Future Stars 2025: Stella Azzurra do the double to break England's hearts
Italy's Stella Azzurra Academy claimed both the U18 and U14 titles at the 2025 Future Stars International Tournament.
England finished runners-up in the U18 competition, being beaten 89-87 in Sunday's final as a late Matteo Agostini triple took the Academy side to victory, whilst England's U14s came third.
Ricardzs Aizpurz was awarded MVP after a stunning 42 points, eight rebounds and nine assists that left him on the verge of a triple-double, pushing the winners over the line almost singlehandedly. England responded with 23 points and seven boards from CoLA's Andrew Nwokolo, plus 16 points, six rebounds and five steals from Myerscough's Jakub Bobkowski.
Defeat in the final was only the U18s second of the tournament, going 3-2 overall after wins over Richards Elite (77-62), London United (79-50) and Stella Azzurra (93-86), with an L against third place finishers Get Better Academy (65-84) and the narrow loss in the second meeting with Stella.
In its second instalment after being introduced a year ago, the U14s section provided plenty of high-quality play. Denied in an OT Final a year ago, England finished the 2025 edition in third after a Kyron Billyrose-inspired 94-67 win against Richards Elite.
The London Stars standout closed with 20 points, including going 3-5 from beyond the arc, to go with four rebounds and a trio of steals. MK's Caiden Dyer (12pts, 11reb) and Nottingham Hoods' Josiah Hendricks (11pts) both played well in support.
Coach Modesto's side started proceedings with a 68-62 loss against London United, but rallied to finish strong with victories against Stella Azzurra (96-73) and the third/fourth success against Richards Elite, though their group stage game against the same opponent was abandoned in the second quarter after an injury to one of the Richards Elite roster.
The tournament was also accompanied by an International Coaching Clinic. Led by Euroleague and NBA champion Zan Tabak, who is one of only 13 people in history to claim both titles, the clinic was an excellent opportunity for coaches of all levels to learn from one of the very best.
Takab was joined by Julian Betko, Director and Head Coach at Czech Republic's Get Better Academy, who is well known as a specialist in the development of individual skills through high-intensity, detail-oriented drills.
England's U18 Head Coach Charlie Haynes said:
"It is always a privilege to have the honour of leading some of our finest talent from top clubs and academies from around the country. The group was one of huge potential and I’m excited to see each of them progress along the personal journeys.
"The Future Stars tournament is a great opportunity for us to test ourselves as a country against some of the best talent from across Europe. The event was well-run and the competition level in each game allowed us to test ourselves against a variety of different match-ups.
"Losing on a shot in the final moments is never easy, but the boys battled hard, had pride in their performances and competed with unity right until the end. The players earned the right to leave with their heads held high as they progress into an exciting new season with their clubs."
England results
Friday 29/08/2025
10am: U18s - England 77-62 Richards Elite - LIVE STATS
12pm - U14s - England 62-68 London United - LIVE STATS
2pm: U18s - London United 50-79 England - LIVE STATS
6pm: U14s - England A-A Richards Elite (Match Abandoned)
Saturday 30/08/2025
2pm: U18s - England 65-84 Get Better Academy - LIVE STATS
2pm: U14s - England 96-73 Stella Azzurra Academy - LIVE STATS
8pm: U18s - Stella Azzurra Academy 86-93 England - LIVE STATS
Sunday 31/08/2025
12pm: U14s - Richards Elite 67-94 England - LIVE STATS
4pm: U18s - England 87-89 Stella Azzurra Academy - LIVE STATS
All Future Stars results page can be found here.
Full England squads for the tournament can be found here.
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