Lenovo Tenerife looking to follow in senior team's footsteps

 Lenovo Tenerife have a storied history in the Basketball Champions League, winning the first edition of the competition in 2016-17 and 2021-22, as well as finishing second in 2018-19; and reaching the Quarter-Finals in 2019-20 and 2020-21. Now the club from the Canary Islands is looking to also win the first edition of the Youth Basketball Champions League.

"This opportunity is a big step for our youth program. Six years ago, the club changed its direction in terms of the players in our program. It was very clear that we needed to improve many things to compete in national championships. We made a four-year plan to be ready to compete in the national championships, but things went quicker. And as soon as we started to make our program more professional the results followed soon afterwards.
We think [the Youth BCL] is a great opportunity for the players to grow up in a competition with a high level of different kinds of basketball. They will learn other ways to play and they need to improve every day to compete."

-  Jose Maria Costa, Sports Director of the Youth Program

 

History of the Program | Domestic Success

U18
8th place in 2021

 U16
3rd in 2019, 2021

U14
2nd in 2022
3rd in 2018

 

Recent Youth Developments

Six years ago, the club made a sustained effort to improve the quality of the youth program, trying to have professional coaching and focusing on individual workouts. Tenerife added three physical trainers, one physiologist, a physiotherapist and four coaches. Starting in 2017-18, the club also registered its U18 team to play in the 1st Division of the regional league - one level below the EBA, Spain’s lowest national league. The team won the league in 2018-19, but the club decided against promotion to EBA because it felt the players were not yet ready for the jump in level. With all the work behind them, Tenerife have jumped to sixth place in the Spanish federation’s rankings of club youth systems based on results in domestic championships from 2018 to 2022.

 

YBCL Player to Watch

Diego Fernandez | 2005 | SG

Fernandez has yet to play for Spain though he was on the preliminary roster for the FIBA U16 European Challengers 2021, which Spain did not play due to Covid-19 issues. Fernandez made his Spanish ACB debut on January 21, 2023, playing 1:47 minutes against Real Betis. The Adeje, Tenerife native became the second youngest debutant for the Tenerife club at 17 years 4 months and 16 days. The only younger player was Alberto Cabrera at 16 years 6 months 25 days in 2014. Fernandez can score in any situation on the court: attacking the basket or shooting off the dribble or coming off the screens.

 

Program Alumni

Alberto Cabrera | Danilo Brnovic | Marc Ivankovic | Musa Sagnia | Nuha Sagnia | Jorge Diaz Graham | Guillermo Diaz Graham

Alberto Cabrera is a Tenerife native who came up in Lenovo Tenerife system. In 2014, he became the club’s youngest debutant in the ACB at 16 years 6 months and 25 days. Cabrera debuted in the Basketball Champions League in 2018-19, played there the following two seasons as well and also contributed to the club winning the FIBA Intercontinental Cup title in 2020. Cabrera is currently playing in the third division LEB Silver.