41 Sekeun Oh (KOR)
18/10/2017
Enzo Flojo's Asia On My Mind
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National team stars are set to shine as the pro leagues tip off

MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on My Mind) - Asian basketball fans are jumping for joy again as the pro leagues begin to tip off, and, not surprisingly, national team stars are among the top crowd drawers.  

The Japanese B. League is entering its ninth week of action, while the Korean Basketball League (KBL), the Lebanese Basketball League (LBL) and the Iran Basketball League (IBL) just started. The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and the ASEAN Basketbal League (ABL), meanwhile, are set to start within the next month. Strangely enough, however, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is just about to end its 2016-2017 (!) season with the Finals series of their third conference (!!) set to finish in the next couple of weeks.

Let's look at some of the national team stars who have been making waves and headlines in their respective leagues as of late. Remember that these are the names we will also have to watch when the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers begin in November.

Japeth Aguilar (Philippines)


The most famous club team in the Philippines, Barangay Ginebra, just dropped the ball in Game 3, losing to the Meralco Bolts and avoiding sinking into a 3-0 hole in the 2017 Governors' Cup Finals. National team big man Japeth Aguilar, however, has been really good for Ginebra in this series. The 2.06m forward-center has normed around 12 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks for Ginebra in this conference, and he is a huge reason they have made it this far. He will also be a key piece for Gilas Pilipinas when they take on Japan and Chinese Taipei in the Asian Qualifiers.

Oh SeKeun (Korea)


Oh my gosh. The 30-year-old big man just proved once again why he is maybe the gold standard of power forwards in East Asia. The 2.00m Korean national team stalwart recorded a rare 20-20 stat-line in only his second game of the 2017-2018 KBL season, recording 28 points and 20 rebounds against Incheon ET Land. He also laced his production with 6 assists and 2 blocked shots. Not surprisingly, the word through the grapevine is Oh will be a cinch to make Korea's Asian Qualifiers squad.

Atsuya Ota (Japan)


Ota is not top-of-mind when it comes to the best centers in Asia, but what he may lack in flash and athleticism, he more than makes up for in energy and hustle. The 2.06m, 33-year-old slotman has been his usual solid self for the San-En NeoPhoenix. He impressed in their latest game, putting up 15 points and 4 rebounds while shooting 6-of-7 from the field as San-En outlasted Niigata Albirex. Ota was recently named to Japan's 24-man pool for the Asian Qualifiers.

Navide Niktash (Iran)

We can do it🏀🏆...#petrochimibasketball #fiba #asia #cup #2017 #china #Navid_Niktash #best1 #NN1 #bball #Iran #iraninan #number #one

A post shared by Navid Niktash Fan Page🏀🏆 (@navidniktash) on


The French-born Niktash made a splash both for Iran's national team and Petrochimi earlier this year in a number of tournaments. Most notably, the 26-year-old combo forward impressed for Petrochimi at the FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2017, registering 9.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 three-pointers per contest. He has become a very reliable perimeter player, and he could be among their top wingman choices for the upcoming Asian Qualifiers.

Ali Haidar (Lebanon)

Great start with my great team!!!! #riyadi but fudge I was tired today hahahaha

A post shared by Ali Haidar (@ahaidar34) on


True to form, Haidar was a dominant force for Al Riyadi in their opening game of the 2017-2018 LBL season. The 27-year-old forward-center notched 15 points and 7 rebounds in only 18 minutes of play as the FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2017 kings blasted Al Mahad, 92-52, to open their campaign in style. Haidar will be a vital cog for Al Riyadi moving forward, and he should be among the critical pieces for the Cedars in the Asian Qualifiers as well.

Ding Yanyuhang (China)


Ding had a pretty good shot of making an NBA roster earlier this year, but the 2.00m wingman chose to return to the Shandong Golden Stars. He was named the CBA Most Valuable Player last season, and chances are he will have another strong showing in 2017-2018. He averaged a career-high 24.2 points per game last year, and it's reasonable to expect that he will be among the CBA's best scorers again this season. It all goes without saying that Li Nan, who will coach China Red, has also set his sights on picking Ding to lead their quintet at the Asian Qualifiers.

Enzo Flojo

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Enzo Flojo

Enzo Flojo

Enzo Flojo, one of Manila’s top basketball bloggers, always has Asian basketball on his mind. His biggest basketball dream? To see an Asian team as a legitimate gold medal contender in world basketball. He believes it will happen in his lifetime. If you have big basketball dreams like he does, then you’re in the right place.