DOHA (Qatar) - The FIBA U16 Asian Championship is where we get to see the stars of tomorrow make an early impression on the international basketball scene.

For some players, it has taken a while to heat up. For others, it's been all-systems-go from tipoff.

Nonetheless, here are the players who have been playing at a high level through the Group Phase of the competition. Check out the top performers so far!

Mohamed Massamba Ndao (QAT)

34.3 EFF, 27 points, 14.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 2.0 steals per game; 58.3 field-goal percentage

Much has already been said about the Qatar star, but the youngster has deserved it. Qatar have a chance to make history in this competition and it's because of how Ndao has been playing.

As the leader in points, rebounds, and Efficiency, there's no doubt that Ndao is one of the top performers here at home.

Jason El Dekss (LBN)

24.7 EFF, 20.7 points, 11.3, rebounds per game; 58.0 field-goal percentage

Here is the list of players who are averaging 20-10 in the U16 Asian Championship: Ndao and Jason El Dekss.
That's it. That's the list.

There are big shoes to fill in at the center position for Lebanon as Karl Zamatta shined in 2022's memorable run, but El Dekss has done a decent job of doing just that. He's a strong big man who can be tough to stop, scoring at an efficient rate.

Kiefer Alas (PHI)

14.7 EFF, 17.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 steals per game

The Qualification to Quarter-Finals will already be presenting fans with quite a matchup between the Philippines and Korea - two national teams that have a history with each other. For the Philippines, the key to their success in advancing to the next stage is Kiefer Alas. The guard leads the team in scoring and rebounds while also being second in assists as well.

Even when his shots aren't falling, he impacts the game by attacking the basket to create other opportunities.

Daniel Edi (KOR)

15.0 EFF, 13.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 4.3 steals per game

For Korea, the key player will be Daniel Edi who has also been one of their top performers as well. Edi might be Korea's leading scorer, but his importance lies more in the other aspects of his game whether it's rebounding (second on the team), assists (second on the team), and defense (leads the team in steals).

His importance was well highlighted when Edi fouled out of the game against New Zealand late in the game, which is expected from the team captain and returnee from U16 Asian Championship 2022.

Omar Hijazi (JOR)

20.0 EFF, 16.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 blocks per game; 70.4 field-goal percentage

Jordan's star guard finished the Group Phase on a very high note with a monster performance of 25 points on 11-15 shooting, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks, and the clutch basket in the waning seconds. As a result, Jordan finished as the second-placed team in the group to match up against Malaysia for a spot in the Quarter-Finals.

Sinan Huan (CHN)

16.3 EFF, 10.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 blocks per game; 65.0 field-goal percentage

Huan is not among his team's leading scorers like the rest of the players on this list. As a matter of fact, he's only fifth on the team and barely touching double-digit averages albeit putting up points in an efficient matter.

His impact is more on the defensive end where he has recorded at least 2 blocks in each game, good for an average of 2.7 per contest. Impressively, he's been in control on defense with only one 1 foul committed overall. His low foul count and point tally could also be a result of playing only 13.5 minutes per game, so it could be interesting to see if he sees more playing time in the Final Phase.

Chusonjakku Shiratni (JPN)

18.7 EFF, 9.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 2.3 steals per game; 60.0 field-goal percentage

Shiratani's raw numbers are impressive to look at, but it's also been impressive how consistent he has been. For a player who is the second youngest in the entire competition, he's been reliable in terms of what to expect making him a key piece for undefeated Japan - even in clutch situations.

Lachlan Crate (NZL)

17.0 EFF, 14.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.7 blocks per game; 51.4 field-goal percentage

Crate has been leading New Zealand in scoring and is third in assists, but the reason he's here on this list is because of his defense.

The shooting guard has blocked at least 1 shot per game for an average of 1.7 per contest with the most important one being the late-game swat from behind against Korea that helped seal the deal in a close contest.

Crocs (AUS)

120.3 points, 39.7 points allowed, 34.3 assists per game, 59.3 field-goal percentage

How do you pick out just one player from this Crocs squad? The entire team is averaging between 13 to 19 minutes per game with 7 players averaging over 11 points per contest.

We've already highlighted that this could end up being a historic run with how much they are scoring, how efficiently they are scoring, and how they are sharing the ball. And we're going to emphasize that again.

FIBA