MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on My Mind) –The young ones are coming to fore as 16-year-old Kai Sotto and 18-year-old Kruz Perrott-Hunt have been named to their respective countries' fifth window pools.

Sotto was recently named by head coach Yeng Guiao as part of the Philippines' 20-man pool ahead of their games against Kazakhstan and Iran, while Perrott-Hunt was recently called up by head coach Paul Henare as the Tall Blacks prepare to face Jordan and Syria.

That got me thinking - who are the other youth standouts who can make an impact at the senior level right now if they were also called up?

Here's my list:

Ariel John Edu (Philippines) - 6ft 11in (2.10m) - C/F

FIBA U18 Asia Championship 2018: 14.2ppg, 11.5rpg, 2.8bpg, 46.2 3pt%
Edu has a great combination of size, length, mobility and athleticism. He was the perfect partner to Kai Sotto at the FIBA U18 Asia Championship, and he can potentially be a great contributor alongside veteran Filipino big men like June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar and even Christian Standhardinger. Edu, of course, is a great rim protector, but he's also a versatile offensive threat as he is able to score inside and outside.

Flynn Cameron (New Zealand) - 6ft 3in (1.90m) - PG

 FIBA U18 Asia Championship 2018: 11.3ppg, 6.0rpg, 5.6apg, 2.4spg
This triple-double threat has been tagged as New Zealand's point guard of the future, but why wait, right? At 6ft 3in (1.90m), he has great size to be a floor general in FIBA Asia, and as his production has proven, he is such a versatile backcourt talent. He won't score a ton every night, but he will make a big impact on both ends of the floor and will make the players around him better with his terrific court vision and passing.

Lee HyunJung (Korea) - 6ft 7in (2.00m) - F

 FIBA U18 Asia Championship 2018: 26.0ppg, 10.3rpg, 6.0apg, 3.3spg, 1.2 bpg, 3.7 triples per game
Lee was hands down the most dangerous offensive player at the FIBA U18 Asia Championship 2018. He was bigger than most wingmen he face and was able to score well in the paint or beyond the arc. His production, though, went way beyond scoring. He was also Korea's best rebounder, playmaker and defender. In short, he pretty much literally did everything for the Koreans, and there is little doubt he can contribute right now even at the senior level.

Michael Wang (China) - 6ft 10in (2.08m) - F/C

 FIBA U18 Asia Championship 2018: 20.0ppg, 13.0rpg, 3.6apg, 1.4 triples per game
Yes, China is such a top-heavy squad with so many quality big men, but Wang could eventually be one of their best. He is big and physical enough to match up with most FIBA Asia centers while also having above average mobility for a guy his size. He rebounds like a beast on both ends, and, of course, he's a deadly perimeter threat. He can potentially be a big siwngman for China alongside maybe Yi Jianlian and Zhou Qi in the frontcourt.

Princepal Singh (India) - 6ft 10in (2.08m) - C

 FIBA U18 Asia Championship 2018: 15.5ppg, 9.8rpg, 3.3bpg, 1.8spg
With the participation of Amritpal Singh and Amjyot Singh a big question mark for the future, India maybe served well if they look to Princepal as a potential cornerstone for their frontline. The 17-year-old has great size and length, and he has shown great motor by averaging nearly 29 minutes per game at the FIBA U18 Asia Championship 2018. He can score around the basket well while also defending the rim well on the other end.

Ameer Kasab (Lebanon) - 6ft 7in (2.00m) - F

FIBA U18 Asia Championship 2018: 9.3ppg, 7.3rpg, 2.0bpg
Kasab was not Lebanon's leading scorer at the FIBA U18 Asia Championship 2018, but he was a consistently productive big man who wasn't afraid to bang bodies even against bigger opponents. He displayed pretty good athleticism and length, highlighted by a 19-point, 9-rebound output against the UAE. He has also already seen action at the senior level, playing for Al Riyadi in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2018 as a back-up to Bassel Bawji.

Matin Aghajanpour (Iran) - 6ft 8in (2.02m) - F

 FIBA U16 Asia Championship 2017/2018: 23.2ppg, 8.4rpg, 2.4 triples per game
This 17-year-old was a revelation for Iran at the FIBA U16 Asia Championship. He was among the entire competition's best scorers and perhaps its sweetest shooting power forward, even scoring a tournament-high 39 points! His versatility extends beyond his shooting, though as he was also a great rebounder and defender. That versatility can potentially serve him well if he becomes part of Iran's senior pool soon.

Tamuri Wigness (Australia) - 5ft 10in (1.79m) - PG

 FIBA U16 Asia Championship 2017/2018: 14.8ppg, 4.0rpg, 3.8apg, 3.0spg, 1.2 triples per game
Wigness may be the smallest guy on this list, but his size should not determine his potential. This 16-year-old can really turn up the heat when he needs to, as he showed when he dominated New Zealand and China at the FIBA U16 Asia Championship Semi-Finals and Final respectively. His burst of quickness, incredible playmaking and streaky shooting have in fact drawn comparisons to NBA player Patty Mills.

Chikara Tanaka (Japan) - 6ft 2in (1.87m) - SG

 FIBA U16 Asia Championship 2017/2018: 15.2ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.7apg, 1.2spg, 1.0 triple per game
Even this early, Tanaka has already been tagged by many Japanese fans as their next great perimeter ace once he matures even more. He was actually part of Japan's previous Asian Qualifiers pool, and though his current availability is up in the air because of his commitments at the IMG Academy in Florida, he continues to be among Japan's top young prospects. He can shoot the lights out from any gym and has great size and shiftiness for his position. Maybe the next coming of living legend Kenichi Sako?

Enzo Flojo

FIBA

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