent in my opinion. A good rebounder with the length to contest some shots around the rim, Sasa Ciani is still evolving on the defensive end in my opinion. So far, he showed a lot of great things as a rim protector and shot blocker. Possessing the length, mobility, and timing to offer some rim protection and be a factor on the glass. He does not guard mobile and spacing creator bigs, showed some flashes against quıick guards but not consistent. Thanks to his lateral and linear movement, Ciani is a good transition defender but the end of the day has room to be a better defender in my opinion.

Jacob Patrick

Born: November 21, 2003

Nationality: Germany

Height: 6-foot-6

Weight: Around the 180 lbs

Position: Small forward

Team: Ludwigsburg

Catch-and-Shooter, Self Creator Around the Mid-Range, and Pesky Defender on Shooters.

Jacob Patrick is a dangerous shooter who caught fire over the last season at FIBA Championship, G-BBL, and ANGT Munich. Standing 6-foot-6 with a skinny 180-und frame, Jacob Patrick has great size for a 16 years old shooting guard in my opinion. I think Patrick has a lot of room to get stronger. His shoulder is wide, long arms but all of his body needs to strength in my opinion. His lack of athlectisim, vertical pop, and high-level transition motor hurt his stock but has very good lateral quickness, hip mobility, and showed some flashes as a smooth athlete when he playing in cutter situations from the corners to around the rim. Playing primarily off the ball, JP is a great flood space, can hit all type op spot-up shooting from all of the court. His shooting form looks interesting. Low set point but high release with good timing, shot selection, and BBIQ (read defensive line well and using his pump or body fakes if he needs) in my opinion. He can’t create his shot around the 3-pointers line but can do it around the perimeter well. However, that’s it. Jacob needs a lot of things to be an all-around player on the offensive end. Can’t play in transition situations, pick-and-roll games, showed some nice flashes as a cutter but not too much. Not a great passer, just read & reacts things. Great dribbler, can use the screens well as a catch-and-shooter. Has to learn finish in traffic, must get stronger, and needs balance on his last floater touch in my opinion. Solid rebounder and defender at his position, but has room to improve in both areas. He does best his job on the defensive end as put pressure on shooters guy. Thanks to his solid intensity, quick hands, good general body coordination, and game reading, Jacob knows how to guard shooters and off-ball shooters well in my opinion but is still learning how to stay in front of on the ball attacker in dribbling, kick out, and rim finishing positions.

Iaroslav Niagu

Born: September 4, 2003

Nationality: Russia

Height: 6-foot-11

Weight: Around the 215 lbs

Position: Center

Team: Lokomotiv Kuban

Modern-era Stretch Five Without Shooting Threat, Great Post-Up Arsenal, Good Rim Protector and Rebounder.

A gifted and fluid athlete with very good size for his age, Iaroslav Niagu is a stretch five without a shooting threat. He stands 6-foot-11 and possesses very good size while boasting a nearly 7-foot-2 wingspan. Niagu does his best job on the offensive end as a smart post-up player in my opinion. More mobile than quick, Niagu shows a lot of good footwork, hook tricks, good timing, almost perfect body coordination, and soft touch around the post. He can taking contact, using his length well, creating a shield around the ball with his body, showing good offensive stance, and finishing well. An average roll man, great catch and finish weapon, average rim-runner, and capable back to the basket threat, his consistency and efficiency as a painted area scoring combine with his good possessions and these things allow him a modern-era stretch five. Because Niagu also can create his position after half-court dribble. He can finish his right better than his left. From the minuses window on the offensive end, clearly, he has to work on his shot, has to learn play more balanced. Also, has to learn give pass with his gravity effect to others. Displaying good instincts protecting the rim and adept at pushing the ball off the defensive glass to spark fast-break situations after a lot of grabbing rebounds, the Russian prospect does a great job as a shot blocker and rim protector on the defensive end. He showed some impressive flashes to guard handlers after the pick-and-roll games, also, he can runs to defense in transitions situations well, and can block his opponents. As a perimeter defender, he is always talking with his teammates, showing some timing and tenacity but has to learn play as an off-ball motion defender. Sometimes, he looks like sleep to guard cutter in my opinion.