10 Newcomers to Watch: French Betclic Elite

Next league under my magnifying glass is the French Betclic Elite that starts on Friday, 1st October.

I will repeat the rules which players are eligible for the report:

• 1st rule: the players will be playing for the first time in this competition
• 2nd rule: only non-domestic players were eligible for the list
• 3rd 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.

Dylan Osetkowski (C | 206 cm | ’96) ~ Asvel

Starting with Dylan Osetkowski. He played great last season for Ulm in the German league and has shown even better performances in the Eurocup. Dylan is a versatile big who can play inside or outside. Has great feel and understanding of the game and he is a really good passer for his size and position. Asvel has deep rotation on the big man spots but Dylan has enough qualities and can give the team a new dimension with his game and I’m sure he will have a good role in this team.

Alpha Diallo (F | 201 cm | ’97) ~ AS Monaco

Alpha Diallo is one of the players I’m probably the most curious about how he will perform in the French league. I really liked him last year in Lavrio and I expect that he will be even better here in France and Euroleague. A very good two-way forward that could have a nice career in Europe. Good athlete, he likes to run in transition and look for easy points there. Also a decent spot up shooter but has still room to improve in this aspect. He is able to attack from the low post too and play good defense all over the court and I think Alpha will get an important role in Monaco to show his talents.

JaCorey Williams (C | 203 cm | ’94) ~ JL Bourg

Last season JaCorey Williams was one of the best bigs in Eurocup and Italian League. He always plays with high energy and good motor, goes after every ball and rebounds on both sides of the floor. Limited to around the rim finishes and can sometimes struggle even from the free throw line. Follows the game really well and offers himself under the rim for easy buckets. Has some size limitations and can struggle against bigger and stronger bigs on low post but he plays physical and doesn’t let any easy points. I think his game will fit really well in the physical French league and he is one of the players to watch.

Rashard Kelly (PF | 201 cm | ’95) ~ JDA Dijon

Rashard Kelly came to Dijon together with his coach from Gaziantep, Nenad Marković. I already made a report on Rashard a few months ago and expected him to make the next step in his career. A versatile player that can play in many roles on both sides of the court and doesn’t contribute to the team just in terms of points. He does so many little things that are not visible in the stats and that is one of the reasons he is so interesting to me. As mentioned in the report, if he manages to improve his shooting consistency, he could be an interesting player for even a higher level.

Kyle Allman (G | 193 cm | ’97) ~ Paris Basketball

Kyle Allman is also not a new name on this channel and he was one of the first players I made a report on. He is improving his game every year and just getting better and better. Offensive game is on a high level, has room to improve but already capable of bringing some good scoring numbers. Has all the athletic tools to play well in defense too and I think he will make a step in the right direction on the defensive end too and become a player for the highest level in the next few seasons.

Vince Hunter (PF/C | 203 cm | ’94) ~ Metropolitans 92

I was a little surprised with the move of Vince Hunter going from Virtus Bologna to Levallois. He had a great season there and finished in the All Eurocup 2nd team and won the Italian championship with Virtus. Undersized but athletic big with great defensive abilities. He can switch in pick & rolls and also with his explosive vertical leap protect the rim well. In offense he can be dangerous when combined with a great passer that could feed him in pick & roll sets. Not really a player that could stretch the floor but can do some damage at the rim. Definitely a great signing for Levallois.

D’Mitrik Trice (PG | 183 cm | ’96) ~ Fos Provence Basket

This will be the first professional season for D’Mitrik Trice. He played 5 years at Wisconsin and had some really good games there. A solid scorer that can play on or off-ball. Not an elite athlete and maybe he will need some time to get used to the European style of play and the physicality of the French league. He can make some nice passes out of pick & roll actions but more of a scoring oriented point guard. Because of size limitations he could have some problems on the defensive end but I believe that he will be fine once he gets used to the level of competition.

Donte Grantham (F | 203 cm | ’95) ~ Champagne Chalons-Reims

Donte Grantham will also play his first season in Europe this season. It will be his 4th professional though since he played the last three years in the G League. Donte is a forward that plays mostly outside and stretches the floor. When there is an opportunity he can put the ball to the floor too and get past bigger players but not really a player that would excel in isolation. He lacks the athleticism for NBA level but I believe that his game will be a good fit for the French league and that he could have a good season there.

JaKeenan Gant (PF | 203 cm | ’96) ~ Chorale Roanne Basket

JaKeenan Gant could be one of the most interesting signings in this off-season. Great athlete, has explosive vertical leap and also uses his length very well in defense in terms of steals and blocks. Great at running the floor and he can be a big threat in transition. His offensive skill set is a little limited and he is not the best isolation player. From time to time he can post up some smaller players or hit some open spot up shots but he is more a defensive than offensive player. In some ways he reminds me of Dyshawn Pierre who has some success with Fenerbahce in Euroleague and I could imagine JaKeenan in a similar role in most teams in Europe.

DJ Hogg (PF | 206 cm | ’96) ~ Cholet Basket

Finishing the list with DJ Hogg. After going undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft he spent the last three seasons in G League and had some decent numbers there. DJ is a great shooter for a player his size. Moves without the ball fairly well and knows how to create some kind of separation. He also has a good feel for the game and doesn’t force shots but can make some nice passes too. He has a great frame and can play solid in defense but not the quickest in his legs and that was a big issue for the NBA level but I think he could be fine in Europe. Definitely one of the newcomers to watch and I think he has the potential for a good career in Europe.