LEB Gold 22/23: The U22s to follow

The LEB Oro is not a league that offers many opportunities to young people, as happens in many others in Europe, as we analyzed the previous season. Looking for the U22 of the last LEB Oro, many have disappeared from the competition: several of them, those of the generation of 2000, finish their cycle (Marcos, Sola, Parrado, Pantzar), while others will play in another competition, as happens with the Baskonia players Hanzlík and Savkov (loaned to ACB teams), Javi García (returns to Zaragoza) and the talented Kraag and Maronka (go up to the Penya first team). The American route that Sidy Cissoko has taken takes him to the G League, where some rumor also places the future of Ibou Badji. Malik Allen, who is still in Prat after relegation, and Aitor Etxeguren, who signs for the Gran Canaria subsidiary, have gone to LEB Plata.

If we go on to analyze the situation for the 22/23 season, we find several names of players to follow U22namely, born 2001 onwards:

William Ferrando (2002). The pearl of Valencia will have good minutes and will grow in play at Melilla Sport Capital CMB. Perhaps his position is more copied in the elite, despite express nationalizations, but it does not seem crazy to me that he follows the same path as Pradilla: one or a few years in Gold to mature and grow, ACB standing out and nothing to yield. Mentality, impudence and quality of a base from before.

Konstantin Kostadinov (2003). Without a doubt, he is the brightest U22 star left in the competition after his good debut as a senior in Palma, despite relegation. He signed in ACB with CB Canarias, which he transferred to a Zunder Palencia who bet heavily on him. We will have to see how Rivero uses it, because the star signing McGrew seems destined for the starting ‘four’, but the Bulgarian is a versatile player, growing and with extensive qualitiesand we cannot rule out seeing him as a false ‘five’ or even a high ‘three’, as well as in his natural position.

Mateo Diaz (2002). Third season in Gold, after a toll when he arrived in Breogán and another apprenticeship in Cáceres; Now the Argentine must show that he is here. In addition to his punch, punch and intensity, he has to unleash his quality and increase his management ability. He has a great opportunity at BarValencia CB Almansa with Afanion.

Adrià Domènech (2002). He leaves his comfort zone and does it, like others, with a U20 European champion medal. In Alimerka Oviedo Basketball he will have tough rivals like LeCesne and Martí (when he is fully recovered). Versatility, mobility, wrist and quality; he must win in toughness, physicality and experience and show what he has inside in this opportunity.

Ibrahim Magassa (2002). Clearly, it may seem like a sin to bet on Magassa instead of Iraurgi’s pearl, Manex Ansorregi, a U22 all-rounder who will be talked about one more year at the expense of his improvement in shooting and handling the ball, but the Frenchman is very talented and, the best, a place to develop it: Juaristi ISB. An injury practically prevented us from enjoying him in his last two years; to his physique, his lethality in transition and his verticality, it will be necessary to check if he has added reliability in the launch and good decision-making.

Other U22s in the competition that we should know about

Yielded by Obradoiro has arrived in Melilla Sergio Huguet (2002), an outsider with several records, who hardly makes mistakes and who will go further during the course of the season. The Angolan point guard will also have an important space Jose Dimitri Maconda (2001 / Iraurgi), who will show his physique and freestyle in a squad where he will be complemented by the sobriety of Beñat Hevia.

The preseason did not start with the team but those of us who have seen Gonzalo Corbalan (2002) At EBA we know that there is plenty of quality and points, but this is Gold and Hereda San Pablo Burgos is one of the favourites. Something that we will also see in Movistar Studentsthe collegiate club wants to be faithful to its history and will be one of the teams with the most U22 players, although it remains to be seen what participation quota Javi Rodríguez will give to Hector Alderete (2002), Ruben Dominguez (2003) Y Emil Stoilov (2002), who would surely have many minutes in other teams with less aspirations. Something similar, but on another level, we will see at Club Ourense Baloncesto, where Josep Fermi Wax (2003) and the Argentine absolute international Thomas Hustler (2001) they go from being linked to being members of the first team, in which minutes must be earned as the last chips in the rotation.

Of course, there are more young people to follow, like Pablo Sanchez (2002), who will seek their place in Cáceres, a World Heritage Site, although Dani Rodríguez and Albert Lafuente seem to start with an initial advantage as they learn more about the league and accumulate more experience. It will also look for minutes Commander Angel (2001) in the OCB, where with his physique and his work behind him he will give good relief.

In short, there will perhaps be few youngsters in the league, with so much success in our training teams, but we already counted a few weeks ago how difficult it is for nationals to settle in Gold, similar to ACB, and the possible causes. What we have clear is that, to those who are, we will not lose sight of them.