Favourite Youth Players

I thought it might be good to talk about who your favourite rising stars are maybe U21?

The first on my mind who are pretty young are

Emma Meesseman
Julie Vanloo
Olesia Malashenko
Nika Baric

Loads more to follow but I would rather discuss these with you all

Alina Iagupova (Ukraine) 1992
Laura Gil (Spain) 1992
Gaia Gorini (Italy) 1992
Özge Kavurmacıoğlu (Turkey) 1993
Gretel Tippett (Australia) 1993
Elizabeth Williams (USA) 1993
Ariel Massangale (USA) 1993
Ksenia Tikhonenko(Russia) 1993
Cansu Köksal (Turkey) 1994
Olivia Epoupa (France) 1994
Tilbe Senyurek (Turkey) 1995
Meng Li (China) 1995

Özge Kavurmacıoğlu (Turkey) 1993
Ksenia Tikhonenko(Russia) 1993
Olivia Epoupa (France) 1994

I watched all of the above in the flesh at U16 Euro Championships in Naples 18 months ago and loved their game. I have been following their progress ever since with a keen eye.

I like the speed of Epoupa, she is so quick and a real handful to guard and it really takes her something special to get down the floor.

Kavurmacioglu is for me a real all-rounder and I love her durability. She is a busy player and I think will be a top, top player in the future.

As for Ksenia, I think she has the size for sure and is skilled but she looked like she was 'too nice'. Which of course as a young lady isn't a bad thing and to be commended. Ii just got the feeling she needed to be more ruthless, but she had class - that is without doubt.

I liked Olcay Cakir as well if you know how she is progressing?

Cakir, Tikhonenko, Meessemann, Vanloo and I think Andrea Vilaro?

Olcay Cakir is a fairly good player. She is a taller than other guards of same ages. But her shots are inconsistent. Basketball mind must improve and she is physically weak.
her stats at Turkish league
http://www.tbl.org.tr/tbbl/oyuncu.asp?sezon=2010-2011&Kod=56473276572

neozepron wrote:Olcay Cakir is a fairly good player. She is a taller than other guards of same ages. But her shots are inconsistent. Basketball mind must improve and she is physically weak.
her stats at Turkish league
http://www.tbl.org.tr/tbbl/oyuncu.asp?sezon=2010-2011&Kod=56473276572

If you hadn't said her name I would have thought you're talking about Alba Torrens because that description IMHO fitted her up until this autumn.

Thanks for the link.

I loved Cakir from the moment I saw her on court. She has such a small frame and needs to find more power but her heart during those U16 Championships was absolutely huge. I think she could be a good leader for a team but yep, her shot wasn't as sweet as it maybe needs to be and I can imagine her being tall and thin as a guard which is something that can be harnessed better if she has the shot to go with her height advantage.

Still, nice to see she is rated as a fairly good player!

What about Esther Moisan-Nimake too, she didnt have a great U16 tournament in 2009 but had played better at the U18 tournament the same summer. Now she is playing with the big guns!

I also remember Vilaro who I mentioned earlier was such a tough cookie in that tournament

Nika Baric story from last summer
http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_3-I9xIK,H52ZNfYSgahgJ0.inplayer_on.inteam_on.intext_on.search_nika%20baric.x_0.y_0.coid_-d1KjS9-JyQjOFwOZJdfQ1.html

Matea Tavic - Bosnia & Herzegovina

http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_3-I9xIK,H52ZNfYSgahgJ0.pageID_.compID_.roundID_.teamID_.playerID_.season_.search_matea%20tavic.inplayer_on.inteam_on.intext_on.coid_7rpM0cT4HMAONO,lrOZ1g1.html

Emma Meesseman and Julie Vanloo

http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_3-I9xIK,H52ZNfYSgahgJ0.inplayer_on.inteam_on.intext_on.search_meesseman.x_0.y_0.coid_-B-x83ycH7gdjTdflRYmx0.html

Avigiel Cohen

http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_3-I9xIK,H52ZNfYSgahgJ0.pageID_.compID_.roundID_.teamID_.playerID_.season_.search_california.inplayer_on.inteam_on.intext_on.coid_E5ifGR1uIkI4WxOpAsNN31.html

Olesia Malashenko http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_3-I9xIK,H52ZNfYSgahgJ0.pageID_.compID_.roundID_.teamID_.playerID_.season_.search_malashenko.inplayer_on.inteam_on.intext_on.coid_5z,8kGSzJeYFP-FXE8clQ3.html

A report from EuroBasket.com states (can't link as story disappears) about Spain U18 beating Turkey U18 this weekend

Spain claimed a tough win over Turkey in the championship game of the III Ciudad de Barakaldo Tournament. The Spanish team came from behind to tame ambitious Turkey. Itziar Llobet (177-G-93) delivered 15 points to lead the charge.
Turkey opened the game confidently. They shocked Spain with a 14:2 start to the game. Turkey maintained the lead and enjoyed a 14:9 lead at the first break. But Spain adjusted in the second term. They triggered a 13:0 rally to surge ahead. Spain dominated the period and posted a 29:23 lead at halftime. Things started to go Spanish way in the third term. They fired 25 points in the frame to take a comfortable 54:37 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Turkey tried hard to restore the intrigue. They limited Spain to 15 points in the final quarter but it was not enough. Spain controlled the situation and rallied to the victory at the end. Elena De Alfredo (170-G-94) notched 14 points for Spain. Diez had 8 points in the victory. Merve Aydin (174-G-94) replied with 10 points for Turkey. Yalcikaya accounted for 9 points in the loss.

Spain U18: Itziar Llobet 15, Elena De Alfredo 14, Diez 8
Turkey U18: Merve Aydin 10, Yalcikaya 9

- I mention this as one player I did omit to mention from Naples was Itziar Llobet who had a strong tournament for her country who were of course coached by Jose Hernandez!!!!!

young players couldnt play enough at elw because of the compitation system. each points are very important about rankings. for example, fenerbahce lead sopron by 20 end of the third quarter. coach still play with his best players because average gonna be important. because of that özge and olcay couldnt get minute at elw. and they couldnt improve their games..

I agree with this but then the only way young players get better is to have some experience and I think Halcon Avenida for example have shown you can be a big club competing for trophies and still play the most talented young players, Torrens, Xargay.

This is a pattern certainly repeated by most French clubs too who have often given younger players an opportunity.