2023 Draft Watch: Analyzing Baba Miller, Eli John N’Diaye, and Urban Klavzar at the 2022 ANGT Ljubljana

August 1^st, 2022

By Alan Lu

Recently, Florida State’s 6-10 incoming freshman big man, Baba Miller has been mentioned as a potential first round pick for the 2023 draft, so I decided to see if there was full game footage online to assess his basketball skills.  I was able to see him play in an April 15^th game for Real Madrid U18 against Basket Brno U18 in the 2022 Adidas Next Generation Tournament qualifiers in Ljubljana, with thanks to YouTube via Cedevita Olimpija TV.  Here are my thoughts on how Baba Miller fared, along with other players that were among the standouts in this match. Also, for those that are interested in the box score, here is the link.

Baba Miller had a strong showing to help lead Real Madrid U18 to a win over Basket Brno U18.  Hailing from Spain, he is a tall, very athletic combo forward that can help a team in many different ways, and he played very well on both sides of the ball in this game.

Miller did a good job of scoring in the post.  He has very good length, athleticism, and footwork, and he would be able to get to the hoop and elevate to deftly score around the basket.  He used a spin move and a ball fake to score on a strong, two-handed dunk.  He also backed his man down and was able to get deep position in order to score on a left-handed, hook shot.  He also would take on the contact to draw fouls and get to the free throw line.  Though he is quite skinny for a player his size, he held position rather well, and he showed enough strength to be able to get deep position to regularly score on post plays.

He also excelled at scoring on hustle plays.  Miller managed to score on a thunderous tip slam after leaping up to get an offensive rebound.  He also got the ball on a cut and used a pump fake before scoring on a leaner in traffic.  He also did a decent job of scoring off the dribble.  He will drive hard to the hoop and get fouled to draw plenty of free throws.  He also used a crossover to score on a quick drive in transition.  However, on one play he rushed his shot while shying away from contact, which led to a miss once.  Miller also attempted a couple of threes, but he was unable to connect on either of his jumpers from long distances.

Also, he showcased satisfactory playmaking skills.  Miller is an unselfish player that will make the extra pass to find the open man.  He also pushed the ball up the court and was able to throw a high touch pass to set up a score for a teammate on the break.  He also set an off-ball screen to help his teammate get an open jump shot.  He also handled the ball well, and he showed that he can consistently create his own shot on offense.

He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball.  Miller was able to get plenty of boards, especially on the defensive end, and sometimes he would push the ball up the court off of defensive boards.  There were a lot of misses in this game though, so his rebounding totals in this contest may have been a bit inflated.  Plus, Miller also played satisfactory defense.  He did a good job of staying in front of opposing ball handlers on drives, which enabled him to block a couple of shots hard due to possessing good length, athleticism, and timing.  Miller also has good length and solid mobility that allows him to effectively guard opponents out on the perimeter.  He would use his length to challenge outside shots to force plenty of misses, and he also was able to jump on a loose ball his teammate poked away to help his team get a steal.  On the downside, sometimes he would give up too much space to shooters, which would lead him to give up open three-point shots.  Other times, he would be late on his rotations, and he wouldn’t always look to actively contest shots on the defensive end.

In general, Baba Miller is a very athletic, versatile combo forward that excelled at making plays on both ends of the floor to help his team get the win.  He is a high-upside prospect that could be a fun player to watch this season, and Miller could be a solid pick for an NBA team in the mid first round range, as he could end up being a similar player to former All-Star forward, Gerald Wallace in the association.

Real Madrid U18’s 6-8 Senegalese big man, Eli John N’Diaye put forth a tremendous performance to help lead his team to a win over Basket Brno U18.  He is a very athletic forward that showed a knack for scoring and rebounding the basketball, and he made some really athletic, highlight reel-worthy plays in this game.

N’Diaye shot the ball well in this game.  He was able to knock down a quick, open spot-up three off the catch after running quickly off the ball to get it.  He is a big man that can move off the ball on offense, and he showcased some of his outside shooting skills on that play.  He also was able to get a running start and then managed to score on a mid-range floater.  He also pulled up to knock down another mid-range jumper, and he showed off a solid jump shot in this contest.

He also thrived at scoring on hustle plays.  N’Diaye was able to throw down a thunderous dunk over an opponent when driving to the rim on the break.  Plus, he also was able to score off of offensive rebounds, as he scored on an athletic tip slam, as well as on a jump hook another time.  He also showed a satisfactory ability to score in the post.  He showed a solid ability to score on turnaround jumpers, and he also made a one-legged, fadeaway jumper from the baseline once.  Sometimes though, he would take quick, contested shots, which would sometimes lead to misses.

Also, N’Diaye showed off solid playmaking skills.  He is a good passer out of the post, and he would regularly find cutters to set up scoring chances for his teammates.  He was able to throw a lob from the post to notch an assist, and he also threw a no-look pass to another to nearly get another.  He also handles the ball well in the open court, and he was able to push the pace and find an open mid-range shooter on the break.  On the downside, sometimes he can be careless with the ball on offense.  He threw one long outlet pass that got intercepted.  He also was called for an offensive foul when posting up due to lowering his shoulder and colliding with an opponent that led to another turnover.

Plus, he showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball.  N’Diaye was able to haul in multiple boards on both ends of the floor, and he showed a knack for crashing the defensive glass.  On one play though, he didn’t box out his man, and he allowed his opponent to score on a quick put back.  Also, N’Diaye played satisfactory defense in this game.  He did a very good job of rotating to block shots to help his team protect the paint.  He also showed good strength when defending in the post, and he also would contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force plenty of misses.  He also managed to jump on a loose ball to get a steal.  In addition, he showed solid mobility when defending out on the perimeter.  On the downside, sometimes he would get beat on one-on-one plays or on cuts, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.  He also sagged too far off his man and didn’t actively contest a shot another time, which led him to give up an open three-point basket once.

In summary, N’Diaye is a very athletic big man that played very well, and he helped his team get a double-digit victory in this game.  He put forth a big-time performance, and he may be a very underrated prospect, as he could end up being a potential first round pick in the 2023 draft.

6-1 Slovenian point guard, Urban Klavzar also played well to help Real Madrid U18 to get the win in this game.  He is a crafty, skilled playmaker that did a great job of shooting and scoring the basketball, and he also has played well at the highest levels, as he had played well in his lone Euroleague game last season.

Klavzar did a great job of knocking down jumpers to provide floor spacing for his team on offense.  He ran off the ball to make a couple of quick, spot-up threes off the catch.  He also ran off the ball to get it, and drove to his right to score on a smooth, mid-range floater.

Plus, he did a decent job of scoring off the dribble.  He showed that he can absorb contact when driving to the hoop to score the basketball, and he also will sometimes draw fouls in order to get extra free throws.  Sometimes though, he may not get those foul calls, and on one drive, it led him to miss the shot.

He also looked to be perhaps above average as a playmaker in this game.  Klavzar is a patient player that would make drive and kick passes to find open shooters, and he also threw an inbounds pass to a cutter to notch an assist.  He didn’t seem to make many noteworthy passes, but he generally did a good job of knowing when to shoot or pass the basketball, and he also showed that he can throw timely passes to his teammates.  On the downside, sometimes he would throw hasty, inaccurate passes, in which a couple of them ended up being intercepted by his defenders.

In this game, Klavzar did not grab a single rebound when he was on the floor.  He also played adequate defense.  He would close out on shooters to force misses.  On one play though, he was late to rotate, and he ended up fouling an opponent on a three-point shot.

Overall, Klavzar is an agile, skilled point guard that generally did a good job of making decisions with the ball on offense.  He shot the ball very well, and he also was able to score on strong, crafty drives to the hoop.  Sometimes though, he would get sped up and try to play too fast, which would result in some passing turnovers.  He will need to play more under control, but he is a skilled playmaker that could end up going in the late first to the second round range, as he could end up being a similar player to Eddie House in the NBA.

Basket Brno U18’s 6-8 point forward from the Czech Republic, Jakub Necas also played very well in his team’s tough loss in this game.  He is an agile, skilled playmaker that has strong court vision, and he showed a knack for making good passes, and he also shot the ball well in the second half of this match.

Necas shot the ball very well, especially from downtown.  He showed a knack for knocking down pull-up jumpers, as well as he able to dribble off of a screen to make a three, and he also used a crossover prior to making a mid-range jumper from the baseline.  He excelled at making threes, especially in the second half, and he showed that he can make open threes both off the catch and dribble. 

Plus, he also thrived at scoring on hustle plays.  Necas managed to score on a quick put back, and he also drew free throws off of a cut to the hoop.  He also managed to score on a crafty, switch of hands layup, and he did a good job of using a hesitation move and change of pace dribbles to catch his defender off guard on that possession.

Also, he did a great job of passing and handling the basketball.  Necas is a skilled point forward that has great court vision, and he would often throw quick, accurate long outlet passes to set up scores for his teammates in transition.  He is a gifted passer on the break, and he would tend to make pinpoint passes to find the open man.  He also ran the floor and threw an accurate lob to notch an assist another time.  Necas also received the ball in the post and promptly threw a sharp, wraparound pass to find an open corner shooter another time.  He is a player that sees the floor very well, and he really excelled at making plays on offense.

He also showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball.  Necas would swoop in to get boards on both ends of the floor, and sometimes he would push the ball quickly up the floor after getting defensive boards.  He also played satisfactory defense in this game.  Necas would actively contest mid-range jumpers to force misses, and he did a good job of closing out on shooters to do so.  He also was able to deflect a pass another time.  On the downside, sometime he would get beat on moves to the hoop, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.  He especially struggled to defend in the post, and he had trouble staying in front of his man or preventing opponents from getting deep position on the block.

Overall, Jakub Necas is an agile, skilled playmaking forward that generally made sound decisions on offense, and he did a very good job of making plays throughout this contest.  He is an underrated prospect that could be a player to watch this season, and if he can play well in high-level international basketball, he could end up being a first round prospect someday.

Arizona’s 6-10 incoming freshman big man from Estonia, Henri Veesaar also played very well for Real Madrid U18 in this game.  He is an athletic, skilled player that made a lot of good plays on both ends of the court, and he is a versatile scorer that also showed off solid playmaking and defensive skills in this contest.  Based on how he fared in this game, he is a talented prospect that could potentially make an immediate impact for Arizona in the upcoming college basketball season.

Veesaar thrived at scoring on hustle plays.  He would catch lobs off of cuts, rolls, and on fast breaks, which enabled him to score on emphatic, alley-oop dunks.  He is an athletic, energetic big man that will move off the ball to catch balls in open areas, and he also has very good hands.  Veesaar was also able to make an open three-pointer to show off his shooting skills.  On the downside, when posting up once, he missed on a contested, one-legged, fadeaway jumper.

He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills.  Veesaar is an unselfish player that would make the extra pass to find the open man, and he did a good job of finding teammates on the move to set up plenty of scoring chances for them.  He also passes the ball well out of the post.  On the downside, he threw an inaccurate long outlet pass that his teammate wasn’t able to quite get to, and it led to a passing turnover.

Also, Veesaar did a terrific job of rebounding the basketball.  He did excellent work at hauling in offensive rebounds, and he also would swoop in to get defensive boards, and he would sometimes push the ball up the court off of them.  On one defensive rebound, he used a spin move prior to pushing the pace.  Plus, Veesaar also played solid defense in this game.  He is an active, aggressive defender that did a good job of getting steals and stops for his team.  He would run in to get his hands on passes to get steals, and he also rotated to poke a ball away to help his team get another.  He would jump on loose balls to help his team secure possession of the basketball.  He also did a good job of contesting threes to force misses.  On the downside, sometimes he would get beat off the dribble, as he didn’t always move his feet well.  On one play, he gave up too much space to a shooter and allowed his man to score on an open corner three.

Overall, Henri Veesaar is an agile, skilled big man that played very well in this game, and he is a versatile player that could play well right away in college basketball.  He played well in all facets of the game, and he is a talented prospect that could swiftly move up draft boards if he plays well in the upcoming college basketball season.

Basket Brno U18’s 6-7 forward, Martin Studnicky also played well in his team’s loss to Real Madrid U18.  He is an athletic forward that did a very good job of shooting and scoring the basketball, and he made energetic defensive plays to help his team on the court.

Studnicky shot the ball well in this game.  He was able to deftly make an open three from way out.  He also was able to make an open, long two from the corner. He also excelled at scoring on hustle plays.  Studnicky ran in to score on a tip-in.  He also thrived at scoring on fast breaks.  Plus, he also made a quick cut to score on an impressive, high-flying dunk.  Also, Studnicky backed his man down to score on a tough, one-legged, fadeaway baseline jumper from the post.  On the downside, he had trouble knocking down shots from the post, and he would tend to take contested shots that would lead to misses.

He also showcased fairly average playmaking skills.  Studnicky was able to run the floor and threw an accurate entry pass to a teammate on the break.  On the downside, when posting up once, he used a quick spin move, but fell and lost the ball out of bounds.  In this game, Studnicky showed a satisfactory ability to rebound the basketball.  He was able to get multiple boards on both ends of the floor.  On one play though, he was called for pushing an opponent in the back when going for an offensive board.

Also, Studnicky played solid defense in this game.  He is an active, alert defender that managed to get a plethora of blocks and steals when he was on the court.  He did a great job of intercepting passes to get steals.  He also would hustle back on defense, and he did a very good job of blocking shots to prevent opponents from getting easy fast break scores.  He also would actively contest shots in the paint to force misses.  On the downside, he would sometimes be too aggressive in trying to contest shots.  On one play, he bit on a pump fake when defending in the post to give up a basket.  On another, he fouled an opponent on a corner three, as he had prevented his man from getting to his landing spot that time.

Overall, Martin Studnicky played very well to help his team on both ends of the court.  He will need to trust his outside shot more, but he seems to have a good shooting stroke when he takes jumpers in games.  Studnicky is an agile, skilled forward that could project into a 3 and D role in the NBA, and he could be a prospect to watch for in the upcoming season.

Other Notes:

Here are my thoughts on other prospects that had some good moments in this game, even if they may not have played quite as well from a box score standpoint.

Real Madrid U18’s 6-4 guard, Sediq Garuba thrived at making energetic plays on both ends of the floor.  Though he didn’t shoot well, he is a very athletic, strong combo guard that showed a knack for scoring and drawing free throws on aggressive, drives to the rim.  He also threw solid passes to find teammates to notch assists to show off some point guard skills, and he also threw a lob to set up  an alley-oop for a teammate.

He also rebounded and defended well.  He did a very good job of rotating to get blocks and deflections.  On the downside, there was one play where he went way under a screen when defending an opposing pick and roll ball handler, which led him to give up a wide-open, three-point basket that time.

Overall, Sediq Garuba is a very athletic combo guard that played at a high energy level, and he showed a knack for making hustle plays.  He will need to improve his jump shot and show teams that he can reliably run the point, but he is a talented prospect that could be a player to watch in the future.

Real Madrid U18’s 6-10 big man, Amadou Doumbia made some really athletic plays in this game.  He is a high-flyer that managed to throw down some impressive dunks, and he was able to run in to intercept a pass to get a steal, and he then sprinted down court to throw down an emphatic jam on the break. 

Doumbia is a very athletic, energetic big man that may possess a considerable amount of upside for the NBA.  He didn’t quite shoot as well as hoped, but if he can continue to improve his overall skill level, he could end up being a good prospect for the NBA in the future.

Real Madrid U18’s 6-11 big man, Ismaila Diagne is a mobile, energetic center that would look to score on hustle plays, and he also passed the ball well.  He was fairly active as a rebounder and defender.  Diagne blocked a shot on a drive, and he also actively contested a corner three to force a miss.

On the downside, he would take tough, contested shots in the paint that would lead to misses.  He didn’t quite get as many rebounds as anticipated.  Defensively, sometimes he wouldn’t communicate to his teammates when defending screens or rotate quickly to guard a man, which would sometimes lead his tam to give up baskets.

Overall, Diagne didn’t dominate in this game, but he’s been very efficient as a scorer and rebounder at the levels he’s played at.  There’s still time for the 2006-born center to develop, as he likely won’t be eligible to enter the NBA draft until 2025 at minimum, so his lukewarm showing in this specific contest shouldn’t hurt him that much.  Diagne likely will project into a rim protector role at the NBA level, and he is an athletic big man that could be a prospect to watch in the future.

Real Madrid U18’s 6-5 Slovenian guard, Jan Vide is a big point guard that has a solid blend of athleticism and motor, but he had trouble knocking down shots in this game.

Vide struggled to score off the dribble, and he particularly struggled to make running layups or shots in traffic.  On one right-handed drive in transition, Vide was able to score on a wide-open, fast break layup.

He also did a decent job of passing and handling the basketball.  Vide is an unselfish player that will look for the open man, and he will sometimes make timely passes to get his teammates the basketball.  On one play though, after making an aggressive push up the court with the ball, he used a spin move, but then threw a hasty pass that got deflected and intercepted.

In this game, Vide did a great job of rebounding the basketball, and he would often aggressively push the ball up the court off of defensive boards.  Vide also played satisfactory defense.  He ran in quickly to get a steal, as he was able to quickly convert that into fast break points.  When he’s in position when defending in one-on-one situations, he would contest shots in the paint to force misses.  He also was able to contest a mid-range shot to get a stop another time.  On the downside, sometimes he would struggle to defend opponents off the dribble, which would lead him to commit fouls.

Overall, Jan Vide is an athletic, energetic combo guard that was able to make plays on both ends of the court, but he will need to improve his jump shot in the meantime.  He is a player that has solid court vision, but he can sometimes play too fast and out of control on offense.  He will need to continue to develop and hone his game, but with continued development, Vide could develop into a solid NBA draft prospect in the future.

Well, those were my thoughts for this game, as well as my opinions on players that stood out in this particular match. Thanks for reading.