The World Tour: ANGT Dubai
A look at the top prospects in attendance at the latest Adidas Next Generation Tournament qualifiers.
In previous editions of The World Tour I explained the importance of ANGT, which stands for Adidas Next Generation Tournament, in the European basketball landscape. It’s the most important club competition for teams at the U18 level and, simply put, could be considered as the U18 equivalent of Euroleague.
The third of four ANGT qualifiers took place in late March in Dubai. It was a not-so-familiar place for the competition and it was a not-so-familiar team standing at the podium at the end, as German side Ratiopharm Ulm ended up taking the title over Zalgiris and ASVEL, two teams that were perceived as the favorites coming into the tournament.
In our fifth World Tour, I’ll be sharing my notes on a number of prospects who stood out in Dubai, as well as their projections to the NBA, professional, and college levels.
Noa Essengue - Ratiopharm Ulm
Great combination of size, length and mobility for a wing, at 6’9” with a 6’11” wingspan.
Aggressive downhill threat who utilizes his combination of size and straight line speed to get to the rim nearly at will and draw fouls at a tremendous rate. Keeps a low dribble point and while he’s not super shifty, he can change speeds quickly to get by defenders in transition or in the early offense. Gets to the rim with a ton of momentum.
Versatile finisher who is able to convert difficult layups off-balance and against contact. Long arms allow him to finish with extension around the basket.
Can act as a roll man and finish plays at the rim efficiently. Really great catch radius with his standing reach. Difficult to stop in pick-and-roll plays due to the momentum he gets in one and two-step finishes.
Contributes as a rebounder with his size, length, and agility; elevates really well.
Aware as a help defender both in the paint and in the perimeter, gets in passing lanes with his quickness and length. Able to block and contest shots at the rim as a helpside defender. Creates events at a good rate. Posted 2.5 steals and 2.3 blocks per game during the tournament.
Despite his score-first mentality, he’s able to move the ball and find teammates occasionally.
Shot 23.1% from three-point range and an even more concerning 41.9% from the line. Has his moments as a shooter but he’s certainly a drive-first player at this point.
Could improve his technique as a one-on-one defender on the perimeter, can be too upright and opponents can drive by him.
Plays with an aggressive mentality, able to take over games and carry his team. Led the tournament in scoring, rebounding and steals.
Overall: Noa Essengue is an elite downhill threat who has the requisite size, athleticism, and ball-handling ability to make an impact as a slasher at any level of competition. His impact as a defender on multiple levels of the floor was on full display in Dubai, and it will be one of his calling cards at the professional level. The shot will certainly need to come around for him to be seen as a surefire NBA prospect in 2025, but his combination of elite tools, ball-handling ability, defensive impact, and aggressive mentality will make him a prospect to follow once the next draft cycle rolls around.
Mantas Juzenas - Zalgiris
Good size for an off-ball guard/wing standing at 6’6” with a fairly strong frame for his age.
Versatile shooter who is able to convert shots both off-the-catch and off-the-dribble. Fluid and repeatable mechanics, quickly sets his feet for jumpers off-movement. Can create space in ISOs with his footwork and handling ability, and convert shots off-the dribble. Shot 40% from three on 6.3 attempts per game.
Not a primary creator for others, but knows how to move the ball and make passes on the move. Can run the occasional pick-and-roll.
Has his moments as a driver, and can put crossovers and changes of directions together to get downhill.
Attacks the offensive glass well, and knows how to find the open space in the paint.
Shows flashes as a versatile defender. Stays in front of opponents in the perimeter and covers drives. Utilizes his length to contest and block shots as a help defender.
Despite his flashes as a driver, he can struggle to score around the basket. Shot just 50% at the rim and didn’t have a single dunk during the tournament, according to Synergy.
Overall: It was a breakthrough tournament for Mantas Juzenas, who had been a solid piece for the junior teams of Lithuania and Zalgiris in previous competitions. If Juzenas can continue to perform at this level, especially as a shooter, his combination of wing size, shooting ability and ball-movement will be coveted by many professional and college teams around the world.
Yohann Sissoko - ASVEL
Good size for a guard, standing at 6’4” with a really strong frame for his age.
Relentless downhill threat with the ball in his hands. Utilizes his combination of size, strength and fluidity with the ball in his hands to get to his spots in the paint. Has the combination of footwork and handles to get by opponents in the perimeter and drive through traffic.
Versatile finisher who can convert difficult off-balance layups against contact. Has a good understanding of angles and open spaces to convert shots in traffic.
Good secondary initiator who utilizes his gravity as a driver to set up teammates for open shots. Reactive with his passes on the move, knows drive-and-kicks. Can make the occasional pick-and-roll pass.
Has his flashes as a shooter, especially in the midrange, where he’s able to get to his spots and shoot off-the dribble. Shows moments of touch off-movement.
Made just 1-of-3 three-point attempts at Dubai and is at 19.2% from beyond the arc in the French U21 league. Certainly more comfortable from inside the arc.
Overall: Yohann Sissoko was the main source of offensive creation for ASVEL, and he impressed in Dubai not only with his scoring, but also with his physical profile, as he seems more than ready for the physicality of the professional level. His low percentages as a shooter during the current season are definitely a concern, but it’s easy to envision Sissoko making his debut at the senior level soon and making an impact with his slashing ability and his secondary playmaking.
Maxence Lemoine - Next Generation Team
Average height for the position, standing at 6’2”. Doesn’t seem to have outstanding length or strength that allows him to play bigger than his size.
Advanced passer who is able to read the game quickly and consistently exploit defenders out of position. Really good pick-and-roll ball-handler. Finds teammates in the weakside corner consistently, making the entire defense shift.
Shifty ball-handler who can change speeds and directions to get into the teeth of the defense. Has a level of suddenness that allows him to get defenders off balance with simple crossovers.
While he can get his shot blocked with his size, he compensates with his versatile finishing ability, being able to convert floaters and other difficult layups that require an elite level of touch.
Capable shooter from range who made 33.3% of his three-pointers. Showed moments of shooting off-the-dribble, especially from the midrange.
Quick laterally, can stay in front and pressure opposing ball-handlers.
Still 16 years old, played one year up in age.
Overall: Maxence Lemoine was one of the best guards in attendance and certainly the best passer; a creative playmaker for others who was able to find teammates consistently. Lemoine’s lack of elite size is certainly a limitation when it comes to his NBA translation, but he has enough feel for the game and touch as a scorer to overcome said limitations at the pro level very soon.
Other Prospects of Note
Guards
Jordan Muller (Ulm) was impressive as a complementary guard who shot the ball well both off-the-catch and off-the-dribble, and also got to the rim and made plays on the move for teammates.
Mantas Laurencikas (Zalgiris) was one of the best passers in attendance at the event, as he was able to find open teammates with creative deliveries time and time again. The 6’3” floor general also did a great job of utilizing screens to get to the rim and finish around the basket. His shooting will be one of the question marks as he missed the single three-point shot he attempted in the tournament.
Pau Torrens (Valencia) might not have been a standout from a statistical standpoint, but the 6’2” guard showed an impressive ability to both attack the rim and to find open teammates on the move. The turnovers and the shooting percentages are a concern, but he has plenty of time to improve, as he played one year up in age in the tournament.
Wings/Forwards
Matteo Baiocchi (Virtus) showed good positional size at 6’5” with long arms and a well-rounded game, as he was able to beat defenders in the perimeter, finish drives at the rim, cover opposing guards on defense, and show flashes as a versatile shooter. Born in 2007, Baiocchi played one year up in age, but he’s already shown enough flashes to be on pro and college radars.
Elisee Assui (Next Generation Team) is a 6’3” forward who compensates for his lack of elite positional size with his tremendous strength and his versatile game. Assui showed his combination of shooting touch, ball-handling ability, feel for the game, and, especially, his ability to finish at the rim against heavy contact. He’s not the quickest nor the most explosive player, but his offensive versatility can make him a valuable piece for several teams around the world.
Roy Krupnikas (ASVEL) made an impact with his shooting versatility. The 6’1” Off-Guard was able to convert shots both off-the-catch and off-the-dribble with his footwork and his fluid, repeatable motion. Krupnikas also added value for ASVEL with his connective passing, which made him the perfect complement to Sissoko’s aggressive rim pressure.
Bigs
Nedas Raupelis (Zalgiris) was an impressive defender on multiple levels of the floor. He’s slightly undersized for a rim protector, but he more than compensates with his mobility and defensive instincts, which allow him to block shots at the rim and even cover drives in the perimeter. Offensively, he did a good job of finishing plays at the rim as a roll man and in limited post-up opportunities.
Endurance Aiyamenkhue (Ulm) was impactful with his 6’10” size and his freakishly long arms; he was a factor in the paint blocking shots both as a primary and as a help defender. On the other end of the floor, he was a prolific interior finisher and offensive rebounder.
Jorge Carot (Valencia) showed an impressive ability to self-create in the post, with his strong frame, his touch around the basket, and his combination of fluidity and footwork. Carot lacks a level of elite size and explosiveness, which limits him as a rim protector, but he’s interesting as a throwback center who can score inside and rebound the basketball.