By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Top European prospect Frank Ntilikina tied his career-high as a pro with 15 points as Strasbourg beat Aris 81 – 70 for the second leg playoffs phase of the FIBA Champions League.
Ntilikina had set this record in 106 – 78 victory of Strasbourg over Chalon-Reims on January for the French League.
However, the 11-point winning margin vs Aris wasn’t good enough for his team, since it needed to beat the Greek squad with a number of 20+ points in order to advance in the next stage of the competition, after losing by 19, 71 – 52 in the first leg game of Thessaloniki.
Still, this doesn’t change the fact that Ntilikina had an elegant display, also taking into account his 4 rebounds, the 2 assists and only one turnover he committed while spending 26 minutes on the floor.
Coach Vincent Collet trusted Ntilikina as a starter in this highly critical and difficult match hoping that he can bring an immediate heavy impact on both ends, and the French guard delivered under circumstances of great pressure, for reasons stated above. The 18-year-old player dropped 12 of his points in the first half where his team got an 11-point lead, 39 – 28.
“It was his best half of the season”, said Collet.
He didn’t go overboard with his efforts, taking only eight shots and draining six of them (3/4 two-pointers and as many 3s) while using his athleticism and physical assets (like his wingspan) to provide multiple helps of defense.
His overall performance showcased why many believe he be developed into a fine”3-and-D” player in the best league of the planet.
Ntilikina is projected as a top pick in the 2017 NBA draft by various experts. Specialized website Draft Express, for example, ranks him 10th in the related list.