MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on My Mind) - The group phase and Round of 16 at the FIBA U17 World Cup 2018 have ended, and a number of FIBA Asia players have surely stood out.

Now, of the four FIBA Asia sides seeing action in Argentina, only Australia have really been able to make a big splash. The Crocs had two wins in the group phase and won their Round of 16 match against Mali, which brings them to a Quarter-Finals clash with powerhouse Canada. The other three - China, New Zealand and Philippines - have absorbed one defeat after another and are now relegated to the classification phase. Despite that, there have still been players able to deliver and turn some heads.

Luke Jackson (Australia)

- 14.0 points, 13.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals per game
- Jackson has been Australia's most potent force in Argentina. He has registered double-doubles in each of the Crocs' games and is currently second overall in rebounding right behind Mali's Oumar Ballo. In addition, he's also among the Crocs' most efficient scorers with a field goal percentage of 51%. He will have his hands full against Canada's big and long wingmen, but if his production holds up, the Aussies could pull off an upset.

Kai Sotto (Philippines)

- 14.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks per game
- The Philippines have been unsuccessful in putting up wins, but their prized center Kai Sotto has still attracted a lot of attention. The 7ft 1in (2.16m) slotman is among the top 10 in scoring and top 5 in rebounding and shot-blocking. His 23-point, 12-rebound, 2-block output on Day 1 was among the tournament's finest, and he very nearly carried the team to a big win over hosts Argentina on Day 3.

Jiao Boqiao (China)

- 14.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 50.8 FG%
- China have their own highly productive big man in Jiao, and he has been their most solid player here in Argentina. He averaged a nifty double-double in China's first three games, and though he struggled with just 6 points and 5 boards against Puerto Rico, he still has three more contests to show why he is viewed as potentially one the country's future marquee frontliners.

Luke Travers (Australia)

- 13.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists per game
- Travers seems to be the Robin to Jackson's Batman for Australia. Like Luke Jackson, Travers' size and length at the wings make him a matchup problem for a lot of other teams, and his scoring efficiency (63.9 FG%) is also nothing to scoff at. He has been able to contribute a whole lot to the Crocs' campaign, although if there's one chink in his armor, it's his three-point shooting - 0-of-5 so far after four games.

Kobe Williamson (Australia)

- 9.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.8 blocks per game
- Williamson had a slow start to the tournament with only 5 points against Puerto Rico, but he has picked up his production ever since. He has been a consistent double-double threat for the Crocs, and has even shown some range, hitting 3-of-3 from beyond the arc in their big Round of 16 win over Mali. For Australia to continue advancing, they'll need more of that from the 6ft 7in (2.00m) Williamson.

Anzac Rissetto (New Zealand)

- 8.0 points, 8.8 rebounds per game
- 6ft 8in (2.02m) Rissetto has been the big man New Zealand sorely lacked in the FIBA U16 Asia Championship, and he has been a rock-solid addition to the Junior Tall Blacks here in Argentina. He is third on the team in scoring and leads the squad in rebounding. With him in tow, New Zealand have become a more complete team, though they'll still need to raise their level of play if they wish to go home with a victory from the competition.

Sun Haoqin (China)

- 17.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 steals, 1.8 triples per game
- Scoring was pretty much the only thing one could expect from Sun at the FIBA U16 Asian Championship earlier this year, but the 15 year-old wingman has certainly upped the ante in Santa Fe, showing improved rebounding, playmaking and defense. He is, in fact, 8th overall in scoring, is among the best guards in rebounding and is just outside the top 10 in assists. Look out for this kid because he's still eligible to play for China in next year's U16 Asian Championship and, if they get that far, the U17 World Cup in 2020 as well.

Raven Cortez (Philippines)

- 6.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 50.0 FG%
- Whereas Kai Sotto is the frontman for the Philippines, Cortez is the silent worker in the shadows who's content to do the dirty work. He will scramble for the loose ball, fight for the rebound, challenge those slashers and sneak under the basket for easy twinners. The 6ft 7in (2.01m) forward-center isn't top-of-mind for a lot of Asian basketball observers, but he is, in actuality, an impact player for the Philippines and has the potential to move up to their senior team sooner rather than later.

Enzo Flojo

FIBA

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