Notes on ANGT Valencia

Brief notes about some players from ANGT Valencia.

MVP: Michael Caicedo, Barcelona.

MIP: Kenny Kasiama, ASVEL.

ROY (2005): Kany Tchanda, Gran Canaria.

Defender: Jeremy Sochan

Honorable Awards: Jeremy Sochan (Ulm), Marc Loemba (Nanterre), Kymany Houinsou (ASVEL), Miguel Allen (Joventut), and Conrad Martinez (Joventut).

All-Team

Kymany Houinsou

Miguel Allen

Michael Caicedo

Kany Tchanda

Jeremy Sochan

Top-five NBA projection from 2003s and 2004s:

- Jean Montero

- Gael Bonilla

- Jeremy Sochan

- Agustin Ubal

- Kymany Houinsou

Top-three NBA projection from 2005s:

- Killian Malwaya

- Zaccharie Risacher

- Kany Tchanda

Top targets for the NCAA:

- Marc Loemba

- Maxime Raynaud

- Miguel Allen

- Conrad Martinez

- Lucas Mari

- Kenny Kasiama

- James Nnaji

- Sergio de Larrea

Gael Bonilla — 2003 — Barcelona — Forward

Gael Bonilla was one of the 2003-born prospects who demonstrated his potential for a long time but was somewhat overshadowed by strong names in the 2002 generation. I think Bonilla, one of the oldest prospects in 2020 ANGT Valencia, showed why he is an NBA prospect. He seems much quicker to attack the basket this year. In the past years, he was able to easily attack the basket, but he had difficulty making money over the nail defenders because he was a little slow. There are still some last-touch problems when it comes to finishing around the rim. But when he realizes that he cannot finish the position, seeing the players waiting to make score -as a catch-and-finish man-with perfectly timed passes gives him a significant plus here. Speaking of passing, I think the most important development in this tournament was about passing. Bonilla has never been a selfish prospect throughout his career, and showed how good a court vision he has, especially in 2019. And, he made a lot of creative passes that he catalyzed with advanced moves many times in this tournament. He also was very good to make something with his left-hand — despite he is right-handed. About the shooting… Still has problems, especially, when he thinks to take the trigger. On the defensive end, he was like a nail. He showed his activeness on off the ball, knowledge and quickness around the perimeter, and physicality in general.

Agustin Ubal — 2003 — Barcelona — Guard

I think Agustin Ubal was one of the players who made the most important progress in this tournament. Of course, this may sound silly, as he does not have fancy stats-sheets, but when we look at it from the eye-test window, Ubal’s development is exciting. Ubal, who has the length and general frame that can be called elite for a guard, did things above the average in going around and finishing the rim. The thing he showed improvement was in the sense of the shooting. Ubal has never had a major issue with his shooting form, but there were some minor problems with lower body alignment and final touch in the air. During the event in Valencia, he showed an almost perfect form while also showing added versatility. Used some tricks like a sidestep, two-dribble jumper, pump fake, etc. I think his consistency curve of shooting the ball ability will be a major determinant of his career projection.

Jeremy Sochan — 2003 — Ulm — Center

I think Jeremy Sochan, who will play in Baylor next season, was the star of this tournament. Because he left his mark on the tournament by doing above average things on both sides of the court. Especially as a center, he can defend all positions from 1 to 5, easily go to the rim, feed his teammates with passes in the open court while drive with the ball quickly, exhibit a versatile shooting repertoire, is able to finish in traffic after hesitation move, and has great game awareness and BBIQ. All those things are fantastic for a center in my opinion. Plus, he was energetic in passing lanes and showed a lot of good gestures to create a serious game atmosphere for his teammates. One of my biggest doubts about him is how he will overcome the defensive adjustments taken directly against him. For example, in the first match of this tournament, all the efficiency of Sochan, where Barcelon used the 2–3 zone defense, dropped. Ulm’s roster was not perfect, so he didn’t get support there, and maybe that’s why his efficiency has dropped, it’s hard to say this clearly right now, of course, but adding creativity will be important in every way.

Jean Montero — 2003 — Gran Canaria — Guard

Jean Montero, one of the three most talented players of the 2003 generation, created disappointment in this tournament. He could not show what was expected in terms of individual scoring and was well below the average. Although he did not have the chance to train much before the tournament with his teammates, he did not make any effort to do something. Of course, this is not just Montero’s fault, there was a problem with the team’s harmony in general. But what disappointed me the most was his body language. He could not show the energy needed to bring the fire to his team. But in terms of playmaking, it was important that he sometimes showed quite good sequences. He did well in playmaking, harmonizing the various passing variations with the change of speed and good ballhandling. But still, this tournament was a huge loss for him. Montero’s potential on the table, and has repeatedly demonstrated how talented scorer he is. However, we all know a lot of decision-makers in the NBA give a lot of importance to such special events. Of course, things like his 30 points against the pros at LEB Plata, playing in the FIBA ​​Qualifiers with his senior National team are important notches, but I think his inability to show clear effectiveness against his peers will always raise a question mark when considering his career projection.

Fred Bagatskis — 2003 — Valencia — Shooting Guard

Like many major prospects in Latvia, what Fred Bagatskis does best is shooting. He does not have a solid form as much as Arturs Kurucs, I think he has a slightly more comfortable form with a ball, a slightly smoother form. Although he shows some nice footwork skills in shot creation; dribble penetration, getting and finishing around the rim, overall playmaking is not at the desired levels. Also on the defensive end, it is easy to dislodge him. But still, a player with such a clear shooting ability can play a good role at the European level in the years to come. He has to add versatility to the game repertoire for NBA projection.

Marc Loemba — 2003 — Nanterre — Guard

It looked like the best player in Nanterre that Victor Wembanyama was not due to his injury would be Maxime Raynaud. But Marc-Antoine Loemba surprised me with a great performance throughout the entire event. Playing with high intensity and energy, Loemba is an outstanding athlete for his size and position. He showed smooth ballhandling skills, court vision, great leaping, good body coordination, drive creation, and BBIQ. Nothing about the shooting but his quickness with the ball and peskiness on the defensive end make him a great fit for the NCAA level in my opinion. He really showed crazy smoothness with the ball against every type of defense. He still has room to improve physically but his level of athleticism is make up for it.

Kymany Houinsou — 2004 — Asvel — Guard

I think Kymany Houinsou is one of the best players of the tournament, apart from Bonilla and Sochan. Houinsou, who has been in the shadows for some time in the 2004 generation, showed that he has NBA potential. Although he has a huge issue with shooting (I think he has to do serious fundamental work to fix major problems in his form) his ability to dive into traffic and finish around the rim, his ability to integrate his court vision with perfectly timed passes and swiftness, absorb contact and his ability to find his angle against various defensive lines and his great touch around the basket make him valuable. He may be a little better in handling the game against the pesky defense, and he sometimes makes easy misses when is far from the basket but is not clear prone. Physically, he has excellent tools for his age and he uses them very well. On the defensive end, he can do everything, but I would like to see him a little smarter when sliding perimeter. I think Houinsou has NBA potential because in today’s NBA there is still a need for guards who can go and finish around the rim comfortably and have above-average playmaking skills. Of course, it seems difficult for him to get a major role if he doesn’t improve his shot but you can see the upside.

Michael Caicedo — 2003 — Barcelona — Forward

Michael Caicedo was like Barcelona’s Robert Covington, and frankly, I was surprised that he performed so well. Because compared to the physical tools he has, Caicedo has had a hard time making a clear impact on the court. But in Valencia, he was one of the most important players of Barcelona. He showed off his energy and athleticism on both sides of the court. Finished around the rim easily, even against the hard contact. On the defensive end, he was almost everywhere on the court. He was energetic on the rim, active at the perimeter, and was like a hunter for deflections. But the most important point, I think, was about his shot. Leaving behind a very good tournament in terms of shooting, I think Caicedo can easily find a place in the NBA if he can shoot the ball consistently. Because he has the potential to be good 3-and-D player. The summer of 2021 is much more important to him now.

Kenny Kasiama — 2003 — ASVEL — Forward

Kenny Kasiama had one of the breakouts in this tournament. Although he was not a good shooter, he became one of the scorers of ASVEL with his ability to make money many times thanks to his effectiveness under the basket and BBIQ on off the ball motions. Solid driving and handling, can finish through the contact thanks to his physical tools.

Maxime Raynaud — 2003 — Nanterre — Center

In Victor Wembanyama’s absence, Raynaud took the main minutes and role at the center position. Raynaud, who has the ability to play as a roller and pop shooter in PnR situations, did well with his mobility, touches around the basket, and instincts, although he did not do glorious things in the shooting part of the work. He was also good to get the right positions to grab rebounds and showing BBIQ in screening while on off the ball roles. He sometimes made big mistakes on the defensive end but was adequate in general.

Miguel Allen — 2003 — Joventut Badalona — Forward

Playing with high energy on both sides of the court, Allen’s game revolves around spotting up for 3-points, diving to the rim, and athleticism. Combining his length with good athleticism, excellent BBIQ, and a sense of play, Allen is effective at hitting 3-points occasionally but not always. He can do many things effectively at defense, but what I am most impressed by him, in general, is that he has good physical tools but he is very natural when playing basketball. Natural, smooth, and talented.

Honorable Mentions

• Hugo Desseignet — 2003 — ASVEL — Guard
• Isaac Nogues — 2004 — Joventut — Guard
• Sweyni Mevegue — 2003 — Nanterre — Forward
• Jakob Hanzalek — 2003 — Ulm — Guard
• Andrija Grbovic — 2003 — Ulm — Forward
• Bernard Edokpayi — 2003 — Malaga — Guard
• Rafa Santos — 2003 — Malaga — Guard
• Ian Granja — 2003 — Barcelona — Guard
• Rafa Villar — 2004 — Barcelona — Guard
• James Nnaji — 2004 — Barcelona — Center

Bonus Part: 2005s

Kany Tchanda — Gran Canaria — Forward/Center

Tchanda, one of the most important fruits of the project that Gran Canaria started a few years ago, left behind a great event. Although he is only 15 years old, he was one of the most mature players on his team, and managed to show his maturity and intelligence all over the court in my opinion. Having both explosive and fluid athleticism, Tchanda is not as quick and athletic as another 15-year-old prospect, Killian Malwaya, but KT’s technique is unique when I think of any of the 2005-born big men I’ve seen so far. He knows very well how to finish against which defense style while combining mobility around the basket with good leaping, timing and ball protection. Despite he is not a clear floor spacer yet, he has shown promising flashes of shooting. You can see the upside. Fluid to make money after the screen, he has court vision which allows him post-up passes. On the defensive end, he usually uses his wingspan to be energetic in passing lanes, also, he can cover a lot of grounds …

Killian Malwaya — ASVEL — Guard

Killian Malwaya is a very different guard. He doesn’t have an elite passing repertoire or shooting skills, but doing defense against his athleticism is very difficult. Malwaya, one of the most talented names in ASVEL’s development program, can make money around the basket almost every time he uses zero-step well. Although he has easy misses in positions that he can easily finish sometimes, his extraordinary body positioning, fluency, speed, balance, footwork tricks, and knowing how to use his wide wingspan make him an effective player in my opinion. Although he’s not an elite ballhandler, he’s good at creating seperation, and then he’s also pretty good at absorbing contact and scoring when diving into the basket. I think he is just like Tchanda when it comes to shooting. He has potential but needs to work hard. On the defensive end, his instincts make him a good defender. Sometimes he hurries too much while making his moves, causing gaps under the basket, but he is a good defender in general. Looking at him from the NBA window, it is definitely possible to see the potential.

Conrad Martinez — Joventut Badalona — Guard

Playing with impressive quickness, 15-year-old Martinez can make an impact on the offensive end with his BBIQ, ability on change of speed and direction, and position reading. He is an undersized guard, but, makes up for it with his craftiness, footwork, quickness, balance, shifty ballhandling, and good touch around the rim. He reminds me of Nenad Dimitrijevic and Arturs Zagars, who play in Badalona’s senior team. But the biggest difference about Conrad is that he is both smart and fast and very good at putting together and using many things.

Lucas Mari — Valencia — Guard

Having quite an impressive length for his age and position, Mari is a player I have followed in local tournaments in Spain for the past few years. Having a fluent and creative game repertoire, Mari has a decent form of shooting, although he’s not yet impressive on the stats-sheets. He also knows how to use his length and has instincts that make him a good rebounder. This is very important because a quick and creative guard can take the rebound and start the transition, giving you two or four extra possessions per game. In this tournament, it is possible to see Mari making many bad decisions and struggling against physical defenders, but his potential puts him in an important place in her generation. A creative and physical guard, very interesting.

Alvaro Folguerias — Unijaca Malaga — Forward & Alvaro Fernandez — Unijaca Malaga — Guard

Both prospects had a good time during the event, but I can say that they did not play a major role. Alvaro Folguerias is a slightly more remarkable player for me. He has the perfect length and can hit the ball from the wings to the basket, stay active on off the ball motions, broke the opponent’s defensive rotation with cuts, and show versatility at defense. Fernandez left a good tournament behind. He was effective from behind the 3-points line, thanks to his solid ballhandling and average passing, he was able to take responsibility whenever his team needed it — minor role. How much physical progress he will make seems to determine his career projection, it is very difficult to determine an upside right now.

Sergio de Larrea — Valencia — Guard

De Larrea, who turned 15 a few weeks before the tournament, is someone who can use various speed variations and make money over the defender. Playing as a secondary ballhandler, de Larrea is active on off the ball motions to create separation to find a shooting or dribble penetration angle. He has solid shooting form and is able to take right decision of shooting. His level of maturity is excellent for his age in my opinion, does not forces the game, always tries to do the most efficient thing. He is a good rebounder but needs work on passing and handling in my opinion. On the defensive end, he has shown good flashes of body coordination and game reading but lack of strength hurt him. Like Mari, he also has good size, which is important.

Zaccharie Risacher — ASVEL — Forward

Zaccharie, the son of Stéphane Risacher, finished the tournament as one of the players with one of the most interesting potential. He was born in 2005, is 6-foot-5, and can shoot the ball very well. His shooting form is really impressive, smooth and he knows to create balance on the ground. He has good length, you can see the upside physically, he has ballhandling skills with a little bit of craftiness. He’s not good at finishing and passing in traffic, but he plays much calmer and more mature than most players in the tournament. Physically he already has a good length, so has room to fill well in the future.

Ruben de Olivier — Joventut Badalona — Center

Pointing out as a good prospect for his athleticism and mobility, Ruben left behind a good tournament by combining his wingspan with quickness and versatility, despite being raw. The Portuguese native can put the ball on the floor, has good timing on PnR situations, is able to finish with soft-touch, has a great wingspan, and knows how to use it on both sides of the court, and a decent shooter. Not a clear spacing creator but has potential as a shooter, he showed it.

Honorable Mentions

• Marko Rosic — Ulm — Guard
• Felix de Almeida — ASVEL — Forward
• Ruben Vicente — Unijaca Malaga — Forward
• Amadou Doumbia — Gran Canaria — Center

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I’m Kuzey, 20. I’ve been writing about basketball since I was 9. I worked in Eurosport Turkey for two 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, Paul Eboua, Aleksej Pokusevski, Arturs Kurucs, Yves Pons, and dozens of notable basketball people such as Luis Scola, Xavi Pascual, Jonathan Givony, Dimitris Itoudis, Ekpe Udoh, Pero Antic, Maurizio Gherardini, Georgios Printezis, Sasa Obradovic, Joan Plaza, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Derrick Williams, bla bla bla. Anyway, hit me on Twitter. @kuzeykg