REGENSBURG (David Hein's Eye on the Future) - United States college basketball will climax this week with the NCAA Final Four, and there are a couple of international basketball stories remaining in the last four teams who will be fighting to hoist the trophy on Monday in San Antonio.

Each of the four teams has at least one player who has represented their country internationally with the top match-up being Villanova against Kansas in a showdown of past FIBA youth World Cup MVPs.

Jalen Brunson - USA - Villanova

Villanova is anchored by Jalen Brunson, who averaged 17.5 points, 4.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals in getting the 2016 champions back to the Final Four. Winning is nothing new for the junior point guard from New Jersey as he earned the MVP award in guiding the United States to the title at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2015.

Malik Newman - USA - Kansas

Brunson will have a big task in trying to help slow down Kansas' dynamic Malik Newman, who has some major international hardware of his own. Newman, who sat out last season after transferring from Mississippi State, averaged 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals in the tournament, including a monster 32-point showing in Kansas' overtime win over Duke in the Elite Eight. Newman also knows how to win, winning the MVP trophy as the United States captured the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2014.

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk - Ukraine - Kansas

Newman is not the only reason for international basketball fans to follow the Jayhawks. Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk is playing in his first Final Four after the Ukrainian guard and Kansas could not get past the Elite Eight the last two seasons. The national semi-final against Villanova will have special meaning for Mykhailiuk as he and Devonte Graham are the only two holders from the Kansas team that lost to Villanova in the 2016 South Region final - one step from the Final Four as the number one overall seed. Mykhailiuk averaged 11.5 points, 3.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals in this year's tournament including a big 11 points, 10 rebounds, five assists in the Elite Eight win over Duke. And Mykhailiuk has played for Ukraine a number of times, including as a 17-year-old at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014.

Silvio De Sousa - Angola - Kansas

Don't look at Silvio De Sousa's full season stats for Kansas - 3.8 points and 3.5 rebounds - and think they are indicative of his standing with the Jayhawks. The Angolan big man, who averaged 17.3 points and 13.1 rebounds for his country at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017 including 27 points and 21 rebounds against Korea, has already shown a propensity to step up in big games. In the final two games of the Big 12 conference tournament, De Sousa picked up eight points and 11 rebounds and then 16 points and 10 rebounds in the final. After playing just 14 minutes in the first two games of the NCAA tournament, De Sousa had nine points and six rebounds against Clemson and then in the Elite Eight against Duke he collected four points, 10 rebounds and one block in 26 minutes - a season high for playing time. So you can expect him to be a major part of the Final Four.

Udoka Azubuike - Nigeria - Kansas

Udoka Azubuike has not yet played for his native Nigeria but the sophomore big man is definitely an important part of Kansas' chances for the title. He averaged 13.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks this season. And in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight, Azubuike averaged 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks.  

Bruno Skokna - Croatia - Loyola-Chicago

Bruno Skokna will not likely be a major factor for the Cinderella Loyola-Chicago as he collected just five points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal in 22 minutes combined in the first four games of the NCAA tournament. But the sophomore Croatian has shown that he can help if given the chance, twice scoring in double figures during the season including 18 points and two rebounds against Norfolk State in December. For the season Skokna, who was the second-leading scorer at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2015 at 17.2 points to go with 3.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals, has chipped in 3.0 points and 0.9 rebounds for the Ramblers.

Christian Negron - Puerto Rico - Loyola-Chicago

Christan Negron is another reserve for the Ramblers as the Puerto Rican freshman played just one minute in the NCAA tournament - against Kansas State in the Elite Eight. Negron has played well internationally, leading Puerto Rico in scoring (13.4 points) and rebounding (13.6 rpg) at the FIBA U18 Americas Championship 2016, including 23 points and 13 rebounds against the eventual champions United States. For the season, Negron averaged 1.1 points and 0.8 rebounds in 4.4 minutes.

Moritz Wagner - Germany - Michigan

Standing in the way of Loyola-Chicago's continued Cinderella dance is Michigan and their leading scorer (14.3 points) and rebounder (6.9 rpg) Moritz Wagner of Germany. Wagner, who played for Germany at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2014 and FIBA U20 European Championship 2017, has stepped up as the Wolverines have advanced in the NCAA tournament. He had 21 points in the Sweet Sixteen and then picked up 12 points and six rebounds in the Elite Eight.

For those who haven't been following the NCAA tournament, there is your international primer.

David Hein

FIBA

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