#ABAFutureStars: Players To Watch
The Final Four Tournament of the U19 ABA League Championship is coming up in Laktaši, where four best teams of the regular season – U19 Cedevita Olimpija, U19 Crvena zvezda, U19 Igokea m:tel and U19 Mega MIS – will compete for the trophy.
Nikola Djurisic (Photo: ABA League j.t.d./Dragana Stjepanovic)
U19 Cedevita Olimpija – Toni Bilić
Toni Bilić, a 204 cm tall shooting guard from Split, born in 2005, has been a member of Croatia U18 National Team in the summer of 2022. This season, he has been playing with Cedevita Olimpija youth categories, while he has also been wearing Cedevita Junior senior jersey in the Croatian National Championship. In two appearances made in the U19 ABA League Championship this season, Bilić has been averaging 10 points, 2 rebounds and a steal per game. He will definitely be one of the key players of U19 Cedevita Olimpija this time and one that could represent the future of the ambitious Ljubljana squad.
U19 Crvena zvezda – Nikola Topić
Nikola Topić is a 198 cm tall guard from Novi Sad, who was born in 2005 and is considered to be one of the top prospects of regional basketball amongst players of his age. He already has experience of playing in the AdmiralBet ABA League, where he used to play for the Crvena zvezda senior squad in the seasons 2021/22 and 2022/23. This time, it will be his chance to shine at the U19 ABA League Championship Final Four Tournament in Laktaši.
U19 Igokea m:tel – Ognjen Stanković
Ognjen Stanković, a talented guard, born in 2005 in Belgrade, has been making his mark already last season at the U19 ABA League Championshp Tournament in Laktaši, playing for U19 Partizan Mozzart Bet. He has had an average of 11 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4 assists per game, as one of the key players of the black and white. This season he moved to Igokea m:tel, where he already gained some playing experience in the AdmiralBet ABA League in the senior squad. So far, he has appeared in 7 games, averaging 12.7 minutes, 4.3 points, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 rebounds per game. He is expected to be the main weapon in the hands of the home squad at the U19 ABA League Championship Final Four Tournament in Laktaši.
U19 Mega MIS – Nikola Đurišić
Perhaps even the most well-established names at the U19 ABA League Championship Final Four Tournament in Laktaši this season will be Nikola Đurišić, a shooting guard, born in 2004, that has been playing in the AdmiralBet ABA League for the third season now and has established himself not only as one of the best young players in the competition, but also as one of the key players in the senior Mega MIS squad. This season he is averaging 13.3 points, 3.7 assists, 3 rebounds and 1.1 steal per game for the Belgrade squad and of course is expected to make a big mark for their youth selection at he Laktaši tournament.
