EuroCup standouts: Awudu Abass

Awudu Abass has entered the prime of his career playing great basketball for Germani Brescia Leonessa. This season he emerged as one of the best small forwards in the 7DAYS EuroCup. Abass has improved his numbers in each of his four EuroCup campaigns and chalked up 12.3 points on 88.9% free-throw shooting (40 of 45), 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and a PIR of 12.9 this season. He raised his scoring average to 14.0 points in the Top 16, including a career-high 21 against EWE Baskets Oldenburg. Abass has learned to make the most out of his great athleticism and wingspan, by crashing the boards, running the break as often as possible and, finishing strong at the rim. He has taken all the steps required to be an important player in the competition.

Abass has a great tactical background and has been able to apply it to his game to enhance his great athletic skills. Born in Italy to a father from Ghana and a mother from Nigeria, Abass grew up as a player with Pallacanestro Cantu, where Coach Andrea Trinchieri promoted him to the first team quickly. Abass made his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut in the 2012-13 season. He played a couple of EuroLeague campaigns with AX Armani Exchange Milan under Coached Jasmin Repesa and Simone Pianigiani. Abass has great poise and is rarely out of control. Abass chooses his shots well and is disciplined on defense. He has great ballhandling and quickness for a small forward, which he uses to get past his defender in transition offense, get rebounds, dribble downcourt and finish at the other end, often with a two-handed dunk.

Over the last two seasons, no player under 2 meters in height has a better rebounding average than Abass’s 5.4 rebounds per game. Being a reliable free throw shooter gives him more options on offense – Abass has made 78 of 91 foul shots (85.7%_ and his three-point shooting percentage has jumped from 26.5% last season to 33.9% this one. Every season, Abass has the ball in his hands more often and is learning to get teammates involved, though he also averages a team-high 2.1 turnovers, so improving his decision-making both in transition and five-on-five offense must be a priority for him to become a point forward able to create off the pick-and-roll and in drive-and-dish situations. Nevertheless, Abass has improved in every aspect of the game since he arrived in Brescia with an extended role. It only looks like a matter of time for Abass to polish his weaknesses and become one of the best small forwards in Europe.