MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on My Mind) - We've seen some great performances these past few days in the FIBA U16 Asia Championship, and here are eight players who have stood out in a very impressive way.

Matin Aghajanpour (Iran)

Let's begin with Matin Aghajanpour, who currently leads the entire tournament in both scoring and efficiency, and who wasn't even on our list of breakout stars before the competition began! The 6ft 6in (1.99m) forward has pretty much carried Iran throughout their first two games, scoring 27 against Macau and the following that up with a jaw-dropping 39 against Chinese Taipei. He can score from inside, hit the three-pointer, rebound and defense. He's the total package for Iran.

Rayan Zanbaka (Lebanon)

Next up is Lebanon's main offensive weapon Rayan Zanbaka. The 6ft 2in (1.89m) shooting guard may be criticized for being a volume scorer, but one cannot fault him for wanting the ball in his hands when Lebanon need points on the board. Zanbaka is currently putting up an astounding 26.0 points along with nearly 9 rebounds and 3 steals per game. If that won't make you turn your head in admiration, then I don't know what will. The only chink in his offensive arsenal? He has yet to hit a triple in four tries.

Sun Haoqin (China)

Here is another super scorer. Haoqin was born in 2003, making him one of the youngest players in the tournament and still eligible for next year's U16 competition, but his relative youth has not limited his ability to put the ball in the basket. Like Zanbaka, Haoqin tends to take a lion's share of his team's attempts (38 against New Zealand!), but, hey, if he can score upwards of 25 points when he does, then there's not much to complain about really, eh? I also like his size at the shooting guard spot - 6ft 3in (1.91m) - and I'm pretty sure he'll still grow a couple of inches before he tops out, which will make him a pretty dangerous scorer when he eventually makes it to the China senior national pool.

Aizimaiti Aizimaiti (China)

Haoqin's teammat Aizimaiti was unheralded coming into the tournament, but he has stepped up big time, especially with the injury that de facto starting center Jiao Boqiao suffered early yesterday against New Zealand. The 6ft 8in (2.02m) Aizimaiti stepped into Jiao's spot and responded with aplomb, recording 10 points and 9 rebounds on 4-of-6 field goal shooting. He has the perfect balance of size, heft and and mobility that makes him so effective at this level, and it'll be exciting to see how much more he can help the host team as they take their shot at an U17 World Cup berth on Day 5.

Cha MinSeok (Korea)

Another big man who has impressed is Korea's own Cha MinSeok. The 2001-born center has been a rock in the middle for the Koreans, who are still hoping to make it to the U17 World Cup despite a heartbreaking loss to Japan last night. MinSeok has been a picture of consistency so far for Korea, averaging 9.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 block per game while shooting 65% from the floor. The 6ft 6in (1.99m) slotman won't drop 30 points on anyone, but he's dependable enough to be highly productive anytime he steps on the floor.

Kobe Williamson (Australia)

Another ultra-dependable big man has been Australia's own Kobe Williamson. With much of the hype surrounding the Crocs centered on Tamuri Wigness, Hunter Clarke and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, Williamson has flown a bit under-the-radar, but boy has he made an impact, especially against the towering frontline of the Philippines yesterday. Against 7ft 1in (2.16m) Kai Sotto, the 6ft 7in (2.00m) Williamson more than held his own, tallying 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. His mobility and heft gave the taller but thinner Filipinos fits, and by all indications, there's more of that to come as the Crocs try to make their own way to the U17 World Cup.

Yuki Kawamura (Japan)

From big men, we got to maybe one of the most diminutive players in the entire field, Yuki Kawamura. At just 5ft 7in (1.69m), Kawamura certainly won't intimidate anyone, but his game makes up for his lack in size. Even when he doesn't score much, the 2001-born playmaker can make an impact, as he showed against India, where he scored only 3 points but handed out 7 assists and took 5 steals. He has actually continually been more effective as each day has passed, culminating in last night's marquee performance against Korea, where he recorded 13 points, 7 boards, 4 assists and 3 steals. We may be looking at the next coming of Yuta Tabuse, folks.

Seishin Yokochi (Japan)

Much of Team Japan's hype has been about Chikara Tanaka, and deservingly so, but it has been Yokochi who has really shone as the team's stabilizing presence. He had a pedestrian outing against India, which Japan handily defeated, but against more formidable opposition like Lebanon and Korea, Yokochi played a much bigger role. At 6ft 2in (1.89m), he's a pretty big playmaker for Japan, but that's exactly what he is. He can guard opposing frontliners while also orchestrating the plays and scoring buckets on the offensive end. Right now, he norms 9.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, but his real impact lies among the intangibles.

These are only eight players, of course, and there are sure to be a few more who will play splendidly as the bigger games come along, so let us all continue watching the awesome games at the FIBA U16 Asia Championship in Foshan, China!

Enzo Flojo

FIBA

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