Uncut diamonds from EuroCup and BCL: Potential targets for EuroLeague clubs / News - Basketnews.com

BasketNews analyzes some profiles of players who are doing well between the EuroCup and the Basketball Champions League that might become targets for EuroLeague clubs this summer.

Credit: Matt Mitchell (FIBA), Onuralp Bitim (Getty Images), Kyle Guy (Getty Images) Credit Matt Mitchell (FIBA), Onuralp Bitim (Getty Images), Kyle Guy (Getty Images)

We're getting closer to April, so soon it will be playoffs time in EuroLeague. However, it's also a crucial moment of the season in the EuroCup and Basketball Champions League, the other two main European competitions.

Matt Mitchell

Team:SIG StrasbourgPosition:SFAge:24Height:198 cmWeight:107 kgBirth place:California, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

Usually, around this time, EuroLeague teams are already pretty active in trying to identify the right targets for the upcoming season. This year, we've been seeing how players without previous EuroLeague experience can be a factor in the competition.

Just look at the seasons players like Darius Thompson of Baskonia or Bonzie Colson of Maccabi Tel Aviv are having. Not only they've been playing great, but they quickly became leaders of their respective teams, and, most likely, they'll become extremely requested on the market this summer.

BasketNews takes a look at some of the most interesting profiles in the EuroCup and Basketball Champions League that might become targets for EuroLeague clubs this summer.

Before we start, just a note. We decided to focus more on younger players, so you won't see players already in their 30s on this list.

Matt Mitchell (F, SIG Strasbourg)

Now in his second season in Strasbourg, Matt Mitchell, a San Diego State alumn, has been hands down of the best players of this Basketball Champions League season.

Having arrived in Europe with the potential to be a good 3&D, Mitchell has shown that he can also be an excellent scorer in his second season in France.

Mitchell averages 20.2 points per game, shooting 39 percent from 3-point range. He is currently the fourth-best scorer in the Champions League.

In addition to being an excellent scorer, Mitchell is also making a significant contribution to Strasbourg in the defensive half of the field.

Physically strong and quick on his feet, Mitchell is a player who can also defend very well on players smaller than him, making him a very solid stopper on the perimeter.

TJ Shorts II

MIN:30.4PTS:18.58 (53.85%)REB:4.08As:7.5ST:1.5BL:0.17TO:2.75GM:12ProfileBCL2022/2023

After a slow start, Strasbourg definitely changed pace in the second half of the season after making several additions to the roster and the arrival of coach Luca Banchi on the bench.

Now, thanks also to the performances of Mitchell, they're one of the main contenders for the BCL title. There is no doubt that Mitchell will have several suitors on the market.

TJ Shorts (PG, Telekom Baskets Bonn)

A few months ago, I already wrote about the impressive season that TJ Shorts, the point guard of Telekom Baskets Bonn, is having.

In a few months, my judgment of the player hasn't changed. Bonn will play against Strasbourg in the playoffs, and Shorts will be a key piece for them.

Despite his relatively limited size, Shorts is really an impressive player. He has great scoring skills and is one of the best three-point shooters in the Basketball Champions League.

On top of that, he's also a great creator for his teammates, as he averages 7.3 assists per game this season (the third-best in the competition).

Since he arrived in Europe a few years ago, his growth has been steady, and there's definitely the feeling that the player belongs to a higher level of competition.

His performances this season only confirm that the time for a further step forward in his career has probably arrived.

Yago Dos Santos (PG, Ratiopharm Ulm)

Ratiopharm Ulm, for years, has been an ideal environment for talent to grow. Many players made their mark at a higher level after coming from the German club.

It is no coincidence that our list includes a player who comes from a German club. Specifically, we are talking about Brazilian playmaker Yago Dos Santos.

Having arrived from Flamengo last summer, Dos Santos seems to have quickly adapted to European basketball.

The Brazilian point guard averages 12.6 points, 6.1 assists, and 3 rebounds per game in EuroCup this season. He's currently third in assists per game in the competition.

Dos Santos is very creative with the ball in his hands and has a nice passing vision, he can operate smoothly in pick&roll situations and is also a solid three-point shooter.

Defensively, he needs to improve, but for a rookie at the European level, it's expected that it takes time to adjust to the defensive schemes.

Dos Santos could be an interesting developing project for a couple of EuroLeague teams. ALBA Berlin, for example, could be the right spot for him, especially considering that he's already playing in Germany.

Onuralp Bitim (F, Frutti Extra Bursaspor)

After surprising everyone last season by reaching the EuroCup final and eliminating many better-rated teams on paper, such as Partizan Belgrade, Bursaspor will once again be in the EuroCup playoffs this season.

One of the stars this season and the previous one has absolutely been Onuralp Bitim, a Turkish winger who is proving to be among the best players in the EuroCup.

This season, Bitim averages 18 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. His versatility has become crucial for Bursaspor, and it seems clear that, at almost 24 years old, the player is ready for a further leap in quality.

The combination of athleticism, physicality, defensive ability, and shooting accuracy make Bitim a certainly intriguing target for several EuroLeague teams.

Obviously, as a Turk, it is clear that Efes and Fenerbahce are thinking seriously about the player, who, by the way, has worn the Efes jersey before.

Kyle Guy (SG, Joventut Badalona)

Kyle Guy is one of those players that those who follow the NCAA have long hoped would make it to Europe.

After spending a few seasons between the NBA and G League without finding his exact place, the former NCAA champion signed with Joventut Badalona last summer.

In his first European season, Guy already shows all the qualities we had come to appreciate during his college career.

An excellent and extremely efficient shooter, Guy is a constant threat on the perimeter, and his percentages from the corners are really impressive (38 percent in catch-and-shoot situations from the corners).

Although not a defensive specialist, the former Virginia man is still a player with a decent defensive IQ and manages to make up for some structural limitations with off-the-ball reads.

Personally, I believe he might be ready for an immediate jump to EuroLeague next season, either with Badalona (if they'll win the EuroCup) or with a different team.

Aleksander Balcerowski (C, CB Gran Canaria)

We mainly had guards or forwards up to this point of our list, so it's time to go big. A big man with a lot of potential that could be an interesting project for EuroLeague teams is definitely skilled Polish center Aleksander Balcerowski.

The 22-year-old player is shining this season with Herbalife Gran Canaria, and he's taking on a bigger role. So far, he averages 9.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game in EuroCup.

For a player of his size (215 cm), Balcerowski has a lovely touch and educated hands, he can play facing the basket easily.

He's gifted with a soft touch around the rim but has the adequate offensive IQ to play efficiently with his back to the basket.

He doesn't take a lot of shots from three-pointers, but this season he has been converting them at a pretty nice rate, shooting 37% from deep.

Also, on the defensive end, the Polish big man can make his presence felt with good rim protection abilities and feet quick enough to cover smaller players.

He has another year left on his contract with Gran Canaria, but it looks like it will be only a matter of time before we see him at the EuroLeague level.

Arnoldas Kulboka (F, Promitheas Patras)

Kulboka has been on my radar for several years now. He's one of the purest shooters I've ever witnessed live in my life. I was absolutely impressed by how fluid his release was back in the days when I saw him at the Adidas EuroCamp in Treviso and then again during his days in Capo D'Orlando.

The Lithuanian wing, now 25, spent the past season with the Charlotte Hornets under a two-way deal but could not find minutes with the team, spending most of his time with the G League side in Greensboro.

This summer, he returned to Europe, signing a one-year deal with Greek side Promitheas Patras.

It's safe to say that he immediately returned to his old ways, showing impressive shooting skills. Kulboka is averaging 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist per game in EuroCup while shooting 42% from three-point.

He has great consistency in his performances, and despite some limitations on the defensive end, I think it's time for him to make the jump to EuroLeague.

A shooter like him could be extremely useful to many teams. Just imagine him in coach Penarroya's system in Baskonia, for example. At 25, this sounds like the perfect time for him to make a further step forward in his career.

Other notable mentions: Anthony Cowan Jr (PG, Promitheas Patras), Jerrick Harding (PG, BAXI Manresa), Dario Brizuela (SG, Unicaja Malaga), Leo Cavaliere (F, SIG Strasbourg)

Thank you for reading us! Help us even more.