HERAKLION (Greece) - Cameron Houindo was named MVP of the FIBA U16 EuroBasket after leading France to its fourth Youth EuroBasket title of the summer.
Les Bleus also took home the U20 Men's EuroBasket as well as the U20 and U18 Women's EuroBasket titles, an achievement that underscores the wealth of young talent emerging from France in recent years.
Houindo, who led his team in points, rebounds, and blocks per game in Heraklion, displayed tremendous physical tools and an impressive level of skill in Heraklion. In this Player Spotlight, we'll take a closer look at Houindo's game and how he contributed to France's U16 title.
Offense
Houindo possesses an elite mix of physical tools that make him an effective interior scorer. Listed at 2.02m (6ft8in), with long arms and a strong frame for his age, Houindo is a difficult cover for opposing defenders, not only due to his sheer size, but also because of the level of physicality he plays with. Houindo plays through contact with ease, which allows him to get to the free throw line at a high rate.
Houindo is not just big and physical; he's also quick and explosive for his size. This makes him an elite play finisher and rebounder around the basket. The 16-year-old forward is able to secure entry passes and rebounds in traffic with his elite size and standing reach. Once he catches the ball, his combination of strength and leaping ability allows him to elevate and finish with power at the rim.
The French forward, however, is more than just forceful around the rim. He's also an effective self-creator in the post who shows excellent levels of touch, footwork and overall polish. Houindo leverages his size to establish deep position and once he gets the ball, he utilizes his combination of ball-handling ability and footwork to find the open space and create scoring opportunities.
With his combination of size, leaping ability, willingness to play through contact and touch, Houindo is a lethal finisher, whether that is in simple catch-and-finish opportunities from the dunker spot or in more difficult situations such as post-ups, cuts and drives. Houindo is rarely rattled under pressure and even when he's thrown off-balance, he has the touch to convert those difficult, contested attempts around the basket.
Beyond the restricted area, Houindo has shown enough versatility to handle the ball and drive to the basket in transition and in the early offense. While he's not extremely explosive or shifty with the ball, he's fluid for his size and can be a handful for opposing defenders with a head of steam. In these situations, Houindo once again is able to combine touch, ability to absorb contact, hangtime and length to be an effective finisher at the rim against defensive pressure.
Defense
Houindo was one of the most productive defenders in the tournament, ranking second in blocks and fourth in steals per game in Heraklion.
The French forward primarily defended off-the-ball during the tournament, which allowed him to act as a last line of defense, rotating to the paint to contest and block shots whenever there was dribble penetration. Houindo was effective in this role as a secondary rim protector, putting his physical tools (size, length, quickness to elevate) on display and racking up multiple blocks per game.
Houindo, however, also made an impact in the perimeter. Although not the quickest player laterally, Houindo's mobility and his willingness to switch in the perimeter, allowed him to leverage his size and smother smaller opponents. He also utilized his length effectively to contest three-point shots, showing impressive timing to block and deflect a number of attempts.
Despite limitations in terms of quickness, Houindo's versatility to contain opponents and make plays on multiple areas of the floor, as well as his ability to create defensive events at a good rate should make him a valuable addition as a defender for any team in the world.
Overall
Following a promising debut in FIBA competitions at the U17 Basketball World Cup earlier this summer, Houindo was able to demonstrate the impact that he can have as a primary offensive option in his U16 EuroBasket run. The French forward is an absolute two-way force who makes his presence felt around the basket as a scorer, rebounder and secondary rim protector. Houindo is, however, versatile enough to also be a threat from the perimeter, attacking the basket with the ball in his hands and defending opponents out to the three-point line.
Houindo has all the makings of a versatile, modern-day frontcourt player whose combination of size, athleticism, offensive touch and defensive productivity could help any team in the world. With the tremendous number of recent French standouts coming out of the junior ranks, he'll certainly face competition in the future, but it shouldn't be a surprise if in a few years, Houindo's versatility becomes a key asset for the French national team.
FIBA