Spanish U20 Top 10
Category: 1992 Born
Ramon Carbonell from Scoutbasketball counts down the top ten U20 players in professional Spanish Leagues. Read the countdown of the 1992 born age category from 10 to 1...
10: El Hadji Malick Fall
Profile
Club Clinicas Rincon Benahavis (Unicaja Malaga 2nd team)
Competition Leb Gold
Position Center
Height 6’ 11’’
D.O.B 08.12.1992
Hometown Dakar, Senegal. Spanish citizenship since 2009.
History & Stats
2006-2007 C.B. Granada.
2007-2008 Unicaja.
2008-2009 Spanish U-20 circuit: 5.7 ppg 5.3 rpg 1.0 bpg
Unicaja EBA-D : 9.3 ppg 7.7 rpg 0.9 bpg
2009-2010 Unicaja EBA-D: 8.4 ppg 7.3 rpg 1.0 bpg
U-18 Spanish Clubs Championship: 10.6 ppg 8.0 rpg 0.6 bpg
Clinicas Rincon LEB Gold: 1.1 ppg 1.8 rpg 0.1 bpg
2010-2011 Unicaja EBA-D: 12.0 ppg 8.0 rpg 1.0 bpg
Guadalajara LEB Silver (on loan from Unicaja): 8.0 ppg 5.9 rpg 1.2 bpg
Clinicas Rincon LEB Gold: 2.9 ppg 1.9 rpg 0.3 bpg
Born in Senegal, El Hadji Malick Fall began to play in Spain with C.B Granada, soon he was recruited by Unicaja Malaga, where he’s still developing his career and refining his game. He obtained Spanish citizenship on July 2009, and subsequently played with U-18 Spanish national team. The main attribute of this player is his great physical conditions for the game; moreover, his ability to learn and improve his game makes him an interesting prospect to keep an eye on in the near future.
Strengths
General Very good in physical conditions: can effectively finish fast breaks,
Large wingspan.
Has a real born fighter spirit, will contest every ball.
Offense Has a solid game back to basket, strong right hook shot.
Shows correct passing skills from the paint, finding the open man outside.
He’s able to play well above the rim in offense rebounds.
Good concepts in pick & roll action.
Defense Very active in rebounds.
Good at intimidating the shot.
Weaknesses
General Larger frame would make his game more effective.
Needs to improve his consistency.
Offence He needs to work left hand, improving his low post skills.
His free throw percentage is very low.
Increasing his shooting range would make him more versatile.
Defense He suffers in the low post against players with more weight.
Has to improve his help defense.
Has to work his footwork while boxing out during free throws to guarantee
the rebound.
Video Click on the video number to watch Hadji Malick Fall in action
1 (Player number 14)
2 (Player number 14)
3 (Player number 10)
4 (Players number 7)
9: Victor Arteaga
Profile
Club Real Madrid (2nd team)
Competition EBA-B
Position Power Forward
Height 6’ 10’’
D.O.B 07.07.1992
Hometown Cuenca, Spain.
History & Stats
2010-2011 Real Madrid EBA-B: 10.4 ppg 6.3 rpp 0.3 bpg
Real Madrid player since 2004, last season had a promising first season in Real Madrid 2nd team playing EBA-B league. He’s held in high regard as one of the best PF domestic prospects. He has played with U-16 & U-18 Spanish National Team. He plays an effective game, with a clear trend toward finish actions turning right side, his hook shot produces a lot of points. In the last years has improved his physical conditions and this is bearing fruits in low post and rebounding actions. His strengths and potential makes him a solid player for ACB league in the medium term.
Strengths
General Large arm, 7'1" wingspan
Shows good physical development in recent years.
Offense Great effectiveness in low post actions, dominant half-hook after right turn.
His aggressive approach to rebounding and physical conditioning, helps him to win a good number of offensive rebounds.
He creates plays and openings from the high post passing the ball. Almost always choosing the right decision, finding both the open man and centre in the paint.
Good basketball IQ using his body to open spaces.
Fast in transition from defence to offense. He’s a strong dunker.
Defense Innate skill to block shots.
He’s a solid low post defender.
Very good concepts in zone defence.
Weaknesses
General Has to raise his consistency during the season.
Offense He can improve shots beyond 12’ distance.
He needs to work left hand to be more decisive in low post actions.
Sometimes shows soft hands which makes him lose balls.
His free throw percentage can be raised with work.
Defense He needs to improve his lateral movement
His defensive concentration could be improved.
Video Click on the video number to watch Victor Arteaga in action
1 (Player number 10)
2 (Player number 10)
8: Jose Pozas
Profile
Club Clinicas Rincon Benahavis (Unicaja Malaga 2nd team)
Competition LEB Gold
Position Point Guard
Height 6’ 1’’
D.O.B 14.05.1992
Hometown Malaga, Spain.
History & Stats
2008-2009 Unicaja EBA-D : 6.2 ppg 1.3 rpg 1.1 apg 1.3 spg
2009-2010 Unicaja EBA-D: 12.0 ppg 2.9 rpg 2.3 apg 2.0 spg
U-18 Spanish Clubs Championship: 9.8 ppg 2.8 rpg 2.0 apg 2.5 spg
2010-2011 Clinicas Rincon LEB Gold: 5.3 ppg 1.8 rpg 1.6 apg 0.9 spg
U-20 European Championship: 3.7 ppg 1.7 rpg 2.9 apg 1.0 spg
Unicaja player since 2002 he had a meteoric promotion three years ago when he made his debut in EBA-D. In the 09-10 season he showed immense progress by doubling his average statistics on the previous season. In 10-11 season he had a very good performance in LEB Gold league, combining this with his learning capacity and great natural talent as point guard makes him a prospect for the future Unicaja first team.
Strengths
General Powerful lower body gives him explosive footwork.
He’s an immensely talented all round player.
Offense Great court vision and IQ basketball.
Excellent ball handling with both hands.
Great variety passing skills, emphasizing excellent utilization of bounce pass.
He’s making progress controlling turnovers.
Good shooting streak from 3-point line.
Defense High activity in all court defence.
Quick hands.
Very effective in pick & roll against bigger players.
Weaknesses
General Needs to work to be more focused during all games.
Offense Reluctant shooter at mid-range.
Must work on free throws.
Defense Sometimes his defence activity leads him to foul trouble.
Has to be more decided in zone defence.
Video Click on the video number to watch Jose Pozas in action
1 (Player number 4)
2 (Player number 4)
3 (Player number 4)
7: Ondrej Balvin
Profile
Club: Cajasol Banca Civica
Competition ACB
Position Center
Height 7’ 1’’
D.O.B 20.09.1992
Hometown Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic.
History & Stats
2009-2010 USK Praha (Czech Republic) 2.7 ppg 2.0 rpg 0.7 apg
European U-18 Championship Div B 10.9 ppg 11.0 rpg 2.9 bpg
European U-20 Championship 4.6 ppg 3.7 rpg 0.9 bpg
2010-2011 Castilleja Cajasol (EBA D) 9.6 ppg 7.1 rpg 0.6 bpg
European U-20 Championship Div B 12.3 ppg 9.7 rpg 1.1 bpg
Ondrej Balvin began to play in USK Praha and stood out in 2010 European U18 Championship Div B named MVP, best center and best defender of the tournament. In April 2010 he was signed by Cajasol Banca Civica and played in EBA D league where his good performances took him to the Cajasol first team within one season. Ondrej is a big centre with good athletic conditioning and high basketball IQ who is nearly ready to play in high level competition making him a top center prospect.
Strengths
General Huge size.
Big man with good coordination.
High basketball IQ.
Offense Effective player in back to basket and low post actions.
Knows how to use his body to open spaces off the ball.
Good passing skills and fluent game.
Outstanding player in pick & roll and blind screens.
Effective passer in high-low post action.
Defense Very defensively minded player.
Fights for every rebound and space under the basket.
His size and wing span helps him to be a good shot blocker
Weaknesses
General Needs to continue physical work to raise his stamina.
Needs to compete in a higher level league.
Offence Sometimes shows soft finishing in low post.
Has to decrease his turnovers and avoid travelling in low post.
Needs to work on his left hand.
Defense Slow in lateral movement, he suffers against short players.
Has to improve his help defense.
Video Click on the video number to watch Ondrej Balvin in action
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2 (Player number 12)
3 (Player number 12)
6: Joan Tomas
Profile
Club CB Prat Joventut (FIATC Joventut 2nd team)
Competition LEB Silver
Position Forward
Height 6’ 7’’
D.O.B 12.05.1992
Hometown Llucmajor, Spain
History & Stats
2008-2009 Europeann U-18 Championship 8.0 ppg 5.1 rpg 0.9 apg
European U-20 Championship 10.5 ppg 5.0 rpg 1.8 apg
2009-2010 CB Prat Joventut (LEB Silver) 3.0 ppg 1.0 rpg 1.0 spg
U-18 Spanish Clubs Championship 13.3 ppg 9.0 rpg 1.0 apg 1.0 spg 1.0 bpg
European U-18 Championship 11.8 ppg 3.6 rpg 1.0 apg 1.0 spg
2010-2011 CB Prat Joventut (LEB Silver) 6.6 ppg 3.8 rpg 0.8 spg
European U-20 Championship 4.8 ppg 3.5 rpg 0.3 apg
Joan was born in the Balearic Islands like other profilic players Rudy Fernandez, Joan Sastre and his brother Pere Tomas (FIATC Joventut ACB players). Joan Tomas was labelled as a top prospect in the younger age categories, however last year he struggled to live up to his reputation. He remains a very interesting prospect at the forward position, especialy after improving his three point shot with help from coach Josep Maria Maragall.
Strengths
General Very good physical conditioning.
Plays with big maturity and winning attitude.
High basketball IQ
Offense Very good in penetrations and has an aggressive first step to his dominant right side.
Great in fast breaks.
Offensive threat who is able to score and assist.
Can create his own shots from mid range.
Is able to utilise low post moves.
He’s improving his three point shots.
Defense Good defensive rebounder.
Quick hands allows him to steal the ball.
Good defender in blind screens.
Can defend in the paint in zone defence.
Weaknesses
General Needs to be more confident in his game.
Offense Has to raise his consistency in his three point shot.
Poor left hand dribbling.
Relatively poor passer.
Defense His lateral movement could be faster.
His positioning in zone defense has to be improved to be a solid defender.
Video Click on the video number to watch Joan Tomas in action
1 (Player number 13)
2 (Player number 13)
3 (Player number 13)
5: Marko Todorovic
Profile
Club CB Prat Joventut (FIATC Joventut 2nd team)
Competition LEB Silver
Position Power Forward
Height 6’ 11’’
D.O.B 19.04.1992
Hometown Podgorica, Montenegro.
History & Stats
2008-2009 European U-20 Championships 4.2ppg 2.4 rpg 0.7 spg
2009-2010 U-18 Spanish Clubs Championship 14.7 ppg 7.6 rpg 2.3 spg 1.0 bpg
2010-2011 CB Prat Joventut (LEB Silver) 11.3 ppg 6.7 rpg 1.2 spg 1.5 bpg
Marko Todorovic arrived to Spain in 09-10 season and is developing his game every season. He’s a workable player with a professional attitude, those qualities made him debut with FIATC Joventut last season and his born fighter spirit helps him to produce in almost every action. Last week he had a brilliant performance in his first season game (LEB Silver) with a double double (12 points, 10 rebounds) showing he’s close to ACB level.
Strengths
General Has improved physically.
Fast player for his size.
He fights for every ball.
Offense He is a great offensive rebounder.
Worked left hand, he can finish left penetrations with great efficiency.
Good first step for a power forward, effective dribbler.
Consistant three point shooter from the wings.
Good player in pick and roll actions.
Good footwork in low post, uses fakes with great success.
Defense Good shot blocker.
Great defensive rebounder.
Hard defender in low post.
Weaknesses
General Needs to raise his activity level.
Offense His passing skills are correct but sometimes makes soft passes.
Has to improve his ball control, reducing turnovers.
Slow shot mechanics.
Defense Has to raise his speed in lateral movements.
His helps in man to man defense are sometimes mis-timed and not decisive.
Has foul trouble in pick and roll flash actions.
Video Click on the video number to watch Marko Todorovic in action
1 (Player number 11)
2 (Player number 11)
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4: Lucas Riva
Profile
Club Asefa Estudiantes (on loan at C.B Las Rozas during 11-12 season)
Competition LEB Silver
Position Center
Height 6’ 11’’
D.O.B 26.07.1992
Hometown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
History & Stats
2009-2010 Estudiantes (EBA-B) 8.0 ppg 5.0 rpg 0.6 bpg
U-18 Spanish Clubs Championship 9.0 ppg 12.6 rpg 2.3 bpg
2010-2011 Estudiantes (EBA-B) 10.9 ppg 8.8 rpg 2.4 bpg
U-19 World Championship 9.6 ppg 8.7 rpg 2.9 bpg
Lucas Riva was a sensation in EBA league last season. His name appears in all NBA scouts reports. He’s a big mam with all the conditions to have a brilliant future, but we must first not forget that currently his weaknesses make him a limited player. He needs to work and be tested on a higher level to turn this possible brilliant future into a solid present career.
Strengths
General Great physical conditions, very good running the court, huge vertical jump.
Has huge arms; 7’6’’ wing span.
Offense He is able to dunk almost every ball inside the paint.
He has a solid half distance shot.
Good hands.
He is very active in offensive rebounds.
Correct passing skills.
Defense Big time shot blocker.
Very secure defensive rebounder.
Weaknesses
General He has a lack of strength and needs to bulk up.
Sometimes has lapses in concentration.
Offense Has to improve his low post skills.
He needs to raise his free throw percentage.
Defense His basketball IQ in collective defense should be improved.
Video Click on the video number to watch Lucas Riva in action
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3: Rafa Freire Luz
Profile
Club: Lucentum Alicante (on loan from Unicaja Malaga)
Competition ACB
Position Point Guard
Height 6’ 2’’
D.O.B 11.02.1992
Hometown Araçatuba, Brazil. Spanish citizenship since 2010.
History & Stats
2007-2008 Unicaja U-20 Club Championship: 2.0 ppg 0.7 rpg 1.0 apg
Unicaja EBA-D: 11.7 ppg 2.9 rpg 0.8 apg 1.6 spg
2008-2009 Unicaja U-20 Club Championship: 9.5 ppg 3.1 rpg 2.8 apg 1.6 spg
2009-2010 Unicaja EBA-D: 13.0 ppg 5.0 rpg 4.0 apg
Clinicas Rincon Leb Gold: 6.6 ppg 2.0 rpg 2.3 apg 1.2 spg
Unicaja ACB: 3.6 ppg 1.2 rpg 1.0 apg 0.7 spg
2010-2011 Clinicas Rincon LEB Gold: 5.5 ppg 1.9 rpg 2.0 apg 0.6 spg
Unicaja ACB: 4.4 ppg 1.3 rpg 2.2 apg 1.1 spg
Granada ACB: 4.8 ppg 1.2 rpg 2.2 apg 1.1 spg
Rafael Freire Luz comes from a family of basketball players. He has had a solid career in leagues like EBA-D and LEB Gold. He shows maturity and great capacity for hard work allowing him to improve quickly. Currently he's playing good minutes for Lucentum Alicante in ACB and has been an instrumental part of their successful start to the season for this young and exciting team. If he continues to improve his point guard game and court vision at this current pace he can be targeting the NBA in the medium term.
Strengths
General Great physical conditioning: explosive footwork, aggressive strong player.
Two ACB seasons experience.
High basketball IQ.
Offense Good in penetrations, can finish easily with both hands.
Excellent ball handling.
Has improved his court vision and feel for the game.
Great passing skills, he's able to make all kind of passes with both hands.
Good footwork in mid range jump shots.
Defense High activity makes him a pesky defender.
Very quick lateral movement.
His quick hands allow him to be a prominent ball stealer, always alert in pass lines.
Good concepts in zone defense.
Weaknesses
General In younger age categories he used to play a lot in shooting guard position and now has to adapt to play exclusively point guard.
Offence Has to raise his shooting percentage.
His court vision can still improved, controlling turnovers.
He needs to be more confident with three point shots.
Defense Sometimes tends to commit unnecessary fouls.
His understanding of team defense could be better.
Video Click on the video number to watch Rafa Freire Luz in action
1 (Player number 5)
2 (Player number 5)
2: Haukur Palsson
Profile
Club Assignia Manresa
Competition ACB
Position Forward
Height 6’ 6’’
D.O.B 18.05.1992
Hometown Reykjavik; Iceland.
History & Stats
2008-2009 A.S Stella Azzurra.
European U-18 Championship Div B: 15.6 ppg 6.5 rpg 0.9 apg 1.8 spg
2009-2010 Montverde Academy High School (USA)
2010-2011 Maryland University NCAA: 2.8 ppg 2.1 rpg 0.8 apg
European U-20 Championship Div B: 22.7 ppg 10.0 rpg 2.0 apg 1.6 spg
Haukur Palsson had an almost unnoticed season in Maryland University, but he's been a great surprise in ACB league. Initially signed to EBA-C Assignia Manresa second team, the injury of Sergiy Gladir and his work capacity allowed him to gain minutes and the respect of his head coach Jaume Porsanau of Manresa’s first team in ACB. He showed his score capacity in European U-18 and U-20 Championship and has now adapted to help his team in many other ways. If he continues to develop his game like this he is sure to have a brilliant future.
Strengths
General Physically very strong player.
High basketball IQ.
Very complete player on both sides of the court.
He’s an immensely talented all round player.
Offense He's a good scorer.
Great off-ball game, spacing and cutting.
Good usage of left hand.
High percentages in three point and mid range jump shots.
Aggressive penetrator.
Defense Very defensively minded player.
Quick lateral movement.
Effective player in help defence and zone defence.
Great defensive rebounder.
He can defend in low post against bigger players.
Very quick hands allow him to steal the ball.
Weaknesses
Offense He can improve three point shot after pass.
Slow shot mechanics.
Defense Sometimes he is in foul trouble.
Video Click on the video number to watch Haukur Palsson in action
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1: Raul Togni Neto (Raulzinho Neto)
Profile
Club Lagun Aro
Competition ACB
Position Point Guard
Height 6’ 1’’
D.O.B 19.05.1992
Hometown Minas Gerais-Bello Horizonte, Brazil. Italian citizenship.
History & Stats
2009-2010 Pitagoras/Minas Tenis Clube NBB: 5.8 ppg 1.5 rpg 3.0 apg 1.8 spg
U-18 Americas Championship: 15.4 ppg 6.0 rpg 5.2 apg 1.6 spg
World Championship: 1 game 6 points
2010-2011 Pitagoras/Minas Tenis Clube NBB: 12.6 ppg 2.9 rpg 2.2 apg 1.7 spg
U-19 World Championship: 14.5 ppg 3.0 rpg 4.1 apg 1.5 spg
Raulzinho Neto has for the 09/10 and 10/11 seasons been playing and developing his game in the Brazilian NBB. During his first season he was one of the best rookies in the league, in his second season he became on the key players in his team. In need to prove himself in a higher competition he made the move to ACB, which was helped by his Italian citizenship. Lagun Aro signed him last summer and in the first few games of this season he has been a surprise package and in the very near future could establish himself as a solid contributor in ACB.
Strengths
General Very talented player.
Natural leadership.
Great footwork on both sides of the court.
Offense Very good court vision and reads the game very well.
Excellent ball handling and dribbling.
Explosive in penetrations with a nice change of speed.
Very good jump shot front mid range and dependable three point shooter.
Good passing skills.
Defense Good defensive position.
Quick lateral movement.
Quick hands.
Weaknesses
General He has to continue to gain strength.
Offense Still room to improve his passing decisions.
Need to be more efficient in long rage shots.
His left hand skills could be improved.
Defense Sometimes does not read team defense very well.
Could become a more aggressive defender.
Video Click on the video number to watch Raul Togni Neto in action
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