.avif)
Event Summary - FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2026 (Croatia)
Division B
What is this Event Summary about ?
This event summary is about my impressions from my own evaluation point thru video-scouting of the FIBA U18 EuroBasket Division B . This Event Summary focuses on players who showed flashes, potential upside and interesting tools throughout the tournament, but may not be on the level of the top prospects.
The evaluations shown on this website represent initial scouting impressions. Detailed scouting reports are prepared upon request.
Finland
On the right Velmeri Niemento trikot nr. 11 (the rights belong to the FIBA)
While i took a deeper look at this years Finland games, there was one player who got my attention continiously. Not through pure production or his box-score, but thru his overall connecting skillset and motor within his role. The player i'm talking about is Velmeri Niemento.
Velmeri Niemento is a 18 year old (March 2008) Finish forward, who projected this tournament as a Two-way floor-running connector.
He projects a over average frame with the potential for further strength build up and overall development into it.
He projected a good on and off- the court (from the bench) bodylanguage even after early sub-outs, which is essential important for a player in his specific role.
His bodylanguage translates also into his playstyle on court, while bringing impact next to the stat sheet. What struck me on the defensive side, was his impact to use his overall bodylength and mindset in post helpside contest situations.
Great Britain
Alexander Nwabueze trikot nr. 14 (the rights belong to the FIBA)
Belgium
On the right Noa Bronne trikot nr. 10 (the rights belong to the FIBA)
The FIBA EuroBasket U18 is a national youth basketball tournament, which is essential for the European youth basketball section, which allows to see the best European prospects competeting against each other. This years Division B was held in Rijeka and Opatija, in Croatia from 24. july - 02. August, 2026. This allows a direct comparison from the best European youth prospects, which potentially projects players who didn't get until now this much attention through their country, league or thru an overall unrecognized statline or limited availability of statline. This summary is not about the top prospects of this tournament.
The Division B is the second tier of the EuroBasket, which means that this stage includes teams who are national not on the top U-18 level. This Division stage is very interesting, because it features national teams competing below the top Division A level, while still bringing some interesting prospects to the view.
This Event Summary focuses on players who showed flashes, potential upside and interesting tools throughout the tournament, but may not be on the level of the top prospects. These are a few of the players who caught my attention throughout the tournament.
Some showed flashes with potential upside, while others are still more raw in certain areas but displayed interesting tools and flashes within their role.
After watching Belgium throughout this years tournament, i saw one player i first of all didn't really recognized. He is not noticeable thru his body build or overall length within his build. After i watched into the stat-line and analyzed it, i knew he is a good fit for this categorie. The player i speak about is the 18 year old (July 2008) Noa Bronne from Belgium.
I see his role within his next step as a defensive connector. Offensively he works next to the ball, which means that he is not a active producer or player, who has often the ball in his hands. He mainly works as a connector, who is taking open shots, while showing flashes of playmaking with a extra pass mentality. What i found interesting about Noa was his ability to stay within his role, while creating advantages with his passes, as well as his defensive flashes in 1 on 1 situations. He showed at this tournament, that he is capable to guard the positions 1-3 thru his slim functional build, which allows him to stay infront of his matchup. In some games he was guarding the best players of the opponent team, while in other he was guarding role players.
His overall bodybuild limits his defensive ceiling in his role. Strength build up would allow him to be more versatile in defensive situations, especially against stronger players. Additionaly, improving his lateral quickness and mobility should help him stay infront of quicker players and navigate more screens effectively, as he can sometimes get caught by screens. These physical development areas raise his defensive versatility and allow him to take on a wider range of matchups. His offensive game needs to be more versatile next to the ball.
The Great Britain roster showed this year some interesting talent. One of the players, who fits into the Beyond the box score categorie is the British 17 year old (July 2009) Alexander Nwabueze.
He plays the wing position and projected in this tournament as a athletic defensive connector with two-way mindset. What struck me about his athleticism in combination with his overall body length within his build, is his mix out of his elite hip mobility with his excellent lateral quickness in combination with his excellent vertical pop , which allows him to explode out of his acceleration on the offensive but also on the defensive side. He has a hangtime in-mid his jump. His overall fluid vertical pop allows him advantages in his rebounding, dunk ability but also in his rim protection upside, especially in chasedown block situations.
While he has advantages through his overall build on the one side, he has limitations on the other side. While he is projecting an average frame with a slim / lean build, he is limited in his defensive and offensive versatility in contact situations while absorbing contact.