XALAPA (Mexico) - After three group play games in the FIBA U16 Americas Championship, the United States has looked superb, Canada and Argentina look dangerous and the Dominican Republic looms as a potential sleeper.

While figuring out the tiers of teams that are capable of cutting down the nets at the end of the bracket, four players stood out for their success. These four youngsters are capable of taking their squads to the next level, elevating their team and teammates to a potential deep run.

Here are the top four talents from the first three games:

Ronald Holland, United States

The 6-foot-9, 16-year-old forward has been absolutely lights out on the offensive end of the floor for Team USA. Holland is not only averaging the most points in the event (20.3 PPG), but he is shooting a ridiculous 76% from the field and an unreal 50% from beyond the arc. With that efficiency and ability to score with ease, Holland has clearly made himself an early front runner for tournament MVP.

The only area where Holland could improve is his free throw shooting. At just 59%, Holland is leaving some points at the charity strike. However, the fact that we’re nitpicking free throw percentages in three blowout wins for the United States shows how picture perfect Holland has been.

Danny Carbuccia, Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic (2-1) has relied heavily on their ability to force turnovers, their speed and their athleticism. The 6-foot-1, 15-year-old Carbuccia has been a centerpiece of the DR’s success as he is averaging 12.3 points, six assists and has totaled eight steals.

Carbuccia’s aggressiveness vs. other point guards on defense can tend to result in an uptick in fouls, but his activity also forces rather easy giveaways that can result in transition buckets for his club.

The point guard struggled greatly vs. the United States (seven points on 1-of-7 shooting), but he bounced back vs. Puerto Rico with a 20-point, eight-assist game.

 Juan Bocca, Argentina

With a 17-point outing vs. Canada and a 22-point showing vs. Brazil, this 6-foot-6, 16-year-old small forward has guided Argentina to new heights. Beyond his ability to take care of the ball and play sound defense, the biggest aspect of Bocca’s game – and really Argentina’s offensive arsenal – is his 3-point shooting.

Bocca nailed 10-of-19 treys in his first two matchups, and while he had an off game vs. Mexico, the threat of his long-range shooting provided space for his teammates, Juan Respaud and Joaquin Lopez, offensively.

Alejandro Aviles, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico has an immense bright spot in the 6-foot-9, 14-year-old Aviles.
Aviles is a force on the interior as he is averaging 14.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.3 blocks. He doesn’t have much range on offense, but he is efficient on the interior (54% on 2’s) and holds a massive advantage on the glass.

Most importantly, his defensive impact in terms of protecting the rim will be incredibly valuable when facing Canada in the opening round of bracket play.

FIBA