CMR/ITA - A giant project

VARESE (Eurocup) - If NBA scouts look at the bench of Italian side Cimberio Varese during Eurocup games, they will see a very large and powerful figure who hardly plays.

He is Cameroonian center Francois Affia Ambadiang.

Just 20 years of age, the 2.11m Affia has a strong body.

When he does enter the game, the native of ‎Yaoundé shows plenty of athleticism.

Yet Affia has a long way to go if he is to compete at a high level.

He is, in basketball parlance, a project.

"He's got incredible potential," Varese guard Andrea De Nicolao said, "a big body, but he's got to improve his play with the ball, dribbling and passing - the basics of basketball.

"He needs to work on this and then he can be a player.

"He needs to work on the simple things because right now, the body is the only thing that he has."

Affia made his first and so far only appearance of the season with Varese at Valencia Basket last week.

With the Spanish club already on its way to a comprehensive 98-64 victory, coach Fabrizio Frates inserted Affia into the game in the fourth quarter.

"I think I have a big possibility," he said, when asked about his career prospects.

"I just need to work hard every day."

While he doesn't receive a lot of minutes and isn't even registered to play in the Italian league games, Affia does have the opportunity to compete in practice.

He is able to go up against 2.06m Frank Hassell, the leading rebounder in Israel's top flight last season with Hapoel Holon.

"For me, it's a good because he's got more experience than me," he said.

"I'm so happy to compete with him and also (2.07m) Marko Scekic of Serbia."

Affia isn't sure about his international basketball future.

Cameroon, he says, haven't been in contact with him and the youngster also expects to become a citizen of Slovenia.

What he does know is that while a career in America seems lightyears away, that is his aim.

He had declared for this year's draft but withdrew his name.

"My big dream is to play in the NBA," he said.

"I was there last summer. I was there for a pre-draft camp and I learned a lot."

FIBA