Mike Schmitz from ESPN who recently covered the under 20 European tournament has some high praise of incoming LMU freshman Ivan Alipiev.
Ivan Alipiev | Loyola Marymount | 6-foot-8 | Shot-creator
The 18-year-old Alipiev shined as Bulgaria’s best player in Sofia, creating offense for both himself and his teammates. He’s a smooth ball handler who can operate at different speeds, pull up off the bounce or get into the lane for kickouts to open teammates. He’s still a streaky shooter (30.1 percent), but Alipiev improved in that area since last summer and should have a big freshman season at Loyola Marymount, where he committed after spurning interest from high-level prep schools and high-major colleges.
With average athleticism, Alipiev has to answer questions about his defense before he can be considered a sure NBA prospect, but he should be an instant-impact player in the West Coast Conference.
