GDYNIA (Poland) - As we enter the final stretch of FIBA U20 EuroBasket 2024, we can remember some of the most memorable moments of the competition including a number of upsets, Nathan Missio-Dio catching fire in the game against Iceland and Noah Penda hitting a game-winning three to beat Spain and send France to the Semi-Finals.
The more lasting image of the tournament so far, however, might have Vangelis Zougris front and center.
The Greek forward received an inadvertent elbow to the face fighting for a rebound in the fourth-quarter of a close Quarter-Finals game against Lithuania, but the local medical team worked against the clock to get the leader of Hellas back in the game.
After having his head bandaged and changing his jersey, Zougris ran out from the locker rooms in full voice just a few minutes, roaring his teammates on to finish what they started. There and then, you knew they would.
He finished the night with 16 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals, with Greece, indeed, holding on to the win.
As Greece advance to their second straight Semi-Finals at the U20 EuroBasket and Zougris puts on another strong campaign in the tournament, we take a look at his game in this Player Spotlight.
Offense - A Throwback Threat
Zougris is a tough player to evaluate through the lens of modern basketball, as he has the prototypical combination size, length, strength and mobility of a current-day power forward, but his offensive game is closer to those of fours from 15 to 25 years ago, who would be more impactful operating in the post than in the perimeter.
Standing at 2.02m (6ft 8in) with wide shoulders, a strong frame and long arms, Zougris is an effective interior finisher who can do tremendous damage as a roll-man, transition target and offensive rebounder. The Greek forward utilizes his size to set strong screens, and once he rolls to the basket, he's a tough cover for opponents with his combination of mobility, strength, leaping ability and hangtime.
While Zougris can utilize his length to be a factor in putbacks and occasionally catch lobs, the 19 year old doesn't possess an elite level of size compared with opposing interior players, and he's decidedly a two-foot leaper, which forces him to load up into his leap before dunks and finishes around the basket.
Zougris, however, compensates for the physical shortcomings with an elite level of skill and polish, starting with his versatile finishing ability. Zougris is not just a dunk-and-layups type of finisher, and possesses a level of touch in tough shots that allows him to convert tough floaters, runners, hooks and off-balance layups - a little reminiscent of what Greek legend Georgios Printezis had in his locker room. This makes him a threat not only around the basket, but also from the high-post and the elbows.
His footwork is also impeccable. Zougris possesses tremendous fluidity and coordination with his back to the basket, being able to utilize fakes, spin moves and step throughs to find the open space and finish around the basket.
His combination of strength and agility makes him a tough cover for opponents around the basket, as he can bully smaller wing defenders in post-ups while also being quick to face up and comfortable putting the ball on the floor in traffic to attack bigger, slower centers.
Defense - A Modern Anchor
While Zougris' impact in the perimeter is somewhat limited as an offensive player, the exact opposite can be said about his defense, as his combination of size, strength and agility make him a nightmare match-up for perimeter players. Zougris is able to stay low and move his feet to stay in front of opponents in drives and ISO situations. He utilizes the difference in size to smother opposing ball-handlers and his strength makes it hard for opponents to create any sort of space against him out of physicality.
Zougris lacks the elite size to be a full time rim protector, and he can struggle in the post against bigger opponents, but he has been a valuable interior defender nonetheless, racking up 2.0 blocks per game during the tournament. The Greek forward impacts the game with his ability to contest and block shots as a help defender, anticipating plays as an off-ball defender and acting as the last line of defense.
When he meets opposing players around the basket, he shows an impressive understanding of verticality, being able to contest shots without fouling with his size, strength and leaping ability.
Outlook
Greece has run through the gauntlet at Gdynia, beating powerhouses Serbia and Lithuania, as well as last year's second-place team Israel. They will be facing France in the Semi-Finals with the opportunity to avenge last year's loss in the Semi-Finals against the same opponent, and advance to their first U20 Finals since 2017.
No matter whether Greece wins it all or not, this is the second straight tournament where Zougris has been one of the best players in attendance, as the Greek forward had already been named to the All-Star Five of the tournament last year. And while his lack of a perimeter game for a forward might keep him from serious NBA consideration at the moment, with his physical tools, interior scoring package and defensive versatility, there's no reason why Zougris shouldn't develop into one of the top power forwards in the European game and a rotational piece in the Greek national team down the lane.
FIBA