10 Newcomers to Watch: Eurocup

Next (and probably the last) league under my magnifying glass is the Eurocup that starts on Tuesday, 19th Oct with the match between Turk Telekom and Boulogne Metropolitans 92.

The rules for which players are eligible are a little different for international competitions than for domestic leagues. The rule that only-non domestic are eligible doesn’t apply in international competitions

• 1st rule: the players will be playing for the first time in this competition
• 2nd rule: the player must be 27 years old or younger — so only players born in 1994 or after that were eligible for the list

The players on the list are not necessarily the best but just the most interesting to me and I expect that they will not have any problems translating to their new team and league. Also the players are not in any particular order.

Caleb Homesley (SG/SF | 198 cm | ’96) ~ Hamburg Towers

Caleb Homesley from Hamburg Towers has proven in the first rounds of the German league that he will be one of the most important players in this team. Such a great scorer out of any situation. The left handed swingman can play on- or off-ball and is always a danger for the rim. Has great body and size and uses it well in around the rim finishes and also for creating some separation for his shot. He should be one of the best scorers in this team and results from Hamburg will depend a lot on his scoring output.

Cyril Langevine (C | 203cm | ’98) ~ Slask Wroclaw

Cyril Langevine is a switch big that plays with high intensity. Even though he is undersized for his position he hustles on every possession and just gets the job done. Great rebounder, active and goes for every ball while also showing good feel for rebounds. Protects the rim well and can make some impact on the defensive end. A little limited in offense and depends a lot on finishes around the rim but uses his quickness for his advantage when attacking slower bigs. First time playing on such a high level and it will be interesting to follow how he will adapt against various types of players.

Johnathan Motley (C | 203 cm | ’95) ~ Lokomotiv Kuban

Johnathan Motley is maybe one of the players I’m the most excited to see in this competition this season. He can be a really dominant player on this level and one of the favorites for the MVP title. Athletic big, great in pick & roll actions and most teams will have a hard time defending him. Not really a player that could stretch the floor and lacks shot from distance but his rebounding instincts and around the rim finishing are above this level and he is definitely one of the players to watch.

Alen Smailagić (F |208 cm | ’00) ~ Partizan Belgrade

Alen Smailagić is another player that could be on the shortlist of candidates for the MVP award at the end of the season. Partizan will try to go all the way and I believe Alen will play a major role in this run. Versatile forward that can play outside on inside, handles the ball really well for his size and is able to grab a rebound and push in transition. He should have a pretty big role in the team and even though he has not a lot of experience on pro level, he has shown in the Adriatic league that he is ready for the challenge.

Zach LeDay (F | 201 cm | ’94) ~ Partizan Belgrade

Another player from Partizan that will have an important role in the team is Zach LeDay. He played the last three seasons in the Euroleague, the highest level in Europe, but hasn’t played any season before in the Eurocup. He is coming to Partizan after a great season in Milano and he will try to repeat something similar here. Even though his shooting motion doesn’t look the most consistent, he is a great shooter from distance and is having above average shooting percentages year after year. Can be used as a stretch option or closer to the rim and I’m sure coach Željko Obradović will find the right role for him so Zach will be able to excell again.

Aubrey Dawkins (F | 198 cm | ’95) ~ Turk Telekom

Aubrey Dawkins is not a new name on this blog. I made a report on him a while ago and expected that he will join a team on this level. Athletic 3&D wing is probably the best way to describe Aubrey. Plays mostly without the ball and knocks down those open three point shots. Has the athleticism to be a good defender too and I’m mostly curious how he will defend players on this level.

Allerik Freeman (SG | 191 cm | ’94) ~ Frutti Extra Bursaspor

Allerik Freeman is returning to Bursaspor since he already played here two seasons ago but this will be the first time he will be playing in Eurocup. Last season he was with Asvel in the Euroleague and had some good performances there but his role in Bursaspor should be bigger. Great scorer from the guard position, capable of scoring 15+ points on every match. Dangerous out of any situation and doesn’t need much space to pull the trigger and has the potential to be one of the best scorers in Eurocup this season.

Kevarrius Hayes (C | 206 cm | ’97) ~ Frutti Extra Bursaspor

Another player from Bursaspor on my list is Kevarrius Hayes. He also played for Asvel last season but had a little more limited role in the team. He is not really a player that would excel on the offensive end but can make a lot of impact in defense. Great rim protector, has good instincts and contests most shots around the rim. Has a lot of room to improve on the offensive end and if he will make some improvements on that end, he could potentially return to Euroleague in the next few years.

Cameron Reynolds (F | 201 cm | ’95) ~ Dolomiti Energia Trento

Cameron Reynolds is having a great start in the Italian league and averages almost 20 points per game in the 4 matches he has played so far. Similar player as Caleb Homesley but I would say Cameron is doing everything on a little higher level at the moment. Amazing scorer and probably he will be on the short lists of many Euroleague teams at the end of the season.

Desonta Bradford (G | 194 cm | ’96) ~ Dolomiti Energia Trento

Another interesting player from Trento and again a left hander is Desonta Bradford. He is climbing the levels and started his pro career in Hungary, played last year in Belgium and now he is in Trento. A guard with very good positional size and ball handling skills. He has great ball control and is able to create separation for his shot or go all the way to the rim. His scoring numbers won’t be as good as from Reynolds but he is able to take the ball and make some plays. Eurocup is his the highest level he has played so far and I’m curious how his game will translate to this level.