First Stage of the LBA Next Gen

As every year, the LBA Next Gen is taking place, a competition open to the U19 squads of LBA teams. The teams have been divided into two groups and will compete across two stages to determine who advances to the finals in Turin.

The first stage took place in Verona and Villafranca di Verona from November 28th to 30th, while the second will be held from January 5th to 8th in Rimini and Santarcangelo di Romagna. The top four teams from each group will advance to the finals, as mentioned, in Turin from February 19th to 21st, coinciding with the Coppa Italia Final Eight.

Group A Standings:

• APU Udine 3/0

• Pallacanestro Varese 2/1

• Guerri Napoli 2/1

• Allianz Derthona 2/1

• Una Hotels Reggio Emilia 2/1

• EA7 Milano 1/2

• Vanoli Cremona 0/3

• Trapani Sharks 0/3

Group B Standings:

• Virtus Bologna 3/0

• Reyer Venezia 3/0

• Dolomiti Energia Trento 2/1

• Pallacanestro Trieste 2/1

• Nutribullet Treviso 1/2

• FAP Brescia 1/2

• S.Bernardo Cantù 0/3

• Banco di Sardegna Sassari 0/3

I have included the players who revealed themselves to be the 10 best prospects of this stage:

IVAN PRATO (6'11/210cm, 2007, Pallacanestro Varese, C/F, ARG) 2

8.7 min, 21.0 pts, 9.3 reb, 2.0 ast, 68.8 2P%, 33.3 3P%, 71.4 FT%

Prato was one of Varese's main weapons in this stage. Ivan is a modern and mobile big man, skilled and confident playing on the perimeter. He isn’t extremely fast, but he is good at creating off the dribble. Despite this, he doesn't shy away from playing inside the arc—where he is most prolific—both face-up and with his back to the basket, scoring from mid-range or around the rim. He remains a player with wide margins for improvement, especially physically, but his excellent mobility and confidence on the perimeter project him to the stars.

IGOR STJEPANOVIC (6'1/186cm, 2008, APU Udine, PG/SG, ITA/SLO)

30.7 min, 26.7 pts, 4.3 reb, 4.3 ast, 60.0 2P%, 46.7 3P%, 50.0 FT%

The Slovenian player, developed in the Italian system, was the soul of the Udine team's excellent performances. Igor is the nerve center of the APU attack, which he fuels with strong drives—thanks to his quickness—and an excellent perimeter shot. He is a very creative player with unique shot selection that pays off 100%. His immense danger as a scorer also opens up large spaces for his teammates. However, it is difficult to predict his role in a high-level senior context, where it is hard to fit a playstyle of this nature.

ROBERT KANGUR (6'3/190cm, 2009, Pallacanestro Varese, PG/SG, EST)

31.7 min, 21.3 pts, 2.3 reb, 2.7 ast, 69.2 2P%, 33.3 3P%, 81.3 FT%

The Estonian playmaker, born in 2009, led his team to a 2/1 record after this first stage. Despite playing many minutes as a secondary ball-handler, he managed to steal the show. He has the attitude and mindset of a leader, never missing a beat and maintaining good shot selection. His perimeter shot is certainly the "house specialty," but he also found excellent solutions and finishes on drives. He is very good at creating off the dribble and out of pick-and-roll situations.

FALLOU SOW (6'3/191cm, 2007, Guerri Napoli, SG, ITA)*

26.0 min, 24.3 pts, 6.0 reb, 1.7 ast, 40.7 2P%, 45.8 3P%, 78.3 FT%

Fallou played an excellent stage, on loan from Orange 1, allowing Napoli to be the surprise of Group A. His biggest contribution comes in transition, where he combines speed, athleticism, and technique to space the floor or finish decisively at the rim. He was also a factor on defense with blocks and steals. On offense, he exploited the spaces created by the two playmakers to be effective from three-point range and on penetrations.

JOSÉ MEDINA (6'10/208cm, 2007, Dolomiti Energia Trento, F/C, CUB)

15.7 min, 11.7 pts, 4.3 reb, 1.3 ast, 64.7 2P%, 33.3 3P%, 77.8 FT%

Medina, a Cuban player newly arrived in Trento, was the main surprise of this event. He possesses a physique suited for the major leagues, which he combines with high-level basic technique and decent versatility. He doesn't refuse perimeter play, but he is certainly most effective and comfortable inside the arc. He uses great power and explosiveness to beat opponents and finish above the rim.

SIMONE VENTURA (6'5/196cm, 2009, PGC Cantù, SG, ITA)

27.7 min, 13.7 pts, 2.0 reb, 1.7 ast, 56.0 2P%, 33.3 3P%, 70.0 FT%

For a Cantù team that wasn't at its best and suffered 3 losses out of 3, Ventura was the bright spot of the Verona stage. He showed off quietly, doing the right things and punishing defenses with his weapons: perimeter shots, cuts, and 1-on-1 play. He is a player with great basketball IQ who doesn't need to have the ball in his hands constantly to be effective; these are two invaluable characteristics that are hard to teach. On defense, he is effective, using his body and long arms well to defend multiple positions.

LAUTARO BASUALDO (6'8/204cm, 2010, Pallacanestro Varese, F, ARG)

17.0 min, 5.7 pts, 4.3 reb, 0.3 ast, 46.2 2P%, 55.6 FT%

One of the youngest players with significant playing time in the competition. He played almost exclusively as a 5, even when paired with Prato, though it is clear his natural role is the 4. He possesses excellent body control and already makes advanced reads for his age. His technique is at a good level, and he still has large margins for improvement. Although he is already ready to play against opponents 3 years older, we aren't talking about a physically finished player, but rather one with great potential for further growth.

MATTEO LENCI (6'9/205cm, 2007, Virtus Bologna, SG/SF, ITA)

24.7 min, 12.3 pts, 4.3 reb, 0.7 ast, 45.5 2P%, 42.1 3P%, 75.0 FT%

An extremely modern player who combines a lanky physique and endless limbs with excellent technique. In the Virtus system, he plays as a 4, but he can easily cover the 3 role and exceptionally the 2. His very long arms and foot speed allow him to be versatile defensively. He has a great sense for rebounding and manages to impact the game in this aspect. Offensively, he is good at capitalizing on kick-outs, punishing from 3-point range, and exploiting mismatches with his post game. His physique is still very slender, which, however, is not necessarily a negative for his style of play.

PABLO ABREU (6'6/199cm, 2008, Pallacanestro Reggiana, F, ITA)

31 min, 17.3 pts, 14.3 reb, 1 ast, 61.8 2P%, 100.0 3P%, 70.0 FT%

Abreu is a forward born in 2008, raised basketball-wise at Reggiana, and has been in the youth national team circuit for years. He showed off in this stage as well, specifically by demonstrating that he is increasingly developing a perimeter game. His shot is improving, as is his dribbling and face-up one-on-one game. He remains dominant, thanks to his enormous physique, when playing with his back to the basket. He has also improved in defensive quickness and the ability to contain 1-on-1s. This development of speed and dynamism is promising and significantly raises his potential.

FEDERICO BOTTELLI (6'3/191cm, 2008, Allianz Derthona, PG/SG, ITA)

27.3 min, 23.0 pts, 3.0 reb, 3.7 ast, 54.5 2P%, 60.0 3P%, 90.0 FT%

Bottelli is a guard gifted with great talent and physicality. Since his arrival in Tortona, he has been trying to build a playmaker's skillset, expanding his offensive options. This has led to a change in how he finds baskets, relying heavily on pick-and-roll play and one-on-one situations. He is a very effective player in this regard, while his ability to create for others is still evolving. Defensively, he makes good use of his strong physical structure and excellent foot speed. He has excellent potential to be a modern combo guard, capable of handling the ball but also being an effective scorer.

*Players on loan

The evaluations are made considering the performances in the single competition and on the potential and age of the individual athlete. Therefore, the goal is not to show who was most effective or who is the best at the moment, but to make an assessment on current abilities and future potential.