LAKTASI (Bosnia and Herzegovina) - At the start of the 2025 edition of Youth Basketball Champions League, very few outside of Belgium would have predicted Coretec Basketball Academy's run to the Final.
At the start of this year's competition, very few would have predicted anything other than seeing them in this Semi-Finals.
The Belgian's have won the U18 National Cup for the second straight season, and also for the second straight season, have ridden that momentum into the YBCL. It's becoming a habit now.
Igokea m:tel have proven pedigree in this event from Day 1. They defeated Tofas 73-66 in the first-ever Final of this competition and are always one of the first set of names to look at when it comes to checking the pre-event roster submissions.
This year, they arrive in the Semi-Finals as the hosts, but have looked anything other than burdened with the pressure to please the home crowd. Playing on the big team's courts, with all cameras and lights switched on has only taken the motivation levels up a notch.
How did they get here?
Oostende opened with a win over ERA Nymburk, where they never really looked like they needed to get out of third gear. They led the game front to back for 39 minutes and completely controlled the game on the way to a comfy 79-55 win. Oostende scored 42 points in the paint and a whopping 29 points from turnovers.
Their second game was against local team KK Borac Banja Luka, who stepped in for Bnei Herzliya. Whilst Banja Luka put up more of a fight in the first quarter, once Oostende clicked up a notch, the game was over in a hurry.
Oostende dished out 20 assists and pulled down 51 rebounds on their way to a dominant 81-51 win. Given their opponents' results elsewhere in the competition, that scoreline looks even more impressive.
Igokea welcomed the Azerbaijani newcomers BC Sabah to Laktasi for Game 1 in Group B.
Only Sabah will probably have felt the hospitality, only got as far as the hotel, because Igokea really went to work in that game. The game ended 88-58 in Igokea's favour, with five Igokea players reaching double digit scoring and team dishing out 24 assists.
Ludwigsburg waited for Igokea in Game 2, and despite being weakened by key players being on international duty, last year's Semi-Finalists gave Igokea a stern test.
The game ended 88-82, and the two teams shared the lead for 18 minutes each. In the end, it was Igokea's depth that probably made the difference, as they scored 32 bench points, to Ludwigsburg's 19.
What worked well?
Oostende sit third in the competition for points at 80 per game. They are second for shooting at 44.7 percent, and third for three-point shooting at 32 percent. They are the best free-throw shooting team in the competition at 70.2 percent, and third for rebounding at 47.5 per game.
Oostende lean pretty heavily on the offensive production of five players: Tim Waerniers, Dylan Inussa Isako, Max Van de Keere, and Julian Dewinter.
Isako is the point guard who sets the tempo, and Waerniers is the undisputed leader of the team as a scorer, playmaker, and also emotionally, as he brings stability to the table at all times.
Much as Waerniers just keeps ticking over as do Oostende. They run their offense, move the ball, and search for the best shot until they get what they want.
Igokea are #2 in the competition for scoring at 88 points per game, second for shooting at 43.5 percent, and also for three-point shooting at 35 percent. They also dish out the second most assists at 22.5 per game.
Igokea have three players responsible for most of the offensive production, with Serbian U16 international shooter Luka Galic, playmaker Djordje Djukanovic, and guard Mico Milovanovic splashing a high volume of shots from deep.
They are also thriving at turning defense into offense, with Milovanovic and Djukanovic averaging 3 and 2.5 steals each, respectively.
Key matchup
There is really one player that everyone who plays against Oostende needs to account for, and that's stretch forward, Tim Waerniers. Waerniers, is tall, athletic and has a pro-ready game that translates into efficiency of movement and thought that not many teams possess.
He is constantly looking to get out in transition and if that's not on, he can find the best advantage possible down low in the paint or on the perimeter. He can shoot or put it on the deck and draw contact.
Igokea have the length to match up physically, but that is unlikely to be enough to nullify his threat completely.
Igokea's biggest threat comes from their backcourt. Djukanovic will likely end up battling with Isako in what will be a fascinating match-up, physically and tactically.
For Oostende, the challenge will be who they decide to send to guard Milovanovic. The volume of threes he's shooting and making dictates that he requires special attention at all times and that possibly takes an organized team like Oostende outside their defensive schemes.
X-Factors
Julian Dewinter's hustle and energy in the paint and on the glass could be a real boon for Oostende. Dewinter is also able to step out and put the ball on the floor. On the defensive end, it wouldn't be a shock to see Dewinter using his length and footspeed to disrupt Igokea's back court on the ball.
For Igokea, the X-Factor looks set to be Luka Galic. He has a nose for when to leak out in transition and sniffs out the steals that his teammates Djukanovic and Milovanovic are taking at the same time as they do.
He's also an efficient shooting threat at 57 percent from deep on 3.5 attempts. If he were to shoot seven in this game and make 57 percent of those, it could have a huge impact on the margins.