MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on My Mind) – Last week, I kicked off my FIBA Asia 2018 Yearend Awards by naming some of the statistically outstanding players of the year, and now I'll focus on the best in every position.

For each of the traditional positions in basketball - point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center - an outstanding player will be cited, and I'll finish it off by naming the Rising Star, Breakthrough Player, Coach of the Year and my personal pick for FIBA Asia 2018 Player of the Year.

Point Guard of the Year 2018
Shea Ili (New Zealand)

Shea Ili doesn't have a boat-load of highlights on YouTube or Instagram, but he has been the most reliable stabilizing factor for a New Zealand team that has gone through several iterations in the Asian Qualifiers. The 26-year-old has seen action in all but one of the Tall Blacks' matches this year, and though his production has not been through the roof, he has been one of the most important elements for the team's steady play. He leads the Asian Qualifiers in assists in terms of those who've played in at least 6 games, and is among the competition's most efficient in terms of assist-to-turnover ratio, too. He makes sure your offense is ripe and ready to inflict a ton of damage on your opponents.

Shooting Guard of the Year 2018
Lee JungHyun (Korea)

Lee has played in every Asian Qualifiers game so far for Korea, hitting a three-pointer in each fixture and scoring in double-figures in all but one. He is one of the true sharp-shooters of this generation, and though he hasn't reached the levels of Korean legends Shin DongPa and Hur Jae, Lee is carving his own niched in Korean basketball lore. He leads Korea in both assists and threes per game while also second overall in scoring behind the other Korean on this list. With Lee's outside shooting touch, Korea have qualified for the World Cup, and soon the world will see just how potent he is from long range.

Small Forward of the Year 2018
Tom Abercrombie (New Zealand)

31-year-old Abercrombie played in just 4 of 8 New Zealand Asian Qualifiers games this year, but in every single one he has been at the forefront of their attack. He averaged 16.3 points and 3.5 triples per game in those matches while also shooting nearly 54% from beyond the arc. He was a really tough mismatch for opposing wingmen because of his size, athleticism and shooting, and for sure he was a big reason for the Tall Blacks' successful qualification to next year's World Cup. Look for Abercrombie to figure prominently for them in the final window in February and then to be among their main rotation guys again for China 2019.

Power Forward of the Year 2018
Rui Hachimura (Japan)

Sure, this 20-year-old Japanese phenom played in only 4 games for them this year, but he was stellar in each one and was arguably the biggest reason for the Akatsuki Five's resurgence in the Asian Qualifiers. At 6ft 8in (2.03m) and blessed with eye-popping athleticism, Hachimura proved to be the perfect physical specimen to help carry the fight for the once beleaguered Japanese national team. Since Hachimura debuted for Japan in the middle of the year, they haven't lost a match and have stolen third place in Group F from the Philippines. I'd love to see this kid at next year's World Cup try to mix it up with some of the best global hoops talents.

Center of the Year 2018
Ra GunA (Korea)

There really is nobody who deserves this more. Yes, the man formerly known as Ricardo Ratliffe isn't the tallest or most imposing center in the continent, but he sure was the most productive this year, with jaw-dropping averages of 27.1 points, 12.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, while shooting 60.5% from the floor. Ra routinely takes over the shaded area in nearly every Korea match, outplaying bigger frontcourt foes and carrying the East Asian powerhouse to a 7-1 win-loss card this year. He's also just 29 years old, which means he should be primed to be Korea's main man in the middle for the long haul.

Rising Star Award
Rui Hachimura (Japan)

Hachimura is already so good at so tender an age. He is already putting up one highlight after another as a member of the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the US NCAA, and even now many are saying he could be a lottery pick in next year's NBA Draft. Of course, we all want to see him in the FIBA Basketball World Cup, too, and there is no doubt he will be the face of Japanese basketball for the foreseeable future. Hachimura's star already shone brightly this year, but it's set to shimmer even more in the years to come.

Breakthrough Award
Ater Majok (Lebanon)

Not many were impressed that Majok was Lebanon's choice as naturalized player for the Asian Qualifiers in 2018, especially after his lackluster performance at the WABA Championship 2017, where he normed only 5.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game on 43% field goal shooting. It also didn't help that he started slow in the second Asian Qualifiers window, but little by little the 6ft 11in (2.10m) center has blossomed into one of Lebanon's go-to-guys. Now, the 31-year-old has become a tower of power for the Cedars, averaging 13.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in their last six games. Now that's what I call breakthrough improvement!

Coach of the Year
Julio Lamas (Japan)

Nobody deserves this more than Japan's Julio Lamas, who never gave up on his squad despite their losing their first four games of the Asian Qualifiers. Under his patient and wise tutelage, Japan have found their footing and their identity over the latter half of this year, and they are ready to shock the world in 2019. From turning an also-ran into a bona fide contender, Lamas deserves as much praise as he can get.

Player of the Year
Ra GunA (Korea)

Everyone knew Ratliffe was a good foreign player in the Korean Basketball League (KBL), but nobody really correctly predicted the kind of impact he would eventually make for Korea in the Asian Qualifiers. He gave the Koreans the kind of low-post, frontline presence they've never had since the days of Seo JangHoon and Kim JooSung, and with Ra leading the charge, Korea are surely going to be a tough team to crack in next year's World Cup. Kudos to Ra for being, hands down, the best player in the Asian Qualifiers for 2018.

Enzo Flojo

FIBA

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