Post by aar on May 25, 2008 22:48:44 GMT -5
I just got back from Europe and got to watch some of their U-14 games.
Sarunas Marciulionis U-14 Tournament of Champions
In the Sarunas Marciulionis U-14 tournament of champions, there were a few standouts. Sven Andersson will be the kid who puts Sweden on the map in the NBA. Andersson is one of the most tenacious perimeter defenders that I've seen and was not letting anyone score. He was also going after boards like a fat kid goes after a loose bag of chips in a vending machine - he wouldn't let anyone get in the way of his prize.
We also saw Salvador Souza from Portugal who plays the point guard with the artistry of Salvador Dali. Souza was dropping dimes like it was nobody's business and showed off an array of crazy ballhandling maneuvers. He was a bit erratic every now and then, but when he goes from showman to baller, we hope that will improve.
The hometown hero was big man Flavijus Stankevičius, who was bullying people inside and throwing the ball with the speed of a cannon to cutting teammates. Stankevičius was also swatting shots like it was nobody's business.
The Li-Ning U-14 Asian Basketball Summit
There was a lot of interesting talent, including someone who they called "The Korean Jordan"
Duck-Young Bak was flying all over the court and at age 12 was already throwing down dunks with ease. Onlookers were absolutely reveling in this kid's abilities and he's only 12! Despite his age, he dominated the U-14 competition and won the dunk contest with ease.
The biggest kid in camp was Manchu Chau, who was getting passes inside and backing down the much weaker opponents. He was also making sure that opposing players knew not to challenge him inside because he was swatting shots like flies. He has already mastered the jump hook, which is a dangerous thought.
Another interesting kid was Filipino point guard Benjie Reyes. Reyes was handling the ball like a pro, but needed to work on his passing game. His creativity with the ball lead to many easy layups and he was great during fast break opportunities.
The Pat Burke U-14 Invitational
In New Zealand, we saw a lot of interesting Kiwi talents and an arsenal of up and comers from Australia
Australian sharpshooter Bruce Riggs was hitting shots from all over the floor and especially beyond the arc. He was fantastic at creating off the dribble. Riggs showed unbelievable leadership on the floor and his team went undefeated during the tournament. His ball handling ability was very efficient.
Aussie Pete Goodger was the biggest kid in camp, standing 6'6" at age 13. His game needs work as he was a semi-professional soccer player until he hit his growth spurt. Now he wants to use his footwork underneath the basket. He remains very raw.
Iarere Ballantyne is a Kiwi kid who at age 11 was hanging with the older talent. Ballantyne is an incredible athlete who was finding holes in defenses like it was nobody's business. This kid was born to play basketball.
These prospects will be available between the years 2013 and 2016 in the BBS.
Sarunas Marciulionis U-14 Tournament of Champions
In the Sarunas Marciulionis U-14 tournament of champions, there were a few standouts. Sven Andersson will be the kid who puts Sweden on the map in the NBA. Andersson is one of the most tenacious perimeter defenders that I've seen and was not letting anyone score. He was also going after boards like a fat kid goes after a loose bag of chips in a vending machine - he wouldn't let anyone get in the way of his prize.
We also saw Salvador Souza from Portugal who plays the point guard with the artistry of Salvador Dali. Souza was dropping dimes like it was nobody's business and showed off an array of crazy ballhandling maneuvers. He was a bit erratic every now and then, but when he goes from showman to baller, we hope that will improve.
The hometown hero was big man Flavijus Stankevičius, who was bullying people inside and throwing the ball with the speed of a cannon to cutting teammates. Stankevičius was also swatting shots like it was nobody's business.
The Li-Ning U-14 Asian Basketball Summit
There was a lot of interesting talent, including someone who they called "The Korean Jordan"
Duck-Young Bak was flying all over the court and at age 12 was already throwing down dunks with ease. Onlookers were absolutely reveling in this kid's abilities and he's only 12! Despite his age, he dominated the U-14 competition and won the dunk contest with ease.
The biggest kid in camp was Manchu Chau, who was getting passes inside and backing down the much weaker opponents. He was also making sure that opposing players knew not to challenge him inside because he was swatting shots like flies. He has already mastered the jump hook, which is a dangerous thought.
Another interesting kid was Filipino point guard Benjie Reyes. Reyes was handling the ball like a pro, but needed to work on his passing game. His creativity with the ball lead to many easy layups and he was great during fast break opportunities.
The Pat Burke U-14 Invitational
In New Zealand, we saw a lot of interesting Kiwi talents and an arsenal of up and comers from Australia
Australian sharpshooter Bruce Riggs was hitting shots from all over the floor and especially beyond the arc. He was fantastic at creating off the dribble. Riggs showed unbelievable leadership on the floor and his team went undefeated during the tournament. His ball handling ability was very efficient.
Aussie Pete Goodger was the biggest kid in camp, standing 6'6" at age 13. His game needs work as he was a semi-professional soccer player until he hit his growth spurt. Now he wants to use his footwork underneath the basket. He remains very raw.
Iarere Ballantyne is a Kiwi kid who at age 11 was hanging with the older talent. Ballantyne is an incredible athlete who was finding holes in defenses like it was nobody's business. This kid was born to play basketball.
These prospects will be available between the years 2013 and 2016 in the BBS.
You know it. 
