By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
Basketball Champions League has been filled with young squads and talented prospects since its beginning and this year is no exception.
Last season, the young forwards seemed to have found a place under the spotlight on the head with Luka Samanic who after a strong BCL campaign got drafted by the San Antonio Spurs as the 19th overall pick.
This time around, however, guards have taken over. Here are the four players born in 1999 or later that have already made an impact this season.
Keye Van Der Vuurst De Vries
Born: December 29, 2001
Height: 191cm (6’3”)
Team: Filou Oostende
Nationality: Dutch
Let’s start with the youngest. Keye Van Der Vuurst De Vries (KVDVDV) didn’t even turn 18 yet and he has already started getting an important role with a bit under 20 minutes of playtime.
The Dutch guard joined Filou Oostende in 2017 playing for younger selections and made his debut in the 2018-19 season before finally getting a permanent roster spot this year. And he’s proving his worth with an average of nine points (on over 60% shooting from deep as well as overall), 4.7 assists and two rebounds in both the Belgium League and BCL.
Van der Vuurst de Vries also did some work on the national front as he won the 2018 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship Division B scoring 35 points in the Final. He also debuted for Netherlands senior team on November 29, 2018, at 16 years of age – the youngest ever to play for the Dutch squad.
Carlos Alocen
Born: December 30, 2000
Height: 192cm (6’4”)
Team: Casademont Zaragoza (on loan from Real Madrid)
Nationality: Spanish
Carlos Alocen will turn 19 in two months but he has broken some age-related records a while ago. He made his professional debut with Zaragoza on October 30, 2016, at 15 years and 10 months of age. In doing that, Alocen became the youngest player ever for his team, and the third-youngest to set foot on the floor in the Spanish League, behind Angel Rebolo and Ricky Rubio.
His debut actually came against Real Madrid, the team he signed with this February, but Alocen stayed with Zaragoza on a loan for this season. He has been averaging 6.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 21 minutes of playtime this season in BCL and Spanish League.
Alocen also made his first appearance for the Spanish national team in February while he won the 2016 FIBA U16 European Championship at which he was leading the assists category with 6.4 per game.
Arturs Kurucs
Born: January 19, 2000
Height: 191cm (6’3”)
Team: VEF Riga (on loan from Kirolbet Baskonia)
Nationality: Latvian
Arturs Kurucs is the younger brother of the Brooklyn Nets‘ Rodions Kurucs. Two years younger, Arturs without a doubt aims to catch up to his brother in the NBA. However, he’s just starting off.
Kurucs started playing with Baskonia‘s younger team in LEB Plata (Spanish Third Divison) where he averaged 10.5 and 13.7 points. He also got to debut for Baskonia’s main squad last year before moving to Riga on a loan. With Riga, he has played seven games so far averaging 9.4 points along with 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists on slightly less than 25 minutes of playtime in the Etonian-Latvian League and BCL.
Arturs played for younger selections of Latvia winning silvers at the 2014 U16and 2016 U18 European Championships in A Division. In the latter, he posted 14.4 points per game.
Sehmus Hazer
Born: February 15, 1999
Height: 190cm (6’3”)
Team: Teksut Bandirma
Nationality: Turkish
Last but not least, Sehmus Hazer. The 20-year-old started off in the Turkish Second Division back in the 2015-16 season and although he’s just 20 years old, this is his third BCL season – all of them with Teksut Bandirma.
It doesn’t come as a surprise that he’s been getting a prominent role on the roster considering that Bandirma is one of the youngest squads in BCL and in recent history, hasn’t been shying away from giving the youngsters a proper chance.
Hazer has been averaging 10.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists on a bit over 22 minutes of playtime this season in BCL and Turkish League.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League