Almar this summer, 2024

[Da Coach]

One of Iceland's regular players is # 9 in the photo below- Leo Curtis. He is listed as 6'11" in most places, but he appears to be at least 4-5 inches taller than Almar (# 11) who is 6'10". He's either grown or is standing in something. - https://scoutbasketball.com/player/F...oogle_vignette

He played significant minutes in each of the 4 games, and averaged 10.5 ppg and 7.8 rpg, and he shot 19-25 (76%) overall and 2-5 (40%) from three.
He just turned 19 (birthdate 3/9/2005). I wonder if he is interested in playing at a US college? - https://scoutbasketball.com/player/Fridrik-Leo-Curtis

[KillerB]

I don't see anything on the ground for him to stand on. But you don't see his legs or shoes either.

[Da Coach]

Leo Curtis (full name Fridrik Leo Curtis) played for Iceland in last summer's U18 Euro Championships. In 5 games, he averaged 9.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg, and he shot 18-33 from 2-point (54.5%) and 4-9 from 3-point (44.4%). - https://www.proballers.com/basketbal...rik-leo-curtis

On his X.com account (formerly Twitter), it says he is looking to play college ball in the US, and he lists himself as 7'0", though the photos appear to show he is even taller - https://x.com/LeoCurt1s

Scroll down on this page to see some video of him- https://x.com/PDTScouting/status/1794137300160454854
I'd love to see our coaches get on this kid. He looks like a good low post player who has other skills, and can shoot the three.

[Heemeskerk]

I agree Coach. Based on the video, he is quite mobile and athletic for his height.

[yoda]

Another article on “Players to watch”
at the U20 Championships

and a fan vote - so scroll on down & vote for Almar!

https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-u20-eurobasket-2024-division-b/news/players-to-watch-who-will-stand-out-at-the-fiba-u20-eurobasket-in-gdynia

[yoda]

article on Almar

https://www-mbl-is.translate.goog/sport/korfubolti/2024/07/10/maelir_med_ad_horfa_a_almar/?_x_tr_sl=is&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

[yoda]

bad news...
In their first game at the FIBA U20 Euro Championships, Iceland is getting clobbered by Lithuania.
Almar is having a bad game and nobody else is doing much either. They're down by 31 at half.
Refs allowing a ton of contact and letting them play extremely physical, and that plays right into Lithuania's
style and is definitely not Iceland's style.

Meanwhile, Italy is in a tight game with Germany and holds a 3 pt halftime lead.
Timoty van der Knaap has played 6 minutes off the bench but has not scored.

[yoda]

Italy by 7 after 3 quarters, 60-53
van der Knaap getting some decent minutes, wearing a knee brace on his left knee - hope that's not a bad sign
Just made a bucket off a steal and a breakaway layup...
... he has a long way to go - maybe a RS candidate given that he's also missing all of summer workouts with the Braves.

Iceland still down by 36

[yoda]

van der Knaap played pretty well in that 2nd half - helped Italy to a 20 pt lead and they win going away 87-67
Timoty finished with 4 pts, 1 rebound in 15 min. Went 2-5 and 0-1 from 3pt.
The German team has a solid 3-point shooter, and went 4-9, Jacob Ensminger, who plays at Santa Clara
One thing FIBA and other Euro sites do that is embarrassing to all US sports sites like ESPN & live stats,
is how complex yet perfectly organized & instantaneously & accurate their stat delivery is. Why can't the sites we rely on for stats when we watch Bradley game do this well?


The Iceland game is final 93-63 loss to Lithuania
Lithuanian guys being called for technicals, throwing elbows, getting ugly - refs are responsible, shoulda been tighter from the start

guy named Matas Vokietaitis throwing elbows - 7-footer who is a junior at Florida Atlantic
Almar with 4 pts, 3 reb, 2 asst, 1 block
FWIW, Iceland definitely played a very bad game, but they got killed in the paint because Lithuania has so many huge guys.
I doubt they'd have won this game even if they played their best.
Iceland's tallest is 6-8, so unless they're hitting 3's they don't stand a chance. Iceland was outrebounded 63-41, and outscored in the paint 42-18. Hopefully next game will be better.

[yoda]

in one of the other U20 games, France beat Poland 110-56. France's U20 team is really good and several of their very best players
are not even playing. Their best guy just went #1 in the NBA Draft and just signed with the Atlanta Hawks and two more of their
best U20 guys also went in the 1st round of the NBA Draft and one more in the 2nd round.

Then another of their best players, Zacharie Perrin, spent his freshman year at University of Illinois then left to go play pro in Europe.
Today he had 22 pts on 10-12 from the floor in just 19 minutes.
France & Lithuania look to be the the strongest teams in the competition.


btw- Iceland plays North Macedonia at 6am tomorrow- certainly a winnable game if they shoot well

[yoda]

btw- Iceland plays North Macedonia at 6am tomorrow- certainly a winnable game if they shoot well

Late in 4th quarter
Iceland 65 - North Macedonia 53
Almar with 23 pts, 5 Reb, 3 asst, 3 blocks

they will have to beat Slovenia tomorrow to complete Group play, to advance to the final knockout stage

[yoda]

Final, 71-53
Almar stats same as noted above in 33 min
6-13 from 3pt
Italy plays at 1:30pm Central

[yoda]

Italy loses 90-72 to an incredibly hot shooting Israel team
Timoty van der Knaap played just 4 minutes and was scoreless.

[LittleBrave]

TY for all the updates Yoda!!

[yoda]

Iceland loses to Slovenia today 98-68
The game was in reach until the 2nd half, then the starters got some rest with only a couple players going more than 22 min.
Almar had 14 pts, 4 reb in 28 min
Iceland finishes 1-2 in Group play and advances to play Belgium Wednesday at 8:30pm local time (1:30pm Central Time)

Italy beat Czech Republic today 71-59, Timoty van der Knaap had 6 pts.
Italy finished 2-1 in Group play and advance to play Poland Wed. at 3:30pm local time (8:30am Central Time)