NONTHABURI (FIBA U18 Asian Championship 2018) - Fans got a chance to glimpse into the future earlier this year during the FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Foshan, China. As each team traded baskets back and forth, we all got a brief sneak peek at what  basketball might look like in a couple of years in Asia/Oceania.

Four months later, we get to see some of those bright young talents take the next step in the FIBA U18 Asia Championship which will be held in Thailand from 5-11 August.

Here are some players who will be looking to carry on their success to a higher level!

Tamuri Wigness (Australia)

 Australia went all the way to win the championship in their FIBA Asia U16 debut led by their star core of Luke Jackson, Wani Lodu Swaka Lo Buluk, Luke Travers, and Tamuri Wigness. All 4 (along with Hunter Clarke) have all been named to the initial roster of the Australian National Team in this tournament. They all produced gaudy numbers, but it was Wigness who shined brightly with 14.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 3.0 steals.

He razzle dazzled his way through the entire competition with his deft ball handling skills and had a knack for putting just the perfect amount of weight on the ball in his every pass and shot.

 Jiao Boqiao (China)

The Chinese young big man would surely like to follow the footsteps of his (slightly) elder countrymen like Wang Zhelin, Fan Ziming, and Zhou Qi who have impressed in the youth levels to go on to greater success. He’s already on the right track after winning the silver medal in the FIBA U16 Asian Championship while averaging 8.4 points and 5.6 rebounds.

With his nimble shooting touch and agility, Jiao Boqiao has a high ceiling which can be will be on display in Thailand.

China brings back two players from FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Lu Pengyu (10.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists) and Boqiao.

Kai Sotto (Philippines)

The Philippines finished 4^th in the FIBA U16 Asian Championship and they are aiming to bring up a majority of that team up to the U18 level. In the initial roster, 8 players from that U16 squad have been named highlighted by TJ Fortea, RC Calimag, Raven Cortez, Forthsky Padrigao, and of course, Kai Sotto.

Sotto first appearance in FIBA competition was a marvelous debut where he led the entire tournament in efficiency (21.5) to a line of 16.8 ponits, 13.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks. The seven-footer has deserved the attention he has been getting and will only draw more interest when he displays his footwork in the FIBA U18 Asian Championship.

 Moon Jeonghyeon & Cha Minseok (Korea)

The twin towers of Korea were the main force for the team in the FIBA U16 Asian Championship, both averaging at least 17 points and 8 rebounds. Both post presences are highly efficient at scoring near the paint and Jeonghyeon can even space the floor out a bit for an occasional three if needed. In this U18 tournament, Korea has listed 6 returnees from the U16 team that finished 5^th and it shouldn’t be too much to expect that Jeonghyeon and Minseok will be their two key players to focus on.

Chikara Tanaka (JPN)

Breakout star Tanaka was one of the younger players in the FIBA U16 Championship but that didn’t mean he was going to wait his turn to make a name for himself. The speed demon normed 15.2 points and 4.5 rebounds throughout the tournament including a heroic performance in a comeback attempt against the Philippines that fell just short.

Japanese basketball is quickly on the rise (see: Hachimura, Rui) and Chikara Tanaka looks like a good bet as a potential household name in the near future. He is joined by seven other players from the U16 squad in the initial U18 roster, including Keisei Tominaga who scored 17.5 points per game on 42.2% three-point shooting.

Matin Aghajanpuor (IRI)

Iran’s initial roster for the U18 squad are loaded with top talents from their U16 group that finished in 7^th place, especially Matin Aghajanpuor. The sniper led the tournament in scoring with 23.2 points and also put up an impressive 20.4 efficiency rate as well.

Aside from Aghajanpuor and his scoring prowess, this Iran U18 team has named seven other players from the U16 to bolster their initial roster including lead guard Vahedi Mohammadsina.

Princepal Singh (IND)

India wasn’t able to advance from the group stages in the U16 Championship, but it wasn’t from a lack of effort by Princepal Singh. After playing nearly every minute possible, Singh averaged 22.7 points and 13.0 rebounds for an efficiency rating of 20.0 throughout the Group phase. Singh is back for more in the U18 level, along with another highly-rated prospect Harshwardhan Tomar who also averaged a double-double of 10.3 points and 10.0 boards.

Lin Li (TPE)

Chinese Taipei will not be bringing much from the FIBA U16 Asian Championship to the U18 Championship with only three returning players. Among the trio, they will be bringing back Lin Lin who led the team with 17.7 points highlighted by a 28-point explosion against Macau.

FIBA