MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on my Mind) - China will be hosting the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019, and consequently, that means that they are looking forward to prepare in earnest so they can put up not only a good show but also put forth a highly competitive team.

All that preparation begins this year, what with the FIBA Asia Cup 2017 happening in August and the first window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers commencing in November.

China are hoping that good performances in this year's competitions and next year will mean that they are on the right track to improve their stock when the world's best descend on their shores in a couple of years.

As such, there are many budding young guns who are in the spotlight right now for China, and a number of these rising stars have gained a considerable following along with a high degree of success this 2016-2017 season in their pro circuit, the Chinese Basketball Association.

Here, I will look at some of the Chinese players who have not only turned a lot of heads in the CBA but who also stand a good shot of making the national team this year.

Ding Yanyuhang (Shandong Golden Stars)
Ding had one of his worst seasons in the CBA last year, averaging just under 10 points per game and shooting under 42% from the floor. This season, however, the 2.00m wingman has been a revelation as he put up 24.2 points per contest to go along with 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals while hitting around 45% of his field goals. He also averaged more than 2 triples per game, proving that he has what it takes to be a sharp knockdown shooter not only for Shandong but also for the Chinese national team. That's something they sorely need to complement a frontline that is headlined by Yi Jianlian and the next guy on this list.

Hu Jinqiu (Zhejiang Guangsha Lions)
Ever since making it to the CBA in the 2014-2015 season, Hu has been a tremendous impact player for Zhejiang. Standing 2.08m and only 19 years old, Hu is one of the most promising young centers in the league. He norms 15.6 points per game on top of 7.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals while also shooting close to 66% from the field. He has proven to be a very good complement to key Zhejiang players Lin Chih-Chieh and Liu Cheng, both of whom are from Chinese Taipei. Don't be surprised if he is finally called up to join China's "A Team" frontcourt along with Yi and Zhou.

Liu Xiaoyu (Shanghai Sharks)
Whereas Ding is a shoo-in for a wing position and Zhou is a top candidate at the slot for the national team, Liu, who turns 28 on March 14, will probably have to fight for his point guard role on the national team against the likes of Guo Ailun, Fang Shuo and the next guy on this list, Zhao Jiwei. Liu, however, has had one of his best seasons yet for the Shanghai Sharks, averaging 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He has been the main facilitator of the team, and he has functioned effectively alongside ultra high scorer Jimmer Fredette. At 1.91m, he has good size to be an international floor general, and he has a lot of experience at the senior level to bank on.

Zhao Jiwei (Liaoning Flying Leopards)
Aside from Guo Ailun, Zhao Jiwei has been tagged as one of the future great point guards of China. Zhao excelled at the youth level, and he has been given a lot of exposure recently at the senior level, playing in the FIBA Asia Cup 2014, FIBA Asia Championship 2015 and FIBA OQT 2016. He has yet to display the skill-set and demeanor to take over a game, but he has proven to be a reliable stabilizer for a Chinese squad that, historically speaking, has always struggled against teams with top flight point guards. This season, Zhao has co-existed well with Guo in Liaoning, norming 9.3 points, 4.0 assists and 1.7 steals per contest. If he can keep up this kind of production, he could be a viable option again for the national squad.

Gu Quan (Shenzhen Leopards)
Gu is not exactly a top-of-mind player for fans of Asian basketball, but he has had a tremendous season in the CBA. The 2.02m stretch power forward helped carry Shenzhen into the playoffs, and now they are among the final four teams remaining. The 24-year-old has registered some of the best numbers of his career, averaging around 16 points, 4 boards and 2 three-pointers per contest. With pace-and-space the new status quo in basketball, someone like Gu could prove to be an attractive talent to add to the national team, especially with neither Yi nor Zhou really being a bona fide perimeter threat.

Established stars like Yi Jianlian, Guo Ailun and Zhou Peng will most likely be named to China's national team this year, but could any of the other names on this list appear as well? Who will get the call-ups and who will not make the cut? We'll see soon enough as the East Asia Basketball Association (EABA) Championship 2017 will be held in Nagano, Japan this coming June.

Enzo Flojo

FIBA

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