2015 adidas Eurocamp: Day 2 RecapBy: Aran_Smith

Day 2 was highlighted by the Team USA Select Under 17 kids winning their second game in a row, this time beating a team of Under 22 Eurocamp All Stars. In 10 times covering the camp, this was the best game I’ve seen here. It was extremely exciting and competitive and to think a team with as many as 5 one and dones from last year including Kobi Simmons, Dennis Smith, Thon Maker, Jaylen Brown, and Brandon Ingram never came closer to winning a game, than losing by 20.

No USA Team has ever even been competitive in a game at Eurocamp before this year. This group has come in expecting to win, and won. The fact that this year’s USA team has fared so well is most likely due to two things. First, they have much better chemistry and play as a team. Second, this year’s group of Eurocamp participant’s talent is way down. Kudos to Coach Jerry Stackhouse and his group of coaches and kids for competing so hard. We will devote a write up for just the USA kids in the coming days.

How bad is this year’s Eurocamp group? Potentially, historically bad. 2010 is the last time the camp had no participants drafted in the respective year’s current draft. Kevin Seraphin came in for measurements and interviews, but did not participate in the 2010 camp. Scouts have begun to speculate that there’s a good chance that not one of the Eurocamp prospects who are declared draft eligible will be drafted this year.

Luckily, there are a number of potential future first rounders here including Dragan Bender, Aleksa Ilic, a few prospects on the USA Select Team, as well as France’s Guerschon Yabusele. But, as we mentioned in the Day One recap, it is a thankless task trying to get the top draft eligible kids to show up and participate. Agents have their agendas, and a number of players are still competing in their respective domestic league play-offs.

We will highlight some of the top performers once again, from Day 2.

By Davide Bortoluzzi

Guerschon Yabusele (’95, 6-7, PF, France, Roanne)

Yabusele was without a doubt the standout performer of day 2, making a big impression in front of scouts. In fact, it’s safe to call him the breakout performer of the event after just 2 days. He crushed Greece on the boards during the first game of the day, finishing with 23 points and 9 rebounds. Standing at 6-7, he’s undersized, height wise for an NBA PF or C, but he appears to have a huge wingspan to compensate and a great combination of explosive power and nimble feet. His frame is above average (an estimate of his weight is 260 pounds of muscle and appears to have a 7-2 or greater wingspan with powerful arms), he combines it with quickness and solid footwork. His skill level is quite good, combining good shooting ability and range with a solid repertoire of post moves. He also plays with a high motor and aggressiveness showing the ability to anticipate steals and play in the full court. A brute with Marcus Fizer like versatility, he is the breakout performer of the event and shows first round potential for next year.

Dejan Todorovic (’94, 6-6, SG/SF, Serbia, Bilbao)

If Todorovic was a consistent shooter he would likely be a draft pick. Standing at 6-6 he has an amazing body structure and athletic skills by European standards, with the ability to finish above the rim on a consistent basis. In addition he combines these solid physical skills with good fundamentals, and basketball IQ. At this point he plays mostly as a stretch 4 and really needs to improve upon his floor skills. He’s effective on both ends of the court, but his lack of shooting ability decreases his NBA intrigue. A significant improvement on his shot mechanics and consistency could open him new opportunities over the following years.

Edin Atic (’97, 6-6, SG/SF, Bosnia Herzegovina, Spars Sarajevo)

Atic has shown skills as a scorer, even if he’s one of the youngest participants in camp. He’s still skinny and a little bit lanky but his solid athleticism has allowed him to excel in transition. Furthermore, he has shown the ability – thanks to his solid handle -to create effectively from off the dribble for himself and teammates. His biggest flaw is the shot consistency, most likely due to poor mechanics, but his ability to create space and attack the basket are above average.

Aleksa Ilic (’96, 6-9, SF, Montenegro, Sutjenska)

Ilic can be considered the hidden gem of the event. Last summer he played great at the U18 European championships, and then he disappeared from the radar to play in the Montenegro first division. Yesterday he showed up in Treviso, confirming our positive feedback from one year ago. Standing 6-9, he has great size for the role, and even if he still has a lot of work to to on his body, he’s extremely athletic and explosive. Furthermore he had some offensive glimpses of his nice handle and passing skills. He needs to be tested on a regular basis at a higher level, in order to fulfill his potential. Along with Bender, the other potential first round talent among the Eurocamp group.

Kevin Harley (’94, 6-6, PG/SG, France, Poitiers)

From a physical standpoint he’s one of the best prospects on the court: great body, size, explosiveness and athleticism by NBA standards. A big fluid guard with combo skills. On the other hand his ball handling and shooting skills remain rather raw, and he shows poor game comprehension and decision making and also doesn’t always play with a sense of urgency and aggressiveness necessary. Despite the shortcomings his physical potential keeps him on the list of the potential NBA prospects.

Next Generation Top Prospects

Dzanan Musa (’99, 6-8, SF, Bosnia Herzegovina, Cedevita Zagreb)

Musa has been the top performer and prospect of Next Gen showcase, displaying a great combination of size, athleticism, and skills. While his body structure is a little odd, he’s very young and likely just needs time to fill out and become less hunched over in his back. Skill wise, he’s light years ahead of the rest of his age group. He has a solid handle for the size, which allows him to act as a primary ball handler of the team, creating for himself and his teammates. He’s always active on the floor, playing with intensity on both ends of the court. He has a complete offensive repertoire, using both hands, plus he’s an intense defender and an intimidator. One to track for the future.

Acoydan McCarthy (’99, 6-5, SG, Spain, Real Madrid)

McCarthy was the 2nd best potential NBA prospect of the Next Gen group, and also a standout athlete. This is his third year year and he’s a 1999 kid so apparently he’s looking to make it 9 years at Eurocamp before he’s drafted in the first round of 2021. As a 6-5 SG he has perfect size for a future SG and likely will continue to grow. He combines solid athletic skills, speed and smoothness in running the floor. Compared to Musa he’s still rather raw concerning game comprehension, but he has shown great instincts and a big ceiling.

Ahmet Can Duran (’99, 6-8, C, Turkey, Fenerbahce)

The Turkish kid drew comparisons from NBA scouts to Marc Gasol. Not for his skill level, which is good, but for his body. Gasol had about 40 additional pounds more than this guy according to scouts who saw him, and nobody gave him an NBA chance. Can Duran doesn’t have the look of a typical future prospect either: his baby fat percentage is high and he is not extremely athletic. But his basketball IQ is high, especially considering his age. He has silky hands and an amazing sense of position, which allows him to always be in the proper spot for the rebound. It’s evident that he’s still in the development stages, and if he can grow a couple more inches and works on his conditioning, he has solid chances to become one of the best bigs of his generation.

2015 adidas Eurocamp Roster

Under-20 French National Team

2015 under-18 adidas USA Select

2015 adidas EUROCAMP Next Generation